The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a dystopian YA novel written by Suzanne Collins.  I have to be honest, when my friends first started talking up the Hunger Games I googled the books (this was before the third book, Mockingjay, was released).  It basically said: a book series about kids fighting each other to the death for sport.  So I thought: "O....kay.... not going to be my thing.  I threw up reading Lord of the Flies.  And I cry when I watch Snoopy Come Home.  I'm not going to read these."  I put it off and put it off.  I stumbled across The Hob, a great fansite run by some awesome girls.  I looked into the books a little more.  I must have been reading something completely stupid because I got the feeling that Peeta was the bad guy and Gale was someone good and that Katniss is this awesome girl who is perfect.  Yeah- so not even close.  (This is why you should never quote the internet in your research papers, kids!)  Then about two months ago, one of my mom friends convinced me to read them and even loaned me her books.  (Shipped them from Florida for me too!)  Then a couple days ago, I finally got a break from my "Needs to be read NOW" list and I picked up the Hunger Games to read while I waited for a meeting with my son's preschool teacher.  Before I'd finished the first page, I was HOOKED.  In the first day, I read the first two books then I forced myself not to pick up Mockingjay right away but to let the first two books stew for a while.  So, now that I have FINALLY read these books- I want to do them justice in review.  Also, I have a feeling that this review will be spoilery.  Sorry.  I have illustrated with fan art from deviant art.  I will list the artists at the end of the review and you can visit their deviant art site by clicking on the pictures.

Artwork by Bleunite

The reality of the Hunger Games (Book 1) is a world that is hard for us to fathom.  The Hunger Games themselves exist as a way for the government, The Capitol, to keep the 12 Districts in line.  Every year, there is the reaping event in each of the districts where the eligible children's names are put into huge glass balls and one boy and one girl from each district will go to the capitol as tributes to be in the games.  Some kids, like Katniss and her friend Gale, have their names in the drawing more than once.  This is because each child of age (from 12 to 18) can purchase tesserae (oil and grain) for each person in their family if they want.  This means that when Katniss turned twelve, her name was put in the bowl 4 times: once because it is required, once for food for her mom, once for food for her sister and once for food for her.  When you factor in that the tesserae are cumulative, Katniss has 20 entries in the drawing when she turns sixteen.  Her friend, Gale, has 40 and her younger sister, Prim, has 1.  So, really it is shocking when they pull the girl's name and it is Prim.  Katniss immediately jumps in, volunteering to go in her sister's place.  When the boy's name is pulled it is Peeta Mellark, a boy that Katniss has a history with even though they have never really spoken.  The two of them are sent to the Capitol where they are prepped and polished and put through training, interviews and ceremonies before they are taken to the arena where the games will be fought.  It is then up to them to fight their way through the competition and the last tribute standing is the victor. 




Artwork by Aleatoire09

 Now, I know it makes you wonder, what is up with the whole Team Peeta vs Team Gale thing?  How is there a love triangle in a book about a no holds barred fight to the death?  Well, Gale is the best friend and Peeta is the boy she has to work with who has a secret.  Katniss doesn't realize that Gale has feelings for her until much later in the story but the reader gets a tiny sneak peek. Peeta ... well, Peeta announces his love for her to the nation during his televised interview and Katniss seems determined to believe that it is all made up- just a stunt to give them audience appeal.  But as a reader, you start to question that long before she does. 

The thing about Peeta that I love is that he is persistent and true.  He wants to keep her alive and he works hard at it.  It honestly annoys me that Katniss doesn't realize that she has fallen for him sooner.  But I am going to let her slide on that one because they are fighting for their lives.  Peeta is an amazing character who just does not get enough props in Hunger Games.  He's fiercely loyal to Katniss- no matter how she treats him.  Peeta is ALWAYS there when she needs him.  He always seems to know right from wrong and he is a brilliant spokesperson for "Team District Twelve".  I feel AWFUL for him as we watch Katniss "play to the cameras" because he really believes that he is getting through to her.  What 16 year old girl wouldn't fall for Peeta?!   Most importantly, you never feel like he is fighting to get back home to his family and the bakery.  He is always fighting to get Katniss home to her family.  (If you haven't gotten the hint- I am totally Team Peeta.)

This book was a wild and emotional ride through a world that I hope never comes to be.  It's not merely about kids killing one another.  It's about love, family, right and wrong, choices and consequences, politics, revolution, life and death.  Everyone over the age of fourteen or so should be able to read this book.  The deaths are somewhat gory (I didn't throw up reading them, I swear!)  And the spin politics that surface all through the book would be too much for younger readers to understand.  The book was riveting and truly stunning.

Hunger Games earns 5 Fairies for being an epic story with amazing characters.

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Rot and Ruin is the first book in the Benny Imura book series by Jonathan Maberry.  This is pretty much my first zombie book.  I mean, there are zombies in the Anita Blake books.  She's an animator and animators raise zombies.  But this is my first zombiepocalypse book.  (Is that a word?  Well, now it is.)  Jonathan Maberry has created a world in Rot & Ruin that I would never want to live in.  Zombies have taken over the world and anyone who dies must be "quieted" or they too will become the living dead.  Benny and Tom Imura live in this world, in the little fence-enclosed town of Mountainside.

