Review: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Publication Date: June 18^th 2015
Publisher: Harlequin UK/Mira Ink
Length: 368 pages

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.
When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.
To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?
Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

I adored Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series, but when I tried her Bound series I found them a little too dark and tough to fully enjoy so I was a little hesitant coming into this one as to what I should expect – something like the Soul Screamers or something more adult?
What I got was a brilliant mix of the two. All of the elements that I loved about the Soul Screamers series but ever so slightly darker and more twisted.

‘The Stars Never Rise’ is a terrifying and action packed book filled with wonderful characters, an intriguing premise and a story that will have you racing through the pages. Once I’d started reading I could not put the book down, I was hooked. I remembered all over again just how much I loved the Soul Screamers series and why. This had all the elements that I loved but Rachel has gifted readers with a much darker and more terrifying world with this story.

Nina made a fantastic heroine. The lengths that she was willing to go to to protect her sister were incredible. She is determined, unfailingly loyal, tough and flawed. I love believable heroines that I can get behind and root for, and Nina is definitely one of those. She is surrounded by a brilliant cast of characters each of whom were interesting in their own right and none of them simply ‘there’ in the background to provide a group. I was interested in each of them and wanted to know more – Rachel has created a really fantastic group that worked well together. I cannot wait to find out more about each of them in future books. There is just enough about each character to give you an idea of who they are and how they work together without giving too much away. The plot was so fast paced that there wasn’t really time for any more than that, but it was enough to get me invested.

Rachel is also brilliant when it comes to romance. There will always be romance but it won’t be how you expect. She puts unique and genius spins on it creating characters and situations that you won’t have seen before and makes them compelling and brilliant. I loved Nina and Finn, I loved the complications and the softer moments. They are a pair that I cannot wait to see more of, I am definitely on team Fina? Ninn? Regardless, I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops over future books.

Like I said the plot is non-stop. I barely had time to breathe as I raced towards the conclusion. It was nail biting and had so many brilliant twists and turns that I was kept on my toes and never quite sure what might happen next. It also felt must darker than the Soul Screamers books, it never felt like there was a truly light moment, everything was dark and hushed and paranoid which I think if the book had been any longer might have felt too much, but as it was it really worked.

My only issue that stopped it from being a five star read was that the length did prevent some relationships fully forming. I didn’t feel the relationship between Mellie and Nina quite thoroughly enough, I wanted to see more of them and to really be on Mellie’s side as well as Nina’s. As it was I definitely felt for her but I wasn’t quite as invested in her as I was with Nina. Something that I’m sure will be remedied with more time spent with the character.

On the whole though this was a fantastic read. I stormed through it and can’t wait for more from this series. It reminded me of all the reasons why I loved the Soul Screamers and made me desperate to go back for a re-read. Fans of Rachel Vincent will not be disappointed by this start to a new series, and new readers who love a dark and thrilling ride will quickly become converts to Vincent’s brilliant storytelling style.

Review: Vowed by Liz de Jager

The Blackhart Code:
Don't let the monsters grind you down
A Blackhart can see the supernatural behind everyday crimes. But some crimes hide even greater evils…
Kit Blackhart must investigate why children are disappearing from a London estate. However, their parents, police and fae allies claim to know nothing. And as yet more children disappear, the pressure mounts. Luckily, or unluckily, government trainee Dante Alexander is helping Kit with the case. Yet just as her feelings towards him begin to thaw, his life falls apart. As Kit struggles to unravel his problems and dangerous secrets, she meets fae Prince Thorn in her dreams – but their relationship is utterly forbidden.
Then Kit digs too deep, and uncovers a mystery that’s been hidden for one thousand years. It’s a secret that could just tear down our world.

I read the first book in this series, ‘Banished’ in March this year when I was stuck in hospital. I happened to have it on my kindle and devoured it in a matter of hours. I loved it. It was fast paced and funny and had such a fantastic plot that twisted and turned and kept me on my toes the entire time. The characters were brilliant and it was bursting with imagination and brilliance. So I was pretty excited to get my hands on the second book and get right back to where we’d left off with Kit and her friends. Only it didn’t quite turn out like that.

