The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

Rating: 5 million stars (I can do that right?)

Synopsis: The Iron Fey Saga recounts half human, half-faery Meghan Chase's battle to claim her birth right. To rescue her half brother Ethan she must face unimagined dangers, unpredictable powers and forbidden love.




Settle back because this is the review I've been promising you all for so long now and it's finally here. A note, I'm going to try and summarise each book as best I can without giving too much away but it's not going to be fantastic. I'll review the whole series at the end but for now here's a little preview, just in case you're short of time - this series is awesome and you need to read it. Now. Like now. This series, should definitely be on your TBR list!!

The Iron King (1) ~ Okay, here goes for my longest review ever. The Iron King is book 1 of the Iron Fey Saga and is where we meet Meghan for the very first time. A seemingly normal girl who gets bullied at school and has a crush on the hot guy. Very typical and dull and you start to wonder where the magic happens. Bear with. When her brother Ethan is kidnapped, Meghan follows her best friend Robbie (AKA Robin Goodfellow/Shakespeare's Puck) into the Nevernever to get him back. And then things get good.
Wandering the Nevernever, even with Puck, is never a good idea and so Meghan is thrown right in at the deep in and, with barely enough time to catch her breath and admire the scenery her and Puck are running for their lives from a mysterious huntsman. Barely escaping, Meghan meets Grimalkin, the trickiest cat in the Nevernever who, after some detours takes her to Arcadia where she just happens to run into the guy who tried to kill her. Who happens to be called Ash and is a Prince of Winter. And is H.O.T. After some more twists and turns (and an uneasy deal between said Prince and Meghan) our three heroes set off towards the Iron Kingdom where Ethan is being held to battle King Machina. Which, for a once ordinary high school girl, is a lot to ask. But that's what happens when your a Faery Princess.

Winter's Passing (1.5) ~ this book picks up right where book 1 leaves off with Meghan having to uphold her deal to Ash. This is a very short novella and, like the other novellas, aren't needed to understand the whole story but there are subtle references to them in the first three books and so are useful to give some background. The story takes place on the journey to Tir Na Nog, Ash's home and we get to see some more romance bubbling between the two of them. Until it's ruined with an encounter from the one and only Big Bad Wolf who is just as bad as he seems. Like I said, the other novellas aren't truly important but the Big Bad Wolf does play a part in Book 4 - just a heads up.

The Iron Daughter (2) ~ Meghan is now stuck in Tir Na Nog and Ash is nowhere to be seen. Unlike Arcadia, pretty much every fey who resides here has bad intentions and you have to constantly be on your guard. This book focuses on the tradition of the passing of the Sceptre of the Seasons which is passed between both Summer and Winter throughout the year to mark the change of seasons. When this is stolen by the Iron Fey and Prince Sage, Ash's oldest brother is caught in the crossfire, Meghan takes it upon herself to try and get the sceptre back. Unlike last time though, Ash leaves to try and find the sceptre alone which, as you can guess, doesn't end well. With a battle between Meghan and the Iron Fey AND the two courts, it's a race against time to try and find the sceptre and restore nature's balance. Can Meghan and Ash survive the trials and the centuries old traditions followed by the courts?

The Iron Queen (3) ~ Exiled from the Nevernever, Meghan thinks her time in Faery is over. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. The Iron Fey are back and are once more threatening those Meghan loves, forcing her to go back and make yet more sacrifices. Meghan's powers are causing more harm than good and she, typically, the pieces don't click for anyone until the last second. Ash and Meghan's relationship is seemingly sealed until, during the final battle, Meghan is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. What will happen to Meghan, Ash and Puck?

Summer's Passing (3.5) ~ Our second novella is told from Puck's POV which is a nice change and you really get a chance to see Puck's dilemma of loving Meghan but valuing his complicated friendship with Ash. This is the story of what happens when a certain Dark Muse calls in a favour at the worst possible time and asks for what seems to be the impossible. For everyone...except Robin Goodfellow.

The Iron Knight (4) ~ And so we come to book 4 which is told in Ash's POV and tells his story of the trials he faces as he tries to keep his promise to Meghan. We see some old faces such as the Big Bad Wolf and some new faces which really add a surprising twist to the story. Will Ash find his Queen again?

Iron's Prophecy (4.5) ~ Our third novella which tells the story of what happens after the Iron Knight and what happens when a prophecy foretold in a previous book is brought to light once more.