Benny Imura is a boy of almost fifteen who must find a job or his rations will be cut.  He tries so many jobs but can't seem to find one that works.  Finally, in an act of desperation, he agrees to let his eldest brother, Tom, teach him "the family business".  Tom is a bounty hunter, or so Benny thinks.  Bounty hunters get paid by the living to kill their family members or loved ones who have turned into zombies.  He sees himself as a "closure specialist".  He doesn't make tons of money like the less scrupulous bounty hunters do and the job takes its toll  on him, emotionally.  But all Benny sees is the coward who left their mom for dead when their dad went zombie on First Night. 

On Benny's first trip out into the Rot and Ruin, the land outside of Mountainside's fences, Tom imparts the first of many valuable truths.  Zombies are not monsters, they are not evil and they did not choose this fate.  It takes some time for Benny to accept and learn the things that Tom has to teach him but he slowly does.  Then, something terrible happens to those closest to the Imura brothers and they have to go out into the Ruin on a suicide mission.  Benny has only a wooden sword and hasn't even trained with a real sword or gun yet but time is slipping away as the two brothers leave Mountainside.  Will they save Benny's friend or will they die trying?  Is the Lost Girl real or simply a ghost story?

This book was insane. I expected it to be more... zombie-ish?  I guess.  But really the story is about so much more than zombies.  The zombiepocolypse is the vehicle for the larger life lessons.  It's about doing what is right, even when it is not easy.  It's a story of good vs evil.  It's about life and death.  It's about seeing the world for what it truly is and choosing to see only what you want to see.  Tom has so much wisdom to impart- and not just about zombies.  I highly recommend this book for teens and adult readers.  The messages and violence are just too much for younger readers. 

Rot & Ruin earns 5 Fairies for being a surprising book about zombies.

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Behemoth is the second book in the Leviathan Trilogy.  Behemoth was a fast paced second book that had TONS of ACTION.  In Behemoth, we follow the Leviathan's progress to the Ottoman Empire and the city of Istanbul.  Towards the end of the book, Deryn and Alek part ways but good friends are never very far apart and their paths cross once more, bringing them back to the Leviathan.  Deryn is involved in many daring escapades and even saves Newkirk, a fellow Midshipman, and earns a medal for her bravery.  Alek and his men prove their worth as mechaniks and pilots but never fully gain the captain's trust.  We see just what the "lady boffin" is taking to Istanbul and we learn more about her work.  Once in the Ottoman Empire, the Leviathan's peace mission does not go well at all and those on board must think on their feet.  Alek and two of his men escape into the city where they join the resistance who want to keep the Germans from taking over.  Deryn is sent on a special mission, her first command, and while she is successful- the rest of her men are either killed or captured.  While on the run in the city, Deryn searches for and finds Alek.  They fight with the resistance and aid the Leviathan in it's mission to keep the Germans from closing the straits and blocking Russia's supplies.  They then rejoin the crew on the Leviathan who are now headed to the Far East- Japan. 

Throughout the book, people catch on to Deryn's secret but Alek never does.  Even when his loris repeats a hint at him, OVER AND OVER.  Count Volger figures it out while teaching Dylan to fence in Alek's absence.  Lilit, one of the revolutionaries, has a crush on Dylan but begins to suspect that he is a she, which she then tests by kissing Deryn.  Deryn even decides to tell Alek the truth but stops herself when Alek says that he could never marry a commoner, even if her loved her.  Poor Deryn!! 

What a great book!! From the start it is action packed and full of adventure.  We meet a few new characters and really see Alek flourish.  At the end of the book, however, Alek is floundering and Deryn believes that it is kinder to continue the lie and remain a boy in Alek's eyes.  She feels like Alek would not only see her differently if he were forced to see her as the girl that she is, but she also thinks that he would fall in love with her and that she can't put him in that kind of predicament.  I am so excited to see how the story ends in the final book, Goliath, which is due out in the fall of this year. 

Behemoth earns 5 Fairies for a great steampunk story with lots of action and heart.

You can find out more about Scott Westerfeld on Goodreads and on his blog!

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a YA Steampunk novel- yes, you read that right.  YA Steampunk.  How many of you have read a YA Steampunk book that was not Leviathan or Behemoth??  (Seriously, I want to know so I can read those books!! )  Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started the book but it drew me in quickly.  This book isn't a super sci-fi nerds' dream made into a book... well, maybe it is.  But the point is that ANYONE can read this book.  It isn't hard to get drawn into this alternate history of WWI.  The two main characters, Deryn (Dylan is her boy name) and Alek, are endearing and interesting.  The book begins by following each of them separately until their paths cross.  Once they meet, the POV still changes but you are seeing almost the same thing but from a different view point. 