Yes there were still the characters I loved, plus a few new ones, and there was still the magic underside to the world we already know, but it didn’t quite have the same sparkle as the first book. The biggest problem was pacing. Whereas the first book keeps you on your toes with an array of pitstops on the ultimate quest as you race to figure out what’s wrong, this installment felt slow and sluggish. At five hundred pages it’s vying against a couple of the Harry Potter’s for sheer volume of story, but there is a distinct lack of meat to keep you interested for those pages.

I know the point is for the reader to experience the frustration along with Kit as she tries to solve the case with little to nothing to go on, but instead it merely prompted me to put the book down every few pages and go and have a break. An interesting story, no matter the length, will have me glued to the book and finished in a few hours, this book took weeks to plough through. The problem was it felt like a filler book. Not enough of a plot to sustain the length of novel before we get to the next book, with presumably a lot more action as it all kicks off. Quiet before the storm books are great when they’re done well, but this one just didn’t quite manage it. I wanted the action to be driven forward, not to watch as Kit ate breakfast, went clubbing and managed to get very little sleep.

Which was just disappointing given how much I loved the first book.

This is still a fantastic series from a brilliant new author, but unfortunately this isn’t as strong as her debut, I’m sure though that with everything being amped up for confrontations in the next book, the next installment will be back on top form and a breathlessly brilliant ride.

Fans of Cassandra Clare, Harry Potter and Laini Taylor should definitely check out the first book ‘Banished’, but maybe hold on for the second one until you can go straight from the quiet slow pace of the second book and race into the third.

Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Be aware there are minor spoilers for the book below

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.
The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?
When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...
Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

I have always been an avid fan of 'The Mortal Instruments' original trilogy, I loved them. I thought they were fresh and innovative and the characters were brilliant. Then it was announced there would be a second trilogy to follow on from the first and continue the story, and I got excited all over again about another chance to go back into this world I'd loved so much. But there was something about books four, five and now six that didn't quite recapture the magic I'd felt with the original three.

So I was looking forward to 'City of Heavenly Fire' but it wasn't with the burning enthusiasm I had come to associate with Cassandra Clare, and for me personally the book really didn't live up to my previous hype and excitement.
Don't get me wrong it's still a fantastic book with a compelling story and a host of complex and beautifully written characters, but there were a few things that just let the book down for me.

Firstly it could have benefited from some heavy editing in places. There were places where it became so bogged down in description (particularly of peoples hair and eye colour which I only have a limited amount of interest in when there are wars on the horizon) that I really had to fight to keep my interest going.
My second big gripe is with a series of this scope with such a vast array of characters, I expected the stakes to be higher and for there to be more deaths. Maybe I've been watching too much Game of Thrones, but for me personally, if there's a massive war with battles all over the place, I expect there to be some casualties. I want to feel the stakes and how desperately the remaining characters want to win - to avenge and revenge those they've lost, and we just didn't get that. We had one death, one almost death and a tragic moment with a character that was on the way to being resolved by the end of the epilogue. It didn't feel real (yes I know, this is a book about demon hunters, but bear with me.) I want to be desperate for these characters, I want to cry for them and feel for them and be terrified that not all of them will survive. I don't want needless death, but on a war of this scale to have every one of the main characters survive and have a happy ending felt like a bit of a let down.

So I enjoyed the book. It was great, a fantastic bit of escapism with some characters I love and a world I've come to adore. The banter was brilliant, the plot was on the whole great, apart from a few parts where it dragged (but that takes us back to the editing) and it was fantastic to get another glimpse at these characters, and even to tie in some characters from Cassie's Clockwork series. But I didn't finish the book and the series feeling satisfied. I felt a little nonplussed, and if I'm honest, a little bit let down. But that's just one person, I'd love to know how you felt about the ending to the series, let me know in the comments section below.

Review: Black Arts by Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil

Happy Release Day! This book is available from today, so go out and snag your copy!

A huge thank you to Harriet at Random House for sending me a copy and coaxing me past my cover aversion.

Elizabethan London: a teeming city of traders and thieves, courtiers and preachers, riff-raff and quality, cut-throats - and demons. When scrunty Jack the 'Judicious Nipper' picks the wrong pocket at the Globe Theatre, he finds himself mixed up in an altogether more dangerous London than he could have imagined - a city in which magic is real and deadly.

