It's Sunday, hopefully a relaxing day for you. As for me, I'm gonna be a busy bee. But I wanted to put up a few reviews I did this week. Hope you enjoy what I had to say. As always I try to keep my reviews spoiler free!
Blood of the Sorcerer by B.C. MorinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I want to thank the author, B.C. Morin, for providing me with an ebook ARC of this novel to read for an honest review!
*If you have not read the first book of this series, Mark of the Princess (The Kingdom Chronicles #1) then you will not understand this book and need to GO GET IT AND READ IT NOW!
I have to say that I wasn't sure what to expect from the second book in this series, but I wasn't expecting what I got! And I mean that in a very good way! Wow, this book was packed with action, romance and some scary scenes that had me on the edge of my seat!
Blurb from Goodreads:
Love will be tested, great powers will emerge, and hearts will break over a death no one saw coming….
Princess Alannah hoped that upon her arrival in Anrad, things would begin to look up. But she comes to find that the warrior fae that she has fallen in love with is truly the Prince of Anrad and has been betrothed to another by his dying father. Isibeal, his betrothed, is beautiful, strong, and hiding a secret that Alannah is determined to reveal.
Adding to her worries, her sister Evyette has set off on a journey to uncover her increasingly mysterious past. Finally discovering who she is and where she came from, Evyette will find that some things are better left unknown. As Tristan and Kaleb help Eveytte through this discovery, she is yanked from their clutches by Samil who has volunteered her as the final sacrifice for him to remain in this realm.
Will Alannah succeed in her training at the hands of Master Jadoc, the Elder Faerie and still make it in time to join Tristan and Kaleb in stopping Samil? Will Brennus go against his dying father's last request and follow his heart?
I first want to start off by saying what an awesome cover this book has. I love the Mark of the Princess cover, it is just gorgeous. Well, this cover is just as amazing! The best part is how it actually tells the story of what's inside the book. Sometimes covers are just there to look pretty. But this cover serves both purposes! It's gorgeous and it gives you an idea of what the book is about! And the colors, I love love love them! They are dark and sinister, just like the story line. It's perfect.
The character development was so much fun in this book. I was looking forward to getting to know the characters better but I wasn't expecting to meet so many new and interesting ones along the way.
Princess Alannah surprised me the most in this book. She turns into a confident woman, as opposed to a Princess who was just learning to come into herself. It's fantastic to watch her grow, especially as she learns to use her powers.
We see much more of Evyette in this story, as well. She really is the center of the story. She is the reason why they are fighting the evil. She is what Samil is looking for, although I won't tell you why as it might ruin the story (I'm not going to spoil the fun for you)
And Brennus, well, to be honest, I just want to punch him. I know he feels a certain sense of being committed to his father and their community, but, argh, he's so stupid! He loves Alannah, yet he chooses to be with another woman because it was his father's dying word to do so. And the worst part is that he seems to lead her on throughout the story, allowing her to have a glimmer of hope that they might be together, but then pushes her away over and over again as his sense of duty calls to him. His whole demeanor made me so mad. And, yet, you feel a certain draw to him. He is sexy and confident and just downright alluring!
And Kaleb, oh my sweet Kaleb. I just love him. He's sweet and kind and gentle. He cares so much for Alannah and Tristin and Eveyette. He tries so hard to be strong and confident when you know deep down inside all he wants is to have someone of his own to love. And Tristin, he's so funny. I want to sit in a room with him and let him joke around with me. He makes you feel so comfortable. And his love for Evy is unsurpassed. He would give his life for her. And it was great to meet the other supporting characters: Master Jadoc, Isibeal, Arora.
Now, as for the story line, it takes so many twists and turns. It had my heart racing in so many different spots! I wasn't sure whether I was coming or going! LOL! It really kept me on my toes and definitely kept me wanting to read on into the book to see what happens.
I'll be honest here, this book is MUCH better than the first book. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first book a lot, but I just felt so much more connection in this book. I saw that the author's writing had grown and that she was more invested in her characters. I felt myself moving through the story with them, wanting to help them out. Morin's writing really brought me right into the story, I could picture every detail of the castle, the forest, the island. It was all there right in front of me to touch and feel! And what a cliffhanger of an ending, are you trying to kill us Ms. Morin?
I really am looking forward to the next installment of this series. I cannot wait to see what happens as evil is still lurking and romance is still not tied up in the package I want!
4 out of 5 stars from me!
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The Iron Daughter by Julie KagawaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
So I sat down to this book not expecting much, to be honest. I enjoyed the first book, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't enthralled with it so much that I could not put it down. It was a great story.
Blurb from Goodreads:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
This book exceeded my expectations with it's action and adventure. It was much faster paced than the first book, which spent a good portion of the first half with world building and setting up the story. With Iron Daughter, Kagawa jumped right into the action and kept it going throughout the entire series.
The characters continue to develop and become more well rounded. The relationships between the characters grow and shift, with a seeming ease that I was not expecting.
Meghan did not annoy me nearly as much in this book as the first. In this book I could really see her development. She really started to learn how to fight for herself and stand up for what she truly believed in. I did find her angst with Ash rather annoying. The whole battle in her head of whether or not he loves her got a little old. Even I could see that he loves her but he feels he cannot be with her, because it's not "allowed" and also because he thinks it will keep her safe. This seems to be a theme with any romance that happens in YA fiction.
I was not surprised to see Puck divulge his love for her. He is tender and sweet and he's known her for so long. I felt badly for him when she kissed him but knew in her mind that her heart belonged to another. Perhaps she thought she could get over Ash and move on, but when does one ever "overcome" true love.
And, despite the annoying battle that went on in her head throughout the book regarding Ash, I still wanted her to end up with him, because who doesn't want the girl to get her Prince Charming in the end?
I like how Ash was used as a pawn against Meghan. Those fae really know how to make things a challenge! I would love to see more development of this character.
And we are re-introduced to some old friends, Grim and Iron Horse, and we get to know some others that we had only heard little of before, Leananshide. And I loved how enemies became friends in this book while friends became enemies. The turn around was something I was not expecting, but was well welcomed.
Kagawa certainly packed this booked with much more action than the first. Lots of fighting scenes, lots of running, lots of tension. All these things kept me wanted to read more and more. Her imagery is exceptional, really setting the scene for you with details that are unexpected. I felt like I was in the NeverNever with the characters, experiencing what they were experiencing, seeing what they were seeing, feeling what they were feeling.
This book was filled with twists and turns, action and adventure, betrayal and loyalty, jealousy and love. And in the end, a sacrifice which shows that true love can outlast it all. I highly recommend this one over the first and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book leads me!
4 out of 5 stars.
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