Deryn's character is wonderful because she's a girl living a lie.  To join the air force she's had to cut her hair and learn how to be a boy.  This makes it doubly funny when Alek tells her that she (Dylan) is the kind of boy that Alek wishes he was.  Deryn is brave, adventurous and fiercely loyal.  She protects her friend Alek even when doing so could threaten her life and freedom.  If anyone were to find out the secrets that she keeps for him, she could be hung as a traitor.  For me, it was almost sad at the end when she realized that she was falling in love with Alek but that he couldn't know because he thinks that she is a boy.


Alek is an interesting character who learns many life lessons and grows over the course of the book.  He begins the book as the son of the Archduke and ends the book as a mechanic and engine pilot.  Alek makes friends with Dylan and shares his most dangerous secrets with "him".  He learns about loyalty, humility, honor and bravery.  He also steps out of the world he has known his entire life to do something new.  Alek finds that doing the right thing is not always the easiest or safest thing to do.


This book was all around great.  The language is interesting and so is the alternate world that Westerfeld has created.  In his world of Darwinists and Clankers, so many people are afraid of what they don't know or aren't used to but two teenagers learn that maybe you can find a happy medium.  You can have a hydrogen breather that runs with engines and that Clankers and Darwinists aren't really so different after all.  I love this book and would recommend it to anyone over the age of 12 as there are concepts that would be hard for younger kids to understand.

Leviathan earns 5 Fairies for being an amazing YA Steampunk that should be on everyone's to read list.

W W W Wednesdays

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly feature at Should Be Reading. To play along you just have to answer three simple questions:

1. What Are You Currently Reading?
2. What Did You Recently Finish?
3. What Do You Think You'll Read Next?

Here's my WWW:

1. What Am I Currently Reading? Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
2. What Did I Recently Finish? Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (The Hardcover with the Metal junk cover but I like the Paperback Cover with the picture of Alek better! )
   
   
3. What Will I Be Reading Next? Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
   

Yay! My first weekly feature! A review for Leviathan is coming soon!

Book Trailers and Win a Copy of the Jennifer Laurens Book of Your Choice

Jennifer Laurens is the author of Heavenly, Penitence, Absolution and A Season of Eden. She was one of the authors featured in Best I've Read 2010. She has some great book trailers posted on her you tube channel. (I swear, book trailers are my newest guilty pleasure.) The trailers are posted below so check them out! And make sure you head over to her Blog to see how you can win a copy of one of her books- you even get to pick which one you want!!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy is the first book in a new series by Kiersten White. It is a quick, clean YA read. I read it in one evening because I just could NOT put it down. This book is so new and different from everything that I have read recently and it was really refreshing. The main character, Evie, is a pretty great female lead and I appreciated her.

Basically, the story follows Evie, who has the unusual ability to see Supernaturals for what they really are. For example, when she looks at a vampire, she can see past their "Hot, Angsty Teen" glamour and see the withered animated corpse underneath for what it really is. She was abandoned by her mom at a young age, taken into foster care then found and taken in by the International Paranormal Containment Agency, so she has no idea why is she the way that she is. Her job is to go out to find supernaturals, tag them with a tagging device and either bring them in for containment or send them to report at the nearest containment facility.

Evie is good at what she does and she actually kind of likes her life- such as it is. She would love to go to a real school, have a boyfriend, and do normal teenage things but what she has isn't awful. Her best friend is an immortal mermaid with a potty mouth. Her boss is kind of her foster mom. The biggest downer about working with IPCA is having to deal with Reth, a fairy who has been after her heart for a long time- and not in a good way. Then one day, Evie's life is turned upside down when an alarm sounds and she catches someone in her boss's office, wearing her face.

Lend is a teenage boy who happens to be able to put on the glamour of anyone's appearance- as long as they aren't too greatly different in size and shape from his real form. Evie is drawn to Lend while he is being held by IPCA and while he never "wears" his true face for people to see, Evie can see through the glamour and falls in love with the beautiful boy who looks as if he is made of water- Lend's REAL face. Lend and Evie bond of their abilities, their statuses with IPCA, and Lend tests Evie constantly to see if she is attracted to the face he's wearing or if she really SEES him.

Lend and Evie will escape from IPCA but not without facing something that neither has seen before. Will Evie fulfill the faerie prophesy about her? Does Reth ever take her heart? Does Evie ever get to see a real high school locker? Or go to the prom with her boyfriend? Paranormalcy answers all these questions but more remain that we may see answered in the sequel, Supernaturally, which is slated for a September 2011 release. You can learn more about the Paranormalcy books and Kiersten on her WEBSITE or GOODREADS. You can also friend her on FACEBOOK or follow her on TWITTER!

Paranormalcy earns 5 Fairies for a new and interesting paranormal read.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings is the debut novel from Aprilynne Pike that came out in May of 2009. I have been wanting to read this for over a year, since I saw it featured on the TwilightMoms Books of the Month Club. Living in a small town, I was lucky to find that our library had a copy because they really don't get new releases of YA books that reliably. They just don't. As it is, the second book in the series, Spells, has been out since May of 2010 and they still haven't gotten around to getting a copy. Long story short, I have been on the waiting list for this book for months and I FINALLY got it- and proceeded to read it in one evening, of course!!



