Review: Debris (The Veiled Worlds #1) by Jo Anderton

Debris by Jo Anderton

Copy Courtesy of Angry Robot
Already Released

Summary
Tanyana is one of the best architects in a city where everything is basically built out of things called pions or rather she was until one day she has an accident and wakes up unable to see the pions which used to follow her beck and call. Instead she must collect debris, which is a destroyer of pions. In order to find out what happens to her, she may have to find the truth behind debris.

Commentary
This novel might actually fall into a category called science-fantasy since it has the feel of a science fiction novel, but it's not based on the science of this world so it's therefore fantasy as such. I'm going to classify it as fantasy for now.

This book moves from the gorgeous creation of a statue out of pions to the filth of the living conditions of those who must collect debris. In some ways this felt really surreal as you get acclimated to this future world yet magical feeling place. I think I enjoyed the sensation though.

It managed to hit just the right combination of weirdly interesting that despite the main character being annoyingly clueless (or perhaps arrogant?) at points I ended up liking the story. I'm looking forward to more details about the world being fleshed since I feel like I have a sketch of the world that isn't quite colored in at this point.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Song of the Nile (Cleopatra's Daughter #2) by Stephanie Dray

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Copy Courtesy of Penguin and Stephanie Dray
Already Released

This is the second book in the series, and you should definitely check out the first - Lily of the Nile - if you haven't read it yet. This review may contain some spoilers if you haven't read the first yet.

Summary
Selene Cleopatra is now a young woman and about to be married off to a man not of her own choosing. The marriage means a throne of her own in Africa, but she still yearns for the throne of Egypt. What price will she be willing to pay to gain it?

Commentary
Banish any doubts you may have had about the sequel. It takes the momentum Dray built up in the second half of the last book, and continues it. What we end up with is a powerful and magical story that will grip you from beginning to end.

Selene comes into her own as she discovers her own powers, and living through her joys, failures, and numerous sorrows is so vivid that I forgot about this time and place while reading. The supporting characters are very well fleshed out and added much to the story. The backdrop is well, stunning.

I highly recommend Song of the Nile to you. It's a wonderful second book, and as I hear that there will be a third one, am eagerly awaiting it.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3) by Tamora Pierce

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

Copy Courtesy of Random House
Release Date: TODAY!!!

This is the third book in this series and there may be some spoilers if you haven't read the previous 2 books (Terrier and Bloodhound), but honestly these stories are pretty standalone so you shouldn't worry too much.

Summary
The ultimate task for the best tracker team in the kingdom: Beka and her dog Achoo. The prince has disappeared, and the kingdom is in grave danger unless Beka can track him down. The trail though is a treacherous one, and there will be many twists, turns, and surprises.

Commentary
I'm still squee-ing over having gotten my hands on this book. I may in fact be a bit of a fangirl... tiny teeny HUGE bit. As was decided when I featured this for a Third Sentence Thursday, this series is grittier than some of Pierce's other works, but it's still got the Pierce touch.

I took this book with me on my trip to Taiwan, and I kept wanting to read instead of going off and doing things. I was definitely surprised by how the hunt for the prince turned out, which was yay ^.^ and filled with lots of tense moments. I was able to slide into this story faster than the others perhaps because I've gotten used to the slang of Beka's day.

I think this was a great last book for this trilogy, and it satisfies much better than the Protector of the Small series (in my opinion anyway). I also love how this story wraps back around to George Cooper since we started with a small vignette from his home life at the beginning of the series. So, what are you waiting for? Go get it ^.^

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

Copy Courtesy of Penguin USA (Dutton)
Release Date: November 1, 2011

This is the second book in this series so this may contain some spoilers if you haven't read the first (Matched) yet. If you haven't yet, you can check out my review of the first book.

Summary
Cassia is out in the Outer Provinces in search of Ky. Ky is in the Outer Provinces being constantly bombarded by the Enemy. The two will journey through this new land, and mayhaps, if fate lines up just so, they will be able to find each other once more.

Commentary
There is a lyrical quality to Ally's writing which just sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading this book. It's just so beautiful that I can't help liking it, and it really makes the story go by without even realizing it.

There is lots more world-building in this second story, and it's woven into the character narration very naturally. While there will likely be only one more book in this series, I do hope there's more to discover yet.

