Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse.
Series: The Winner's Trilogy, #1.
Author: Marie Rutkoski.
Publication Date: July 3rd, 2014.
Publisher: Bloomsbury.
Format: Paperback, 368 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. Kestrel has other ideas.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in Arin, a young slave up for auction. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him - and for a sensational price that sets the society gossips talking. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

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The Winner’s Curse is one of those novels that it so hyped up, that you start to worry that when you finally get around to reading it – it won’t live up the high expectations you’ve set. Luckily, this really wasn’t the case for me! The Winner’s Curse is a really unique and brilliantly written novel with an incredibly detailed and wonderfully developed storyline that draws you in and keeps you ensnared until you’ve turned the very last page. I almost immediately fell in love with the world Marie Rutkoski has written and I loved reading about the war and all the conflict that has been brewing for years. I found myself torn between the two sides in the story; the Valorians and the Herrani. Just when I thought I’d decided which side I was rooting for, something (or someone!) would do something to completely shift my opinion. I still don’t have a firm answer to the question!

Kestrel is the general’s daughter, and a wonderfully developed and intriguing character. I loved her pretty much right from the beginning. Kestrel is smart, witty, and rebellious and has this independent streak in her. Although she’s interested in her father’s military career, she doesn’t want to join. And although she would like to get married, she doesn’t want to settle and become a complacent house-wife. Kestrel just wants to keep who she really is; a musician and an idealist, and she truly believes that if she joins the military to please her father, or gets married, she’ll loose who she really is. Kestrel’s determination and the spark of life and willpower in her are what make her so fantastic; she was a brilliant character – unlike any I’ve ever read about before!

Arin just happens to be a slave Kestrel buys on a whim from the market one afternoon. I had rollercoaster feelings about Arin’s character throughout The Winner’s Curse. During the beginning of the novel, I thought he was an interesting character, but not overly likeable. When the novel progressed some more, I really started to like his character and grew quite attached to him in my own weird sort of way. He wasn’t one of the characters I absolutely fell in love with, and he’s personally not really my type – but he was sweet, kind, compassionate and really seemed to care about his people and his cause. There were a few instances where I thought he seemed like a complete ass, and acted like one too – but hey, no one’s perfect!

Kestrel and Arin’s relationship develops slowly and cautiously throughout The Winner’s Curse – which I thought fit the storyline perfectly. The romance is definitely not a huge part of the novel, as it focuses more on the battle aspects, the war and complications – but I loved it all the same. Neither of the pair is willing to admit their growing feelings for each other, although it’s plainly obvious how they feel. There are so many complications, and barriers that naturally try to keep them apart, and I really felt for them – their relationship was doomed not to work before it even started. They’re from completely different worlds, yet they understand each other in a way that no one else seems too. I thought their relationship was really beautiful and the ending of The Winner’s Curse really killed me.

Overall, I absolutely adored The Winner’s Curse – it was a phenomenal, action-packed novel that’s full of twists, turns and scenes that I never expected. Marie Rutkoski’s writing is so beautiful and intricately detailed that I could just picture myself right alongside the characters she’s created. My only complaint about The Winner’s Curse is that there were quite a few times where I felt like the storyline dragged and became slightly boring and slow to read – but luckily these times eventually did pick up and I could continue on with the wonderful story. I believe it well and truly deserves the 4.5/5 star rating I gave it, and I’d highly recommend this novel and/or Marie Rutkoski’s writing to anyone who’s a fan of fantasy and forbidden romance. I honestly can’t wait for the release of the second book in this trilogy so I can get my hands on it – I really need to find out what happens next, where everything goes and where all the characters end up!

Quotes

Arin smiled. It was a true smile, which let her know that all the others he had given her were not. - Page 111.

It took some time before Arin realized he was humming a dark tune. For once he didn't stop himself. The pressure of song was too strong, the need for distraction too great. Then he found that the music caged behind his closed teeth was the melody Kestrel had played for him months ago. He felt the sensation of it, low and alive, on his mouth.
For a moment, he imagined it wasn't the melody that touched his lips, but Kestrel.
The thought stopped his breath, and the music, too. - Page 179.

