Young Adult

Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

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The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa UK edition cover

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (UK edition cover)

Title: The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey – Call of the Forgotten #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: MiraInk (6th January 2013)
Blurb:

DON’T LOOK AT THEM
DON’T SPEAK OF THEM
NEVER ENTER THEIR WORLD

Those are the rules that Ethan Chase live by when it comes to the dark fairies that robbed him of his sister.

But they are still on his trail and Ethan can’t fight fate forever.

Now the deadly fey are a his school, colliding with his real life, Ethan will sacrifice everything to keep his mortal friends safe, even if it means becoming entangled in the world he’s spent his whole life trying to deny.

His destiny and birthright are calling.

And now their’s no ESCAPE.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

The Lost Prince is the first book in the spin-off series from The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. This time the story focuses on Ethan Chase, brother to the Iron Queen. If you have read the short story collection The Iron Legends then you may have a good idea about what is going on in the background of this book, as I think that one of the short stories in the collection hints at how the events in this new series could play out.

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Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

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The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (12th February 2013)
Blurb:

AN ANCIENT MAGIC.
A HEART-WRENCHING DECISION . . .

SYDNEY SAGE IS AN ALCHEMIST.
SHE PROTECTS VAMPIRE SECRETS –
AND HUMAN LIVES.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she is struggling to decide between following her Alchemist teachings – or her heart.

Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch, a former Alchemist who is now on the run. As Marcus pushes her to rebel, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought.

There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as Sydney searches for the person attacking powerful young witches, she realizes that she must embrace her magical blood – or else she will be next.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

The Indigo Spell is the third book in Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines series, and it continues Sydney’s story. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, so much so that I then went back and read Mead’s Vampire Academy series from which the Bloodlines series is a spin-off.

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Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

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Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher: Orchard Books (7th February 2013)
Blurb:

Kat’s never been afraid of a challenge – but now she faces the impossible . . .

Katarina Bishop’s family of loveable criminal masterminds couldn’t be less like the gorgeous Hale’s high-society relatives. So when Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion-dollar corporation, there’s no place for Kat. Kat won’t give up that easily, though, especially when she gets a tip-off that the will is a fake: an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. Only the most audacious plan yet can hope to rescue the situation. But is Kat willing to save her boyfriend’s company, if it means losing the boy?

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

Having loved the first two books in Ally Carter’s Heist Society series, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Perfect Scoundrels for a while. I really enjoyed reading Kat’s adventures, but the blurb for this book really got me interested. It seemed like there was the potential that Kat could have a lot to lose in this book.

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Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

IN ETHAN WATE’S HOMETOWN THERE LIES THE DARKEST OF SECRETS . . .

THERE IS A GIRL. SLOWLY SHE PULLED THE HOOD FROM HER HEAD . . . GREEN EYES, BLACK HAIR. LENA DUCHANNES.

THERE IS A CRURSE. ON THE SIXTEENTH MOON, OF THE SIXTEENTH YEAR, THE BOOK WILL TAKE WHAT IT’S BEEN PROMISED. AND NO ONE CAN STOP IT.

IN THE END, THERE IS A GRAVE.

LENA AND ETHAN BECOME BOUND TOGETHER BY A DEEP, POWERFUL LOVE. BUT LENA IS CURSED AND, ON HER SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY, HER FATE WILL BE DECIDED. ETHAN NEVER EVEN SAW IT COMING.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Normally when I pick books it is because I either know and like the author, or because I have heard about it on the blogsphere. That was not the case with Beautiful Creatures. Instead I saw the trailer for the film and thought it sounded like the book might be something I would love.

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Review: Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

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Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

Title: Falling to Ash (Moth #1)
Author: Karen Mahoney
Genre:Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Corgi Books (27th September 2012)
Blurb:

MARIE O’NEAL USED TO HAVE A LIFE, A FAMILY . . . AND A PULSE.

But now, everything’s changed. Marie is dead, and in her place newly-made vampire Moth stalks the streets of Boston, struggling to make sense of a world in which she no longer belongs . . .