My only real critique of this book is that there is somehow a lack of depth to what is going as though there weren't really strong emotions evoked even when the characters are in danger. Granted, I did worry for them so perhaps it wasn't that bad. I look forward to reading the next book ^.^

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu

Copy Courtesy of Putnam Juvenile (Division of Penguin)
Release Date: November 29, 2011

Summary
June is a prodigy groomed for the highest echelons of the military. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal. When Day is accused of killing June's brother, June sets out to bring Day down. Things though aren't all they seem to be in the Republic, and June's quest will change her perspective on everything.

Commentary
Yeah, yeah, I know, it's another dystopian book, but this one is pretty good. It's written in dual-narrative with alternating chapters between June and Day. Some people have said that the printing of the two characters with different colors is distracting, but I liked it since it was a very visual indicator of the switch between narrators.

Pacing was pretty quick although perhaps because of the moments each chapter ends at (lots of mini-cliff hangers) it didn't feel like it went too fast because you had to wait for the juicy parts even if only for a chapter. I also have a certain liking for child geniuses so even though they have a lot of talents and there may be cries of Mary Su and such, I enjoyed it because the premise for their many talents was established to my satisfaction.

It's light on the romance, which I liked although this may be disappointing to some, and the fleshing out of the world was sprinkled in throughout the book, which gave a sense of complexity without being overwhelmed with information. I, for one, am looking forward to the next book.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Witchlanders (Witchlanders #1) by Lena Coakley

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

Coy Courtesy of Simon and Schuster and Lena Coakley
Already Released

Summary
Ryder doesn't believe that the witches really have any magic. After all his mother always said so, and she used to to be a witch. Now though, she may be changing her story, and Ryder is about to be caught up in a terrible prophecy.

Commentary
Why aren't there more books like this in YA right now? WHY?! I would read them; I would read all of them. I want to thank Lena for writing this, and then persevering to get it published because this is the epic fantasy YA I've been waiting for.

Ryder is a somewhat selfish at times teenage boy who is really trying to do his best for his family while things fall apart, and he feels real. It also helps that there's magic being thrown around as well as an age old feud between countries thrown in for good measure. I also feel like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what this magic system can do, and I'm really excited to see what else there is to it.

Witchlanders is epic while maintaining a feeling of a personal journey. I can see some of you thinking that this book moves a bit slowly, but it shouldn't all just be about action, there's a great story being told here so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Star Rating: 4.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Copy Courtesy of Simon and Schuster
Release Date: Oct 18, 2011

Summary
The top of the violin world comes together every four years to choose a star at the Guarneri competition, and Carmen is one of those select few chosen to compete. To be at the top, Carmen has sacrificed everything, but when Jeremy, her main competitor, enters the picture, Carmen starts to wonder whether any of it was really worth it.

Commentary
Wow, I was surprised. In the first scene of the book, Carmen is poised to throw away a $1.2million violin (a Stradivarius for those who know anything about violins), and I was poised to not like the book because while that is a dramatic gesture, I wasn’t sure I could take such a horrific waste of money whether or not it was mean to be a gesture or not. Virtuosity though, turned around and surprised me with an engaging story, personable characters, and a building tension that broke at just the right moment.

Carmen’s slow realization throughout this book of the gilded cage surrounding her is not a new story, but it is told so well that it doesn’t need to be new to be great. The way Carmen’s addiction to an anti-anxiety medicine played out might have been a tad unrealistic since it seemed a bit too easy, but the thoughts which went through her head were well-written.

Maybe it’s because I don’t read that much contemporary fiction that I thought this one was good or perhaps it’s because it was good ^.^ Either way, this is a book you should get on the bandwagon for reading.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Copy Courtesy of Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Already Released

Summary
Three people are brought together to save Montagne from certain destruction.

Commentary
The writing shifted through multiple different formats (3rd person omni prose, letters, play, 3rd limited prose) which made reading very choppy. I read through about the first 100 pages and really had no sense of the characters or what was happening because of the constant shifting so I stopped reading it.

All told, supposedly there are 7 viewpoints although because I never knew who was who because they also seemed to all have nicknames which were used inconsistently. The characters might have been interesting for all that I couldn't tell them apart.

Honestly, there are better and easier to read books out there.

Star Rating: 0/5.0 - Mostly Structural

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch #1) by Karen Mahoney

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Copy Courtesy of Flux
Already Published

Summary
Donna has iron tattoos all over her hands that she keeps covered with gloves so that no one else sees them. Her former classmates thinks she's a freak, but when the evil wood elves appear in the city, she may have to accept what she is and face them.

Commentary
There are books that tuck in pieces of world-building here and there, that weave the history of a place beautifully into the story, this is not one of those books. Donna has a best friend who is her very bestest friend, but his place in the story is really as a prop for Donna to tell the history of the story and for her to have someone to rescue.

