Review Julie Kagawa's novella The Winter Passage

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl..until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

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Thank god for character development, even thought this was a novella at least Meghan has grown a little. However not by much. She really needs to learn to talk with emotional intelligence. I know she's a teenage girl but we're not all raging hormones with no common sense.  I really hope that as the story progress that Meghan starts putting herself and those she loves in unnecessary danger because of her stupidly overly emotional decisions.  3.5/5 diamonds

Review of Julie Kagawa's Iron King (book one of The Iron Fey series)

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

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This book has a really good story and the world building and characters are all well done except the main character Meghan, who is so naive and stupid sometimes you kind of wonder if she grew up in a bubble. There were so many times that I just couldn't believe the kind of decisions she was making and why she went to great pains to accomplish what she needed to do in the most painful way. Well according to Goodreads it suppose to get better. Here's hoping for Character development 3.5/5 diamonds

Review of Thief's Eyes by Janni Lee Sinmer

After her mother mysteriously disappears, sixteen-year-old Haley convinces her father to take her to Iceland, where her mother was last seen. There, amidst the ancient fissures and crevices of that volcanic island, Haley meets gorgeous Ari, a boy with a dangerous side who appoints himself her protector.

When Haley picks up a silver coin that entangles her in a spell cast by her ancestor Hallgerd, she discovers that Hallgerd's spell and her mother's disappearance are connected to a chain of events that could unleash terrifying powers and consume the world. Haley must find a way to contain the growing fires of the spell—and her growing attraction to Ari.

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 This is excellent book from an excellent writer. This story uses it's inspiration from Icelandic myths and legends to create a beautiful story. Haley our heroine is another strong female character whose got a good head on her shoulder and need to teach Julie Kagawa's main heroine some comment sense. Any way this is a really fun and quick read from any author who is not given enough praise for her writing and her skill to write smart, intelligent, teenage  female characters. 5/5 diamonds

Review of Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin

An enchanting tale of courage and sacrifice for young readers and adults by the wildly popular George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the series that inspired HBO's Emmy Award-winning GAME OF THRONES.

Lavish illustrations by acclaimed artist Luis Royo enrich this captivating and heartwarming story of a young girl and her dragon.

In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.

Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara's home.

And only a winter child-and the ice dragon who loved her-could save her world from utter destruction. 

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This is a beautiful little story, it's a short story and could be finished in one sitting. The illustration in this book are also absolutely stunning. It's also a way to get a glimpse into the Song of Ice and Fire without having to commit to the massively long books and tv series. Both I'm sure are absolutely excellent, however personally I think I'm going to wait for George R.R. Martin to finish the series and then buy a box set. I give this book 4.5/5 diamonds

 

Review of Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer's Between the Lines

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

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Wow what a great premise and something all us book nerds have always dreamed about. I'm sure that all of you reading this right now have at least one book on your shelves where you wished that you could speak to one of the characters inside. This book is fun, heartwarming and funny and is a must read before picking up Beyond the Page, which has gotten a lot of buzz in the BookTube community. Picking this book before Beyond the Page you get a better understanding of the main characters and I find that it helped me to get through some bits of Beyond the Page, I'll write more on that when I write my review on Beyond the Page. I give this book 4.5/5 diamonds

Review of Janni Lee Simner's Faerie After

After a devastating war between humanity and Faerie, Liza’s world was forever changed. Plants and trees became aggressive, seeking to root in living flesh and bone, and newborn children were discovered to have magic powers. Liza was one of these children, and with her abilities she brought her mother back from the ruined Faerie realm and restored the seasons to her own.

Now there are signs of a new sickness in the forest. Piles of ash are found where living creatures once stood. Liza investigates and discovers the Faerie realm has continued to deteriorate, slowly turning to dust, and that its fate is inexorably linked to that of the human realm. To find a solution, Liza must risk crossing over, putting herself and all she cares about at risk. Will Liza be forced to sacrifice her life and the lives of her friends in order to save both worlds?

Here is the exciting conclusion to the Bones of Faerie trilogy, for fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure entranced by Janni Lee Simner’s unique vision of a magic-infused postapocalyptic world.

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The last book in the Bones of Faeries Trilogy and what an ending. The events and choices that Liza has to face without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet are just wonderful. Just like the other two books the characters in this trilogy have to face tough choices and don't know if they're making the right choices. This is an excellent series without the insta love and the love triangles. Liza is a strong female character that makes tough choices and get things done. If you haven't read this book you should definitely go and pick it up   5/5 diamonds  

July Wrap up

My July Wrap Up

This month I was able to read 7 books which is pretty good given my present schedule the books I read are the Faeries Bones Trilogy which include Faerie Bones, Faerie Winter and Faerie After by Janni Lee Simner a really great dystopian/fantasy series with none of the insta love or love triangles that you get in most ya books. My review for the first book in the series is up on my blog the rest will be up soon. 

    

Next I read The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro a great book about a journey taken by an elderly couple my review for this will also be up soon. 

 

Next I read the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman another great coming of age book of a boy being raised by a graveyard.

 

 Right after that I read Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer. 

 

 Lastly I read The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin a beautifully illustrated book 

                                        


 My review of all these books will be up shortly.