MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

Title: The Shadow Prince
Author: Bree Despain
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: March 11, 2014

Publishing House: Egmont USA

ISBN: 9781606842478
Source of Copy: Edelweiss

Summary:

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills Hugh - a haven for the rich and famous - Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High's prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father's mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn't the only student in Olympus who doesn't quite belong.

Haden and Daphne - destined for each other - know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers' lives collide. But Daphne won't be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended - he's fallen in love. Now to save themeselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

All her life, Daphne Raines was safely ensconced by her overprotective mother, so when her estranged rockstar father rolls into her tiny Utah town, she jumps at the opportunity to expand her horizons. 

Haden Lord is the chosen one sent to Earth to restore the chaos in his world. Others before him have failed, but Haden is determined to find the right girl who can save them, if only to show his father up. When he meets Daphne Raines however, his determination wavers. Because if it turns out that Daphne can't save them, she'll be lost to him forever.

I almost always end up confusing this book with Kate Evangelista's Til Death (which I reviewed here). They're quite similar in a lot of ways, except Evangelista's novel carried more snark and interesting bits as opposed to this one. The Shadow Prince is by no means a thin book, so I found The Shadow Prince to be an exceptionally loooooooong novel (500+ pages aside), if only because I didn't care for any of the characters, nor did I care for the plot, ditto the romance which played a hugely annoying part. Haden is all skulk and gloom so it's not really surprising that Daphne just wants to stay away from him and his inopportune knack of showing up at the wrong places at the wrong times. Daphne is just plain forgettable. Is it also weird that I didn't particularly like the mythological names of the setting? It just felt a bit cheesy and overdone to me, as it kept on reminding me that yo, this is a mythology-inspired book, in case you forgot.

I sloughed through The Shadow Prince to see if it would get better, and it did... marginally. The ending was a bit better than I expected, but as I've just confirmed, mythology-inspired books just aren't for me, and The Shadow Prince did not dissuade me from this. 

"So why bother reading this in the first place?!" you might argue. Well, I was really curious, and I wanted to know if this was the book that could nudge me into the way of mythology.

If you're not much into mythology (like me, as it turns out), then you won't bother with this one. But if you're into mythology... I wouldn't say I'd recommend it either. The Shadow Prince carried far too many sulky teenagers and ho-hum scenes than I'd like in my books.

Rating:

        

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Title: The Liberator
Author: Victoria Scott
Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Publishing House: Entangled Teen

ISBN: 9781622660162
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance.

When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he's got this. But Aspen reminds him on the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude's been a playboy for far too long... and old demons die hard.

With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he'd return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he's been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves.

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

(You can find my review for the first book, The Collector, here.)

Dante might be free from Boss Man, his boss literally from hell (You know. That guy.) but that doesn't mean he's a free man. In fact, he only exchanged his cuff for a cuff from the Big Guy (Yes. Him.) because of Charlie, his mission-turned-girlfriend. Dante's new mission as a liberator means that he has to save Aspen's life, all the while learning to get used to his new role (as well as learning how to budget, which he positively loathes). Aspen reminds him of the old Dante, the Dante who parties hard and is slicked in designer duds and fast cars... the Dante he sometimes misses. This new mission he has doesn't seem to suck that bad aside from the fact that he's miles away from his lady love, until he finds out that the salvation of his new mission is intertwined with his girlfriend's soul.

Ah, Dante. What I do like about Scott's writing is that she's consistent. Just because Dante's a liberator now doesn't mean he automatically loses the attitude (Budgets? Cost-cutting? Alien language, yo. Dude doesn't know those words.) Dante's a bit unsure of what his new role entails, since he's spent years honing his diabolical prowess working for the other team. Why be good when being bad was so much easier? Dante thinks that the sooner he finishes the mission, the faster he can get back to Charlie's arms since he's kind of a mess without her. And the quickest way to get a girl to do what he wants? It's to turn on the Dante charm. But when that plan backfires straight into his face, it's hard not to be amused to watch him getting taken down a peg or two. And while he's still technically the same guy, I like how readers get to know a different Dante in this one; a Dante who lets down his bravado sometimes and gets insecure and jealous. (But don't tell him I said that.) While Dante gets reminded of his old life, and boy, is it so much easier to fall back into that lifestyle, he is also reminded of how much more he's getting out of his new life now.