There is never a sense that Donna has any idea what she is doing despite being trained in this mythical world for the last seven or eight years. There is all too much time spent telling the reader how Donna is and not enough time by far showing the reader. I think this is probably the biggest failing of this book.

I had really hoped this book would be good, but it seems that is not the case. Perhaps others will think differently, but I can't recommend this book.

Star Rating: 1.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Copy Courtesy of Simon and Schuster
Already Published

Summary
Michael Vey has never fit in due in part to his Tourette's syndrome and also the constant moves he's had since he was younger. Michael, though, has power he can deliver very powerful electric shocks, and when the most popular girl in school reveals that she too has a special power, they accidentally alert a very powerful organization to their existence. One which will stop at nothing to control them.

Commentary
Ok, so the basics of this plot are very typical kind of mutant children (super-hero) and evil organizations, but the execution puts this story at the top of the heap. You might not think a lot about research for a book like this, but this author has done his homework from the thoughts and actions of someone with Tourette's to the mechanics of electricity in various situations.

Michael is bumbling at times, but he's got a lot of spunk which really made me want to cheer him on. Also, while there is a lot of information that he needs to convey about himself and his abilities, there is never a feeling that the author is just having an info-dump and plausibility be damned.

There is a secondary character called Ostin (pronounced Austin), who is incredibly endearing. He's a know-it-all and likes to spout off facts about everything, but instead of glossing over his lines with summaries, the author actually puts in the relevant facts that Ostin says. These little additions really built up the character and made him realistic despite the incredible claims on his intellect.

You NEED to read this book. It's got just the perfect mix of action, suspense, interpersonal relationships, and character building. I am eagerly (did I mention eagerly?) awaiting the next book in the series.

Star Rating: 4.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Falling Machine (The Society of Steam #1) by Andrew P. Mayer

The Falling Machine by Andrew P. Mayer

Copy Courtesy of Pyr Books
Already Published

Summary
Sarah's father is a member of the Paragons, a group of super heroes with steampunk weapons that fight off the bad guys, but when the leader of this group is assassinated in front of her, it may be up to Sarah and the Automaton (the leader's greatest creation, a robot with really good AI) to save the day. Of course, this is complicated by the fact that in her day and age, women are basically objects to be possessed by men.

Commentary
Ok, I will admit this book may seem slow at times (I was perfectly happy with the speed), but oh the steampunkery and sleuthing! I also love how the author keeps you guessing as to whether a character will be able to get out of a tough situation, and if they do, how on earth they did it without making the reader agonize for too long.

Despite the multiple points of views, each viewpoint was delineated by chapters and it is very clear from the beginning who you are following so I never lost track. There is a lot of male chauvinism in the book, but it was appropriate to the era this book was set in although I still wanted to smack some of the male characters.

I think this was a really good addition to the Steampunk genre even though it did end on a major cliff-hanger that really leaves you going noooooo I need answers! I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does with the next book (Hearts of Smoke and Steam).

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review:The Pearl Wars (Skyship Academy #1) by Nick James

The Pearl Wars by Nick James

Copy Courtesy of Flux
Release Date: September 8, 2011

Summary
Earth relies on the energy of the Pearls to survive after multiple cataclysmic attacks take place. Jesse is a rather inept Skyship Academy student, and Cassius is a much beloved Surface Pearlhound in training. When their paths cross, unexplained powers emerge, and well, the Pearls will take on a whole new meaning.

Commentary
I wanted to like this book because it promised to be a romance-light sci-fi/action heavy book. While it did deliver those parts of it, I didn't develop much of an emotional connection with Jesse or Cassius (the latter of whom had a very self-important, holier-than-thou attitude which made me want to smack him).

Jesse, I think, had more 'screen' time, and his motivations were better revealed. There just didn't seem to be enough back story and/or maybe it was just that he didn't seem to have anything that was important to him even while he's moving full speed toward his goal.

The premise was intriguing while the world-building was decent though not spectacular, but what I have perceived as weak characterization is perhaps a big part of why the revelations felt less poignant. Granted I thought Maze Runner (the author's book who is the prominent blurb-er for this one) was pretty weak on characterization too, and I'm guessing this one is supposed to appeal to that audience, so you may want to check it out for yourself.