“You’re not mine.” Arin said.
And he kissed her.
Kestrels’ lips parted. This was real, yet not simple at all. He smelled of woodsmoke and sugar. Sweet beneath the burn. He tasted like the honey he’d licked off his fingers minutes before. Her heartbeat skidded, and it was she who leaned greedily into the kiss, she slid one knee between his legs. Then his breathe went ragged and the kiss grew dark and deep. He lifted her up onto the table so that her face was level with his, and as they kissed it seemed that words were hiding in the air around them, that they were invisible creatures that feathered against her and Arin, then nudged, and buzzed, and tugged. - Page 323.

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Title: Fire & Flood.
Series: Fire & Flood, #1.
Author: Victoria Scott.
Publication Date: March 6th, 2014.
Publisher: Chicken House.
Format: Paperback, 366 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Tella's brother is dying. He's got cancer, and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn't think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness.
But Tella will be facing more than just the elements...

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The first word that popped into my mind when I first started reading Fire & Flood was that it was completely and utterly bizarre. However, the more I read of the book, the more I absolutely adored Fire & Flood! Adored it in a creepy ‘I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES’ sort of way - and in a slightly less creepy ‘I’M FANGIRLING SO MUCH I CAN’T SLEEP’ sort of way. Fire & Flood is a fast-paced, action-packed, thought-provoking novel that’ll have your heart racing and your mind speeding ahead and second guessing every little detail you read. Although the world-building wasn’t that well developed, the amount of details Victoria Scott wrote about, and all the things she described made me feel like I was right there along with the characters in the competition. I honestly can’t seem to get across how much I loved this book – but I’m going to do my very best to try!

Tella is our main character, and to be perfectly honest; I wasn’t really sure what to make of her at first. She seemed a little too superficial for my tastes and some of the things she came out with were pretty darn weird. But as the normal progressed, Tella really changed and grew into a pretty bad-ass character that I ended up loving! It turns out as you read more of the book that Tella has a very maternal instinct, and I loved this. She became fiercely protective of all the Pandora’s in the book, no matter what they’d done for their Contender. Tella was a fascinating character, and although she was a bit obnoxious and judgemental, I really liked her character. I just guess that now days, so many people are like it that it just becomes second nature to them.

Guy is the main love interest throughout Fire & Flood, and boy did I love him! He’s dark, quiet, brooding and sexy – you all should know by now that he’s just my type. He may be a slightly hostile character who’s pretty darn unsociable, but he is also ridiculously protective, smart, caring and kind guy who also has an awesome sense of humour under all the brooding! I loved how Guy’s and Tella’s relationship wasn’t insta-love at all, of course they were drawn to each other somehow – but I loved how Tella often referred to some of the looks Guy gave her as ‘serial killerish’. I just thought it was really refreshing to see two characters actually get to know each other properly, rather than them knowing each other for a few days and suddenly thinking they’re in love. I just thought their relationship was just beautiful.

Overall, I thought that Fire & Flood was bloody fantastic! Although Victoria Scott’s writing is far from perfect and flawed in many ways, it was still an incredible novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Fire & Flood was an easy 5 star read, and I believe it well and truly deserves that rating. I honestly can’t wait see what happens next in this story and find out what happens to the characters – my hands are just itching to get a hold of Salt & Stone, it’s such a shame that we have to wait so long for it to be released! I’m really looking forward to reading more from Victoria Scott in the future, as I can’t wait to see how she handles writing other genres. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Fire & Flood yet, I highly recommend that you do as soon as you possibly can!

Quotes

If my hair gets any frizzier, I'll shave it to the scalp.
Or light it on fire.
Whichever is easier. - Page 03.

I pause outside the door, wondering if I’m about to get busted for breaking and entering. Then I turn the handle and find myself at the top of another winding staircase.
You’ve got to be kidding me. What is this – Dracula’s bachelor pad? - Page 34.

When I first saw the sand, I thought it was beautiful. Like maybe it'd be fun to just roll around in and make sand angels. Now I know the truth, that sand is actually the love child of proud parents Marie Antoinette and Joseph Stalin. - Page 237.

Review: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Magic Study.
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia, #2.
Author: Maria V. Snyder.
Publication Date: June 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Format: Paperback, 384 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Discovering her fate could prove deadly...
Yelena Zaltana has been found guilty of possessing magical powers. The Code of Behaviour that rules the land of Ixia states she must be executed.
Escape is her only hope.

But when the freedom Yelena has fought for is once more in jeopardy, she must use her magic to survive.

With only one year to prove herself, Yelena’s future is uncertain and when magic is involved one mistake could mean sudden death.