Anyone who knows me even a little bit can tell you what really drew me to this book: FAIRIES! I love fairies. I have at least two huge books on fairy lore research, my house has fairies strewn throughout it, my garden has fairies all through it, my profile icon is a fairy, one of my favorite book series is about fairies. Fairy lore has always fascinated me. I love that nearly every country that the Celts ever touched has a rich fairy history. It's one of the things that makes Ireland, Cornwall, Scotland, Wales and Brittany so intriguing. Now, while the fairy lore is what drew me to the Wings Series, it is also what kinda ruined the book for me. It didn't ruin it completely but it left me a little... dissatisfied. Most of the research that I have seen from the Celtic lore and beliefs is a bit different from the direction that Aprilynne took her fairies and that made it uncomfortable in the sense that Stephenie Meyer's sparkly vampires make die hard, old school vampire fans. It was unsettling, but the book was still really good. Another thing that grated a tiny bit was that there is a love triangle. It's like a current requisite for YA books. Must have a love triangle. But again, the little bit of annoyance was easily overcome by a great story.



Basically, the story follows Laurel as she realizes that not only is she weird, but she is not human. She can not eat processed foods, meat, anything with salt, she doesn't bleed, she's 15 years old and never started her period, and she wakes up one morning with a flower blooming out of her back. Yeah... not normal or human. She meets David, a human who she attends high school with, and he helps her come to terms with what she is and what she is not. David is so sweet, patient and kind. He doesn't get discouraged even when Laurel blows up at him or repeatedly refuses to go out with him. He sticks it out and is a true friend to her through it all. Laurel also meets another fairy, Tamani, on the land that her old house sits on. He is the one who tells her why she has sprouted the blossom and that she is a Fall Fairy. He makes her feel things that she doesn't understand and he makes it very clear that all he wants in the world is for her to be his forever. Laurel, David and Tamani have to work together over the course of the book to keep Laurel, her parents and the land on which their old home sits safe from harm.

In the end, this was a wonderful book and I am looking forward to hunting down a copy of the second book in the series, Spells, so that I can read it before May when the third book, Illusions, is released. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes fairies, supernatural books and/or clean YA reads. It is really very clean. There is some kissing and that is about it. Not much in the way of swearing either. Adults can enjoy this book as much as teens. It is a thin little book and a quick read, about the same size as a House of Night novel. I hope you'll give Wings a try if you haven't yet!!

Wings earns 4 Fairies for a wonderful modern fairy tale.

You can find Aprilynne Pike on her WEBSITE, on Twitter and on Goodreads. Check her out!

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Blameless is the third book in the Parasol Protectorate series and in it: all Hell breaks lose. Lady Alexia Maccon has been chucked out on the street by her husband so she returns to her parents' home, which lasts until they realize that her husband chucked her out, so she then turns to one of her supernatural friends who will not be troubled by her current social pariah status, Lord Akeldama, but when she arrives at his home- she finds it nearly empty. Wonderful! What is she to do? Return to Italy, her father's homeland, of course. Blameless takes us on a crazy journey across the European continent from England to Italy as Alexia tries to find a safe place to hide out while things get even crazier back in London. Alexia flees England with Madame Lefoux and Floote, her late father's butler who has remained loyal to her. As they race across Europe in search of Italy and the Templars, they are chased by vampires who are out to stop her at all costs. Meanwhile, back in London, Lord Maccon drinks himself silly using the formaldehyde in Professor Lyall's specimen collection, leaving the professor to try and keep the pact running smoothly on his own. Alexia and her companions make it to the Templars but will they actually help her or are they just another group who wants to kill and or study her- that really is the question.


Blameless really picked up the pace. It's a fast paced race for her life across Europe with vampires attacking at every turn. There are also the little subplots of the werewolves and Lord Akeldama. It is really a lot like an Agatha Christie novel in that there is so much going on that you don't see the little twists and turns in the plot coming at you until they're right in your face. I think that this was also in some ways my least favorite of the three books so far. Mainly, Alexia was made vulnerable and because it is difficult for her, it makes things difficult for the reader. It was also off-putting to be reminded of the short comings of the Victorian Era. Alexia loses EVERYTHING when her husband makes a stupid assumption which ruins her reputation. The injustice of it is just galling to me. It really makes you want to smack Conall Maccon around. The moron. The book also left you hanging at the end a bit, Lord Maccon comes sweeping in, saving his wife and begging her forgiveness, but then- it ends. What happens next?! I know I want to know!! This semi-satisfying ending really left me wanting the next book, Heartless, which releases on June 28th.

Blameless earns 5 Fairies for an epic steampunk journey across Europe.

Remember, you can keep up to date with Gail on her BLOG, follow her on Twitter, and you can pre-order Heartless on Amazon. Make sure you check out her blog because she has TONS of information on Steampunkery!! I could spend DAYS looking through it all! Love it!