Star Rating: 2.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Blood Rights (House of Comarré #1) by Kristen Painter

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

Copy Courtesy of Orbit Books
Release Date September 27, 2011

Summary
Chrysabelle is a Comarre, and that basically means she is really tasty blood for rich vampires. Now though, her patron (well owner more like) is dead, and she runs away unfortunately straight into the lair of another vampire, Malkolm. Unbeknownst to either of them, the death of Chrysabelle's master has set off a chain of events that will threaten the balance between the supernatural and the mortal worlds.

Commentary
The gold on the cover really made me want to stroke it, not that this really has to do with the content of the book. Anyway, Painter has built an interesting vampire society around these Comarré, and while it's not as elegant as I might wish, there turns out to be a surprising amount of depth to the world.

This story takes place in 2067 although for a good deal of it, the technology doesn't seem to reflect that since the supernatural set doesn't seem to like modern tech. I'm not entirely sure why the author chose the future as a setting if it doesn't play much of a role although there were modern-ish night clubs, which I guess required a less historical setting.

I think in some ways, Malkolm is the more interesting character although Chrysabelle also has some revelations, but she has a tad too much damsel in distress vibe for my taste. This was a political intrigue driven novel (in many respects), and well that's right up my alley, so I enjoyed this ^.^ I hope the next book is as good.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Hard Spell (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation #1) by Justin Gustainis

Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Copy Courtesy of Justin Gustanis and Angry Robot Books
Already Released

Summary
Stan works for the Supernatural Division of the Scranton Police Department. Scranton, it would seem, is very attractive to the supernatural set. When vampires start turning up dead though, it's Stan's job to figure it all out even if he doesn't like vampires all that much.

Commentary
This book delivers exactly what it promised - a gritty story about supernatural folk as seen by one mundane cop. It pulls on many existing beliefs about the paranormal especially as it pertains to the undead varieties, but it's almost refreshing to find a story where all the pre-existing rules such as sunrise, silver, holy water, garlic, and wooden stakes apply since so many books throw one or more of them out the window.

You can sense the demons that haunt Stan throughout the book, and the revelations of his background come in piecemeal although the one big revelation does seem a bit forced. He was a realistic and interesting if not particularly happy character to follow.

This will likely appeal to Jim Butcher type fans, and I definitely like the re-purposing that Gustainis has done with a lot of historical events as well as modern-day stuff. All in all, a good and engaging story.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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This is now a Book Party Post

Review: Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Copy Courtesy of Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: October 18, 2011

Summary
Half-bloods have 2 futures: slave or daimon killer (Sentinels). Alexandria (Alex for short) has been on the run for the last 3 years since leaving the Sentinel training academy. Now though, she is back, and she must prove herself or risk becoming a slave.

Commentary
At first I wasn't all that into this book because Alex mouths off to her 'betters' (the Pure Bloods) in a rather annoying fashion. In a society where the half-bloods are supposed to be downtrodden, this struck me as unrealistic. There is lots of talk about the danger of offending Pures, but the actions and talking back from Alex without any punishment contradicted any sense that there were punishments.

But ok, I pretend that these are normal-ish modern teenagers in a high school setting, and the story that followed was actually pretty good. There were edge of the seat action scenes, decent character development, and a satisfying ending.

It was really the second half of the book that saved it since I spent the first half in lack of suspension of disbelief mode. Basically if you don't have problems with the first half, this is a pretty good book.

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Urban Fantasy Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle

The Urban Fantasy Anthology edited by Peter S. Beagle

Copy Courtesy of Tachyon Publications
Release Date: August 15, 2011

Summary
Urban fantasy is an umbrella for books of several different flavors, and this anthology will give you a taste of stories from all over the spectrum.

Commentary
I didn't realize until I read this anthology how many kinda of stories fall under the umbrella of urban fantasy, and I really enjoyed the essays at the beginning of each section which introduced the 3 broad categories. A note to the reader, some of these stories are disturbing and not just in a violent way.

There were definitely stories I really liked (The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories, Julie's Unicorn, Hit, and A Haunted House of Her Own). They hit (no pun intended) just the right notes of fantastic and good storytelling. There were several that were just plain weird especially in the noir section (although that was to be expected), and I'm not sure I understood what was going on.

All in all, it was definitely an interesting sampler of stories, and I have some authors that I want to check out novels for. As an overview of what you might encounter in Urban Fantasy, this definitely achieved that although I didn't enjoy every story within.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Possession (Possession #1) by Elana Johnson

Possession by Elana Johnson

Copy Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Already Published

Summary
Vi knows she shouldn't be kissing Zenn, but he is her match so it can't be all bad right? Then she is captured, and the Thinkers who rule wants her to join them in controlling society. Along the way she meets another inmate, Jag, who also makes her skin tingle.