An outbreak of devil-worship has led to a wave of anti-witch fervor whipped up by the Elect, a mysterious group of Puritans recognizable from their red-stained right hands, led by the charismatic Nicholas Webb, a growing power at Court. Rumour has it that he wants to purge the city entirely and build a New Jerusalem. Jack has his own reason for hating him: he saw him kill his mother.

Helped by Beth Sharkwell the Thief Princess of Lambeth, Kit Morely the Intelligencer and Dr Dee the Queen's Wizard, Jack pits himself against Webb's Puritans. But this is no straightforward struggle. Things are not as they seem. In fact, ever since his encounter with Webb, there has been something wrong with Jack's vision. He keeps seeing things. Demons.

The phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ should be used liberally around me. I’m terrible at it – it’s not the be all and end all on whether I’ll read the book, but it does usually form a fairly strong impression and guide me on whether I look further. Which is exactly what I did with this one. Sorry but I really, really dislike this cover. I took one look and decided I couldn’t possibly be interested. But then the lovely people at Random house started talking about the book, about the plot and the characters and the world and I grudgingly started to accept that actually yeah ok, it sounded like quite a good book. I would be a good girl, I would put my cover doubts aside and give it a shot.

And you know what? Best decision ever.

I absolutely loved this book. The prologue was a bit weird and mildly off putting (unless you’re into ritual sacrifices in which case you’ll love it…) but I carried on – three chapters then bust, that’s my motto. But I never really noticed where the three chapter mark came because I was so completely engrossed in the story.

Jack is a clever, amusing, highly intelligent pick-pocket, thief, lock picker – you name it, he could probably give it a go and rob you blind. His voice was clear and distinct and I immediately felt a connection with him. I wanted to find out what his test/interview was about. I wanted to know about this world he lived in. It was fascinating and engrossing and utterly brilliant.

Prentice and Weil are a dream team – rivalled only, in my eyes, by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier who are utterly brilliant, but more on them in a later review… The writing is seamless, brilliant and so incredibly realistic for the time. There were bits I didn’t understand, language that was completely alien to me, but it was right for the time period, and where it was harder to interpret they manage to weave in a subtle hint to give modern readers a poke in the right direction. It made me feel like I was really there in London, with the muck and the smell and the poverty and the riches. Everything was so well researched, so well described, it put me down straight in the middle of Jack’s world and left me there for the next five hundred pages.

It’s a long novel, and at times I looked at it and wondered what on earth could be going to happen that it needed that much more book to get there. But it is a mark of just how good the writing is that I didn’t actually mind the length at all. Usually there’s a down period somewhere in the middle of long books where the reader’s interest isn’t held quite so attentively – not so for this book. It takes its time. It builds the world and the characters so that you really care about them when it all comes to a head. It sets everything up, slowly weaving a web and taking its time. And I loved that. I like a book that has the confidence to take its time and really sell the world and the plot to me.

And the plot… A seamless blend of realism and fantasy, of London in the Elizabethan era and a hell hole of demons and wizards. I loved the mystery of it as Jack tries to work out what on earth is going on. I love watching different character’s attitudes to the weird goings on – the hysteria that grips the city and whips it into a frenzy for the finale.

But most of all I loved Jack and Beth. Beth because she was strong, she was hard and determined and utterly fabulous. She could be anything she wanted, do anything she wanted and she was just such a fantastic character I would have read a whole book of just Beth.

And Jack because he was the heart and soul of the whole thing. A book of this length has to have a protagonist who can hold the reader, and Jack does it superbly. I loved his disbelief, his fear, his determination and pride and his selflessness when it came down to saving himself or saving others. I loved seeing how he grew from a young scared boy into a man and how the events and people shaped and changed him.

I would highly recommend this – a writing duo to watch out for as I believe this is the first book in a series… Both boys and girls will love it – it has a brilliant hero at its heart and a girl you can root for. Magic, demons, sorcery and thieves , one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.

Review: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

A huge thank you to Mira Ink for sending me a copy to review.

Be warned there are spoilers below, so I recommend reading the book first.

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies. 
But the next scream might be for Kaylee. 
Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either. 
But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life. 
Anything.

This book is without a doubt the best book in the Soul Screamers series. This has always been a series that I’ve loved reading, but has never been an ‘I must get the latest book now’ kind of one. Yeah, that just changed after reading this – the next book simply cannot come fast enough.