Changeless By Gail Carriger

Changeless is the second book in the Parasol Protectorate series. In Changeless, Alexia returns newly married and a member of the paranormal council to Queen Victoria. Over the course of the book she has to deal with her best friend falling in love with her husband's valet, a mysterious ailment that leaves vampires human and werewolves changeless for a period of time and at the end of the book she has a shocking revelation which will turn life as she has come to know it upside down.

Alexia has a mystery to solve in Changeless and in typical Alexia fashion, she charges right in head first to find out what has caused an uproar in the London supernatural community. She also has to deal with her half sister, who her mother dumped on Alexia completely out of the blue. Then there is the issue of her best friend who has just become engaged but has feelings for Lord Maccon's valet, who is- GASP- an ACTOR! The new french hat maker in London also attaches herself to the new Lady Maccon and to top it all off someone keeps trying to kill Alexia Maccon. It's all VERY unsettling, so much so that she can't even enjoy her first float in a dirigible!
I love Alexia's character! She is so funny and strong willed. It really makes the story that much more enjoyable. In this book we get to see her use her brain even more than in Soulless. She solves the big mystery and ends the "curse of changelessness" and she does it all pretty much on her own while having the distractions of her evil half sister and crazy best friend swirling around her. I liked getting to see more of Professor Lyall and Lord Akeldama. If I had to pick a character crush from this series it would be Professor Lyall. He's such a consummate gentleman- even standing in a London alley wearing nothing but a great coat. I love his "nerdiness" and of course, the use of glassicals. Lord Akeldama is probably the most fabulous vampire ever written. I've read about plenty of vamps but he REALLY takes the cake as the most over the top. But he's also a sweet guy and a great friend. I love the contrast you get in his character. I did not like Felicity, the evil half sister. She grated on my nerves something AWFUL. I don't think there has ever been a character that I despised as much as her. I could have cheerfully beat her to dust and gone for ice cream. She was just a horrid little creature.
All in all this book was a great second book. It had tons of action, suspense and new characters. It left me needing to read the next book, Blameless, RIGHT NOW. (Which you know I totally did!) Changeless really moved the story forward for the next book, even though the ending was kind of a cliff hanger. If you haven't tried Steampunk books or more specifically, these books- you need to. They are a fun way to try something new!

Changeless earns 4 Fairies for a fun and interesting paranormal steampunk read.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

This book is my first FULL Steampunk book. Granted it does include supernaturals and preternaturals in the world that Gail Carriger has created but it is still a Steampunk book not merely Steampunk inspired. The main premise of the Parasol Protectorate books is a world of Victorian England that is forward thinking enough to allow supernaturals like werewolves and vampires to hold positions of power in the government and roam about society unhindered. In the world that Alexia Tarabotti inhabits people travel by dirigible, train or coach. There are all manner of strange scientific instruments available, the telegraph has been proven worthless and of course, there are what Alexia calls "glassicals"- the typical Steampunk goggles that magnify and do a number of other worthwhile things.

Alexia Tarabotti is a spinster and she is fine with that- really. She has no designs on marriage and would rather read than attend balls. Alexia knows that she is too Italian, too enamored of food, too smart, to snarky and far too strong willed for most of English Society. She also has a secret, she is a preternatural or soulless. She was born without a soul and can negate the supernatural just by touch. Alexia opens the book hiding out in a library trying to enjoy some food and some quiet away from the ball that she is attending with her mother and half sisters. A man slips into the room and not only are his clothes sub par, but he has the audacity to attack her! She kills the poorly trained vampire with her parasol before Lord Maccon, the head of the BUR, the governmental office in charge of all things "unnatural." Lord Maccon, Earl of Woolsey, is also the alpha of the London werewolf pack. Lord Maccon and his beta, Professor Lyall, investigate the vampire's death at Alexia's hands and the three are drawn into a mystery involving supernaturals disappearing or appearing as if by magic across England.

One thing about the book that does take some getting used to is the language. The book is written in a historical fashion with language typical of the Victorian time period but it was easy to fall into and the books read quickly after the first few chapters. The mystery and suspense was not contrived, you had some hints but it was not all easy to see as you read. I really like when it's hard to guess at who the bad guy is or what the sinister plot really is. It's far better than reading and thinking "it was this bad guy and he's doing this- why can't the character see it!". The plot does keep you guessing. It was also fun to see "supernatural rules of etiquette" discussed along side the strict Victorian social mores. Really quite fun. In the end, Alexia and Lord Maccon come to an understanding about their feelings for one another and they solve the mystery that embroils all of the English supernaturals. Alexia is a really wonderful female lead character who has a strong personality that is not totally based on her love for a man. She functions very well as her own person, even in this Victorian based world. She's smart, cultured, well-read, and she has no qualms about standing up for herself and her rights.

I really liked this book and will definitely continue reading this series. I also have to say that while there is romance, it is relatively clean. I would highly suggest if you're into paranormal and want to give Steampunk a try but are afraid of it being too much like science fiction- these are the books for you. They are not overly any one genre. They are paranormal, Steampunk, historical and romance- but equal parts of everything. This series is utterly unique and I urge you to give it a try!

