Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond and a family that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.

5 Star Review - Recommended Age:  16+

No...no, no, no, no!  Uhn uhhhh!  I'm not ready.  I'm just not ready for it to end.  I have NEVER stopped loving this story.  I have not stopped enjoying the romance between Valek and Yelena (soooogoooood).  The sarcasm from Janco never gets old.  The way the author creates a tale that pulls you in so COMPLETELY that you cannot stop reading when it's WAAAY past the time you should have been asleep.  Like "Dammit, I gots to get up early for work, but just one more page" type of writing!

I read the last page and I do believe I started to grieve.  Just the idea that there won't be another book next year....

This series is going down as one of my all time favorites!  This book, as all of the others, is well worth the read.  I can't honestly say if I gave this review a 5 because of the story in this book alone or the series as a whole; but they truly go together.  At this point in the story, there is a relationship with the characters.  There is an investment in the outcome.  This final book brought all of those things to a very satisfying, yet unwelcome conclusion.  I can not get enough of Yelena and Valek's love story.  It never got old or boring.  In this book, their relationship is mature and settled, but no less exciting.  It seems more "Man, I wish I had that" in this book.  The adoration and obsession that Valek has for Yelena is jealousy-inducing.  The author has created secondary characters whose personalities steal the show from the main characters at times.  In my 17 year-old girl dream mind, Fisk is my boyfriend and Janco is my crazy uncle. 

The storyline wraps up nicely, with a finality to the conflicts that have built up in all of the books.  No relationship closure is left hanging between the characters, but there is still an option with the younger characters for further books.  Please....please, let there be more books.

Finally, the epilogue!

Ok, Ok, you got me....I cried

The King's Traitor by Jeff Wheeler

Against all odds, Owen Kiskaddon grew from frightened boy to confident youth to trusted officer in the court of Kingfountain—and watched its regent, Severn Argentine, grow ever more ruthless and power-mad. Robbed of his beloved protector, his noble mentor, and his true love, Owen has anticipated the day when the king he fears and reviles, yet loyally serves, will be toppled. Now, as Severn plots a campaign of conquest, the time has come to take action…and Owen’s destiny demands that he lead the strike.

Ordered to incite war with a neighboring kingdom, Owen discovers its beautiful, reclusive ruler, whose powerful magic might even exceed his own. Together they mount a daring plot to overthrow the corrupt monarch, crown the rightful heir, and defeat the prophesied curse threatening Kingfountain with wintry death. But Severn’s evil is as bottomless as the fabled Deep Fathoms. To keep his ill-gotten throne, he’ll gladly spill the blood of enemies and innocents alike.

4 Star Rating - Recommended Age 14+
So satisfying!! And it's not the end - Whaaat?!!!! Some things did not go the way I expected. I felt some disappointments, frustrations and pettiness. Yes...pettiness! (Those who've pined for love will agree). 

But in the end it wrapped up beautifully. What good writing where a reader heavily invested in a certain fairy tale ending still enjoys the unexpected!   This story deepened my attachment to the characters.  Owen has become such a complicated character in this book.  Warring with his loyalty and his moral compass; his undying love and the possibilities of letting go; greed and selflessness.  There were twists and turns in the plot, which kept the story from being too predictable.  But you always know in the end that good will win.  This is YA level intrigue, very low on the romance scale, but mid-level romantic tension.  Even at the 3rd book in the series, it is still a story I find hard to put down.  I want to keep reading to see what is going to happen next.

The Dreamblood Duology by NK Jemisin

The city burned beneath the Dreaming Moon.

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers -- the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe . . . and kill those judged corrupt.

But when a conspiracy blooms within Gujaareh's great temple, Ehiru -- the most famous of the city's Gatherers -- must question everything he knows. Someone, or something, is murdering dreamers in the goddess' name, stalking its prey both in Gujaareh's alleys and the realm of dreams. Ehiru must now protect the woman he was sent to kill -- or watch the city be devoured by war and forbidden magic.

3 Star Rating - Recommended Age:  16+

This was a satisfying read.  It took quite a while for me to get into the story though.  It's not that the story wasn't a good one, but building up the momentum took about half of each book.  It was an emotional storyline where you really start to feel for the characters.  I really liked the unique concept of how delivering death is dealt with in this society, and the opposing views from outside of Gujaareh.  It's very thought provoking and provides a grey area on what is considered morally right or wrong.

The story was definitely not non-stop excitement, though I didn't feel the need to skip pages to get to the good part.  I got caught up in the characters and I found myself a little attached to Nijiri.  Why can't he be happy!  Why can't he have love!!!  Halfway into each book, it starts to move in a more fast paced manner and I couldn't put it down.  As always the world building is on point in a Jemisin book and the characters are well developed.  I found myself tearing up a little bit on some parts....now that's good writing.