The biggest thing that struck me was how much Kaylee had matured over the course of the last few books, and really hit home in this book. She started out as a typical teenager, and she has really grown and matured into such an incredibly strong character. I was amazed at how she handled the news of her impending demise, everyone else seemed convinced she should be freaking out, and I loved her monologues about yes it was terrifying and crap, and she really didn’t want it to happen, but it was, so that was that. I wanted to stand up and applaud after each of these.

Whilst every book leaves our intrepid band of supernatural teenagers in terrible danger, this one felt even more terrifying, because after all, how do you cheat death when there are no loopholes?

It was really fascinating to see how each of the other characters dealt with the news of Kaylee’s time limit, and it brought out the best in some, and the worst in others. Particularly in Nash and Tod.

I love, as ever, Rachel’s writing. Her books have always been a pleasure to read, excellently written, with relatable characters and humour by the bucket load. But this has to be one of her best works so far. She tackles subjects like teenage sex and hormonal outbursts with humour, and gravity and it’s exceptionally handled. With some fabulously steamy scenes that had my pulse racing, without taking it too far.

I adore this love triangle that kind of defies the idea of love triangles. Tod has always been at the back of the crowd for Kaylee, he’s been there for her when she’s needed him, he’s stood up for her and protected her, and it has become more and more obvious over the last few books that he cares for her deeply, but he hasn’t done anything about it. He hasn’t told her, or put her under pressure, or made her choose, or been downright obnoxious and irritating as you so often can find with love triangles. He has simply been there for her, and I’ve loved that. I also loved the moments when Kaylee started to realise about his feelings. And I most definitely loved the payoff. If ever a boy was deserving of a happy ending – of getting the girl he loves, of getting his dying wish, it’s Tod. I have loved him from the first book, so to see him take centre stage as the guy on the white charger there to protect Kaylee, after Nash’s irritating whinging, was fantastic. I literally cannot wait for June and the next book to see how this plays out.

So June cannot come fast enough and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’ve enjoyed this series in the past, you will love this latest instalment, and if you haven’t read any of the Soul Screamer’s series, why on earth not – get to it, they’re fab!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. 
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Um – wow. Just wow. I’m not really even sure if I can do this book justice in the review so let’s start out by saying that I loved it. No, scrap that I adored it.

Taylor’s writing is divine – it’s absolutely stunning prose that sweeps you up and brings you right into the heart of the story. She is as much a writer as an artist with this brilliant scope of imagination that enthrals throughout ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’.

Karou is so instantly likeable, with her blue hair and artists mind and eye, and down to earth attitude that incorporates more than one world. She still has boy troubles, she still worries that her butterflies are dead and she will never find that person to complete her – she also worries about how she’s going to get some giant tusks on the Paris metro without anyone stopping her – you know, usual worries. I loved her. I loved her attitude and her strength, and her determination to not be left in the dark, to be strong and courageous, and fight for those she loves.

And I love Akira. Their connection is something beautiful – and I’m not normally one for insta-love, but in fairness it’s how it’s written that sways me, and this was so convincingly incredible that I was swept up in the rightness of it all.

The writing, as I’ve said, is absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was there, living, breathing and experiencing it all. Everything from the rain and the cold, to the warm steam of Poison, to the mortification of her idiot ex posing in the class.

And oh my, the dialogue. It was all really well done, but my personal favourites were any time that Zuzana and Karou got together and chatted. It was just so funny, and brilliant, and absolutely spot on. Quick light dialogue of people who banter off each other and have known each other long enough to anticipate the others move – it’s very hard to get right, but fabulous to read when it’s there.

The scope of the novel was incredible. One moment in the winding labyrinths of Prague, the next in a war torn world where two mythical races are locked in eternal combat. But Taylor has the brilliant ability to show you the vast scope, and then take you right down into the tiny moments that make these people ones you care about.

The only minor complaint I had was that once the truth starts spilling out and we start to find out all the backstory, it felt like an awful lot is dumped at once. I don’t mean Madrigal’s story as such, but the backstory of the whole world and the races. I just felt a bit overwhelmed and had to go back and re-read some parts to make sure I’d taken it all in. On a re-read there isn’t really any other way that Taylor could give that information without it seeming a bit of a deluge. It has to come there, so it does. I just found it a bit overwhelming to suddenly after three quarters of a book suddenly be introduced properly to characters that had only previously been mentioned and be swept up in their story. I know it’s all interlinked, but still, minor gripe.