You can find out more about the upcoming Parasol Protectorate Books as well as Gail herself on her BLOG. Gail is also on TWITTER and FACEBOOK.

Soulless earns 4 Fairies for a wonderful intro into the world of steampunkery.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo is the sequel to Hush Hush from Becca Fitzpatrick. I was really excited for this book after loving Hush Hush. Becca really delivered a great second book. The continuation of Patch and Nora's story has a lot of twists, turns and a fair bit of mystery. Patch and Nora both go through a lot in this book but they make it out at the end- together. Basically, Crescendo picks up shortly after Hush Hush with Nora and Patch as together as they can be while he is her guardian angel. They fight and Patch distances himself from Nora leaving her to wonder why he's pulling away and if he is even still her guardian angel. We see a good amount of Patch behaving badly- but to be fair, Nora is not innocently sitting at home pining for him either. She is off doing plenty of things that she probably shouldn't. We also see a different side of Nora's mom in this book. Mrs. Gray is actively pushing Nora away from Patch and toward their old family friend, Scott, who has recently moved to town. Eventually, Mrs. Gray agrees with Nora that Scott is no better than Patch and is in fact probably embroiled in something far worse than whatever Patch has been up to. Nora acts out a lot in Crescendo and it's all very teenage angst-y but that doesn't make it any more palatable. I really wanted to smack her multiple times in this book but I do remember enough of being a teenager to remember that girls in high school are not exactly ruled by their brains. Teens tend to do things that they later look back on and regret. It's a time of emotions, snap decisions and living a little recklessly and Nora does all three. Nora also just can not deal with Patch spending time with her nemesis from school. That one thing drives her the most over the edge. Eventually, everything is sorted out as we learn more about Nora's dad, his death and why her mom is rarely home. The revelation regarding her parents is hard for Nora to take and thank goodness that when she finds out the truth, Patch is there for her.

The ending for Crescendo has to be the worst nail biting ending that I have read in a while. It is a SERIOUS cliff hanger that is going to try anyone's patience until the third book comes out. Just as Patch and Nora run off to be together, come what may, they are surrounded by people wanting to kill them and we don't know how they will escape! I know I'll be waiting on pins and needles for the third book to come out. All in all, Crescendo was an awesome book with more mystery than romance but there is a lot of back story to catch up on that we need to know to move forward from this point. I highly recommend these books and I gave a set of them to my sister in law for Christmas. I encourage you to give them a try, I think you'll fall hard for Patch the Bad Boy Angel, too!!

Crescendo earns 4 Fairies for a gripping story with a killer ending!

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think that Gatlin was just Gatlin. A tiny southern town where nothing ever changed, where he was always going to be "Poor-Ethan-Wate-Whose-Mama-Died" and where he would forever be stuck, like his father. But then Lena came to Gatlin and opened Ethan's eyes to the truth about Gatlin. There is a secret side of Gatlin including tunnels crisscrossing under the town, a special library hidden under the DAR building and things in the past that connect Ethan and Lena. In Beautiful Creatures, Ethan found Lena. Will he lose her in this second installment to the Caster Chronicles?? He wonders if he might and so do we.

I loved Beautiful Creatures. It was an awesome first book. Really well done all around. I wondered if Margaret and Kami could repeat their success with Beautiful Darkness and they did not disappoint. In BD, we learn more about the Caster world and about Ethan's mother. I really enjoyed all of that back story. I loved Ethan in this book especially because he never gave up. Lena would push him away over and over but he never gave up on her. He did his best to stay by her side so that when she needed him, he was there. I don't know what more you could ask from a boy. He could easily have gone back to his old life, dating the cheerleader and hanging out by the Stop and Steal but he never did give in. Ethan does meet a new girl but he remains sure that he belongs with Lena and that she needs him. He even begins to find his place in the Caster world. There is really so much that I absolutely adored about this book. The one drawback is the Lena is generally a nasty little witch for the majority of the book. I was really disappointed in her for acting the way she did. We always have a choice, even when we think that the decision has been made for us- we have the choice to fight it. It was like she just gave in and everything that Macon had done for her was tossed away. It's typical teenage behavior but Lena didn't strike me as "typical" in Beautiful Creatures. By the very end, though, she had redeemed herself slightly in my eyes. There's also a great twist at the very end that Macon lovers, like me, will appreciate.

I gave my sister-in-law the set of Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Creatures as part of her Christmas gift and she is loving Ethan now, too!! If you haven't read these, give them a try. I think you'll find that these books are unlike anything else that you've read.

You can find out more about the Caster World on Caster Girls & Boys- the main Caster Chronicles fansite, you can check out the book on Goodreads, and you can follow Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl on Twitter!