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I really enjoyed reading Poison Study, the first book in this trilogy, and I have to say I was a little hesitant and apprehensive about starting Magic Study. I was mainly worried that it wouldn’t compare to the first book, but boy was I wrong! Magic Study went above and beyond my expectations and was just as good if not better than the first book. If you love fantasy, action, adventure, magic, well developed characters and bad guys – then I’m sure you’ll absolutely adore this series, just as I have. I’d recommend these books, even if you’re a little worried about the genres.

Yelena is our main protagonist, and I really love her! When we were introduced to her in the first book, I was a little unsure what to think of her – but now, I really wish she was real so I could meet her. You’re able to see Yelena grow throughout Magic Study and I loved how we learned more and more about her past in this book. It was so much fun to read about her developing and starting to learn how to control her powers, as it wasn’t the main focus in the first book. Yelena is a smart, fun, hard-working and a hot-headed girl who sometimes has a problem with her temper – but I love her all the same. She’s been through a lot since she was kidnapped as a child, and it was emotional to read about how everything still affected her, even a year or so later.

Valek makes another appearance in this book, and I’m so glad he did. I love Valek’s character so much, he’s dark and brooding, but has a really sweet and caring side that he rarely shows. I think Valek and Yelena are a perfect match for each other and I love their relationship so much; it’s sweet but passionate at the same time. There are also quite a few new characters that make appearances in Magic Study, and unfortunately I can’t talk about them all – however they were all really strong and well developed characters. I don’t think I came across an underdeveloped character in this book at all, and there were plenty to read about! It was great being introduced to them all, and learning about their personalities over time.

Maria V. Snyder’s writing is really amazing, and I love pretty much everything about it. My only problem was that, once again, the ending was a little rushed and I did wish it could have been a bit longer. Other than that though, the book was perfect and I thought it was really fantastic! I rarely give books half star ratings, but I thought that it was smack bang in the middle of a 4/5 and a 5/5, and I couldn’t decide at first which to choose – so I went with a nice and comfy middle; 4.5/5 stars. I think it well and truly earned the rating I gave it and I really can’t wait to read the third and final book in this trilogy and see what happens next and where all the characters end up! I’m also definitely going to be picking up the spin-off series, which is set in the world of Ixia, as I just can’t get enough of it!

Quotes

"Living is a risk," I snapped at him. "Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you're taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety." - Page 244.

He made a weak attempt to look innocent, but I knew better. "Should I guess how many concealed weapons you have or should I strip search you?"
"A strip search is the only way to be absolutely certain." Valek's deep blue eyes danced with delight.
I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No worries here. No troubles here. Just Valek's scent, an intoxicating combination of musk and spice. - Page 285.

"Why did Mother ask you to help me rescue Gelsi?" I asked Leif.
"She thought I could assist you in some way. Instead, I had tried to-"
"Kill me? You can join the 'I Want to Kill Yelena Guild.' I hear they have six members in good standing. Valek is president since he had wanted to kill me twice." - Page 398.

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Poison Study.
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia, #1.
Author: Maria V. Snyder.
Publication Date: June 7th, 2013.
Publisher: Mira Ink.
Format: Paperback, 409 pages.
Source: Provided By Publisher.
My Rating:



Choose: A quick death or slow poison...

On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve - on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose. Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however ... General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she's beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime.

In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent withinn her and master the demons of her past. The Commander's life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it ...

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Poison Study is an incredibly unique book in so many different ways and I loved every minute I was reading it! Even though this isn’t really the type of novel that I thought I would usually read, I’m so glad I pushed past my lingering doubts of not enjoying it, and picked up this book. I found that I couldn’t put Poison Study down, and found myself flying through the chapters. Just one more chapter, I kept telling myself, and before I knew it, it was three o’clock in the morning and I’d nearly finished it.

Yelena is an incredible female protagonist; she’s tough, witty and strong minded. I loved everything about her character, especially her emotional strength and how well she deals with the hand she has been dealt. I loved how you don’t find out what lead Yelena to murder all at once; you gain snippets of information about her past throughout the book as she tries to allow her mind to process it once more. I can’t seem to state enough how much I loved Yelena’s character, she is by far one of the most interesting, smart and wonderful characters I’ve had the privilege to read about.