Okay, so I love how those synopses got shorter and shorter as we went along but I really don't want to spoil you guys. So why do I love this series so much? The characters are so complex and entertaining. Meghan really grows as a character throughout the series - something I really didn't get with Allie in the Immortal Rules. Meghan is just a lot more relatable to me and I felt like I connected with her a lot more. Puck added so much humour to the series, he has some seriously brilliant one liners that just make you laugh out loud. As does Grimalkin actually. Both are seriously funny characters. Ash is more serious but it's really interesting to watch him change as a character and to watch his barriers break down as he gets to know Meghan more.

The entire world is so well created - again so different from the Immortal Rules where I didn't feel as captivated by the world. In the Iron Fey you want to know everything there is to know about the world as well as the characters because it's so well crafted it's a huge part of the story. A character in it's own right.

The plot as well is so intricate but it's not complicated in that it's difficult to understand. You can clearly see what's happening and why but there are lots of little parts to it, each plot point has a twist which you don't see coming which keeps it interesting. The love and romance is also really well done. Despite seeing the initial love triangle in the first three books, the love triangle that appears in book 4 shocked me. As in I actually said out loud 'What? No! Really?" in public. I got a few strange looks but it takes a lot to make me do that.

So a shocking review on what is actually a fab series. If you've stayed this far - well done. I applaud you because I wouldn't have! Seriously though, read these books you won't be sorry! Oh, and have a very happy new year. Make 2015 a year to remember (for the right reasons) :)


Image from http://wecritics.blogspot.co.uk/ - no Copyright intended

Neverland & Pan's Revenge by Anna Katmore

     Neverland and Pan's Revenge by Anna Katmore


Rating: 4 .5stars

Synopsis (Neverland): Why is there a boy who doesn’t want to grow up?
How can an apple start the sweetest romance in fairytale history?
And what does a ruthless pirate have to do with it all?


Angelina McFarland loves reading fairytales. But she never dreamed of falling right into one herself. That’s exactly what happens when she slips on her balcony and a flying Peter Pan catches her mid-fall.

Ending up in Neverland where no one seems to age and laws of nature are out of control, Angel has no idea how to get home. Worse, the ruthless Captain Hook captures her and keeps her trapped on his ship, the Jolly Roger, where she gets caught between the lines of a timeless battle. But the more time Angel spends with the captain, the more she sees beneath his ruthless façade.

As Angel desperately tries to find a way to return to her real life, she discovers a train ticket to London in her pocket. It won’t be any help in getting off the island, but as her memory fades away the longer she stays, this is all she has left to remind her of her former life and why she can’t give up trying.

Or is staying in Neverland forever the better choice after all?

Review: I love, love, love, love, love this series. I bought Neverland on a whim - it sounded interesting and it got great reviews and I'm so glad I did! Neverland is written in a dual POV - Angelina 'Angel' and James 'Jamie' Hook. Angel is thrown into Neverland when she falls off her balcony but don't go expecting this to end up like the Disney fairy tale. While Peter Pan does catch her, they soon part ways after an argument and Angel ends up in the hands of notorious pirate Captain James Hook.

The characters in this are so great. Angel is a strong heroine who knows what she wants and won't put up with anything that could deviate her from her path. Except maybe, possibly falling in love with a Pirate. Angel and James (or Jamie as he's also known) get off to a rocky start - he is a pirate - but, after saving her from one of Peter Pan's pirate traps, the pair begin to grow closer.

I love James. You really get a feel for him as a character. His life is balanced between being a pirate and being the person he wants Angel to see and get to know. It's quite funny to see the moral dilemma James faces as he starts to fall in love with Angel and, fair warning. Pirates do swear - a lot - so if you're against swearing in books this probably won't be for you, but for me it just added to the authenticity.

In this series, Peter Pan is James' little half brother. They're past is quite complicated but it wasn't an easy childhood and both have suffered for it, leading to the ultimate decision from Peter to never grow up and to battle with his brother over...well...everything. This added a unique twist to this tale because, while it's something I've never really thought about until now, it does answer the question of why Peter and Hook are enemies.

The romance is cute. Again, another warning, there is a lot of fluff between Angel and James which isn't going to be for everyone. Personally, I love a good romance (don't know if you can tell ;) ) so it didn't really bother me but like I said, I know it isn't for everyone. The only reason this book isn't 5 stars is because the romance does seem to develop quickly - one minute they hate each other and the next they're kissing. But it's very easy to overlook this one little flaw. I completely fell into this story and loved every single second of it.