Aspen, the new character, I found a trifle too generous, to the point of her coming off a bit absurd at times. On one hand, she's doing all these "bad" things because she's rich and bored, but not because she's mean or anything. She just wants to feel things. She's the type of friend who would nonchalantly give you the shirt off her back, if needed be. Aspen's only become friends with Dante for a short time, yet she already bends backwards - and sidewards - for him. Maybe it's because she thinks that Dante's one of the few who doesn't want something from her, but I thought that this was rather naive, coming from a character who's been hurt a few times.

I don't know why, but like in the first book I'm still not super convinced of Charlie and Dante's relationship. It's probably because we're looking at Charlie from Dante's lovesick moony eyes that Charlie appears too perfect and clean, and - dare I say it? - boring. Not that's she's changed much from the first book anyway. 

The Liberator is a consistent follow-up to The Collector, and I do like trying to figure out Dante Walker. Maybe I'm not the biggest fan of the romance, but who knows? Charlie might finally grow on me in the next book.

Rating:

                  

The Twins on Thursday: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).

Title: Indelible
Author: Dawn Metcalf
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: July 30, 2013

Publishing House: Harlequin

ISBN: 9780373210732
Source of Copy: Requested from publisher

Summary:

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room - right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as a property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world - a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink's chosen one - his helper, his lover, his something for the foreseeable future... and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies... THE TWIXT.

(Image, summary, and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

When Joy gets her eye injured by a creepy guy with black eyes, it inadvertently marks her as his. Joy's oblivious to this of course, so when strange creatures pop up all over the place insisting that she deliver messages to Ink, she's at a loss. Because who is Ink and what the heck do the messages mean? It's hard enough that she's been dragged into a totally different world that involves tattoos and magic and otherworldly creatures giving her a fright, but Joy also has to deal with these new feelings for Ink, especially when the lines between pretend love and real love begin to blur.

Joy's afraid of being abandoned. Her parents have divorced and her brother has left for college which leaves her feeling not a little bit left out. Even her best friend Monica has a new guy and she's not one to intrude on her friend's happiness. Enter Ink, he's strange, mysterious, alluring and when Joy starts accompanying him on assignments she can't help but be drawn to him. Inq doesn't even have a normal human body, as he doesn't even really have a body, per se. He can morph into other forms, which is totally awesome except for the fact that he doesn't use it that much. Boo. But as Ink teaches Joy about his world, she shows him how to embrace emotions and live for once, which you know, gives us all these "Aww" moments.

Ink also has a sister named Inq. She's his opposite - outgoing, loud, a little bit obnoxious, and a bit of a troublemaker. We especially liked when she introduced her cabana boys, her harem in short, consisting of beautiful male specimens of the human race with broad shoulders, killer smiles and well-defined abs. 

Briarhook reminded us of Moblin, this narcissist and irritating mini pig boss in Legend of Zelda, that they could in fact, pass for twins, although Briarhook would still be the more annoying one.

Despite how adorable Ink was at times, as well as the inclusion of cabana boys, Indelible began to come apart at the seams when the "twist" was introduced. The latter part of the book became a big jumbled mess, and soon we were both getting confused as to who did what and what did to who, to the point that we finished the story all dazed and disoriented.

Indelible has a beguiling concept, but the way it was executed may confuse and lose its readers along the way. While it does have its charming points, they're hardly enough to tip the scales to its favor.

Rating:

   

    

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Torn Wing by Kiki Hamilton

Title: The Torn Wing
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Format Acquired: eBook / Kindle

Publication Date: August 9, 2012

Publishing House: Fair Wind Books

ISBN: 9781470131432
Source of Copy: Amazon

Summary:

London 1872 -

A bloody escape, a deadly threat, a shocking revelation...

As an orphan who stole the Queen's ring - only to find the ring was a reservoir the held a truce between the world of Faerie and the British Court - Tiki's greatest fear suddenly becomes all too real: the fey have returned to London seeking revenge. As war escalates in the Otherworld, Queen Victoria's youngest son, Prince Leopold, is attacked. In order to protect her family and those she loves, Tiki needs to know the meaning ofan fáinne sí, the birthmark that winds around her wrist. But will she be brave enough to face the truth?

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

(To check out the review of The Faerie Ring, the first book of this series, click here.)