Valek acts as Yelena’s mentor of sorts and is the person who trains her to be the Poison taster. I love Valek; he’s a dark, brooding and composed character – he’s just my type! From the first moment Yelena meets Valek, I adored him – he’s quiet and reserved but loyal and caring underneath all the pretence and I really wish I could have him for myself... I don’t know whether it was by chance or just because they seemed drawn together – but a friendship bloomed between the two – and I loved reading the scenes where they were together. I was rooting for the two to get together from the beginning of the book and could barely contain my love for their relationship.

The only issues I had with this book, was the ending. I felt like it was really rushed, like Maria just wanted the book to be over and done with. Throughout the majority of Poison Study, it is incredibly detailed and beautifully written. However, when the book reaches the confrontation and the ending of the book, the details are far and few between and I found this really annoying and I wished it was done differently.

Overall though, I really enjoyed Poison Study – it was a fantastic book, with wonderful characters and a world you can’t help but love. I believe it well and truly earned the 4/5 star rating I’ve given it, and I think it would have been perfect if it hadn’t been rushed at the ending. Maria V. Snyder’s writing is beautiful, intricate and such a pleasure to read – I highly recommend you to read her books if you haven’t yet. I can’t wait to read even more from Maria V. Snyder in the future and can’t wait to continue this series and find out where all the characters end up!

Quotes

“Let's go. We're supposed to rendezvous with the Captain at the lake. Oh, and try to keep the noise down. You sound like a panicked moose crashing through the woods," the smarter man chided.
"Oh yeah. Like you could hear me over your specially trained 'woodland-animal footsteps,'" Rough Voice countered. "It was like listening to two deer humping each other.” - Page 151.

Valek’s posture had relaxed a little, as if the act of talking out a problem helped him deal with it. “About the same time your snoring could be heard halfway across the room.”
“Ha,” I said rather loud. “You were so stiff at that meeting I thought rigor mortis had set in.”
Valek snorted with amusement. “I doubt you could have looked any better sitting in that uncomfortable dress uniform all night. I imagine Dilana sprayed on extra starch with malicious glee.” - Page 288.

“Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine.
"But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”
“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.
“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me.” - Page 380.

Review: Light of the Moon by David James

Title: Light of the Moon.
Series: Legend of the Dreamer, #1.
Author: David James.
Publication Date: November 6th, 2012.
Publisher: Create Space.
Format: .pdf eBook, 373 pages.
Source: eARC Provided By Author.
My Rating:



Stars. Fire. Blood. Magic.

One night long ago, a constellation disappeared and fell from the sky in the form of a boy.
Secrets are being kept in the sleepy town of Lakewood Hollow, Colorado. Nothing but pools of blood and dripping words are left where bodies once were, and no one but Calum Wade seems to be worried. Life unfolds in shades of red for Calum, until a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrolls at his school and everything changes. Suddenly a dangerous world of dream demons, elemental enchanters, and blood witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars have forever held his destiny, and that the constellations above are much more than what they seem.

As Kate and Calum sink deep into a paranormal war, they realize that an ancient prophecy might hold the answers they seek. But life is not so easy for Calum, and he can feel his heart beat faster whenever Kate is close. Worse, Kate's blood holds a dark secret even more dangerous than the war between the demons and enchanters. Soon the two find that there are worse things than loving someone you shouldn't. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

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Don’t you see that tears, feelings, make you stronger? Loving and losing and hating and caring: Feelings give you reason to fight. They destroy you and build you up again. They can kill you and then give you life.”

Calum’s family life fell apart when his dad left years ago. Ever since then, his mum broke into pieces and can barely look at him – so Calum has to try and deal with the burning emotion inside him alone. All across the country, people are going missing, being murdered and words are being written across their walls in their own blood. The News crews are calling this person the Bloodletter – and the Bloodletter is getting dangerously close to Calum’s quiet town. One day a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrols at his school and everything changes.

Suddenly a dangerous world of dream demons and blood witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars hold his destiny, and that the constellations that he sits and watches at night are much more than he ever knew. Calum and Kate find themselves caught right in the middle of a paranormal war where they find out they’re more than just basic players in the game. They realize that an ancient prophecy might hold the answers they seek. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

I wanted to like Light of the Moon, I really did. This book was a frustration in itself for me and personally, it wasn’t my cup of tea. It was not because the novel wasn’t well written, it was written beautifully. However, there were too many things that irritated me and the storyline was a bit confusing and hard to follow a lot of the time. It took me quite a while to finish reading Light of the Moon, mainly because I kept getting frustrated at the book and putting it down after a few pages – but I was determined to finish it.