Commentary
Ok, I'm really not sure whether the final version had significant revision or not, but I do hope it had some revision because this had some issues. This was another one of those books where I really was pulled in by the cover :(

Biggest issue I had was that the story jumped constantly. I really had no idea what was going on for a lot of the book because we would be somewhere and then suddenly we would be in Vi's head or Jag's head without any warning or indication or it would jump to a new scene with no transition. Because of this constant confusion, I also had a hard time following character growth because sometimes I wouldn't be able to remember who had thought or experienced what.

I'm sure the society was interesting, but much of it wasn't really explored. I also wasn't really able to immerse myself in it. Perhaps you will think differently (especially if there were more edits). Also, apologies for taking so long to actually write this review heh~~

Star Rating: 1.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Eden by Keary Taylor

Eden by Keary Taylor

Copy Courtesy of Keary Taylor
Already Released

Summary
The Fall, self-evolving tech took over almost all the humans in the world into robots. Eve doesn't know anything of the world before the Fall but she is working hard to keep her small enclave alive, but the Hunters (robots who used to be humans that are actively hunting down the remaining un-turned) are coming closer with each minute so she must fight for their survival.

Commentary
The fear of the machines taking over the humans has been around for a very long time, and this is yet one more story in that mix. I found this one to be lighter in nature and perhaps more fun because of it (not that I don't enjoy the grimmer versions).

There is a good amount of world-building although it doesn't get overwhelming since it comes in pieces. I do think that there was too much time spent on Eve's indecision between her two love interests, but I liked the way things turned out so I suppose I can't complain too much.

In some ways this book is reminiscent of many of the post-apocalyptic zombie novels that are prevalent now, but for some reason, I like robots better. This one definitely has its moments so you might consider picking it up.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

Check out prices for Eden at Amazon (The Kindle Edition is only $0.99)

Review: Bloodspell (Bloodspell #1) by Amalie Howard

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Copy Courtesy of JKS Communications and Langdon Street Press
Already Released

Summary
Victoria (or Tori for short) has a curse that flows in her blood. She learns of it on her seventeenth birthday, but will it control her or can she be her own master? And, there's also this really cute guy at school, Christian, but perhaps he's more than just a pretty face.

Commentary
I really liked the blood curse part of the book; I thought it was a good take on something that was almost vampiric in nature but wasn't. Thus, all the parts pertaining to the curse itself made me want to keep reading the book. A lot of the rest of it was disappointing though.

The love interest, Christian, has an attraction to Tori (and vice versa) that is really quite inexplicable, and I am really tired of love at first sight without any real reason to like the person besides the whole almost pheromone thing.

Click for spoiler

The line it followed was Romeo and Juliet-esque, which some people will really like. Me, not so much.

And then there was the villain (well really there were villains, but I am referring to the one that is a boss fight at the end of this book)who just didn't seem right for the part. The issue for me was that the proper motivations weren't established beforehand and suddenly this character was the main bad guy to contend with. I prefer slower revelations, but perhaps this style will appeal to some of you.

So, curse part good while romance and villain didn't appeal to me.

Star Rating: 2.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Angel Burn (Angel Trilogy #1) by L. A. Weatherly (Audiobook)

Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly

Copy Courtesy of Candlewick Press and Brilliance Audio
Already Published

This is a review of the AUDIOBOOK version

Summary
Willow is a half-angel in a world where angels are kind of evil. Alex is an angel killer who has dedicated his life to bringing down the soul-sucking monsters. Fate brings the two of them together, sparks fly, and of course the world needs to be saved too.

Commentary
Ok, I'm not usually all that interested in the male love interests, but Alex, I have to admit was fun although I'm not entirely sure I liked the voicing of him in my audiobook version (since it was a female reader). Willow was very much a thrown into various situations and likes to curl up in a ball kind of girl, which probably annoyed me more because the audiobook made her so breathy and pitiful sounding most of the time. Sometimes though she would show signs of taking control, which I enjoyed although they were too rare for my taste.

I really liked the concept that L.A. Weatherly has created with angels essentially being soul-sucking demons, simply because it was a take that I had not read yet, and I think it was executed pretty well. The audiobook definitely made the story come to life more although I noticed things like how annoying Nina (Willow's best friend) sounded and how the author kept using the same phrasing over and over... and over again ("she hugged her arms around herself/around her knees/to her chest/etc..").

It's definitely rare for a more romance focused book to give me a positive feeling these days, and this one did achieve that so I'm giving it a thumbs up. I hope the follow-up is as good ^.^

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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