Category Archives: Book review

Cassandra Clare: The City of Ashes

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 1 Comment

city ashesThis will not be a long review as book 3 awaits (yes, I am very eager to get back to it).

Like I said in my review of The City of Bones, we see the possibility of the family issue being resolved to the happiness of our little tragic couple (it really seems like they came out of a Greek tragedy).

After stealing the Cup in book one, Valentine manages to steal the sword as well. Both being very important Shadowhunter objects of power necessary for them to perpetuate their line.

Of course he wants to use them to gain control of the Shadowhunter world and kill all demons and Downworlders then (those being the werewolves, vampires and fae) even though there is an uneasy truce between SHadowhunters and Downworlders – demons being the creatures bent on destruction and not belonging to our world.

So, Jace being Valentine’s son has to deal with the backlash of the pretty much whole Shadowhunter community and I must say, I didn’t expect him to behave like a grown person and was very much surprised when he did. Pleasantly.

The reason I am so eagerly waiting to read book 3 is because we get several hints as to the possibility Clary and Jace are not brother and sister (yesss!) and it ends with the possibility of Clary’s mother waking – so with cliffhangers like that, I’m off to see what happens next. 🙂

Cassandra Clare: The City of Bones

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 Comments: 2

city bonesSometimes I wonder how is it possible that even though I read YA novels regularly and sort of follow the scene, I miss some of the more famous series?!

Like the Shadowhunters one. Happened with the Hunger Games too. And Beautiful Creatures just a week ago. I learned about all of them only because they were made into movies. I guess I’m not following the scene as much as I thought.

The story is not really new. 🙂 We have a bad guy re-appearing for whom everyone thought was dead. The bad guy who used to be a good Shadowhunter.

Then we have the girl stumbling into the world because her mother’s precautions got  a bit late this year and now she can see through the glamours the Shadowhunters, Downworlders and demons throw to hide themselves from people. That is also how Clary meets Jace just as her mother is kidnapped by the bad guy and the story starts getting complicated.

Here is also where from the beginning it becomes clear who is who and I got really upset when my thoughts on the subject became true. Well, you couldn’t really come to any other conclusion.

Luckily for me, I’m already starting on book 3 so I know from the second book, that (spoiler ahead) the family issue will probably be resolved to the satisfaction of all. Not without tragic teenage suffering, I am sure. 😉

Liesel Schwarz: A Conspiracy of Alchemists

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 1 Comment

conspiracyI am slowly but surely beginning to understand the love people have for steampunk novels. They are just so much fun to read.

I guess having a good writer helps too. 😉

I very much enjoyed this book although I must say in the beginning, I got a distinct impression that Elle wasn’t so much stubborn as stupid in her discussions with Marsh but that improved later (it seemed she gained both a backbone and a logical mind).

What I enjoyed so much was the fact that steampunk was so easily mixed with paranormal to create a new world – one where paranormals exist together with people (everyone being aware of everyone) and wizards are “good” (as much as old men with power and the possibility to get more, albeit for good can be) and alchemists works with (or for) vampires which is the reason for their conspiracy from the title.

Where do Elle and Marsh come in? Well, Elle doesn’t remember her mother as she got killed when Elle was very little but we soon learn she is to follow as the Oracle in her mother’s footsteps (as a direct descendant of her line).

Not something Elle (and for that matter Marsh too) is happy about. Especially as she needs to find her hijacked father.

So, here we embark on the adventure – well, the adventure basically started from the second page, but here we embark on the second part of adventure.

I won’t discuss what that entails but I’ll just assure you, it’s not slow going. 🙂

P.S. It seems lately either I’m reading books that discuss scents more, or I am more attuned to them, but here I especially loved the fact that Elle applies freesia perfume oil.

Heather Graham: Keeper of the Night

Book review, World of Books December 12, 2012 1 Comment

I wish all my readers a very merry Christmas! I hope you spent it with your dear ones and had lots of fun times with them, enjoying good food and company.

Now, onto the book. 🙂

I don’t remember ever before reading a book that reminded me so much of a TV movie. You know, the one where the story is interesting enough and fun to read but not of cinematic value. Can’t say that is very surprising, this being a Harlequin title.

But the thing is, sometimes that is exactly what you need and I had fun reading it.

It was very easy to read and enjoy, had an interesting crime back story, interesting chkeeper nightaracters (the female hero is a tall redhead!), and an obvious plan for other books in the series.