The beautiful thing is that it is all interlinking. It’s a stunning work where you literally have no idea where it’s going, but quite frankly you just don’t care. It’s that good, you’re just along for the ride, wherever that might be.

And having been through all those twists and turns it’s definitely time for a re-read to help it all slot in in those earlier pages and watch the beauty of a well-crafted piece of art play out.

Having finished, with that tantalising ‘to be continued…’  I now cannot wait to find out what happens next. Karou’s story is so breathtaking in its abstract brilliance that I didn’t want the book to end. I just wanted to keep reading.

Books I'm Squeeing About in December

I have been unbelievably lucky with books this last month, actually I’ve been unbelievably lucky with books this last year! I’ve had such a good run of amazing novels! But now with Christmas looming on the horizon it’s time to look ahead to December’s books.
I’ve been lucky enough to read all of these prior to release, and I can tell you that these three are awesome books to get. Put them on your Christmas list, buy them for a friend, just make sure that they find their way into your hands in some way this month!

6^th – Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Wow. Just wow. I read this book a couple of weeks ago and it completely blew me away. I adore all of Cassie’s writing but this has to be her best work to date – character driven, high emotional stakes and swoon worthy boys, what more could you want?
You can read my non-spoiler review ahead of time here.
But in the mean time, get it on your wish list!

20^th – Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. 
Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

I adore Maria V. Snyder’s books. Her fantasy is truly brilliant, with a style that Tamora Pierce fans will love. She creates fabulously believable and strong heroines, delicious romance that takes time to simmer and develop, and brilliant plots that sweep you away in her incredibly detailed lands. ‘Poison Study’ remains my favourite of her books, but this books marks the start of a new series and a brilliant one at that, in a whole new world. A must for fantasy fans.
You can read my review non-spoiler review here.

27^th – Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.
And then every day in between she's something else entirely…
Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway – even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.
When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive… And learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

This book was such a fresh idea and such a brilliant plot that I was completely blown away by it. Jennifer’s writing is fresh, light, funny, and incredibly beautifully created. Her characters were fab, the plot truly sensational and I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves so I can re-read it in its finished format. Gritty, dark, with plenty of humour, a brilliant new urban fantasy novel for the end of the year.
You can read my review here.

Clockwork Prince Book Trailer

As if to join in the celebration today, EW have finally released the Clockwork Prince book trailer. Not too fussed on the guy playing Jem, but the trailer is otherwise brilliant! (And narrated by the lovely Ed Westwick)

Seeing the trailer has gotten me all kinds of excited for the release and to be able to talk properly to others about the book.


Check it out for yourselves at the link below!


@EWshelflife and @dirtyrobber present The Clockwork Prince Book Trailer


Enjoy!

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: 6th December 2011

A special thank you to Elle at The Book Memoirs and Ruth at Walker Books for giving permission to review prior to release.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Whilst I adore any of Cassandra Clare’s writing, there is something very special about the Infernal Devices series that is missing from her other books. I don’t know if it’s something about the period, where every look and touch means a hundred fold more than it would in our time, or whether the backdrop of Victorian London provides more of an atmosphere for the Shadowhunters to inhabit, but there was something very special about ‘Clockwork Angel’ and it’s back, multiplied a hundred fold in ‘Clockwork Prince’.

We are back with the characters we grew to know and love in ‘Angel’ only this time we’re treated to more, a deeper understanding behind the faces, and higher stakes for all concerned.

We’re once again on the hunt for the Magister – who truly becomes more terrifying by the book. Clare has created a masterful villain, one who despite his human origins holds more menace and horror than most supernatural terrors. But whilst the hunt provides a backdrop and a motive, the real heart of ‘Clockwork Prince’ lies in the character development, for all concerned but most notably for Tessa, Jem, and particularly Will.

Tessa Gray is one of the most brilliantly written female protagonists around in young adult fiction. Clare established her in Clockwork Angel and has worked hard to improve upon this in Clockwork Prince. She’s kind, loyal, and loves so blindly and passionately it consumes her. But not only that, she can take care of herself, and can see weaknesses and understands that sometimes she does need to ask for help from others. She is the perfect blend of independent, strong, feisty and compassionate that it makes it completely believable that both Jem and Will could – and do – love her.

