The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell [Advanced Review]

Publication date: September 06,2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN-13: 9780062008138

Synopsis

In the land of Sylvania there is a... unique curse that falls upon the twelve princesses of that kingdom, every morning the princesses wake up tired and they have their shoes in tatters as if they where dancing all night, but they never left their room. There is a reward for anyone who can break the curse and this is where Reveka comes in, she is the child of a soldier and an herbalist apprentice how fights not only to break the curse in hopes of gaining the money to get into a convent and be an herbalist there. But much awaits little Reveka in her journey to save the princesses for not everyone is playing a fair game.

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima [Advanced Review]

The Gray Wolf Throne is the third part in the Seven Realms series

Series: The Seven Realms 

Publication date: August 30, 201

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

ISBN-13: 9781423118251

Synopsis

Han is looking for his friend Rebecca Morley who was kidnapped by the Bayars, following her tracks and hoping she is still alive. His disbelief when he finally finds her, and his hopes to keep her alive could cost him his own life, which may have been a risk not worth taking once he discovers Rebecca's real identity. Now he must put aside his feelings of betrayal and  keep his end of the bargain with the clans, and that means do anything it takes to see Raisa in the throne and alive.

Meanwhile Raisa must stay sharp is she wants to stay alive and learn quickly in who she can trust for everyone has a secret agenda where she is concerned. Each attempt in her life makes her realized how she must not only fight to keep herself alive but grow smarter then her enemies for her friends to stay alive as well. 

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

The Exiled Queen is the continuation of The Demon King
Series: The Seven Realms 
Publication date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion
ISBN-13: 9781423118244


Synopsis:

After finding out the marriage plans the Bayar's had installed for her Raisa decides to runaway with her friend Amon Byrne to Oden's Ford. Beliving it would be the safest place for Raisa to hide and the place where she could really get some world experience she seeks schooling in the Wein House, Oden's Ford military academy. In Wein House she will be met by an extensive curriculum that will keep her up from morning to dusk studying different subjects, her best bet to stay alive and not become anyone's political interest is to stay in the academy and forget about life outside Wein House for a while.

On the meantime Han Alister just discovered that he is a wizard with nothing to loose, so he accepts the offering of the clans to go to school on Oden's Ford with Fire Dancer to study wizardry. Both of them don't feel really welcomed in Mystwerk House with the Bayars trying to get the amulet back and having the cold shoulder from the rest of their classmates for not being blueboods, but that does not stop them and Han stumbles into a mysterious character named Crow, a wizard that promises to teach Han sorcery but for a price Han may regret.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Series: The Seven Realms #1

Publication date: November 19, 2009

Publisher: Hyperion

ISBN-13: 9781423118237

Synopsis

In this book we meet Raisa ana'Marianna a naive girl in a dangerous way, she is the next in line to become queen of the Fells and she discovers she really knows nothing about what is happening on the "queendom". 

This realization strikes harder when her childhood friend Amon Bryne, son of the captain of the queen’s army, comes back home whit a new view of the world as a soldier. As a consequence she decides to battle her lack of knowledge on her people by disguising herself as a servant girl and see what life really is for the common folk, finding more than she expected to find.

Then we have Han Alister who is an ex-thief now trying to live an honest life for his sister Mari, he now works as a delivery boy and has a great relationship with the clans. One day when he was trying to find a way to make some money he ends up hunting with his friend Fire Dancer who is clan born, they encounter some wizards that shouldn't be there and get tangled in a mess by taking away one of the wizards amulet.

Afraid that the wizards would come back for revenge Han decides to hide the amulet for he soon discovers he has made some strong enemy's. Now he must try to stay alive while he becomes the prime suspect of killings happening to his old enemies and friends.

Review

This book is pure gold in the sense that you want to know about the way this world works, the story behind it and the politics that makes it all go around. Even though both characters seem so different but this works great for the story because of their difference we get a wide view of what is going on in the Fells.

This book is really worth your while, you get a full universe with a broad spectrum of stuff going on, you get to know about the past of this world, the story of this character and what makes them click and how they grow before your eyes. Cinda's description of the world in general makes it all come to life, and a little addicted to it, because even though its complex it’s easy to understand and invites you in.

