Young Adult

Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore

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Graceling Realms, #2

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Title: Fire (Graceling Realm, #2)
Author: Kristin Cashore
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Gollancz Fiction (6th January 2011)
Blurb:

HER BEAUTY IS A WEAPON – AND FIRE IS GOING TO USE IT.

Fire’s exceptional beauty gives her influence and power. People who are susceptible to it will do anything for her attention, and for her affection.

But beauty is only skin deep, and beneath it Fire has a human appreciation of right and wrong. Aware of her inability to influence others, and afraid of it, she lives in a corner of the world away from people – not only to protect them, but also to protect herself from their attention, their distrust, and even their hatred.

Yet Fire is not the only danger to the Dells. If she wants to protect her home, if she wants a chance to undo the wrongs of the past, she must face her fears, her abilities, and a royal court full of powerful people with reason to distrust her.

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

Fire is the second book in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realms series. In it we are introduced to a new world and new characters; it tells the story of Fire, a girl born with incredible beauty who sees it only  as a curse.

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Review: Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

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As this is the ninth book in the series it may be possible that this review will contain spoilers for previous books in the House of Night series.
House of Night #9

Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Title: Destined (House of Night, #9)
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Atom (28th June 2012)
Blurb:

‘Zoey, what is it?’ Stark said softly. I didn’t answer Stark. Instead I faced Neferet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear the buzz and the whispers of the kids around me, and I knew forcing a confrontation with Neferet here and now wasn’t smart. But I couldn’t stop myself . . .

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is.

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans threatens its precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Zoey can sense the human compassion that wars with his Dark calling. Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate?

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

Destined is the ninth book in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. The story of Zoey and her friends/circle continues as they struggle against the forces of darkness.

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Review: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

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As this is the fourth book in the series it may be possible that this review will contain spoilers for previous books in the Vampire Academy series.
Vampire Academy #4

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Title: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, #4)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

HOW FAR WILL ROSE GO TO KEEP HER PROMISE?

THE RECENT STRIGOI ATTACKS AT ST. VLADIMIR’S ACADEMY WAS THE DEADLIEST EVER IN THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY, CLAIMING THE LIVES OF MOROI STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND GUARDIANS ALIKE.

Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri. He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa – the one she has sworn to protect no matter what – and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago.

But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the one person she loves most?

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

Blood Promise is the fourth book in Richelle Mead’s fantastic Vampire Academy series. At the end of Shadow Kissed Rose made a difficult decision, and in Blood Promise we see her choice played out.

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Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

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Divergent #2

Insurgent by Veronica Roth, UK edition cover.

Title: Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher: HarperCollins (1st May 2012)
Blurb:

I HAVE DONE BAD THINGS. I CAN’T TAKE THEM BACK, AND THEY ARE PART OF WHO I AM.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes even more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever . . . because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

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

Insurgent is the second book in Veronica Roth’s amazing Divergent series. We continue to follow Tris as she adapts – growing more reckless – from the events at the end of Divergent.

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Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

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Heist Society #2

Uncommon Criminals by Alley Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher: Orchard (5th July 2012)
Blurb:

Kat’s back – and this time she’s making up her own rules . . .

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world.

Now she’s been asked to seal the infamous Cleopatra gem – and return it to its rightful owner. Most people say it’s impossible, not least because the emerald is cursed. But with the help of her best friend – the gorgeous Hale – and the rest of her crew, Kat’s not going down without a fight . . .

The sequel to the hit novel, Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals is another heart-stopping, jet-setting thriller by bestselling author, Ally Carter.

Rating: ***** (5 star)
Review:

Uncommon Criminals is the second book in Ally Carter’s brilliant series Heist Society. Kat and the gang are back. Life has moved on since the end of the first book in the series, and Kat and the gang have gone back to work.

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Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

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Graceling Realm, #1

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Title: Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)
Author: Kristin Cashore
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisherr: Gollancz Fiction (1st July 2010)
Blurb:

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer want to kill. The intrigue around the kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one eyed king . . .

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing story that will captivate you, and leave you wanting more.

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

Gracelingis the first book in the Graceling Realm series by Kristin Cashore. This book was first published in 2008, so I’m a little late to the party. Graceling tells the story of Katsa, a girl who is isolated by her Grace.

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Review: Angel by L. A. Weatherly

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Angel by L. A. Weatherly

Title: Angel (Angel #1)
Author: L. A. Weatherly
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Usborne (1st October 2010)
Blurb:

Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where she gets this power from . . .

But Alex does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Utterly intoxicating and deeply compelling, ANGEL is an epic take of love, destiny and sacrifice.

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

Angel is the first book in L. A. Weatherly’s Angel series. It tells the story of Willow and Alex. At the start of the book Willow thinks she is a pretty normal highschool student, even if she is considered weird by her peers. The narration is a mixture of first – from both Willow and Alex’s point of view – and third person.

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Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

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A Blood of Eden Novel, #1

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules (A Blood of Eden Novel, #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Dystopian, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: MiraInk (24th April 2012)
Blurb:

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.

–

MY VAMPIRE CREATOR TOLD ME THIS:
‘Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand?’

I DIDN’T THEN, NOT REALLY.

I DO NOW.

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

The Immortal Rules is the first book in Julie Kagawa’s second series Blood of Eden. Kagawa has moved away from the fair folk who populated her first series The Iron Fey, and is instead focusing on vampires. In The Immortal Rules we follow Allison – Allie – Sekemoto, who has learnt how to survive in a dystopian future.

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Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

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Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher:  Razorbill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS LOSING HER BEST FRIEND – FOREVER?

ROSE HATHAWAY KNOWS IT IS FORBIDDEN TO LOVE ANOTHER GUARDIAN. HER BEST FRIEND, LISSA, MUST ALWAYS COME FIRST. UNFORTUNATELY, THEN IT COMES TO THE GORGEOUS DIMITRI BELIKOV, SOME RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there’s way more than friendship at stake. The immortal dead are on the prowl and in a heart-stopping battle, Rose will have to choose between life, love and the two people who matter most.

But will her choice mean that only one survives?


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

Shadow Kiss is the third book in Richelle Mead’s brilliant Vampire Academy series. In this book Rose Hathaway is faced with some difficult choices. Still recovering from the aftermath of Frostbite Rose needs her friends, but life has never been that simple.

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Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

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Soul Screamers #3

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers #3)
Author:  Rachel Vincent
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher:  MiraInk(15th April 2011)
Blurb:

KAYLEE HAS ONE ADDICTION: HER BOYFRIEND NASH

Like Kaylee, Nash is a banshee. So he understands her like no one else. Nothing – supernatural or otherwise – can come between them. That is, until something does.

Demon’s breath – a potent paranormal drug with the power to kill. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. Kaylee and Nash need to cut off the source and protect their human friends – one of who is already hooked.

Bu Kaylee’s plans are soon derailed when she discovers another secret demon’s breath addict in their midst. Nash.

Now she’s ready to kick some serious Netherworld but – but is it too late to save the boy who’s stolen her heart?


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

My Soul to Keep is the third book in Rachel Vincent’s fantastic Soul Screamers series. My Soul to Keep starts just as Kaylee completes the grounding she earned as a result of her actions in My Soul to Save (you can find my review here), and attends her first post-grounding party. Things go a little awry.

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