And Will – oh my what a transformation. The foundation that Clare builds in  ‘Clockwork Angel’ was just the beginning. We get a plethora of backstory, an insight into his mind, his thoughts and his belief system that has shaped him over the last five years of his life. Clare takes an incredibly handsome but for the most part incredibly cruel character and develops him into an incredibly broken yet beautiful character. Whilst I liked him in ‘Clockwork Angel’ I think I finally grew to love him throughout ‘Clockwork Prince’.

Jem on the other hand has gone from one of my favourite fictional boys, to my favourite fictional boy. He’s sweet and caring and shows nothing but compassion and love for those around him – even when they don’t deserve it. However, he’s also shown a darker side, a stronger side that wasn’t as obvious in ‘Clockwork Angel’. Whilst Will burns more obviously, Jem’s is a subtler fire, that flares into life at some unexpected moments, and produces some of Clare’s steamiest writing to date.

One of Clare’s many and fabulous talents includes creating brilliant love triangles with no clear winner. In most fiction these days there is usually a clear winner – a boy that regardless what else happens will inevitably sweep off with the girl. However when faced with the choice between Jem and Will, there is no clear winner – they are both incredibly deserving, brilliant characters in their own right, and it is a tribute to Clare’s skill that I found myself rooting for one on one page, and then a few pages later was completely swept away by the other. I loved watching how the triangle plays out throughout ‘Clockwork Prince’ but I have a feeling that is nowhere near the end of it, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their interactions continue. Just let them still be as steamy as some of the scenes in ‘Clockwork Prince’ and I shall be a happy girl…

“Reparations,” said Jem very suddenly, setting down the pen he was holding.
Will looked at him in puzzlement. “Is this  a game? We just blurt out whatever word comes next to mind? In that case mine is ‘genuphobia’. It means an unreasonable fear of knees.”
“What’s the word for a perfectly reasonable fear of annoying idiots?” inquired Jessamine.

Her dialogue sways from the hysterical one liners that have you laughing out loud, to the deeply personal moments that make you want to hold onto the words until they’re engraved in your memory. Viscerally gritty prose that flows so exquisitely that you often forget that you are even reading at all. I became so immersed in the book that it felt as real and touchable as watching a movie, rather than reading words on a page. It’s an incredible talent and one that marks Clare as one of the best young adult writer’s around at the moment.

Clare fans will anticipate the inevitable cliff hanger at the end of the book, and they won’t be disappointed. Whilst lacking the mind numbing punch of the latest finale in ‘City of Fallen Angels’ it is a quieter moment with all of the intensity and shock that you could possibly want.

‘Clockwork Prince’ has to be my favourite Cassandra Clare book to date, and is definitely one of my favourite books of the year, but it’s left me yearning to find out how the final act will play out in the final instalment of the trilogy…

Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

The most tragic love story in history…
Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

I really loved this book – the prose was unbelievably exquisite at points, the plot was inspired, and the characters brilliantly constructed.

It takes the idea of Romeo and Juliet and added a fresh twist that works brilliantly with the original, and fleshed out characters that we already know – but giving them a new edge. Romeo evil? Juliet kick ass?? I mean come on – how can you not love this?! It’s a brilliant re-envisioning of the original, fleshing out the characters without forgetting the violence and heart breaking inevitability.

The relationship that developed between Ben and Juliet was just so beautiful to watch – it made me feel like this is what true perfect love it, and it made me melt every time they spent time together.
The tender romance was offset with the depressing violence and anger that filtered through the rest of the novel. It took you from the dizzying heights of true love, to the horrific moments with what Romeo has become. It covered everything, and it did it brilliantly.

I love how strong Juliet became throughout, and how she learnt from her past mistakes, worked through her issues and problems and came out the other side a stronger person, who wasn’t going to make the same mistakes again.

I loved this fresh look at Romeo – who was one of the best characters in the novel. He got the full arc, the evil bad boy, the redemption, but also the most truthful character throughout.