Definitely not the best Jemisin book I've read, but a solid "It didn't waste my time".

Short Reviews - January 2015

Cress by Marissa Meyer

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

2.5 Star Rating - Recommended Age: 13+
The book is interesting because it continues the story of Cinder, but the main character of the book doesn't satisfy like Scarlet did.  The story of Cress is lackluster at best, but the revelation of secrets and the introduction of what I assume will be the next character makes up for it.

Born by Tara Brown

"It's us and them, Em. There are no regular people anymore."  Ten years ago when the world ended she ran for her life.  Five weeks ago the world she'd hidden from came knocking on the door of her secluded cabin.  Ten days ago she found salvation hiding amongst the dead.  Yesterday she went back for the living.  Today she wonders if she will live to see tomorrow.

What do you do when the world you were born to is gone?  Where do you hide when even your own body isn't safe?

Emma ran when her daddy told her to. She hid like he said she should. He was the first person she turned her back on. The first one she let die.  Ten years has gone by and she still lives by the simple rules he taught her when she was nine years old.  "Don't help anyone. Don't go where other people are unless you have to. Trust no one. Always pull the trigger."  Until one night she hears the worst sound in the world, a knock. A simple, timid knock, on the door to her cabin.  Only the voice of the brave little girl, ready to die for her brother, persuades Emma to open the door.  As her fingers turn the lock, she has a terrible feeling she will regret her decision.

But even as regret fills her world, so do love and companionship. Things she never imagined she would ever have again.  Everything comes at a cost; you decide what you'll pay.

3.5 Star Rating - Recommended Age:  15+
Another post-apocalyptic story, written with a very fast pace.  No spending pages reading through scene descriptions and waiting for action.  The storyline is very good and reminds me of the Walking Dead.  The danger isn't only from the infected but the humans that are left as well.  Emma is a strong character and believable in her toughness yet innocence.  The attraction that springs up between Jake and her and she and Will adds some romanticism to a very dark world.

Bound by Kira Saito

Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

1 Star Rating - Recommended Age:  No One
I tried, I really, really tried.  It started off with promise, and then when I started to get into the story, here comes a rant from the main character on how men only want one thing and rich boys only think about cars, girls and clothes.  Not once, but throughout the book.  It was so distracting, annoying and frustrating that whatever plot the book had was overshadowed.  The revelation of the "mystery"...non-existent.  No suspense, no buildup, no "A-HA" moment, no lead up, not even a "Huh...didn't see that coming."  This could have been a great story, given the plot, but it was just horrible.

Waterfall by Lisa T Bergren

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.


2/2.5  Star Rating 
My Recommendation:  Good enough to buy the paperback or ebook.  I would not rush out and get it though.

Recommended Age 13+  The story reminds me of a Lynn Kurland or a Mckennon book.  It has been done SOOOO many times that unless the storyline is extra intriguing or the writing extremely well done, it's hard to keep the reader interested.  The only author to do this a little differently and break the mold is Diana Gabaldon.  This was not a bad effort for a young adult book.

Plot and Pace:  Hmm..just couldn't get as into it as I could have.  Too many holes in the storyline for me and not enough clear backstory.  Why are the two families fighting again?  It would be nice to have a little more history detailed in the story.  Italian history was not a major part of high school, so giving me the name of a few political groups and family names doesn't really tell me what the conflict should be.  The tomb is the main focal point of how they travel in time and no real information is given?  No mystery to unravel, ancient secrets to reveal??  So much more could have been included to make this story a little unique from the rest.  Maybe the next books will get into this, but a mysterious hook would have been nice.

Action and Imagery:  None to blog about

Romance and Humor:  I'll skip on the humor and talk about the romance.  Very little of it, but it was....cute?  The attraction of Marcello to Gabriella is written pretty well.  She's not like the rest of the women in his time; more forward, not as demure or agreeable.  But why is she attracted to him?  Because he's handsome??  Is that it.  This was a big disappointment.

Characters:  Another disappointment.  Not enough character involvement at all.  How you love or hate the characters is what makes an amazing book and determines how INTO the book and how invested I become in the story.  The villain of the story, not a good villain.  Why do we hate him again, other than he hates the main character?  And the sister!  Don't get me started....she just reappears.  We don't get to know about how she came back, what she's been doing in more detail?

What Irked The Shiznit Out Of Me:  Nothing really bothered me.
What Blew Me Away:  Nothing amazed me.