I want to start off with talking about Calum’s character, although it’s hard to know where to start. I really didn’t like Calum at all; I didn’t think he was actually a very strong male protagonist. To be perfectly honest, I thought he acted and spoke a bit like a girl at times – which isn’t bad – but when you’re trying to create a strong male lead with a destiny to fulfil, I think the character needs to be more headstrong. He just didn’t seem to fit the character profile I had in my mind before reading this book. I’m not saying all male characters should be like this, and Calum did have his good points; he was sweet, kind and cared a lot about his friends. These characteristics are a must for me, and even though I didn’t really like Calum, he definitely fulfilled them.

As for Kate’s character; I didn’t mind her – although she’s definitely not winning my ‘favourite character of the year’ award. Kate is definitely determined, smart, and generally a strong-willed person. I didn’t think she had a whole lot of personality other than that really, and the only times she showed some genuine characteristics were when she was acting snappy and blunt. However, you can also tell how much she cares for her younger sisters and wants them back. It was pretty incredible to see the lengths she would go through to get them back to her safe and sound. Kate was definitely a dark character with an intense past and it was interesting to find out more and more about her damaged past throughout the book.

Light of the Moon is written in the two perspectives of Calum and Kate, swopping between the two every time a chapter ended. I love multiple perspectives in books, because it’s always amazing to read what the other character is thinking and feeling – rather than trying to guess. There were some pretty amazing quotes throughout this book, it’s a shame I can’t list them all. This may not be that interesting to some people, but I do love reading quotes that make me shiver and feel the emotion put into the words.

I didn’t completely hate this book; it had its up points at times and it made me feel connected to the characters on a few rare occasions. Would I recommend this book to other people? Possibly – It’ll depend on the people’s preferences – it’s quite a heavy read in my opinion. However, over all I believe the 3/5 star rating I gave it fits it perfectly – although I am quite disappointed I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I did love David’s writing, even if I didn’t particularly like the story – in the future I’ll definitely want to read more from him.

Quotes

The truth was that I could see the good things in my life, but they were all singed with dark, burnt edges that would never fade. All the good seemed to burn away before I had a chance to keep it. Good and gone.
Fall.
I closed my eyes-
Fall there.
Opened them, and pretended the leaves were stars.
Fall.
And then it did.
A heart-shaped leaf of brilliant red, brighter than all the rest, dropped from the sky like a star through the night, and landed in the exact spot my eyes watched. It was violently red, like blood on the green grass, except for edges that were turned up, brown and curled and dying. - Page 71, 19%.

Beyond the Doors of Judgment was cold darkness, and the icy air of reality made me realize one thing: No matter what, I was a Warrior to the bone. My blood was hot with angry strength. My soul filled with courage. I would not be weak in front of the Elders. I threw Calum’s hand off mine. I couldn’t let myself be close to him, not now. The Order thought strength and courage could not be found in love. - Page 249, 66%.

I shook my head. “This person you are right now, this is who a Warrior should be. Not that girl you were before, the one that was cold as ice and afraid to show me anything. You, Kate, crying right now for someone you just lost? Someone you loved? You look like you could take on the world. Don’t you see that tears, feelings, make you stronger? Loving and losing and hating and caring: Feelings give you reason to fight. They destroy you and build you up again. They can kill you and then give you life. That’s not weakness, Kate. It’s strength.” - Page 276, 73%.

Review: The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

Title: The Stone Guardian.
Series: Stone Legacy, #1.
Author: Theresa McClinton.
Publication Date: December 14th, 2012.
Publisher: Etopia Press.
Format: Kindle eBook.
Source: Provided By Author.
My Rating:



When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.
Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse. Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

I was sent an e-Book copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book. It has such great potential and I believe that the author did a very good job.

Ashley was abandoned at an early age, and has grown up in an orphanage for mentally unstable teenagers. Ashley has awful panic attacks and dreams that are all too real. If Ashley is hurt in her dream, it happens to her in real life. The only person she can rely on is her best friend, Tara – who is her shoulder to cry on and as close to a sister as she’ll ever have. Countless doctors and psychiatrists having been telling Ashley that she’s ill and of need of help, and she’s grown to believe that they’re right. That she’s insane - except she isn’t. When Ashley and Tara are kidnapped one evening during a fire drill, she finds herself tucked away in a house in the hills of Belize and finds out that the man stalking her in her dreams is actually real.