It examined the idea of true love – particularly first true love, how it affects people and how it can go wrong, and the idea that dying for love is romantic – in fact Juliet captures it best in this moment:-

“That horrible play. That contemptible, lying play he helped Shakespeare pen all those hundreds of years ago when he first twisted our story to fit his agenda. It worked far too well. Shakespeare’s enduring tragedy did its part to further the goals of the Mercenaries – glamorizing death, making dying for love seem the most noble act of all, though nothing could be further from the truth. Taking an innocent life – in a misguided attempt to prove love or for any other reason – is a useless waste.”

There were a couple of points that I wasn’t completely sold on. Gemma for example, wasn’t so much schizophrenic as completely nonsensical – I know she was meant to be a mess, but her character was so all over the place that I didn’t care about her and never really understood what the hell she was on. She had potential, but she never really grasped it.

The other thing that I felt was a little underdeveloped were the massive bombs being dropped on Juliet towards the end of the book about the Mercenaries and Ambassadors and the worlds physics. Whilst Juliet was only just finding out so it kind of made sense to only find out then and that briefly, it still felt like it was underdeveloped and I wanted to know more about it.

All in all this was a brilliant concept very well executed. There were a few hiccups with some parts, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book overall. The only thing I would say is whilst it was beautiful, heart breaking, and poignant, it also left me feeling slightly depressed at the end.
I’d highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fresh plot with a beautiful love story at its heart.

I also recommend checking out Angie's review of Juliet Immortal - she was the one who sold me on the book in the first place!

SPOILER BELOW

Review: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Release Date: 27^th December 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.
And then every day in between she's something else entirely…
Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway – even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.
When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive… And learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Um, how has no one pointed me in the direction of Jennifer Lynn Barnes before? This woman is GENIUS. Yes, she deserves the capitals.
This book completely blindsided me – I stumbled across it completely randomly and was hooked from the first page.

The writing is excellent, the humour fantastic and I frequently embarrassed myself in public by laughing out loud at the sheer brilliance of some of the one liners.

The plot is a fantastic spin on Jekyll and Hyde, and was so fresh and original that I was practically jumping for joy throughout. However, about three quarters of the way through there’s a twist that suddenly brought it back into the realms of usual young adult plots, and I was a little bit disappointed. However, that slight set back didn’t ruin the overall enjoyment of the book, and I think it was more the shock of suddenly plunging back into something I thought this book avoided than it being bad exactly. I want to go back and have a re-read because I think being prepared for it will make it less of a jolt. If that made any sense…

Kali is a fabulous heroine, strong, independent, and with a brilliant sense of humour, and the cast of characters that accompany her are equally well constructed. It’s rare to find a book where every female character is so awesome. I would quite happily read the Skylar story, or the Bethany story, as much as I enjoyed reading the Kali story. In fact my only real complaint would be that I wanted more.

Whilst I can do a lot of jumping up and down and squeeing and waving this book at you and demanding  that this has to be your final read of the year, I can’t really say more without spoiling it. And there’s so much I want to talk about regarding it that I’m going to do a full review once the book has been released on the 27^th December 2011.

If you like Cassandra Clare, Holly Black or Sarah Rees Brennan, this is a must have read. Brilliant plot, fantastic world building and snarky strong females galore, this is going to be one of my reads of the year.

You can pre-order your copy of 'Every Other Day' on Amazon here.

Books I'm Squeeing About in August

So July has contained a huge number of books – a lot of really good finds mixed in with some old favourites. I’m finding I want to revisit a lot of old loves, so you’ll see a lot of reviews for books I want to wax lyrical about why they have an everlasting place in my heart over the coming month.
But onto August! There actually isn’t all that much book wise I’m excited about this month, which is just as well as I have to save all my pennies for ‘Elle and Rosy’s Epic Book Adventure’. It’s going to be awesome…
(Go visit the wonderful Elle at ‘The Book Memoirs’ – she might even give you cookies!)

However, there are also some DVDs that I am jumping up and down about, so they’re being thrown in to the squee pile as well…

NOTE: I’d like to apologise for giving release dates for two books over the last two months that have since been moved. In July, “My Soul to Steal” has since had the UK release date moved back until 21^st October. In June I was squeeing about “Stolen Nights” by Rebecca Maizel. This book hasn’t been released anywhere and no where seems to know when it might come out frustratingly. I’m still trying to track it down and will keep you posted on my efforts.

Date TBA - Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.

Whilst Amazon refuses to give an actual date, copies of this are currently on sale already.