Kiki and her friends may be now off the streets, but that doesn't mean that the danger is over. Larkin has escaped, the worlds are teetering on the brink of an upcoming war, and still, there is something about Kiki that just might change the game...

Just like I did with the first book, I breezed through this in one sitting and I enjoyed every minute of it. The first half of The Torn Wing keeps up similar overtones as The Faerie Ring, so it wouldn't really shock the reader - especially when you just finished the first book (which was what happened to me). Hamilton slowly eases the reader into darker territory, hinting at the possibilities some scenarios may entail, but still manages to keep things light. 

The characters are still as lovely as ever, and I wasn't really surprised that Clara managed to charm a certain someone. Rieker opens up his home for Kiki and her friends, and his heart is certainly not saying to Kiki either. The romance is light-hearted with just the right amount of sweetness to it.

The Torn Wing is a good sequel to The Faerie Ring, as it doesn't hurl towards a different direction that readers have already anticipated and it does clarify some points that the first book didn't elaborate.

Rating:

    

                  

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Title: The Faerie Ring
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Publishing House: Tor Teen

ISBN: 9780765327222
Source of Copy: Borrowed from Precious of My Life in Fragments / Mini Blog Tour

Summary:

The year is 1871...

Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. But there are too many who want the ring, including the mysterious Rieker, a handsome pickpocket who has been watching Tiki, and a rebel group of UnSeelie fey who would do anything to break the truce...

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

After finding out that one of her beloved friends is deeply ill, Tiki makes a resolution to steal a ring from the Crown (yes, that Crown), only to find out that the ring is the only thing that keeps the truce intact between the fey and the human world.

Tiki's heart is obviously too big for her. Not only does befriend two orphaned cousins, she also takes in a child who needs medications. If it were any other street children, they would have probably turned a blind eye and wouldn't dare take on technically what can be considered as dead weight. But Tiki, bless her, is very determined to show her friends, and even society, that anyone can have a family. Sure, pickpocketing isn't really a nice thing to do, but she does it Robin Hood style - taking from nasty people, and giving to the poor. I did like how Tiki was her own person and was fiercely loyal to the people who needed trust the most. Rieker, on the other hand, was an enigma. He keeps an eye out for Tiki, and knows what she needs the most at the right time, but he would rather keep to himself. 

I thought that the fey part was nicely done. With the ring out of its safety zone, these creatures were primed to bring harm to anyone who stands in their way. 

While I did find some parts a teeny tiny bit lackluster, I reverted to my amusement with Rieker and Tiki instead. They are both utterly adorable, and while some scenarios should have involved Tiki getting rather concerned for her reputation (because even if she did fall into tough times, she was still bred as an aristocrat and thusly thought that Rieker should have done the thinking for both of them) The Faerie Ring is still quite enjoyable.

The Faerie Ring is deceptively both light and entertaining, and readers will have a nice time breezing through this one easily without noticing the time. 

Rating:

       

NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: February 26 2013

Publishing House: Putnam Juvenile

ISBN: 9780399256615
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Deveaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends.

But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades - the city's secret ghost-fighting police - are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

After suffering the aftermath of her ghostly encounter in the first book, Rory's back at home seeing a therapist and watching as her mom and dad tip toe carefully around her. But is that really what Rory wants? Even she doesn't know. So when her therapist suggests she head back to London, Rory agrees at the chance to get back to school, her friends and maybe, hopefully her life.

Truthfully, I wasn't that much a fan of the first book and I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to pick this one up. I'm glad I did though because I found myself actually liking Rory, she's spunky, funny and a whole lot lost. I like her character better in the second book; she's not as annoying.

Rory gets into a little trouble in this book, what with her new powers  - mainly being a human terminus - and the odd influx of ghosts around the city plus the increase in strange and sudden deaths. She's betting that something big is going on and she has to find a way to convince Stephen and his secret ghost fighting squad to believe her. 

What I did find lacking was Rory's lack of interaction with her friends. I mean yeah I get that she just dropped in in the middle of a school year but shouldn't there have been at least some meaningful interaction? I was never a fan of Rory and Jeremy's relationship and I still am not. But there are some interesting developments in this book that I was hoping for but never really expected would happen and this makes me a very, very happy girl. And as much as I'd like to give you guys hints and stuff, I won't because that would spoil the whole surprise.