She also learns that her captors are not captors at all, but her long lost family – her uncle and cousin. Ashley soon learns that she’s destined to be The Stone Guardian, a person whom guards an ancient and powerful Mayan stone that her diseased mother used to guard. However, the stone is not in the possession of the ‘good guys’ anymore, but was stolen seventeen years ago from her mother by her enemy, Sarian. Together with her new found family - Arwan; a totally hot time bender and Peter; a healer – Ashley sets out to claim the stone back and finally bond with it to become its primary protector.

I was hooked on this book from the very start, the premise was fantastic and I found it hard to put it down. However, even though I found this book a pleasure to read – it was not without its faults. There wasn’t a whole lot of world building and I found myself confused about what was happening some of the time. I also found that the plot moved a little too fast, jumping right from one event to another, with barely any breather in-between.

I really liked Ashley’s character and I thought she was very loyal; however she was a little wishy-washy at times, a bit of a pushover and was easily swayed by other people’s decisions. Ashley was probably one of the most emotional characters I’ve ever read – not that that’s a bad thing! She’s had a pretty awful life, living in an orphanage all her life, and having psychiatric medications pushed upon her – she finds can only trust her best friend, Tara. Even though I liked her character a lot, I did think she wept way too much – there was always a scene where she was crying hysterically. Either she was just a very emotional person or she was probably depressed – I wished this was covered in the book.

Arwan is a time-bender, someone who has special abilities like Ashley, but can manipulate time. He also has a smoking hot body, as Ashley can’t help but notice constantly. The minute Arwan see’s Ashley; he falls for her and vows to protect her – not because she’s The Stone Guardian, but because she fills a void in his heart that was created by the death of his mother some years ago. I loved Arwan’s character, he was so sweet and caring, even though he acted like a selfish idiot at times, I thought he was great all the same.

Something this novel had that I hoped it wouldn’t was insta-love. I have to say, I’m not a fan of insta-love at all. I don’t believe in love at first sight, I believe two people can meet and be attracted to each other, but love comes much later. The minute Ashley and Arwan meet, there’s a connection and they have the hots for each other – which is perfectly fine and understandable. However, a day or so later, they’re ‘in love’. I believe their relationship could have been better developed, but their romance was sweet, which made the insta-love a little bit more bearable.

Overall, I really loved reading this book – I thought it was amazing. Unfortunately I had to bump it down to 4/5 stars because of the various little problems and titbits that annoyed me. The characters were great; although some of them were a little under developed they were enjoyable to read all the same. It was an original read, with a fantastic plot – not to mention the cliff-hanger ending! I can’t wait until the next book is released and to find out what happens next.

Quotes

Of course, she didn't know why they were really there. He watched her shift her weight. Did she lie when she said he didn’t make her uncomfortable? It seemed like he did. Every time he smiled at her, her cheeks flushed or her muscles tensed. - 33%.

Ashley watched what seemed like a horror movie as Renato lifted the parasite to her face. The worm elevated the top half of its body, and then launched at her. It expanded to a thick, flat mask, sticking to Hawa’s nose and mouth. Hawa gasped and choked as the worm latched on. Ashley screamed and stumbled.
Hawa righted herself just as the parasite settled on her face. - 56%.

She snatched the box out of his hand and looked inside. Her breath hitched, and she twined the chain around her fingers, pulling out the butterfly necklace. Colored gemstones glittered inside the wings that ended in a scroll tip.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in a gentle breath. Nobody had ever given her a birthday gift before.
They just weren’t allowed. - 76%.

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones.
Series: The Mortal Instruments, #1.
Author: Cassandra Clare.
Publication Date: March 27th, 2007.
Publisher: Walker Books.
Format: Paperback, 442 pages.
Source: Bought.
My Rating:



When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Clary thinks she’s just a normal, 15 year old girl. I mean, she pretty much is; living in Brooklyn with her artist mother and hanging around with her best friend, Simon. That is until one night at an under-age club called Pandemonium, she sees a group of three teenagers killing what looks like a boy. However, no one else can see them - there’s no blood, and no sign of any disturbance at all. Clary shouldn’t have been able to see these three mysterious teenagers at all, she’s a “mundane”, a human – and doesn’t have the sight to see them. But is she really? Has her mother been lying to her about who she really is? When her mother is kidnapped one evening, Clary is attacked by a demon and is rescued by Jace, one of the three teenagers she saw at the club. Soon she learns that Jace, Isabelle and Alec are Shadowhunters, born and bred to kill demons. With the help of her new friends, Clary learns more and more about the Underworld and her past and goes on a mission to save her mother.