                                                               
Pan's Revenge

Rating: 4 stars

Pan's Revenge (Adventures i“Are you ready to be kissed?” he breathes against the corner of my mouth.

My knees start to tremble and there are butterflies in my belly now. Way too many. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“I think it’s the best idea I had in a long time.”



Desperate to leave Neverland and find his love in this notorious town called London, James Hook makes a gravSynopsis: Desperate to leave Neverland and find his love in this notorious town called London, James Hook makes a grave mistake. He puts his own wishes above those of his half-brother and once-arch-enemy, Peter Pan.

The consequences alter Peter’s life in a way no one could have foreseen. The boy who wouldn’t grow up swears revenge, and what better way than by stealing Hook’s girl?

The first to arrive in London, Peter finds Angel once again without any memory of ever being in Neverland. That gives him time to plant the idea of a ruthless pirate captain in her mind—someone who tried to kill her once and is now on his way to kidnap her again. If only this stubborn girl would stop playing with Peter’s head. He’d completely forgotten how beautiful she was. Or is it only because he sees her through different eyes now?

Through a shower of falling stars, a loop around the moon, and then a hard left at the Clock Tower—when James Hook finally arrives in London, he has to fight with a vengeance for his love and face a boy who grew up after all...

Review: The second and final book in this duology and while I enjoyed this one almost as much as the first I didn't really like the evolution of Peter. The premise was good. Three months after book 1 ends, Angel has forgotten about her adventures in Neverland but James hasn't - far from it. He's desperately trying to find a way to be with Angel again but, during these attempts, James manages to get Peter to destroy the watch (read book 1 to understand this bit because I don't want to give away too many spoilers). This means that Peter Pan who was once the boy who never grew up - is growing up and fast.

Determined to take revenge on James for ruining his life, Peter figures out the way to London and tries to steal Angel away from James. This started well but I didn't like who Peter turned into. As he grew older, he became more and more cynical and bent on revenge and I didn't think this evolution necessarily worked.

James and Angel are thrown back together and, because Angel doesn't remember James, hilarity and chaos ensue when James finally gets to London. He has three days to win Angel back but Angel is incredibly stubborn so, James does what any pirate does, and kidnaps her. Again. I loved this plot point because the two characters are so stubborn and so insistent that the other needs to listen to them and do what they want that the whole situation just makes you smile, especially as it's so reminiscent of how Angel and James originally met.

The ending of this is so sweet and perfect and just...argh! I loved it and it leaves it open for another book. Anna Katmore has said that she isn't planning a third book but the option is there if she wants it. Despite this the ending is satisfying and draws everything to a conclusion. But, on the off chance that Anna Katmore is reading this (she's not but let me pretend for a minute) then a third book would be great. Maybe? Possibly?

This series is a really easy read - I got through one book in a day I loved it so much. Definitely a duology to pick up!

(Just a quick note regarding Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series. I'm not going to be reviewing the third book the Forever Song because I haven't really enjoyed the series and I can live without reading the final book which means for me, that I haven't really enjoyed the series. I'm sorry to all those who are waiting for the review but my review for The Iron Fey should be up soon - there's just a lot of them to do so it's taking a while)

No copyright intended, images from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22056857-pan-s-revenge & http://annakatmore.com/2014/03/21/neverland-story-and-cover/

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis:
Out here in the Fringes, there is only one rule: Blood calls to blood.
She has done the unthinkable: died so she might continue to live.
Now Allie, the reluctant teenage vampire who was cast out of Eden, and Zeke, the human boy who loves her, must attempt to save the world from a deadly new strain of plague. In order to do so, they must first hunt down the monster who holds the promise of the cure and Allie s beloved mentor in his sadistic grip....
Joined by Allie's blood brother, Jackal, this unlikely posse of companions will brave a landscape stalked by raiders, rabids, and rogue vampires. But even if they survive, they re bound for the Inner city, and a vicious showdown that will test their bonds in ways they never expected.
It may just be that becoming undead was the easy part. Confronting the horrors of Allie's awakening hunger, her growing feelings for Zeke, and the uncertainties of their future is going to be the ultimate challenge.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Okay. So Book 1 of the Blood of Eden trilogy left me a little disappointed but the ending definitely saved it for me. Book 2 - was so much better. It still started a little slow for me but there was a lot more action throughout the book.