 Rating: 

 

{Review} Matched by Ally Condie

Series: Matched

Publication date: November 30, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

ISBN-13: 9780525423645

Synopsis

Welcome to the Society where you won’t be over crowded by the extensive information that your normal world has, the Society has chosen the 100 best songs, best poems, best paintings, etc. They take away the tedious task of finding your other half; they have a sorting system that will match you with your most compatible partner. You don't have to worry about cooking your meals they have planned the best diet for you, and forget about choosing what to wear when you go out, they've taken care about that to, and you’ll just wear the same as everyone else. And forget about diseases like cancer and such, they've been eradicated, just be ready to die by your eightieth birthday.

This is the world that Cassia Reyes lives in, she like every other citizen believes that the Society has their best interest at mind. But things start to change after her matched ball, where her future partner is decided and is no other then her best friend Xander and everything seems to be perfect, she discovers he is not her only match and not only that it's also someone she knows, Ky Markham his face pops out of the flash that contained her perfect match info.

Soon the Society finds Cassia and tells her that there was an error in the system and that she should not worry about it, that she should ignore the fact that it was Ky's face she saw and not Xander's. But Cassia can't shake it off, and soon she starts to wonder about the way things work in the Society. She will soon face the decision between Xander and Ky, between the world she knows and was raised to be a part of, or the path that no one has dared walk.

Review

I really liked this book, the story kept moving and it felt like it was really flowing painting a picture of what Cassia went through. I liked the fact that we could see the story unravel itself and Cassia grow at the same time.  Not only that but the fact that there is a connection with her, there is a moment in the book where I got that knot in my throat that threatens me every time I want to cry.

With Ally Condie's writing style I doubt you'll grow bored of the book, even though for me the whole story flows perfectly for some the beginning might be a little slow but i assure you it's worth it, and the way the books captures you will leave you waiting for the second part of this series.

Rating: 

{Review} Fire by Kristin Cashore

Series: The Seven Kingdoms 

Publication date: September 24, 2009

Publisher: Dial Books

ISBN-13: 9780575085114

Synopsis

Fire is a the last of the human monsters in the Dells, because of their beauty that can drive men and women insane with desire, besides that there's the little problem with their mind controlling powers, because of the treat the present on the Dells they've been eradicated, making Fire an outcast in the Dells. She resides in a secure place where her beauty can't hurt anyone and where she fears she may someday use her powers for evil.

Fire is soon moved out of the safety of her home, for the king needs her to use her powers to help them win the war that is open them. Feeling guilty for it was her fathers fault the kingdom is almost ruin fire goes to their help, escorted by prince Brigan who doesn't trust Fire. Who could trust the daughter of the man that spend his life trying to kill him?

Now Fire must gain prince Brigan's trust, keep king Nash from believing he loves her, interrogate and find the spy's with in the castle and keep herself safe from the  mysterious person that keeps sending people after her.

Review

I felt tricked! it all sounded like a great book, she was supposed to have this strange relationship with prince Brigan, her love interest, while the imminent threat of war was upon them. But there was really no real romance there, it was a given they would end up together, there was no second guessing, no real love proof or chemistry to make it memorable.

One would think the threat of a war would bring some action or fighting into the book that would draw you in now that you knew where the "romantic" part of the book was going, but not really.

Getting to sympathize with the main character Fire how is this super pretty monster human that it didn't matter how many scars or what happened to her buddy people will always go ga-ga for her, mixed in her daddy issues and her never really trusting herself. The part that made me loss all respect for her was *SPOILER* that she would consider it so casually that she had to sleep with a guy she didn’t love just because it had become some sort of ritual. I just couldn't sympathize there was always something that made her feel unreal or that kept me at bay. 

If that wasn't bad enough the story felt all the same, I remember my grade school teacher telling us the way a story works could be compared to a landscape, at first you would find the land flat where they would establish the characters and the story, then you would see little hills that would represent the relevant parts like discovering about the characters past and other stuff relevant to the story, then you would go up a mountain where you would be getting to the climax of the story, and then you would slowly descend to that mountain to find the end of the story. If I were to compared this story to a landscape it would be mostly flat a couple of small hills but never a mountain that would take us to the most interesting part of the story.