In the second installment of the Shades of London series, Rory gets into more shenanigans, gets kicked out of school, fights a few ghosts and loses one person she holds dear. That's not all of it though, she finds herself ensconced within a strange cult of people who see ghosts like her and has to find a way to stop them and their dastardly deeds because they're clearly crazy and someone's got to do something about it.

Do I suggest you pick this one up? Yes, yes and yes. It's a totally fun read and is sure to entertain. 

Rating:

     

                          

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Title: Oppression
Author: Jessica Therrien
Format Acquired: Paperback

Publication Date: February 28 2012

Publishing House: ZOVA Books

ISBN: 9780984035045
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal.

For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make her life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability.

Or so she thinks.

Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her.

Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable - except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning - and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I had the urge to read something mythology-based so I thought I'd pick this one up, although I really wish I hadn't.

Elyse ages slower than your average human and her blood has healing properties. She's been hiding these facts for almost all her life but a chance encounter with a boy opens her eyes to the fact that she's not the only one keeping secrets. There's a whole community of people like her and they think that she's the one they've all been waiting for.

I couldn't connect with Elyse. She's annoying. She dives headfirst into things she knows nothing about and her transition into her new world with all her new friends was frankly unbelievable. Her powers? Not so interesting. I mean having the power to heal others is pretty cool and all but when the right side of your body can heal and the left poisons? I don't know about you guys, but that sounds pretty weird to me.

Another irritating aspect of this book would have to be the romance. Instant. Love. How very quaint. Elyse meets this pretty boy named William and after a few chapters she's totally in love with him. Halfway through the book and they're dating. Are you kidding me? Elyse barely knows the guy! There was no build-up, no tension. It was like William was dropped oh-so-conveniently onto her lap and bam, instant boyfriend. William's also not my type of love interest, he's too wimpy and he follows Elyse around like a little lost puppy.

The pacing was dreadful as well, it was so slow and I would have understood if it was about Elyse learning about her new world and getting used to her powers but no. It was chock full of Elyse and William moments, Elyse being a selfish brat - she's a danger to her long time human friend Anna and still she keeps visiting her! - and mythology. The mythology was easy to grasp, it's actually really basic and truthfully? There wasn't much woven into the story. 

Suffice to say Oppression is a huge disappointment. I couldn't connect with the characters and the mythology is just lacking in detail. The story is very lackluster and that insta-love? Absurd. Despite the numerous good reviews this book has gotten, I'm gonna throw in the towel and give up on this series. 

Rating:

                       

The Twins on "Thursday": Into Darkness Peering by Amber Gilchrist

"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).

Title: Into Darkness Peering
Author: Amber Gilchrist
Format Acquired: PDF

Publication Date: May 15, 2013

Publisher: Amber Gilchrist

ASIN: B00CSTSGMA
Source of Copy: Sent for review by author

Summary:

When her father died, leaving behind nothing but chaos and a secluded Gothic inn, seventeen-year-old Voirey Cruz lost control of her life and her faith in anything. Her search for answers about her father's mysterious behavior and sudden death thrusts her into a world of evil doppelgangers intent on destroying everything she has left.

If she believed in magic, she'd bring her father back from the dead. If she believed in heroes, they wouldn't be punk boys with guyliner, tattoos, and a lip piercing. But if she doesn't start believing in demons, she might not make it to eighteen.

(Image, summary, and information courtesy of Goodreads & details provided by the author)

Review:

Voirey Cruz finds her new home unsettling. There are birds that seem to record her every move, the strangeness of the family of caretakers, but especially by Griffin, the cute guy who seems determined to keep her at arm's length. The inn was the last purchase of her deceased father, and Voirey seems to know that something is amiss - because something's out there and it seems that it knows what it wants: her.

Into Darkness Peering got a lot of things right, mainly the rather engaging characters and an interesting plot line. Voirey is a normal girl, normal until she lost her father, moves into a gothic inn and starts getting attacked by demons. Have we mentioned the birds that follow her around? Creepy. She's strong and determined, a little droll and sarcastic but we can totally get behind a character like that. 

As for the love interest, we initially didn't really know what to do with Griffin at first. Was he the kind of guy who suddenly professes his love after a few staring contests with the girl? Thankfully, Griffin has a lot more layers than that, and we can totally count on him as being one of our too few book boyfriends.