I liked that we got to see a little more of Jackal, Allie's blood brother. He's a really interesting character and reminds me a little of Peter in Divergent, he's in it for himself and, if he's not on the winning team, he'll leave. This provided a great source of conflict for the group and helped keep the book moving as you're never truly sure about Jackal's motives.

Allie finally came through! She turned into someone who I can start to relate to a little more. I mean, she's still not on the same level as Meghan is for me (review definitely coming guys, promise!) but she's getting there. She seems a lot more sure of who she is in this book. She's not so hung up on her choice to become a vampire. The topic does still come up and she still thinks about it, but not as much as Book 1 which really helped me get to know her a little more.

Zeke. Oh Zeke. I do love you. Again, not as much as Ash but, you're still lovable. I'm glad that Allie found Zeke again in this book - their goodbye seriously almost broke my heart - and I'm glad that Zeke fought for Allie. He seemed a little...I don't know...not weak but afraid maybe in Book 1? He really came into his own in this book and stood up for himself a lot more.

And now we come to Stick, or Mr Stephen as he's now known. I was a little unsure of this character in Book 1 and I'm still unsure now. I knew Stick would come back in this book, I feel like it was an obvious plot point, but I love how Julie takes what should be an obvious plot point and makes it into something so completely un-ordinary. Stick is now chief advisor to the Prince in New Covington and is acting all high and mighty about himself. I really didn't like him. Not just in a 'you've turned on your best friend and sold her out' kind of dislike (although that was there) but in a 'I don't truly buy that you'd change this much' kind of dislike. Because I didn't. I can totally buy that Stick would turn to the Prince - I get that. I don't understand why he'd completely turn on Allie after everything. I'd like to think that if I was in that situation and I knew my best friend was a vampire but HADN'T eaten me yet, I'd hear them out. Maybe it's just me on this one but Stick for me was a really awful character and I couldn't really buy into any of his actions.

Overall, this book was waaayyy better than the first one but again it did take a little while to get into the book, despite picking it up straight after finishing Book 1 and that brought the rating down for me.

No copyright intended - image from http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Eternity-Cure-Blood-Eden/dp/1848451857 

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

                                                        The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden Book 1)

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. She must decide what - and who - are worth dying for.

I found Julie Kagawa through The Iron Fey series which I love. It's probably my favourite series at the moment (and a review of the series will be coming soon). I was sceptical about picking up the Immortal Rules because I loved the Iron Fey so much and I thought at first I had been proved right. It took me so long to get into this book and it really disappointed me in the beginning. It wasn't until about 240 pages in (242 if we're going to be exact) that I finally found myself being sucked into the book and enjoying the story.

And I'm not sure why it took so long. I have two theories. Theory number 1: this is a dystopia/supernatural book so it's very different from the Iron Fey which is fantasy. This may have hindered Julie's writing as it takes a while to get used to writing in a new genre and therefore, limiting my enjoyment of the book. Theory number 2 (which is a lot more probable): I didn't care about Allie. Not until 242 pages in did I really care about what happened to her. She's the main protagonist in this book and I didn't care about her - BIG problem.

I kept comparing Allie to Meghan, the lead protagonist in the Iron Fey. Meghan is a lot more relatable in my mind. She went through normal struggles and you could clearly see her grow into a strong person. Allie was a strong person at the beginning of the novel and maybe that was the problem. A lot of the things thrown at her, she could handle. Lack of food for example? No problem, I'll go hunt in the rabid infested area outside the wall! As well as this, when she was turned into a vampire, she kept second guessing Kanin which really irritated me. She acted like she knew everything when, in reality she didn't, and the whole time I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop acting like a little know it all and LISTEN to what Kanin was telling her.

The relationship aspect of the novel took agggeeessss to get to. I'm a believer that, although you don't necessarily need a romance early on to help the book, it does help. In this case, it would have definitely helped. You're left wondering if Allie is ever going to find someone when eventually Zeke turns up.

Zeke...is a good character is most respects. Better than Allie, I felt like I could relate to him more than I could to Allie but there was still something missing and I'm not sure what it is. Again, I compared Zeke to Ash and there is no comparison. While both are strong in their own ways, Ash can carry a good portion of the story (or a whole book in the case of the Iron Knight) and I can't help but wonder if Zeke could do the same. Maybe in Books 2 & 3 the character's will progress a little more but in Book 1, I was a little disappointed.