Rating: ****(4 stars)
Review:

I first came across the character of Moth in a short story titled ‘Falling to Ash’ in a short story collection/anthology called The Eternal Kiss (you can find my thoughts on the collection here) and I absolutely fell in love with the world and character Karen Mahoney created. So, of course, when I heard that Mahoney was going to write a novel based on that short story I had to get my hands on a copy.

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Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES AS LAST SACRIFICE IS THE FINAL BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (7th December 2010)
Blurb:

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO NOW.

THE QUEEN IS DEAD AND THE MOROI WOULD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Rose Hathaway is awaiting wrongful execution and there exists only one man who can stall this terrible fate. Rose must look to both Dimitri and Adrian, the two great loves of her life, to find him.

With her best friend, Lissa, in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to reply upon enemies and questioning those they thought they could trust . . .

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Last Sacrifice is the final book in Richelle Mead’s brilliant Vampire Academy series. Having read and enjoyed the other books in this series, I decided it was time to read the final installment. Like my reading of Spirit Bound, I think my reading of this book was influenced by my reading of Bloodlines and The Golden Lily. Last Sacrifice is a brilliant end to the Vampire Academy series, and Richelle Mead does a brilliant job in answering the majority of my questions.

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Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES AS IT IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE TRILOGY.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic (1st December 2011)
Blurb:

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR

KATNISS EVERDEEN SURVIVED THE HUNGER GAMES. NOW THE CAPITOL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all the odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are still alive. Katniss should be relieved, but now there are whispers of rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

As the nation watches Katniss and Peeta, the stakes are higher than ever. One false move and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Rating: ** (2 stars)
Review:

Having enjoyed The Hunger Games as both a book and a film, I jumped into Catching Fire hoping to recapture the magic. Catching Fire is, after all is said and done, the second book in the trilogy so I wanted to know what happened to the Katniss and Peeta next. To be honest, Catching Fire was not what I expected at all.

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Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (3rd January 2013)
Blurb:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kids Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

It took me a while to pick up The Fault in Our Stars, not because of the subject matter. Instead I hesitated to pick the book up because almost as soon as it appeared on the book blogosphere it became THE book to read, and seemed to be universally loved by everyone. I steered clear of the reviews for the most part, but seeing five star after five star review in my inbox made me a little leery. Could a book really be THAT good? Fast forward until the beginning of January, when the hype seemed to have died down, and I came across a copy of the book. I was still somewhat dubious, but I thought why not.

I’m glad I decided to pick up a copy of The Fault in Our Stars. It is honestly one of the most beautifully written books I have read. It made me laugh and it made me cry (literally in both cases), and it also had me reading out sections which I thought were awesome. I can totally see why everyone fell in love with it. I fell in love with it too.

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Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1)
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Genre: Sword & Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (3rd January 2013)
Blurb:

IN A LAND WHERE MAGIC HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN AND PEACE HAS REIGNED FOR CENTURIES, UNREST IS SIMMERING.

THREE KINGDOMS BATTLE FOR POWER . . .

A PRINCESS must journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

A REBEL becomes the leader of a bloody revolution.

A SORCERESS discovers the truth about the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

IT’S THE EVE OF WAR.
EACH MUST CHOOSE A SIDE.

KINGDOMS WILL FALL.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

I’d heard whispers of Falling Kingdoms on Twitter and a couple of book blogs and thought it sounded really interesting. I’m always on the look out for a new High Fantasy book to read, it’s probably my favourite genre – so I’ve read quite a few of them. When I came across a copy of Falling Kingdoms I had to give it a try.

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Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

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Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (18th May 2010)
Blurb:

ROSE’S LIFE WILL NEVER BE HER OWN.

ROSE HATHAWAY HAS BEEN OUTRUNNING DEATH EVER SINCE SHE SWORE TO BE THE PROTECTOR OF HER BEST FRIEND, LISSA. NO MATTER WHAT.

She’s finally made it back to the haven of St. Vladimir’s but with Dimitri, the boy she once loved, stalking her, Rose can only run so far.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won’t join him, he won’t rest until he has silenced her . . . forever.

Rating: ***(3 stars)
Review:

Spirit Bound is the fifth – and penultimate – book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. In a lot of ways my reading of this book was compromised by my reading of both Bloodlines and The Golden Lily, but it was an enjoyable read nevertheless.

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