We have 3 cousins who became Keepers of vampires, elves and werewolves (each for one race). It happened sooner than it was expected and now they are in L.A. having to perform their duties when they all wanted to pursue different careers. Rhiannon is the vampire keeper and just as she arrives to L.A., she has some big crime to solve. Luckily, there is the Elven Mac to help her. Well, work alongside her is probably better said.
Basically all components for some light book enjoyment.
I couldn’t guess the murderer but I know who is the next couple 😉

Kim Harrison: Pale Demon

Book review, World of Books December 4, 2012 1 Comment

pale demonI don’t know when it happened, but Rachel is seriously starting to get on my nerves. I don’t know when it went from being understanding about her state of life to annoying the hell out of me.

I’ve been thinking about it and wondering what exactly is it that annoys me to such an extent. I believe it’s the fact that as a former IS runner she ought to have developed a good shield against her own naiveté. And after the stuff she went through from the beginning of the series, I know she should have grown as a person. And not get sidetracked in her mind by good looking guys. Yes, she’s in her 20s but she is not a child and she deals with life-threatening situations all the time.

And then when it suits Ms Harrison, Rachel is suddenly a smart runner seeing and figuring out everything. It doesn’t work like that. Either she’s smart and gets things or she’s naive and it takes her forever to figure out the motivation behind people.

I just can’t figure out what kind of character she is supposed to be and I no longer have much tolerance for it.

That said – the story actually held me to the end even though it was rather obvious from the beginning what Trent was doing. I guess that wasn’t supposed to be the thrilling part we wouldn’t guess – the Rachel part took that over. And here I really couldn’t even begin to fathom what might happen.

But the whole experience was punctuated by my rising frustration with Rachel. She would fit quite well with all the YA novels I read, the only problem being, she is actually an adult.

So before you all go away from this thinking I hate the Rachel Morgan series, I finished the book and started with the next one (which is also annoying the hell out of me but not as much).

I sincerely hope Rachel becomes a more homogenous character in the future – otherwise I will probably tear a page in frustration at some point – the horror!

Kresley Cole: Shadow’s Claim

Book review, World of Books December 3, 2012 1 Comment

shadowsAarrrggghh! I finished it! 😦 I always feel like that after finishing a KC book. And I completely fell in love with Bettina and Trehan. Their story I mean. 😉

I now completely understand people who said this was their favourite book. There seems to be more mellowness in this book. Not to be confused with non-agression and lack of brutality. I mean, the Accession is under way after all.

But both Trehan and Bettina are somehow very loving people, Bett is after all very young and didn’t have time to grow bitter and cold and Trehan has spent a cold long life of Dacian princehood practically alone so it seems logical he would appreciate love.

I absolutely loved the part where Lothaire is giving him advice and orders on how to deal with his love life! 🙂 Lothaire of all people.

My favourite moments of the book is when Trehan is called Mr. Dacia which instantly went to Mr. Darcy in my head, some very good steamy scenes that make you fan your cheeks, and the banter between the two of them:

“Look at me, Bett! Look at me!” He cupped her paling cheeks, making her face him. “Breathe. Inhale, exhale.”

She squeezed her yes shut, gripping his shoulders, digging her nails into the muscle. !I’m supposed to take breathing advice… from someone who didn’t use his lungs… for centuries?”

Trehan being a vampire and therefore not needing to breathe until being blooded by his Bride. You can guess who that is. 😉

So they help each other find love and battle their own fears and demons. In the meantime, we have lots of fun.

 

Now, for the most important question – when is the next book coming out?!

Kim Newman: Anno Dracula

Book review, World of Books November 8, 2012 1 Comment

Ha! I’ve been writing this review for several days now and now that it’s done, it’s Bram Stoker’s 165. birthday anniversary. so, I’m right on time. 🙂

Let me start by warning you that when the cover says savage new world, you can take that literally. It is a really cruel depiction of Victorian England, or what Mr. Newman imagines it would look like if Vlad Tepes/Count Dracula made Queen Victoria a vampire and married her. I shudder just thinking about it.

That said, the book is actually fun to read. 🙂 It’s not funny though. It’s cruel and depicts a dictatorial system where vampires are taking more and more power unto themselves (in England).

There is a whole bunch of famous people appearing or being mentioned in the novel, some who were real, some who are only famous through their own books (like the Holmes brothers, Jack the Ripper, Van Helsing and so on).

This Dracula is the one from the Bram Stoker’s novel, only this time there is no novel and Bram Stoker is gone with the Dracula in power – this Dracula has no romantic connotations we might imagine from the original story, all bets are off in this world, and you better relocate to some other country if you want to live your life to old age.