Overall, the plot was good, especially once we got out of New Covington and met up with Zeke and the other humans. It really started to pick up pace and I did end up starting to feel something towards Allie and Zeke and wanting Zeke to realise that Allie isn't a monster. The whole thing with the sires and the blood siblings was a nice touch although I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the whole 'big brother little sister' thing that was done in the Mortal Instruments. I didn't see it coming anyway so that's a plus.

I loved Caleb and Bethany. The two kids were only minor characters but they really lifted the story for me. They're so innocent and blunt in the ways that only small children are. When Caleb is asking Allie to bring his sister Ruth back from the dead I almost shed a tear. That tear then turned to laughter when he was distracted by the prospect of getting jelly. The scene with the goat as well was really sweet, with Bethany trying to name the goat Princess I think and Caleb shooting her down. It was really well done and really sweet.

Overall, I'd say stick with this book because it does get better despite a ridiculously slow start. If you're not sure about this I'd definitely suggest picking up The Iron King which is book 1 in the Iron Fey series because that is ten million times better and, like I said, a review of the whole series will be up soon but I have a lot of reviews to catch up on first!

image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules - no Copyright intended 

The Fall Claire Merle

The Fall by Claire Merle

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: London, in the not-so-distant future. Society has been divided into Pures and Crazies according to the results of a DNA test.
But seventeen-year-old Ana, whose father invented the Pure test, has uncovered a recording with dangerous evidence that the tests are fake. Ana has escaped her father and made it to the Enlightenment Project - a secluded protest group living on the outskirts of the City.

Back in the arms of Cole nothing is simple. Some in the Project believe her presence jeopardises their safety, others interpret her coming as part of their prophetic Writings. When the recording Ana stole goes viral, the Project comes under attack. Now Ana's father isn't the only one looking for her. She's come to the attention of Evelyn Knight, the Chairman of the Board - a powerful woman with a sinister plan. Ana must take greater risks than ever to unravel the truth and discover the secrets that lie beneath the Pure test. But unlike her father, the Chairman doesn't want her safely home. She wants Ana's spirit crushed, permanently. And she will destroy everyone Ana cares about to do it.

My Review: So I loved The Glimpse. Absolutely loved it and I couldn't wait to read the final instalment. I started reading The Fall in earnest and it was okay but it lacked some of the edge that The Glimpse had.

The Fall picks up right where The Glimpse left off and so we're immediately plunged back into the story world and the problems facing the characters. I really like this approach - no nonsense and direct. The author is trusting that you've read the previous book/books and know what's happened previously. Ana reaches the Enlightenment Project but, instead of being welcomed like she hoped might happen, she is met mainly by hostility. I like the fact that this hostility stayed there in the background in the scenes in the Project. It's happened before where authors set up the hostility against the protagonist and then, a chapter later, everyone is suddenly alright with them being there. After fighting for her place at the Project, Ana and Cole are reunited (YES!) and their love is as sweet as it was in the first book.

The age difference between the characters doesn't matter in this book because the work that Merle has put into the characters to make them believable is so good that you end up wanting them to be together no matter what (and, personally, Ana and Cole make a much better pairing than Ana and Jasper in my opinion). One of my favourite parts of this book, was finding out that Cole had taken up guard duty by the wall near Ana's old house; keeping an eye out for her. I'm a hopeless romantic and that small scene between Cole and Ana was just so romantic and it made me so happy!

I liked that Merle didn't just leave us wondering about the other characters though. Some people might find the jumping of POV's a little off putting and I can totally understand that but it was needed with this book. There were a lot of characters in The Glimpse that I wanted to find out about. Jasper for one - how was he doing after his ordeal? I think if you're going to change POV's then you have to be good at it and Claire Merle really is.

One character I didn't like was Evelyn Knight - the 'baddie' in this book. Supposedly behind the Pure/Crazy split I felt like this was the one character in the entire series that I couldn't connect to. Maybe if she'd been worked into the first book, this issue wouldn't have been as prominent but she just kind of dropped out of nowhere and confused me a little. I understand why she was there and why she was needed but I just didn't see her as the 'bad guy' and, she wasn't in the early portions of the book enough to make me care. Maybe that was the problem? To me, Merle incorporated her too late - we had a few early scenes with her in but we didn't get to see much of her until the end and by then, I was bored by her character and backstory and this was the only thing that let The Fall down for me.

The plot was well thought out, the relationships between Ana and Cole, Ana and Jasper, Ana and her father worked well - they were very distinctive and there wasn't a love triangle between Ana, Cole and Jasper which I liked. Most of the early portion of the book was great, as was the ending. I thought it was a good ending; it wrapped everything up nicely. It was just the part where Evelyn got really involved in the plot that I lost interest. I couldn't believe why she was doing what she was doing and she irritated me a little. So much so, I found myself skipping some pages to get to something 'interesting'.

Don't get me wrong, I would definitely recommend this duology - it's a great read with well thought out characters (for the most part) and an intriguing plot line. And I urge you to read The Fall because it IS a good conclusion - you just have to put up with Evelyn Knight for a little while - but once she's out of the way, I did enjoy this book and I can't fault Merle's writing. If you want a book series that's quite short and fresh and new, then I would definitely recommend you trying this series.

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16029783-the-fall - no copyright intended

The Glimpse by Claire Merle

The Glimpse by Claire Merle

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: In the not so distant future, society has been divided into Pures and Crazies according to the results of a DNA test. When Ana finds out there was a mistake with her test her whole world crumbles. Now Pure-boy Jasper is her only hope of salvation.

But when Jasper disappears, Ana is distraught. She sets off on his trail, determined to solve the mystery of his abduction. In doing so she uncovers some devastating truths, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.




My Review: Finally! A dystopian novel that has completely captured my heart! 'The Glimpse' is the first book in a duology (my review for book 2 will be posted after this one) and I'm so glad I picked it up! For me, I want to be wowed by dystopian novels - I guess I've been spoiled with both the Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies so not many really live up to what I'm expecting. But this book. THIS BOOK.

First off the characters. I love that Ana isn't completely clueless. There is a fine balance between a character being shielded from the truth and a character just not looking hard enough for the truth. Ana is definitely the first one. She's a strong character to begin with but she becomes stronger throughout the novel (as a lead character should) and you really invest in her character because of this. This trait also means her actions are believable. There are times when her Pure upbringing shines through but Claire Merle shows how Ana starts to really question everything that's ever happened to her.

Cole - oh.my.gosh Cole. He's not stupid either and he really helps Ana figure out what is actually happening behind the borders and shows her that actually, life isn't so bad. At first, the idea of him having this 'glimpse' of Ana years before made me really wary - it's very hard to make something like that believable but Merle only dwells on it for as long as is necessary before moving on. Many authors would have made a point of including references to this glimpse every five minutes, but Merle uses it only when necessary - the reader doesn't forget about it, but they're not constantly hounded by it, which is something I really like.

I'm also throwing Tamsin in there. As Ana's best friend she doesn't have a starring role but I loved the parts she was in. She obviously helped Ana become as strong as she is and the friendship between the girls is strong enough to last through anything the government throws at them but again, it's a believable friendship. Ana needs Tamsin to give her a kick when things start to get her down and Tamsin needs Ana to give her hope that things are going to change

The world building was also amazing. I liked the fact that it's set in Britain - something that's not usually done and made the world stand out a little bit more. Merle has cleverly kept many references to modern day London - the Tube in particular - whilst weaving in her own elaborate world around it, which makes reading about the world, especially if you live in the UK like me, really intriguing and special.

I love the whole idea of society being divided into Pures and Crazies. Mental illness is a big thing now and so it's interesting to see how the concept of illness ruining society as we know it. Claire Merle did so well getting the divide between the Pures and Crazies just right and it was interesting to see how the medications the characters had available to them affected their lives and actions.

There is so much more I can say about this book but I won't be able to stop at the end- it's just amazing. This is definitely a duology to read. My review for 'The Fall' which is the conclusion to 'The Glimpse' will be up soon.


Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12367267-the-glimpse - no Copyright intended.

The Name on Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns

The Name on Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:  In Corin's world, your carpinomen - the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist - is everything. It shapes your whole life, and sets out your future. People spend decades searching for the one they're supposed to be with.
But what if you never find your soul mate? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the name on your wrist?
And what if - like Corin - you're desperate not to be found?


The premise of this book really intrigued me. I've found myself in a book rut at the minute and this book is short enough (my copy is only around 260 pages so it is a nice short book) to get me motivated to read once more.

I did enjoy this book but there is something missing and I can't quite put my finger on what. I thought Corin was a strong character (quite literally in some cases) but there were times when she annoyed me a little bit. Her mood towards soul mates jumped around quite a bit - one minute she was totally against the whole idea of soulmates the next, she was surprised that not everyone married their soulmate.

The world itself wasn't really explained. There were a couple of pages at the end which kind of explains why things changed but, unlike other dystopian fiction like Divergent or The Hunger Games, the world wasn't explained enough for me. It was just kind of there rather than a part of the story like I wanted it to be.

I did like the plot overall. I thought the plot was okay, with some unexpected twists and turns thrown in which surprised me. However, I do think some of these things need to be alluded to in more detail beforehand. For example (without giving too much away), we learn that Corin has 'contacts' that she uses to get things but we don't find out much more than that until the end and I would have liked to see more of how Corin uses the information she has to help the plot along.

Which brings us briefly to something that has been bugging me. Corin has all this information but she doesn't do anything with it. In this respect, Corin is drastically different from heroines like Tris and Katniss who use the information they have to defeat the government. Corin doesn't seem that interested in bringing down the government - she seems content to moan about it a lot which started to annoy me.

The ending. Oh.My.God. That ending. It confused me. A lot. It felt rushed and I didn't really understand the decision that Corin had made and why her sister was so mad about it. Helen Horins didn't really explain it very well and I finished the book feeling a little disappointed with the ending.

Overall, the plot was good, the romance was good BUT there are quite a few things that weren't explained well or at all and there was that...spark...missing. I'm not sure what it is but other dystopians like Divergent and The Hunger Games have it - it's a hard thing to describe when you don't know exactly what you're describing! You'll have to take my word for it ;)

Not bad for a debut novel (maybe I'm being a bit harsh - it is a debut) and I would like to see how Helen's writing develops from here, but her next book probably wouldn't be an automatic buy for me.


Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18213013-the-name-on-your-wrist - no copyright intended

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: Callum is a Nought - an inferior white citizen in a society controlled by the black crosses.

Sephy is a Cross - and the daughter of one of the most powerful, ruthless men in the country.

In their hostile, violent world, Noughts and Crosses simply don't mix. But when Sephy and Callum's friendship grows into passionate love, their're determined to find a way to be together.

My Review - I wasn't sure what rating to give this book. I did enjoy reading it overall and I thought the issues dealt with were really well done. BUT there were quite a few things that I didn't enjoy about the book and these things lowered the rating for me.

We'll start with the negatives. I hated Sephy. Seriously hated her. She's younger than Callum by a few months yet she acts like it's a few years. Callum explains why they can't act like friends at school (for obvious reasons) yet she does it anyway and gets mad when Callum doesn't help. She does kind of develop by the end of the book but for the majority of the book I couldn't connect to her character at all and just wanted to slap some sense into her.

The star-crossed lovers element also didn't work for me. The romance seemed to be thrown in every so often and, because of this, I couldn't really imagine the relationship between the characters. One of the final 'twists' in the book also felt like it had just been thrown in to try and make things more interesting and I didn't really invest in it - the 'twist' in question has been a little overdone in my opinion and it really didn't work here.

I think the book would have been better if it had focused more on the story between the two mothers that we see in the prologue - I thought the book would revolve around that incident but instead, it's explained in the prologue and then left alone, so I didn't really understand the relevance of having X amount of pages dedicated to it at the start because it didn't really help the book much, other than to show why Callum and Sephy aren't allowed to be together and even then, I felt it didn't really do that.

On the positive side, I did like how the elements of racial prejudice was dealt with in this book; it added a really unique twist to the whole plot. I would have liked the story to include more details on the prejudice because by the time I'd finished the book I'd forgotten that one character was white and one wasn't. But, apart from that, the issues the book dealt were what really made the book interesting and, by the authors note at the start, the issues were really personal to the author and you could tell she felt strongly about the issues.

I'd heard a lot of amazing things about this book so I was disappointed overall by what I found. It's an OK book but I won't be buying the rest in the series. I thought the issues that were dealt with were really good but overall, the book lacked the spark between the characters and the plot. For me, dystopian novels such as Divergent and the Hunger Games are 10,000 times better and more entertaining. Sorry Malorie Blackman - but this just wasn't for me.

I'd really love to hear what you think about this book, or any of the books that I review, or to recommend books to read!

Image from http://artsydoesit.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/noughts-and-crosses-malorie-blackman-a-review/ - no copyright intended

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 4.5 stars
Synopsis: Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beach of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the irresistible. When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts. Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?