Beautiful Darkness earns 5 Fairies for a dark but beautiful ride through a fantastic world.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is a boy in the town of Gentry who is not like the rest of his classmates. He is allergic to iron, even the iron found in human blood and he can't go into the church where his father preaches because he sizzles when he steps on the consecrated ground. To make matters worse, Mackie hasn't been feeling very well for a while. He has episodes of dizziness and can't even ride to school with his best friend unless he rolls the window down. Why is he like this? Why do some of the children in Gentry go missing and then the things left in their cribs die shortly after being left there? Mackie is about to find out. He'll also find out that love is what has kept him alive to see high school and love is going to help him defeat the darkness that uses blood to make the grass grow.

I really liked The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. The idea of the Celtic fairy beliefs and traditions being alive and well here in the States is an interesting one. Brenna mentions a lot of the old traditions and superstitions like leaving out a bowl of milk for the fair folk, and more importantly, the Celtic belief in Changelings. Changelings are the children of the Fae who are sometimes left in the place of a human infant who is then taken to the Fairy Mound and never seen again. The fairy child left behind is usually described as ugly and scary but some of them did manage to live and become beautiful if the mother took them in as her own and loved them. Fairies are said to be poisoned by iron and their fear of it is the root of the belief that putting an iron nail in your shoe or pocket would ward off any fairies that you might encounter.

Mackie Doyle is one of these Changelings who was left in the crib of little Malcolm Doyle. His sister loved him so much that over time he became pretty to look at and she treats him as if he is her real brother. Mackie first notices Tate, a girl at school, when everyone is talking about how her sister died suddenly. Tate notices that Mackie is not completely normal and at first he avoids her because he doesn't want to arouse suspicion. He knows that if the town knows what he is that they might kill him for it like they did the old man who used to own the music store. But eventually, Mackie and Tate come together to solve her sister's mystery and Mackie realizes that his friends love him for who he is, not for who he has been pretending to be.

The cover is beautiful and eerie. I just love it. The paperback cover with the picture of Mackie is just as beautiful. (And he is not ugly, let me just say that.) I have been hearing great things about this book and I was so glad to finally get my hands on a copy. It was a pleasure to read. It started a tiny bit slow for me but once it got going, it was off and running. I loved the dark feel of it, almost like a Tim Burton movie. What a great read! This is a great book and I'd love to see more from Mackie Doyle and the town of Gentry. The Replacement is Brenna Yovannoff's debut novel and you can find it on Goodreads.

The Replacement earns 5 Fairies for a beautifully dark story about a changeling with a bass guitar and a heart.

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

Hey everyone!! Welcome to my first ever giveaway!!! As part of the Dreaming of Books Blog Hop, I will be giving away a copy of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Why City of Bones? Because lately, I've been dreaming about the world of Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices. AND because it is CASSANDRA CLARE WEEK!!! Here is the cover:

This is the first book in the Mortal Instruments Series and both my husband and I LOVED it!! Now you can enter to win your very own copy and it is SUPER easy!! You can check out the review from Day One of Cassandra Clare Week HERE or you can check it out on Goodreads HERE.

To Enter: Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect and Fill out the FORM!!!!

For Extra Entries:

+1 if you follow me on twitter ( @mekyser, leave your Twitter name on the form)

+1 if you tweet the giveaway and leave a link on the form

SEE?! Simple!! Good luck!

This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM January 17th. Feel free to hop along to the other stops on the linky!

Cassandra Clare Week Day 4: Clockwork Angel

Hi everyone and welcome to Day 4! Today's book is Clockwork Angel- probably my favorite book of all time. Clockwork Angel is the first in the Infernal Devices series of books which are prequels of the Mortal Instruments books that cover a time close to when the accords where signed. The world for the ID books is even more awesome than the one we see in the MI books because they are set in Victorian England. Victorian England was a lush landscape that included the Jack the Ripper cases. What a perfect setting for a creepy mystery about Shadowhunters and Downworlders, right? I love the Victorian Era. It is second only to the Regency Era when it comes to favorite historical time periods to read about. It always amazes me that in 1820, my husband's ancestors where living in rural Ohio and living such a vastly different life from the one that a British citizen would have experienced. England was both very refined and very rough. The posh sections of London were beautiful and cultured while in the Whitechapel district prostitutes worked the streets while pick pockets and worse criminals ranged the darkened alleys. It's a far cry from the life here in Ohio at that same time. The people dressed similarly but the whole landscape was different. Maybe that is why I love the Victorian Era in England- the escapism of it. Another cool theme running through the book that goes hand in hand with the Victorian setting is Steam punk. For those of you unfamiliar with Steampunk, Steampunk is defined (on Wikipedia) as:

the subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes anachronistic technology, usually from the Victorian Age. It can also describe a trend in fashion and muisc.

Basically, Steampunk takes technology out of it's proper place in time and moves it. In Steampunk fashion, the ladies wear bustled dressed like those of the Victorian time period, usually with a parasol and sometimes with the classic Steampunk goggles.
Steampunk art always features gears, keys, springs, lots of mechanical bits and pieces. Most Steampunk jewelry is made from repurposed clockwork bits. So, we can easily see the Steampunk influence on the cover and once you begin to read- you see it over and over again. While the book is not pure Steampunk, it is a beautiful melding of the world of Shadowhunters, Victorian England and Steampunkery. It's like having a sundae with hot fudge sauce, marshmallow creme AND chocolate shavings.