We follow the story of several political (and criminal) factions trying to discover who is killing the vampire whores (Silver Knife renamed by newspapers into Jack the Ripper). That is how we meet both Genevieve (the vampire) and Charles Beauregard (human) trying to discover who that person is. You, as the reader, follow several characters’ minds and know quite early on who is the killer, but that doesn’t detract from the story.

I must say I didn’t see the ending happening in the way it did, but it was good.

I have no idea how this series flew under my vampire books radar for so long but I’m glad I know of them now and the next one is already on my TBR pile.

Natania Barron: Pilgrim of the Sky

Book review November 4, 2012 Comments: 2

This book is an interesting mish-mash of everything and it works.

I still feel a bit dazed after reading it – you get hit by many different worlds, ideas, characters, gods, but for some reason all that steampunk, romance, action and fantasy somehow combine into an interesting read. And you emerge dazed from the adventure. 🙂

I’m still wondering about the final choice and the love there but I think it has more to do with the fact I’m still getting back into real life than anything else.

So we have parallel world and twains across those worlds, not always in every world but at least in several and they get reborn (some more than others). We have dragons but in the initial (completely lost to modern person) meaning of the word – that’s why I’m not going to reveal it.

Maddie lives in our world but the next one she is taken to is the steam-punk one. And a very interesting version of our Earth it is, I should add.

I really can’t go into the story because if I want to explain anything, I will have to explain a lot and that will just reveal too much.

It’s basically what I said in the beginning – something of a mix of many interesting ideas all working together to make this novel an interesting read.

I wonder if there will be a sequel? That seems a must these days although not really necessary in this case.

I mean, the story felt complete for me but I’m sure Maddie is a character who could get into many more advenures.

 

Pic taken from http://pilgrimofthesky.com/

My ebook came courtesy of NetGalley.

Shayne Leighton: Of Light and Darkness

Book review October 30, 2012 1 Comment

OK, I can forgive this novel everything I found a bit lacking in it (there weren’t that many things either) because Shayne Leighton is 21 years old.

For anyone writing an interesting, original novel at that age, I really feel I have no argument as to the quality of the story and the dialogues.

Besides, even though several times while reading it I wanted to pick up something else, each time I went to check if I can continue reading this story, I got pulled into it. So, basically, Shayne is a very good story-teller.

The thing I wanted to read more of was the background of the society where the reader finds herself.

There is nothing on that subject which is something I really missed. But if I got it right, this is only book one so there might be an explanation in the next one.

The story revolves around vampire Valek who saved a baby girl in Prague and he raises her as her daughter even though she is no vampire but a human child (although I’m not so sure about that). The story begins with Lottie being old enough to fall in love with the eternally young looking vampire (she’s 20) and there is a fae who wants her for himself and here the plot thickens in previously unguessed ways.

There are parts of the story where reality feels as disjointed as in Alice in Wonderland, then we have the feelings of forsaken (or lost) love in the manner of the young, and some rather romantically pathetic feelings. Coupled with dialogue. 😀

But generally speaking, it was an interesting and unconventional read.

One thing I couldn’t really understand is why the vampires in this novel kill their victims when it becomes obvious later on they can drink without doing so? Is it that they don’t want to leave witnesses? Because it seems these vampires have no hypnotic skills so everyone would remember being bitten…

Temple Mathews: The New Kid

Book review October 26, 2012 1 Comment

Honestly, this is getting worrying – I don’t seem to read anything much aside from YA. I just wish I would read a blurb that sounded interesting and it didn’t belong to a YA novel.
I wonder what does that say about me?

And is it only me who thinks blurbs are a very good way to make you not want to read a certain book?

Ok, on to the novel in question. It is the first in series and I plan on reading on. And I read it without interrupting it with something else. 🙂

I wasn’t terribly pleased with being immersed into Will’s life without any background, just having to take it all for granted but it all got explained during the story.
These days I’m reading some strange, new stories in the YA world. Not that I mind, that is probably why I can finish them without interruption.
Anyway, Will fights demons and discovers too late why that wasn’t such a great thing to do. The interesting thing though is at one point you are not sure who is doing what for what purpose and I mean that in a good way – there is just no guessing the reasoning behind some of the actions and who might turn out to be a good guy. Or who is truly evil.

So, the whole story is very action-packed, which is also why I wanted some background on the 16-year old who can do all that. And Will is a strange kind of a super-hero and a genius to boot. 😉

One thing I noticed lately, coming up often in the novels I read, is the abrupt change of voices who are telling the story, so you need to pay attention when it switches without any previous warning.

What I was left wondering after reading this book is how come the author made the people of that little town almost all lean to the evil side and choose evil? Does it really seem like such an easy choice to most people?

My ebook came courtesy of Netgalley.