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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - Review
Throne of GlassBook I in the Throne of Glass seriesGenre; YA, Fantasypublication: August 7th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children’scopy received from publisher via NetGalleyGet your own: amazon | Book DepositorySynopsis from goodreadsRating:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.This was an phenomenal read with the most amazing heroine ever! Epic Fantasy as its finest! And Epic is the best word to describe this book of wonderment”
You love kick ass heroines!! Then meet Celaena
Celaena is an assassin who lost her parents at the age of 8 and was trained to be the world most famous assassin. But, she’s much more than a cruel killer. Celaena is beautiful, smart , she loves to read and plays music - even more, despite what her upbringing would suggest she loves to be a woman. She knows she’s beautiful and is not playing the ugly duck, nor does she needs a man to tell her so. I loved everything about Celaena - she was kick ass strong, yet there is a vulnerable side on her. In the end, she’s still a girl although the most feared assassin ever seen. She loves to wear beautiful gowns and loves the looks she get from the men surrounding her. Sarah J. Maas did an outstanding job creating this perfect to goodness heroine!Fantastic World Building - enough to tease and not too much to be overbearing..
The world building was another aspect that made this story simply perfect! I loved the descriptions of the world and it was easy to imagine this fantastic world before our eyes. The world is ruled by a cruel king who banished all magic out of the world and conquered every continent and land out there. He’s vicious and not above killing everything that stands in his way. There is a hind of magic coming along, which makes me even more excited to see what is yet to learn about this world!Let’s talk about the boys! Oh the boys!
There is the Prince Dorian - and despite what you would expect with a cruel father like his, he’s amazingly awesome! Smart and wonderful he clearly has a heart and a soul. It’s easy to fall in love with him. Very easy! Choal - the Captain of the Guard is a another player for Celaena’s heart, yet he’s a brooding character not easy to fall for - but he makes Celaena stronger. I loved him just as much! It will be hard to decide on a team just yet, which is a unique situation since I’m very easy to pick teams!Action, Fights, Mystery and Romance!
The plot was absolutely great, I loved the combination of fight, action and the mystery behind the murders. But even more, there lingers the promise of magic and it’s on Celaena to discover if there is really and truly still magic in the world and if the Fae truly disappeared completely! This promise of more, of magic and Fae made the story even more perfect - it was not yet overly pronounced but we are certain that there is more to come, more to discover and more secrets to be revealed! And I am excited to follow this path together with Celaena!Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
This was epic fantasy - thrilling, gripping and beautiful. With mysteries to be discovered and a promise of more epicness to come! I loved every second I spend with Celaena and I can’t wait to step back into her live and follow whatever journey lays ahead of her !I’m amazed and In love!
Additional Info
There is a set of eNovella’s availabe which all play before the happening in Throne of Glass. In total there are 4 short stories which lead to Throne of Glass. The minute I finished Throne of Glass I got those Novella’s. I wanted to know more about this girl and her past, and upbringing! Those stories are perfect for just this! However, I have to say that the Caelena we meet in these Novella’s is slightly different. I little more spoiled and careless. But her development to the woman we meet in Throne of Glass totally made sense to me!
The first 3 are out already and the last one is going to be released in July they say… there is no date available yet.
Trailer
Last but not least. I want to share this awesome trailer with you guys!!!!
Do you like Fantasy? Kick ass heroines? Plan to read this one?
Much Love,
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Review: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
UnravelingBook I in a series (yeah!)Genre: YA, Mystery & Suspense, Scifi elementsPublished April 24th 2012 by Balzer + Braycopy from publishersynopsis from goodreadsRating:
Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killedâas in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knowsâwith every fiber of her beingâthat Ben has somehow brought her back to life.But her revival, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to somethingâbut to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happenedâthe accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her lifeâpoints to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secretsâand keep from falling in love with him in the process.From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.Truth to be told, when you look at my recent reviews, I have a run full of awesome books.. I nearly loved all the books I read lately - but hey, we have to blame those awesome authors that simply deliver tales that leave you breathless. Just like Mrs Norris here…
24:05:59:32
This is one of the first things that you see when you start reading the book - every chapter has instead of a title, this countdown! Yes it’s a countdown and i was immediately back into 24 - this fast paced incredible thrilling series with Kiefer Sutherland. But, the reference is not too far off. Unraveling is fast pasted, thrilling, captivating and incredible addicting! Once you started - you won’t stop! I loved this countdown, it totally served the point: You are always on edge, trying, no - needing to figure out what the heck this countdown means because Janelle has no idea either…Janelle - kick-ass, strong brave loyal, caring and sweet!
Due to family problems Janelle is left to care for ber baby brother Jared - who is beyond awesome and anyone will love this boy insanely! He has a rare disorder and he needs special care - Janelle would do anything for her brother! Anything, this sweet love between the siblings was incredible sweet, heartwarming and beautiful! I would have already loved her just for this! But, Janelle is more and she’s strong and she’s brave and smart! There is nothing about her that made me love her any less!Janelle died and now what?… and what role plays beautiful and troubled Ben?
Her life changes after this horrible incident where she died and somehow this mysterious boy was there. Ben. She never really “saw” him before although they go to the same school, yet they were not in the same crowd. Ben was considered one of the bad and troubled boys! (but girls, let’s be honest - we love tortured troubled boys don’t we?) But, Janelle wouldn’t be her father’s daughter (FBI Agent) if she wouldn’t want to know precisely what is going on! It’s not in her nature to give up! But while going after the truth - she gets to know Ben better and suddenly there is so much more tim him than a troubled boy! So.much.more! *sigh* Ben is to love, as simple as that!Full of Suspense, Intrigue , Drama- Heartbreak, Love and … Thrill
The whole story was very rich and full of suspense and intrigue! Apart from figuring out about Ben and her death-no-death, there is this countdown from one of her fathers files and a murder series. It was a mix of “24”, “X-Files” and  a FBI show . I loved this combination - and it left us always in edge trying to figure out all those mysteries.But, don’t forget the love between Ben and Janelle, which was incredible sweet and beautiful! Perfectly genuine and nothing in their connection seemed forced and unreal. This romance is woven effortless in the mystery part of the book!The ending left me sobbing, I was truly sobbing and wiping away tears - I couldn’t imagine Elizabeth Norris would really do this to us. You know when you are always hoping for some last-minute change in events? Something you know is inevitable yet you hope you are proven wrong? That’s the ending and .. it will leave you breathless, full of tears and heartbreak! But I promise this book is worth every of your tears!Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
Elizabeth Norris created with Unraveling a thrilling tale that is full of intrigue, suspense, drama, heartbreak and sweet love, perfected with beautiful and wonderful characters that will need a place in your heart! Unraveling took my by surprise, I loved every second I spend between those pages and that I spend with Janelle, Ben and Jared. It was full of twists and turns, I didn’t see coming and twists that broke my heart! Don’t miss out on this unique and fresh YA story with a wonderful mix of genres! 
 
  Additional Notes
Unbreakable the sequel will be out in 2013 and I’m pretty damn happy that there will be a sequel because, this book could totally be a Standalone with a bitter-sweet ending! Watch the trailer to get even more excited!Much love! Yours,Â
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Review: Taken At Dusk by CC Hunter
Taken At Duskby C.C. Hunter (website | twitter | facebook )
Book III in the Shadow Falls series
Genre: YA paranormal publication: April 10th 2012 by St. Martin’s Press
copy reveived from publisher/author
Buy it (paperback,eBook) :amazon| B&N | IndieBound
synopsis from goodreads
Rating:Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all. Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better. Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.
Ever since 2 years ago when I saw the cover of Born At Midnight I’m in love with this series. The series continued with Awake At Dawn which was as good as the first book and now goes into the third round with Taken At Dusk.
Back in Shadow Falls!
It always makes me happy to be back in the Shadow Falls camp full of paranormal creatures like Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Fairies and… Kylie. The camp is on the edge of transforming from a summer camp to a full school so that Kylie and her friends can stay there the whole year and have a place to be, when there is no place for them in the human world anymore. In Shadow Falls they can be themselves. I love this camp atmosphere full of new forming friendships and love between the girls. They become a family when their one family cannot deal with their otherworldliness.
So… what is Kylie exactly? And new answers?
Yep! Starting with the first book we always wondered what exactly Kylie is, since she seems not to belong to any of the other paranormal creatures. She something else, something special and she needs to figure out what she exactly is. For this she goes on a journey of discovering the truth about her family and her dad, who she never meet alive but as ghost. In Taken At Dusk things start to clear up in an exciting way and Kylie’s tale is as gripping and thrilling as ever. And yes, we finally get some answers, which only make me wish to kno even more! There are a lot of new developments which let us turn the pages faster and faster! Again, apart from the focus on Kylie’s story the secondary characters and their development is not left out. And I loved to see Kylie’s relationship with her friends and Holly to grew even deeper!
The boys .. *sigh* so Team Wolfie or Team Farie?
Still, no idea! Since the beginning, there are two boys who fight for Kylie’s heart, but do not let her heart unscathed along the way. My heart breaks ever so often when one of the boys turns into a direction that is clearly hurtful! Kylie is left in Awake At Dawn with a confused Derek who run away from her and her emotions. Lucas has now the time to step up and take his chances. Clearly, he’s a damn hot wolfboy and I love this boy! But there is something about the two together that is unsettling and I am not sure which boy can make Kylie happy in the end. But. Kylie doesn’t know herself and we are about to follow her on her journey not only to discover herself but also make the right boy-choices. However, CC Hunter has a way to create hot and sensual moments between Kylie and the boys and I appreciate her romance talent very much… *sigh* I do have the feeling that in this book there are hints about who is the better boy for Kylie and I am looking forward finding out if I am right!
Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
The Shadow Falls series belongs to my favorite YA series. It has everything I wish for in a YA paranormal series. A thrilling tale that moves with a great pace, where layers of discoveries are revealed in a way that we are never bored. A Love Triangle that is perfectly played out and is not making us feel bad about any of Kylie’s choices. Taken At Dusk delivers just as its predecessors and continues a gripping story about self-discoveries, finding a place in the world, friendship, and love. So, if you didn’t start this series yet, I can only encourage you to do so…
Additional Notes: Yesterday CC Hunter stoped by the blog with a great Guest Post “Thirteen Things Learned From Taken at Dusk by CC Hunter”. Don’t forget to check this out and if my excitement doesn’t make you start this series than maybe CC manages herself! The next book Whispers At Moonrise comes out 2013. Check my Shadow Falls related posts:
- Born At Midnight, Book I - Review
- Character Interview with Derek and Lucas (seriously one of my most favorite posts ever!!)
- Awake At Dawn Book II - Review
- Guest Post by CC Hunter “Thirteen Things Learned From Taken at Dusk”
Much Love, and don’t forget to enter the Giveaway for a Taken At Dusk copy!
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Review: Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
SpellcasterBook II in the Spellbound seriesGenre: YA, MagicExpected publication: March 27th 2012 by Harlequin Teencopy provided by publishersynopsis from goodreadsRating:
Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although…it’s not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close….But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan’s deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma’s crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.I still remember last year when I found Spellbound, the first book on NetGalley and got all excited. The premise sounded awesome and it was! I absolutely loved this story! So, when the awesome Cara announces that she will continue the story I got excited all over again!Spellcaster - Magic, Love, Friendship and Characters made of Awesome!
What I loved most in Spellbound were the characters. And, I’m not just talking about the MC Emma and Brendan, Cara Lynn Shultz has a way to bring secondary characters to life that the stop to feel secondary and become a major part of the whole story. I love when something like this happens, when the focus are not only two people but also all the other ones that complete them and make them even more awesome! In Spellcaster, Angelique Emma’s best friend becomes a bigger role and I loved her snark! She’s awesome, socially a little awkward but smart and a true best friend to Emma. Then there is also a side story and more about Ashley and Cisco… Cara Lynn Shultz has just a way to create awesome characters you instantly care for and wish that they could be real and could be your friends.Brendan and Emma - the love that endured centuries of a cruel curse
It was so sweet to see those two together. Their love for each other and their stong determination to keep the other one save. (although this means sometimes being stupid). I love a strong and good relationship and this was exactly what Emma and Brendan have. Emma is strong loyal and stubborn. Brendan on the other hand is the perfect crush! He’s cute but still so much Teenage boy - it’s adorable!Fast paced, funny, snarky and an enthralling story with a great twist!
The story never was boring and we follow Emma on her way to discover who she is and what she can do with her magic. But there is also a dark threat which Emma and her friends have to stop before someone gets hurt. Easier said then done! The story had the perfect mix of fun, suspense with some twists that surprised me. The story tuned slightly dark when Emma and her friends have to deal with tha dark villain….Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
Spellcaster didn’t disappoint but is not as strong as Spellbound. However, Spellcaster is its own story with a different focus than in Spellbound but the incredible characters we started to love in Spellbound. The story lives from their great dialogues, snarky retorts, cute characters and a lot of magic, both light and dark! 
Additional Notes:
Starting today, Spellcaster goes on a special music Blog Tour with awesome Guest Posts you don’t wanna miss! You can even win a copy of Spellcaster at each Tour Stop and if you follow the Tour you’ll even get the chance to win an iPod nano!Check out the Tour Page for additional info and the whole Tour Schedule of awesomeness!
Much Love and lot’s of magic, -
Review: Goddess Interrupted by Amee Carter
Goddess Interrupted
by Aimee CarterBook II in the Goddess Test series.Genre: YA paranormal, Greek mythologyPublication: March 27th 2012 by HarlequinTeencopy received from publisher via NetGalleysynopsis from goodreadsRating:
Kate Winters has won immortality.
But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, sheâll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasnât supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, sheâs as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, heâs becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kateâs coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henryâs first wife, Persephone
Well, this was a very pleasant and awesome surprise! While I liked the first one, I had some slight issues with it which you can read in my review I posted together with cutie. However, I was intrigued and enthralled enough that I wanted to read the next one too!Everything is not… so … peachy!
Kate comes back after spending her 6 month upstairs. But if she expected to be welcomed with open arms by her soon-to-be husband Henry - she’s mistaken… Not only has he had to deal with something enormous and threatening but he also grew more distant. But Kate wouldn’t be Kate if she would let go without a fight or without trying to help!Kate - brave, selfless and a wonderful heroine
I loved Kate! Kate is still the brave and selfless heroine I got to meet in the first book. I admire her for never giving up hope, even when it seems there is no hope at all. No matter what Kate stays strong! Really, she the perfect heroine who fights for what she loves but would be ready to let go if she feels it is the right thing to do. Underneath, though, there is still the little girl who wants to be loved and this is sometimes so heartrendingly sweet and innocent . She’s a strong fighter, but when it comes to love, very vulnerable! Loved the combination!Henry - ruler of the Death and … a complicated man!
I was not very fond of him in the first book, I felt he was too soft and I didn’t feel the spark between Kate and Henry at all. He was too nice for the Ruler of the Underworld and I wanted him to be more edgy. In Goddess Interrupted, he grew on me! He showed some strength I always hoped was there but never saw. I guess I understand him and his character now better. The way he treated Kate was seriously heartbreaking and I admit having water in my eyes so many times. And although it was torture for Kate, I felt this part of their relation was important and needed for the story and their relationship, as torturous as it was!Round plot with war, love, romance, tears and wonderful characters!
Don’t get me wrong, the romance and the love was not the main and only storyline in the book! So much more is happening right along with it. Remember I mentioned the life threatening situation? Yep, there is a lot going on with Kate having to be super brave. For me a very strong aspect however was the growing relationship between Henry and Kate. And be aware it was heartbreaking!!! It seriously broke my heart so many times and I had tears in my eyes so much… But, we also get to meet another very important character and she was a very interesting person so say at least..Bewitched Rating:Bottom Line
This was such an emotional ride!!! I had water in my eyes so many times! Goddess Interrupted was a phenomenal sequel, way better than the first. As I hoped, this is a series that will get better and better. I loved this book and I’m ready for the next one! Additional Notes:There is a short story The Goddess Hunt out now which is set in between Book I: The Goddess Test and Book II: Goddess Interrupted. I love novellas like this, especially because I think they make it easier to get back into a story after a year of waiting and being a sweet bridge between the books!
Much Love,
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