Rating: 

{Review} The Eternal Ones by Kristen Miller

Series: The Eternal Ones 

Publication date: August 10, 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

ISBN-13: 9781595143082

Synopsis

The story focuses on 17 year old Haven Moore who has had strange visions all her life, this visions are mainly about a man called Ethan, after fighting to control her visions so her overbearing grandmother doesn't get on the way of her plans and decided to cancel her plans to leave for New York, but things don't go as planned.

Haven's visions get stronger after seeing Iain Morrow a well-known millionaire playboy that is now a suspect for murder on TV, the lack of control over her visions will soon be the least of her problems because the whole town now believes that Haven is possessed by a demon. With the town against her and the prophecy that Leah (a strange classmate of Haven's) has about the dangers of staying in town Haven decides to leave town and head to New York to find Iain Morrow whom she thinks is the Ethan she's kept on seeing all her life. 

Her other reason for going to New York is that the Ourobouros Society, a society that is said to help people that remember their past lives. Soon she discovers that things aren't always what they seem and now she must decide in who she can trust for both the Ourobouros Society and Iain Morrow are not showing her the whole picture.

Review:

I like the main theme of the book that is past life loves trying to get back together, the mysterious murders and the chase after the truth for Haven. I didn't feel that I got bored while reading it, but for my taste it lacked in story and it focused too much on Havens self-created drama.

Haven doesn't seem able to make up her mind (for me that's the self-created drama) every time she decided that she will believe in someone a couple of pages later she start to doubt herself; most of the time it's all in her head, and instead of focusing on keeping the story moving the author thought it more entertaining to keep us in the dark with what was happening all around Heaven to focus on her naivety and self-doubting.

I believe that if the story would have keep moving or at least tried to focused from time to time on the other character such as Iain Morrow the possible reincarnation of Ethan, Beau the gay best friend of Haven who is tons of fun to read, or the strange yet adorable Leah whom gives strange prophecy's to Haven in hopes that they will help her and hopefully keep her safe.

Rating: 

{Review} Working Stiff by Rachel Caine

Working stiff is the first book of the Revivalist series that Rachel Caine has for us, you may know Rachel Caine from her previous work in the Morganville Vampires, Weather Warden and the Outcast Season series.

Series: Working Stiff #1 

Publication date: April 2, 2011

Publisher: RoC

ISBN-13: 9780451464132

Synopsis

In her new book we get to know Bryn Davis a former military that wants a stable life, so she decides to enter the business of the dead in Fairview Mortuary but after one of the worst first days ever, everything changes for her and now she is own by the pharmaceutical company Pharmadene and she must work with Patrick McCallister (her new boss) and Joe Fidelli trying to find a dealer that is selling Returné that brings the dead back to life and the illegal operation down Bryn must adjust herself to all the new changes in her life without forgetting about her old responsibility's such as taking care of Mr. French her dog.

It's important for them to know how is selling the drugs because they have this particular side effect it can turn you into a zombie slave.

Review

I love that when I was reading this book it was hard to put down it felt like I was going to miss part of the action in the story.

 I liked the characters specially Patrick McCallister whom you can't help but love even when he isn't that nice to Bryn. Joe Fidelli is just a lovable character his personality makes you like him almost immediately. I believe it's a really good it’s fun, entertaining and with a good amount of action with a spice of mystery.

The only thing I would like to change about the book is the physical form of the book it just feels like I could hurt the book if I opened it completely and honestly it’s not something I like to do with my books. Besides that I wouldn't dare to change a thing. 

My only doubt are... what happened to Mr. French?? And what happened to all the special training Bryn got while in the army??

Rating:

Welcome book lovers and possible ex-TV addicts

I've decided to start this blog because not much of the people I know don't like to read as a hobby, they prefer TV, music, movies or they just love to lazy around.

There is nothing wrong with those activities BUT they all seem to have forgotten the joy of reading, of discovering and imagining a book, its story and the world it shows us, without the need of someone telling us exactly how they look or act. I believe that when we read a book, even if we all read the same one we will all have imagined it a little different from everyone else, as a reader we become the director of the film that is rolling in our heads, we give the voice to the actors and we are not limited to the main characters looking like this or that TV or movie star.

So I would love to share with you my point of view on different books that I will read and we can exchange opinions about them, and of course I'm open to book suggestions and  can't wait to read what you think about the  reviews.