I feel like I must be the last person in the book blogging community that hadn't read this book before! I’m not always a huge fan of Fantasy books, I mean, I’ve never read Lord of The Rings or anything else that’s along those lines - unless you count Harry Potter in that category. I was a little reluctant to add this book to my TBR list, but I heard so many great reviews and ravings about it, I just had to at least try to get my hands on it. I received a surprise copy for Christmas from my parents and I was actually very excited. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and was instantly drawn into the story. I loved this novel, it was incredible.

I loved Clary’s character, right from the beginning. She’s such a typical teenager; fighting with her mum, and ignoring her calls - which made me smile. There was something about her that was so natural and refreshing. She starts off as this timid girl, but as the book progresses she really grows into herself, becoming more confident, and quite frankly; a bad ass. Clary is a strong protagonist and quite headstrong at times, but I still loved her. Plus, she’s a red-head, so I’ll give her extra points!

Simon’s character actually really irritated me. I mean, there’s jealously, but there’s also over the top, annoying and head banging against the wall jealously that makes you want to slap the person senseless. That’s how I felt when I read most scenes with Simon in, I mean, MAN UP, BOY! Apart from that his character was okay, Simon is Clary’s best friend, and has been for 10 years. I thought their friendship was amazing, and I knew Simon would do anything for Clary if she asked.

As for Jace - why is it that I'm always attracted to the dark, mysterious, bad boy look-a-like characters in books? I wish I could pounce on Jace, because I loved him so much. He makes me swoon and go all giggly and girly. No one ever said that was a bad thing though, right? He has this hard exterior that says, ‘get lost’, but all I want to do is wrap my arms around him and give him a cup of hot-chocolate with marshmallows and cream. Underneath that hard exterior though, is a sweet, kind and caring guy. I can’t begin to explain how much I wish he was real.

Although I gave this novel 5/5 stars; I was not happy with the ending - at all. So much so, that it nearly made me bump it down a star – but didn’t because the overall book was still incredible. Still, it was one of those rare times that I wanted to bend my rules of romance just to make myself happy in my imagination. When I reached the end of this book, I was filled with such mixed emotions and there was a little voice in my head, yelling various insults at Cassandra Clare, telling her she needed to change that ending. I was also, however, spewing a random stream of annoyance out loud. Mostly along the lines of;
“SERIOUSLY?!”
“That did not just happen! How can they do that?”
“Oh come on!”
“HOW COULD YOU?! Kill me now!”

I also found myself bashing my head against the arm of the sofa. I know I’m being a little over-dramatic but I'm filled with such love for this book, yet also with such frustration! There were so many different twists and turns throughout this novel that I found it a little hard to keep up, however that didn’t deter me. The storyline was constantly building and growing, the world building was incredible and I didn’t know what would happen next. Only once did I predict correctly what was going to happen, even though I guessed many times!

I loved Cassandra Clare’s writing style; it’s so different and unique. I really need to get my hands on the sequel to this book, pronto!

Quotes

"I know what it means," Clary snapped.
"No, you don't, you just think you do. Magic is a dark and elemental force, not just a lot of sparkly wands and crystal balls and talking goldfish."
"I never said it was a lot of talking goldfish, you-"
Jace waved his hand, cutting her off. "Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck, does it? And God help the poor bastard that decides they want to take a bath with the duckie."
"You're driveling, Clary observed. - Page 82.

He took something out of his jacket and handed it to her. It was a long thing dagger in a leather sheath. The hilt of the dagger was set with a single red stone carved in the shape of a rose.
She shook her head. "I wouldn't even know how to use that-"
He pressed it into her hand, curling her fingers around it.
"You'd learn." He dropped his voice. It's in your blood."
She drew her hand back slowly. "All right."
"I could give you a thigh sheath to put that in," Isabelle offered. "I've got tons."
"CERTAINTLY NOT," said Simon.
Clary shot him an irritated look. "Thanks, but I'm not really a thigh sheath kind of girl." She slid the dagger into the outside pocket on her backpack. - Page 200.

"Drive fast, mundane," he said. "Drive like hell was following you."
Simon drove. - Page 330.