The romance aspect of the book was very believable, and there were a lot of instances we just wanted to knock both their heads together because Voirey and Griffin are simply too adorable together. The fantasy, on the other hand, was quite intriguing, and had us nodding along enthusiastically.

Our only qualm with the story was that it read like a prequel. Initially, the pacing was a bit slow since there was nothing much really happening aside from Voirey discovering her powers and her settling into her new home. But when Gilchrist got the ball rolling, the few encounters with demonic entities were quite tastefully done.

Truth be told, we were both surprised at how well this book turned out. It's actually more interesting than some of the published books we've read, and we do think that this book has potential. We definitely recommend this one for those of you into the whole demon invasion scene and while you pick up a copy, we'll be eagerly awaiting the second book in this installment.

Rating:

[Blog Tour] MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch

Title: The Oathbreaker's Shadow
Author: Amy McCulloch
Format Acquired: ARC

Publication Date: June 6, 2013

Publishing House: Random House Children's Publishers 

ISBN: 9780857531810
Source of Copy: Blog tour

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.

Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolizes, but he barely thinks about it at all - not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.

Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Raim is on the run. What should have been the best day of his life became the worst when he unknowingly broke an oath marked by a simple bracelet around his wrist. Instead of being the Chief Yun to his best friend and future king Khareh, Raim is now regarded as one with the Chauk, people who didn't keep their promises - the lowest of the low in Raim's oath-important society. Marked for exile and ruin, Raim must find the answers he needs to save himself, and the people from a fate worse than breaking an oath. 

The Oathbreaker's Shadow is set in a hot environment that I could only envision only too easily. Granted that the country I live in may not prove to be as dusty and scorching as Raim's world, McCulloch is a genius at crafting a world where the reader might feel the need to turn up the air conditioning. Some descriptions are lush and vivid, which is why I am giving it three stars because I am, if anything, a sucker for detail. But while some areas are fine tuned, I did find some aspects of the book lacking and puzzling. 

Today's world where promises and oaths are taken lightly highly contrast the depiction of the importance of oaths and promises to Raim and his society. Oaths made before the age of sixteen don't account for much pain or consequences, on account of kids just being kids. Raim wasn't exactly the protagonist I had in mind when I started with The Oathbreaker's Shadow. Of course he has the mad skills to be a good fighter, but he's a little too bland and a little too girl-crazy for my liking. While he was supposedly on the quest to find some answers, I just thought that he kept deviating from his mission and focused too much entirely on the girl. I like it when romance springs from something interesting, but what I just get from the both of them is that they're teenagers, and they lack people their age around. I didn't feel any sort of spark between them, only that there had to be kissing. What I did like was Raim's relationship with Draikh, because they do evoke some really fun times together. On their own, well, not so much. 

As I said, some details may be lacking, and McCullock didn't actually explain a lot of the goings-on of the scenarios. They're not exactly cumbersome in the way that it actually bothered me though. What only really irked me was the flow of the book. Sure, it was entertaining, but I couldn't help but hope that it wouldn't keep readers hanging with a cliched end to book one. 

While lacking in some areas, Amy McCulloch's The Oathbreaker's Shadow spins an original tale about a society that above all else, cultivates dignity and honor. If you want to try something new, you can try to check if this one is right up your alley. 

Rating:

                   

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Tidal by Amanda Hocking

Title: Tidal
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Publishing House: St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN: 9781250008114
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:


Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives. Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she's finally found what she needs - a way to break the curse and become human again. However, finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet. And now Penn, Lexi, and Thea - the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her - are determined to kill her before she has a chance. Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel - the guy Harper loves - and Penn always gets what she wants.

As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it's too late, they're thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets. They must delve into their enemies' past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world. But one of the girls is not what she seems... and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself. Will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped from alive?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Tidal is the third book in the Watersong series. You can check out the review for Wake (Watersong  #1) here, and for Lullaby (Watersong #2), here.

Penn and the other sirens may have taken temporary residence in Capri, but that doesn't mean that Gemma is off the hook. In fact, Penn and Lexi are eager to get her out of the way and replace her with someone who actually can fulfill her duties as a siren. But what drew the sirens once more to the once sleepy town of Capri wasn't a possible substitute; it's the fact that there are actually two guys who are quite resistant to the lull of the watersong. With blackmail and deception threatening the people she holds dear, Gemma must quickly find a way to break the curse and save everyone who put their lives on the line for her.