 

My review: I loved this book! I haven't yet read the 'Shiver' trilogy (I'm going to I promise!) but I've read so many series and trilogies lately I wanted to indulge in some stand alones for a little while. With all the hype over the Shiver trilogy I was intrigued as to whether this would live up to all the buzz and Oh My Gosh it did!

 

I loved the whole idea of the races; it's unusual and different and you could tell Maggie had really thought about the whole process of them, from sign-up to the actual races the whole thing felt alive and real.

The water horses (or capall uisce/cappaill uisce as they are known in the book) added to the originality of the book and I loved the idea of capturing the horses from the sea each year. The way the water horses are savage beings from the stormy sea is really unique and shows you that you can't trust anyone in the races - especially the horses.

 

The characters are really well written. I love that Puck isn't like so many of the female protagonists I've read recently who are whiny and a little bit stupid, she just gets the job done. She takes part in the races to try and keep her family together and, I think, to prove to herself that even if her family is torn apart, she is strong enough to hold what's left of it together. Sean is the mysterious horse whisperer who has won the races for the past few years. Something you'll learn about me, I fall in love with the male protagonists very easily and Sean is no different. Again, he does what he has to do to survive although he takes part in the races not just for the money but also for the thrill of the races.

 

If I can't have Sean though, I would settle for Corr. I adore the connection Sean has with his water horse and how, although Corr is as dangerous as the other water horses, both horse and rider love each other and will do anything to protect the other which is all kinds of sweet. Seriously, if Sean is unavailable, I'll take Corr (or both, preferably both!)

 

The only reason I gave this book a 4.5 rating was I felt the ending was kind of sudden and a little confusing. Don't get me wrong, it's a satisfying ending but I felt it could have been done differently - maybe fleshed out more and explained a little bit better. I kind of understood why it ended the way it did - I don't know maybe you guys will disagree with me if you read it.

 

Apart from that, the book is incredible and I can't do it justice without giving everything away! If you're wary of starting the Shiver trilogy, start with The Scorpio Races - it's a brilliant way to introduce yourself to Maggie Stiefvater's writing.

 

Image from http://videosnpictures.com/pictures/dirgefornovember.com - no copyright intended

Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Rating: 4.5 stars


Synopsis: Every so often two people are born who are the perfect matches for each other.  Soulmates. But the repercussions of soulmates getting together are huge and, unbeknown to Poppy and Noah, they are being watched by a secret international agency responsible for separating them.
Poppy and Noah will soon have to decide whether to stay together and potentially end the world, or live without love for the rest of their lives.

My Review: Meet Poppy and Noah - two ordinary people with an extraordinary ability. An ability that not even they know about. I loved the premise for this book, the idea of having a soulmate has always enchanted me (I'm a hopeless romantic) but the idea that having a soulmate might actually be a bad thing instead of the traditional 'you belong with me' storyline.

I thought the storyline overall was fantastic. I loved the irony of Poppy being anti-romance and the intrigue of her mysterious mental-health problems. I thought the build-up to 'the meeting' as I have dubbed it moved a little fast though and Poppy's constant 'I need to stop thinking about Noah because he obviously hates me' got a little repetitive.

Once that was over though I thought the plot moved along well. The addition of a different POV every few chapters gave an insight into the slightly creepy organisation watching Poppy and Noah's every move but I think these characters needed to be thought out a little more - because of their short chapters, their backstory felt rushed in some places but, overall, I thought the addition of these chapters added something different to the story and drove home the point that this is not your average relationship.

All I can say about Noah is I want him as a boyfriend! (As the blog continues, I'll probably be saying that a lot - there's a reason I devour books...) He's so romantic and thoughtful and, although his whole 'I think I love you speech' to Poppy after only speaking to her for five minutes seemed a little strange I can totally overlook that. Seriously, if you need a reason to read this book, read it for him. He's kind of the dream guy - knowing Poppy's interests, her favourite places - even her dress size. Enough said.

This is Holly Bourne's debut novel and the only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because there were a few tiny moments for me where the plot seemed either a bit repetitive or it moved too fast and I thought it had skipped something important. BUT, these points are so minor compared to the overall book and I couldn't recommend this book enough. It's a perfect summer read - romance with a little action towards the end to keep you entertained. I can't wait to read more of Holly Bourne's books!


Image & Synopsis from http://www.hollybourne.co.uk/books/