The cover is so beautiful. It was my favorite cover art for any book in 2010. It has that metallic sheen in person and the detail is phenomenal. The man on the cover is Will- one of the main characters. I am totally ready for the release of the Clockwork Prince cover later this year because Jem will be on it. *sigh* Now on to the book, I must apologize though. My synopsis is going to be spoilery. I can't help it. I am not so good with being ambiguous about the story line. SORRY! Scroll down if you need to.

Clockwork Angel begins with two Shadowhunters out in the streets of Whitechapel tracking and killing a demon. The boys are James Carstairs and William Herondale of the London Institute. They kill the demon that they had been tracking and find a girl, dead in the street. They wonder what the killing means and why it was done.

Then we see Tessa, Miss Theresa Gray, going to England to meet with her brother after losing her aunt to a sudden illness. She has only the things in her trunk and her brother in this world. Tessa arrives in England and from the moment she steps foot on the docks, she knows that something is not right. Her brother fails to meet her, instead sending a carriage of strange old ladies with their creepy coachman. The two creepy old bats take Tessa to their home where she is told that she has an ability that they need her to learn to use and that if she doesn't cooperate, they will kill her brother. So, Tessa learns that she can change shape. She needs to touch a person's belonging and she can slip into their body and mind.

One day, Tessa tries to escape and it caught. After her attempt she is tied to the bed, where she remains sometime later when a dark haired boy tumbles into her room and introduces himself as Will Herondale. Will helps Tessa escape with the help of other shadow hunters. Tessa is taken to the Institute where she learns that she is some kind of Downworlder and that the people who saved her are Shadowhunters. She meets James (Jem), her first night in the Institute, when she is woken by violin music that she follows to his room. Jem is originally from Shanghai and has silver eyes and hair. Will has black hair, blue eyes and a demeanor pretty familiar to Mortal Instruments fans. Over the course of the story we learn about the Pandemonium Club which involves Mundanes who dabble in magic and Downworlders who associate with them. The Pandemonium Club is led by the Magister who is a mysterious figure bent on having Tessa. Tessa, Will and Jem are joined by Jessamine Lovelace, another orphan who lives at the Institute and the couple who run the Institute; Henry and Charlotte Branwell. The mystery of the Pandemonium Club, Nate Gray and Tessa herself twists and turns all through the book. We also see an old friend from the Mortal Instruments Series, Magnus Bane is woven into the storyline and it is interesting to see him 100 years or so before he meets Alec. Oddly enough, we also see Church. He is one special cat who gets around.

Why I love this book. Let me count the ways. I like Will, who is much like Jace, but oddly- I like Will better. I really don't know what it is, but I do like Will better. That said, Jem is my favorite character in the book. I love how Jem is so complex, he is smart, musical, brave, loyal, honorable but also delicate and unsure. He and Will are like two halves of one person, which may be why they are such wicked awesome parabatai. Will is the loud, outgoing, snarky, self absorbed side (most of the time) and Jem is the gentle, caring, empathic side. Will has this dark secret that makes him who he is but we don't as yet know what that is. Jem is facing certain death but he goes on as if just living his life. He could give up fighting demons but it is so ingrained in who he is that he doesn't. Will and Jem are bonded on so many levels, they care for each other as friends who are like brothers and they are closest to one another.

Throughout the book we see Jem and Will fall for Tessa. Will is all heat, raunchy jokes and the occasional soft words. Jem is long walks, gentle words and sweet gestures. It is really kind of odd that each knows that the other likes Tessa but they both fall for her and make little effort to hide it from the other. One of my favorite moments is when Jem and Will are leaving the Institute to find and kill the Dark Sisters and Jem runs up the steps of the Institute to kiss her hand and tell her "Mizpah, it is a reference to a passage in the Bible. 'And Mizpah, for he said, the Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another." If that is not one of the romantic scenes ever, I don't know what is. It has even inspired me to think about getting a set of these made for my husband and I to wear on our right hands. (I know, he'd have to wear more than one ring on his hands, scandalous!) My love for Jem borders on ridiculous, he has to be my favorite Cassandra Clare character yet!

Tessa is a great female lead. She is strong and tries her best to do the right thing. Even when someone betrays her in the worst way, she can still love them. I also like that Tessa is a Victorian lady who is willing to stand on her own. She's quite the lady and I can't wait to see more of her and learn more about her. All in all, this book is an amazing read and one that will top my list of best loved books for years to come. I hope you give it a try. The sequel, Clockwork Prince is scheduled for release in September. I know I can hardly wait.

Clockwork Angel earns 5 Fairies for being epic.

Tomorrow will be the start of the City of Bones Giveaway. Hope to see you back here!

*** NOTE: All the Clockwork Angel Character artwork can be found on Cassandra Clare's Website and I beleive all of it was done by Val Freire except the top most one, which is done by Kiriko Moth. ***