Tidal is definitely my favorite from the series so far.  If I were bold enough, I really thought that the series would be taking a nosedive, given behind the seemingly weak reason behind the sirens' staying in Capri. (If anything I really thought it was just a flimsy excuse on Hocking's behalf so as to save Gemma from the evil girls.) So you can imagine my surprise when I unsuccessfully tried to put the book down again and again. Also, if you take a look at the covers - from a serene-looking Wake to a turbulent-looking Tidal - it's really quite amazing at how quick the books have turned darker and darker which each novel.

It is in this book, I think, that Gemma is finally taking charge of her whole situation. In Wake, while Gemma did think that she could had it all under control, she was still someone her sister had to coddle. In Lullaby, she has given in to her animalistic urges, and while she has matured a bit, it's nothing compared to the Gemma we meet in Tidal. Sure, people around her are still looking out for her, but this time around, Gemma's looking out for herself more as well. Sure, Harper's still looking to save Gemma from her siren-state, but Gemma's doing her own share of the tough work as well, especially since Harper's on her way to college and Gemma would rather die than be the reason she stays behind. The relationship between the sisters is really nice to read about, and I think it's a dynamic that you don't always see in Young Adult. In fact, I'd attribute it as a reason why the Watersong series works so well. I mean, aside from the fact that Harper and Daniel are adorable together.

Penn still manages to evoke strong feelings from me because she portrays the perfect antagonist - witchy, manipulative, selfish, and arrogant, but Tidal also shows a little bit (a really small piece) of what's left of her humanity as well. 

Tidal's pacing is as great as the previous books, and there are no sudden YA cliches thrown in just to confuse / prolong the series. It knows how to work with what it has, and that definitely earns points in my book. 

Fans of Amanda Hocking's Watersong trilogy will definitely love Tidal, and will have a hard time waiting for Elegy, the last in the series. 

Rating:

          

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Parallel by Lauren Miller

Title: Parallel
Author: Lauren Miller
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: May 14, 2013

Publishing House: Harper Teen

ISBN: 9780062199799
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice - taking a drama class her senior year of high school - changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past had been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel self is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I love the idea of parallel universes. In fact, if we didn't start the blog, I would be over at Tumblr, creating comics mostly revolving around parallel universes (I already occupied the URL too.) When I read the summary of this one on GoodReads, I was naturally very excited. There aren't many books that revolve around parallel universes after all.

Abby has it all mapped out: go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and nab a much coveted spot at a local newspaper. So when she finds herself and her other parallel self caught in a cosmic collision, her plan pretty much gets skewered. Whatever Parallel Abby does inevitably alters with her future, so Abby finds herself waking up to different realities. With all the possibilities spread out before her, Abby must take control of her destiny and decide for herself what she really wants.

In fairness, Parallel started off pretty interesting. Abby was in location in Los Angeles for a movie, and all it took for her movie career to take flight was when she chose Drama over Astrology back in high school. But when a global earthquake messes up with the dimensions of reality and starts creating a parallel dimension for Abby, Abby's life isn't the only thing in haywire because the plot kind of weakens its initial stronghold as well. Abby wasn't immensely likable or anything like that. She was just 'eh', the heroine you have to tolerate because the whole story revolves around her and is told from her perspective. I thought her best friend Caitlin took the whole thing too casually, like, "Hey, you have a parallel self? No biggie, happens all the time." and so the whole approach felt off and unbelievable.

I was really disappointed that the novel didn't actually center around the science of the parallel universes. Since I am morbidly curious about the whole aspect and how Miller would deliver it, I was kind of waiting for a blow-by-blow account from. Miller did employ someone to explain the parallel universe existence, but it wasn't enough, so while Parallel showcases the alternate realities opening up for Abby and her parallel self, I couldn't help but feel short-changed. The novel actually focuses a lot on romantic relationships and how these can affect the others, so you can understand my hang-ups about this one. The interspersing POVs between Abby and Parallel Abby were quite confusing that I just gave up trying to figure out who's who and who-did-what. The ending was very frustrating and it just felt like nothing significant about Abby had changed. I don't really enjoy roundabout endings to my books.

I expected more fascinating science-y stuff, so I didn't really enjoy Parallel what with its stronger overtones of romance. But if you're not much of a science fiction fan and just want to dip your toes in the water, then maybe Parallel would be right up your alley. 

Rating: