I have to say that when I originally found out that Tower of Dawn was going to focus on Chaol, I was not thrilled. I came to not like him much over the last couple of books and although he redeemed himself a bit, I still didn't think I would enjoy this book as much.
Wow, was I wrong.
Not only has my opinion of Chaol changed completely, but the story of his healing and the attempt to rally the Khogan's army for the war against the Vog was so engaging that I often didn't even get out of the car when I arrived home from work, instead, just listening until the end of the chapter or section.
This installment does not have as much action in it but what it does have, Chaol's journey to heal his spine, the royal family and the Torre and its history, the developing relationships between Chaol and Irene and Nesryn and Sartaq, are all so well written that they kept the pages turning as well as any fast-paced action scene. The drama that did unfold with the mystery of the Vog hiding within the palace and the spiders kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to make it out alive to continue the journey to war. I also loved the ending where we were given a brief glimpse into what was happening to our other beloved characters who were not the focus of this story. It gave me just enough of a peek to make multiple theories about the path of the next book. I certainly hope I am wrong in what I think might be about to occur.
I am only sorry that this amazing story is over and that I now have to wait for the next installment which is at least six months away. What an incredible ride. :)
All of Us and Everything was kindly given to me in exchange for an honest review. It was part of our SheReads.org spring book selection. While I had never heard of this author before, the book synopsis was intriguing.
What did I think of the story? I actually really loved the plot idea. A mom who made a decision to be with someone and have children with him when he couldn't truly be part of their lives. The children, growing up without a dad, were told that he couldn't be with them because he was a spy and it would put them all in danger; an outlandish story thought to be a substitution for the truth. The children, all girls, all adults with their lives falling apart in one way or another. After a hurricane in their old hometown, they all return to their mother and finally learn the truth about their father and begin to put themselves right.
I did enjoy the book. I thought that the idea of the father really being a spy was creative and the girl's issues in adulthood were realistic for the most part, if a bit on the depressing side. I loved how the girls came back home as three separate people who wanted nothing to do with one another and ended up on the path to being a true family again, understanding what sisterhood should really be. The addition of Atty, Esme's daughter, showed us how easily our own messed up lives can affect our children. The epilogue gave a glimpse into how each character in the story ended up, even the minor ones, and I felt satisfied knowing they were all looking upward and onward. On the downside, I must admit that I felt the story was missing something. I'm not sure if it flip flopped too much from one character to the next or if everything just fell together too easily. Maybe I thought the father's story should have been more exciting. Something was amiss for me and it took away from my complete investment in the story.
I'd give this one about 3.5 out of 5 stars if I were rating it. As a book about families who have fallen apart and go on a journey to put themselves back together, it was good. I just think it had the potential to have been even better. However, don't knock it until you try it. If you like family drama, you may enjoy this one.
The series is over. I've finished all three books and loved each of them. If you haven't heard of these or read my previous reviews on the first two books, you should definitely go back to check them out from the beginning. You can see all three books on Amazon by clicking here.
A Cold Legacy continues the story of Juliet Moreau and her quest to find her true self amidst the chaos that seems to follow her wherever she goes. In this installment, which has a strong tie-in to the story of Frankenstein, Juliet and her friends escape London and hide from the law in the north with Elizabeth, at her estate. What Juliet finds however, is that even here, things are not normal. Elizabeth, it turns out, is related to the original Frankenstein family and holds the only written evidence of re-animation, bringing the dead back to life. This of course, just feeds into Juliet's obsession that she is fated to be just like her father, and her curiosity leads her to places she shouldn't go, even though her friends warn to to stay away. I found myself getting angry at Juliet at times because her inner thinking and decision making was just so frustrating. This happened in the other books too, but it doesn't take away from the quality of the story.
Hemsley is the re-animated child in the story, brought back to life by Elizabeth years ago. He is fascinating to read about and really brings the Frankenstein feel of the story home. His one white eye, inhuman strength, lack of pain, and temper all worked together perfectly to create his persona. I felt both empathy and horror when reading about him.
All of our beloved characters are still with us for this story. Balthasar, Montgomery, Lucy, and Sparky the dog; but I warn you, this is the last book and there is quite a bit of violence and some heartache to be had throughout. That being said, I was satisfied at the end and wouldn't have minded another book to continue the story to see if everyone ended up happy with the choices they made.
Highly recommended if you love horror/romance that brings back pieces of an old classic monster tale. A great series by an author whom I will definitely read again. If you want to know more about the author, Megan Shepherd, click here to visit her website.
Enjoy your reading!
I purchased a copy of Jackaby after seeing it reviewed on several blogs in the same week. The description of it being a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a quick sell for me since I adore both.
Jackaby himself was immediately likable and in him I recognized little pieces of familiar people/characters. The attractive eccentricity of Johnny Depp, the quirkiness of Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, or even the Sherlock Holmes of the TV show "Elementary." Jackaby is odd yet charismatic and quite brilliant. I was immediately sucked into his world of the supernatural.
Abigail is also attractive in that she is a girl who doesn't conform to the norms for women of the time period. She craves adventure and loathes the mundane, so much so that she runs away with the tuition money her parents gave her in hopes of finding a path of her own.
Looking for work, Abigail and Jackaby meet and she becomes his assistant as he tries to solve a case involving several murders and a suspect with metal shoes.
Supernatural creatures are abundant, both good and evil, and the book runs at a good pace. It was extremely hard to stop reading and I read it in just a few hours over a couple of days. If I had the time, I could have easily devoured it in one sitting. The dynamic between Jackaby and Abigail is perfect and, although there is no romance between these two characters, there is a glimmer of a relationship that might present itself in the future, albeit a bit furry... The story is a murder mystery and does have its share of blood and gore but it also has some humor and light banter between various characters living in Jackaby's household and I found myself smiling often. They make a nice little family.
Personally, I loved the book and I already bought the second book, Beastly Bones. I'm looking forward to reading about the next adventure for Jackaby and his friends.
I love re-imagined fairy tales. I love to see how authors write them, no matter how subdued or exaggerated or strange. The creativity that goes into any fairy tale re-write often puts me in awe of the author. The ideas they come up with are amazing.
Once Upon a (Stolen) Time was generously given to me in exchange for an honest review. While this story only has slight hints of an old familiar tale, I had a lot of fun looking for the modernized connections.
I connected with Myra right away because she reminded me of me. I have a huge imagination and, as an adult still love to read about castles and ancient civilizations and the stories behind them. She has this romantic (and a little naive) view of life and love that is very innocent and she has no plans to settle for less. Edward, who she sees when she looks back in time through the castle mirror, is also a romantic who wants more out of his life than following in the footsteps of his royal but brutal father. It turns out that Myra not only sees through time but also has a special connection to the castle. When she realizes that Edward can see her too, from the year 1415, her life begins to change forever.
This book is easy to fall into and once Myra enters Hue Castle for the first time, gets very interesting. There are some definite modern undertones that could be compared to Beauty and the Beast but I wouldn't go as far as to call the book a retelling. I would say however, that this story has an intriguing mystery that even at the end has yet to be completely solved. I was engaged throughout the entire story and the only element I would change is how Myra and Steve were thrown together which just didn't really fit with the quality of the rest of the story. I was disappointed to be left with a huge cliffhanger at the end but I can certainly say that I will be desperately awaiting the next book to read about what happens next.
Synopsis from Amazon:
All her life, Myra Farrow has been obsessed with medieval castles—and the kings and princes who once inhabited them. Now, wealthy video game designer Steve Bernard wants her to model for a princess character in his new game. Myra can’t resist his offer, especially when she learns that Steve plans to film inside the mysterious Hue Castle—a cursed, barren, colorless place forbidden to visitors for centuries. But unknown to Myra, her soul is bound to Hue Castle by blood and sorcery. When she enters its doors, she awakens dark powers that will reach through time—stealing her past, torturing her present, and rewriting her future.
1415…
Edward Hue, the last of the Hue royal bloodline, has never stood in the sunshine or held a living flower. Cursed from birth to live in darkness and bring death to all he touches, he is at the mercy of his cruel, tyrannical father, who will not rest until he shatters Edward’s soul and makes his son into a diabolical copy of himself. Edward’s one hope is the mysterious woman who haunts his dreams—who will either break his curse and bring him out of the darkness, or destroy him utterly.
For Myra and Edward, past and future collide in a tale of love, obsession, betrayal, and the hope for redemption.
Enchanted Revenge by Teresa M. Jones was kindly given to me in exchange for an honest review.
Normally, while I enjoy YA fantasy, I'm not usually attracted to books that revolve around the Fae. I often find they spend too much time on details about the setting and characters. I did however, like the teaser for this book when it was sent to me and it didn't seem overly intricate so I decided to give it a try.
Synopsis from Amazon:
When seventeen year old Lily finds her parents brutally murdered, leaving her broken and alone, she is determined to bring justice to the fairies responsible. Her quest leads her to infiltrate The Empyrean, the land of the Fae where terrifying creatures lurk in every shadow. But with a political rebellion mounting, bloody battles and foreign enemies stand in her way. Alec, a mysterious fairy keeping his own secrets, gradually becomes her guide and dear friend in the unfamiliar world, and restores her faith in love. Disturbing secrets about her parent’s true identity are revealed, causing her to be more involved with the devastating fairy war than she can afford. Her vengeful mission becomes compromised and her growing romance with Alec wavers. She must conquer her fear of the unknown, ignore her grief, and overcome her growing list of enemies if she is to succeed in avenging her parents’ death. Or ever make it out alive.
I'm quite glad that I gave this book a chance. I knew as soon as I read the first chapter that it would be the kind of book I would want to finish in only a couple of sittings. Hence, the iPad began to travel with me wherever I went for a couple of days so that I could read during any free moments I could spare. The opening of the book is a bit brutal but this is part of what makes it hard to put down. It grabbed me right from the beginning. Lily, the main character, is portrayed well. Her role as a girl whose parents were brutally murdered is believable. I felt connected to her emotions as she moved between anguish, fury, hopelessness, and fear while she tried to cope with her drastically changing world. Her companion and supporter, Alec, helps her to deal with what is happening to her as she searches for the Fae who killed her family. They make a great team and his story is as tragic as hers. They compliment each other nicely. The setting was lovely and not overwhelming to the senses. I enjoyed reading about the cities and villages and hearing the history of the world and the fears about what would befall it in the future if no one stood up to save it. I also liked that the romance between the two main characters isn't always at the forefront of the story and the characters are flawed and not cookie cutter perfect in appearance or actions. They are on a mission and have no qualms about what needs to be done to avenge their loved ones. There is some violence but I think this added a nice edge to the story. I'm really looking forward to the next book and also hoping that the characters get to stay together in the story since they have already experienced so much loss. A girl can hope!
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