I adored the first book ‘Once a Witch’ and I went straight out and pre-ordered this book as soon as I realized there was going to be a sequel. The first one was a brilliant ‘chicken soup for my soul’ book with a family who all have magical talents (guaranteed way to make me squee) and time travel and yummy boy. And now there’s a whole new book filled with more of this! What more could one want?!

15^th - The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc Sec (DVD)

Legendary director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon) transports us to the wild days of early 20th-century Paris, where feisty young writer Adele Blanc-Sec embarks on thrilling missions to find exciting material for her book and a cure for her sick sister.  She sails to Egypt to raid a tomb that supposedly hides the cure, but what will she do when an army of resurrected mummies get in the way?  Back in Paris she finds the city in chaos after a 136 million-year old pterodactyl egg mysteriously hatches.  Adele realises she is the only one game enough to take control of the prehistoric bird.  

This blurb does nothing to capture the sheer brilliance of this film. It’s genius I tell you – GENIUS. Although you have to have a sense of humour to watch it. 

I went to see it one afternoon at the local ye olde cinema – based purely on the title and the trailer – click here to watch.

It’s insane. There’s a pterodactyl. There’s the most brilliantly capable heroine I have EVER MET. It’s like steampunk, but not quite, and it’s French, and it’s brilliant. I can’t even explain more than that. Just watch it. Oh – word of warning, as I said, it is in French, so this is in the original language with subtitles.

22^nd - The Vampire Diaries: Season 2 

Regular readers of this blog will now I have an undying love for the Vampire Diaries. Need proof? Go to the TV shows I’ve Reviewed and catch up on the delights of the second season. And now it’s coming out on DVD so I can re-watch it all over again.

23rd - This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. With their friend Elizabeth, Henry and Victor immediately set out to find assistance from a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula. Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

I hadn’t even read the blurb until writing this. This was one of those books that I saw the title and cover and immediately wanted it. I didn’t even care what it said on the blurb, I just wanted it – and I am so glad that it’s nearly release day! After reading the blurb I’m even more excited, and I just hope that it’s not too difficult to get hold of in the UK!

23rd - Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Ah just look at that cover! And that blurb! I’m a sucker for people with quirky cool powers – whether they’re on their own or at a school for talented. I’m also liking how authors are branching out and playing with everything under the umbrella of fantasy, rather than sticking with vampires and werewolves. Demons! Voices! Yay!

23rd - Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special – a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood. Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one. But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her. Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner...every touch...every kiss.And more blood will be spilled before it's over..

I love Rachel Vincent’s writing, and this new book blurb just reinforces that. Like I was saying earlier, any author who branches out and looks at new ideas under the fantasy umbrella has my vote, and I know that with Rachel Vincent I’m going to have a nerve frayingly tense book that will have me up all night. And some yummy boys thrown in just to make everything fab.

30th - The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce

Jane Boyle married her prince charming and moved into his upper east side castle—but she didn’t get her fairy-tale ending

It’s hard to live happily ever after when you discover your demanding and controlling mother-in-law is literally a witch, determined to steal the magical powers you didn’t even know you had. Jane narrowly avoided Lynne Doran’s clutches when she escaped on her wedding day, and has been hiding out in New York City. But she can’t hide forever. When Jane learns of the one thing Lynne wants most, she sets out to provide it, hoping her good turn will persuade her mother-in-law to stop hunting her. Unfortunately, Jane’s daring plan will send her right back into the witches’ den—the Doran clan’s multistory town house on Park Avenue. But thanks to a tricky spell, blond architect Jane will be transformed into Ella, a dark beauty with a whole new look . . . and all of Jane’s budding powers. Though the stakes are life or death, nobody said “Ella” couldn’t have a little fun along the way, too.

I wasn’t completely convinced by the first book in the series “666 Park Avenue” but it was good enough that I wanted to see what happened in the next book. The last book took a long time to get going, and I’m hoping that now Pierce has found her stride this book will be a blast of awesome all the way through instead of just at the end. Here’s to hoping.

30th - Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book, and that blurb is enough to have me completely intrigued. I don’t know much else other than the blurb and the pretty cover, but it’d enough to have me wanting a copy to see if it lives up to all the hype I’ve heard. Also, any book that gives me a male voice and character as my in has my vote. There are so many books told by girl characters, that it’s a refreshing change to see one for the boys.