Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

#1 in the Paranormalcy series
Published August 31, 2010 by HarperTeen
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Review:  Paranormalcy is very cutesy and a little cheesy but overall enjoyable.  I'd really give it a 3.4, but not quite enough to earn a 4 star round up.  The characters are fun but kind of annoying at times, the plot is interesting but rather predictable, and the writing is definitely geared toward the younger end of the YA spectrum.  

Evie, the main character, was equal parts obnoxious and endearing.  I loved that her taser had rhinestones all over it, but hated that she called it "tasey".  I loved her girly sense of style, but hot pink boots and a zebra dress?  Come on.  However, I think a character that starts off rather naive has a lot of room to grow.  I loved her friendship with Lish and I wish we could have gotten to know Lish better.  I understood Evie and her motivations and my inner 16 year old girl could totally related to her.

Lend, the love interest was also great.  I thought their relationship was really well done, it developed at a believable pace and I thought their interactions were really cute.  He definitely helped bring the overall rating up.  The romance was believable and it also isn't the main focus of the book, which I found really refreshing for a YA paranormal book. 

I did have some problems with the pacing of the story.  I thought the characters were kind of going in circles and I wish the special powers and the mystery were explained better.   I finished the novel with a lot of questions unanswered, and while I suspect they might be addressed in the next book in the series it wavered between cliffhanger and unsupported plotting. 

Overall I found Paranormalcy a fun read that will appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Paranormalcy is a spunky coming of age story with a lot of heart, I would definitely recommend it for your summer reading list.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

#4 in The Mortal Instruments series
Published April 5, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Review:  First I just wanted to mention that I listened to the audio book of City of Fallen Angels and was read by Ed Westwick (also know and Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl) and Molly C. Quinn (Alexis Castle on Castle) and they are both absolutely amazing.  I highly recommend this audio book.

I actually liked this a lot more than the previous couple of Mortal Instruments books. If Clary and Jace hadn't been so terribly annoying throughout 98% of this I think It would have been my favorite of the series (Also freaking Alec gave me a migraine. Seriously, I can't tell who has more stupid angst, him or Jace. It's a tie for most obnoxious). As it stands they really knocked it down a few notches. However, I really enjoyed Simon's story. He's becoming a much more interesting character than...morewITH THAT SAID i'M GOING AGAINST THE GRAINwITH I actually liked this a lot more than the previous couple of Mortal Instruments books. If Clary and Jace hadn't been so terribly annoying throughout 98% of this I think It would have been my favorite of the series (Also freaking Alec gave me a migraine. Seriously, I can't tell who has more stupid angst, him or Jace. It's a tie for most obnoxious). As it stands they really knocked it down a few notches. However, I really enjoyed Simon's story. He's becoming a much more interesting character than the Nephilim. I'm curious to see what will come from his mark and I'm hoping he will become more vampire-y as the series goes on. He's basically the only interesting character at this point.  I also didn't hate his love triangle, though I thought he was pretty stupid about the whole thing.  I could relate to liking two people at the same time and not being able to choose one and worrying about hurting the other. I did think the story was interesting as well, at least on Simon's side.  Without giving away spoilers, I liked the cult a lot and hope they show up more.  I was a little disappointed by how the villain was delt with, it felt a little too easy/convenient.  I also thought the cliffhanger ending (and of course there's a cliffhanger) was ok, but I thought it was a little obvious (because Jace always has to have angst). So overall I enjoyed City of Fallen Angels a lot more than I expected.  Cassandra Clare does recycle plot points and characters and nothing in this book is all that original, but it was an interesting set up for a new "trilogy" in The Mortal Instruments series.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

#3 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

Review:  City of Glass my be the most frustrating book of the entire series.  There are so many cool ideas in this novel, but it's like the interesting aspects of the world building and plot were rushed or pushed to the side so we could get to the stupid angst and drama going on with Clary and Jace.  And there is a lot of drama, but sadly not much else.

My biggest complaint with City of Glass is the writing style and choices.  A lot of the plot developments (what happened to the wizard Ragnor Fell, what happened with Clary's mother, what happened with Isabel and Max, ect.) happened "off screen".  Clary wouldn't be present for the actual event, she would just be told about it later.  There is a lot of truth to the "show don't tell" style of writing and we do not get shown much.  I also have to point out the horrific overuse of similes in this novel (and in Clare's writing in general).  Now, I'm not inherently against similes, when they make sense.  But when you start comparing every single characteristic a person or building or event has to something else seems just lazy to me.  My personal favorite, "There was a crash—the sound of shattering—and a sudden spray of broken glass like a shower of jagged stars."  What does that even mean? 

I found the plot to be very predictable (in fact I was predicting the events of this book at the end of City of Bones) and the amout of drama and angst surrounding this very obvious plot made me roll my eyes and shake my head a lot.  And it's just so disappointing because there really are a lot of cool ideas in this novel that I don't really want to to mention specifically because I don't want to spoil, but they are all so clouded by Clary's inner monologue stuck on her Jace obsession that it's just painful. 

Let's talk really quickly about the ending (no spoilers, promise!)  The final battle is just a huge disappointment.  After being stuck for over five chapters waiting around for the battle to begin, it barely lasts 5 pages!  I want some bloody action!  And the resolution with Valentine was a huge let down.  The whole ending was so anti-climactic and then everything is wrapped up in one convenient little bow.  I hate endings like that, I like it when character are actually affected by the events of the novel and they don't come out perfectly squeaky clean (ie Mockingjay). 

I honestly just don't get what people see in this series.  I think The Moral Instruments is a weak collection of fantasy tropes that are done much better in other series such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

#2 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2008 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
2 Stars

Goodreads Review
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Review:  Ugh this book.  It's really bad you guys.  The characters are boring or stupid, the plot is a scattered mess, and the writing is full of really bad descriptions and terribly lame jokes.  It's just not good.  The only reason I didn't give this a 1 star is because the ending was moderately interesting and City of Ashes didn't fill me with blinding rage like my other 1 star reviews.  I think the best way to review City of Ashes is to talk about the characters, because there really isn't much plot to speak of.

Let's start with Clary and Jace.  They sends shivers of disgust down my spine.  Seriously, every time I read anything with Clary and Jace together I felt like I needed to take a shower.  With a Brillo pad. and some bleach.  I don't get squicked out by many things, but incest is one of them.  I honestly feel like this whole brother/sister thing isn't true and is just added in for some tension that will be revealed later to not be true when it's inconvenient. 

Simon.  He pissed me off so bad at the beginning of this book.  Look, just because you're a "nice guy" doesn't mean your girl "friend" has to like you back or should consent to your advances!  Like seriously, if the only reason you're being nice to a girl is because you think she'll one day wake up and realize she's been in love with you the whole time, you're not a very nice guy! 

***spoilers but I have to rant*** 

When Simon all of a sudden was a vampire I was seriously just like whaaa??  That came out of left field!  They like leave the Seelie court and Simon storms off then it literally cuts to him being almost dead and changing.  We don't get any kind of transition, it was just like Simon's a vampire now ok?

The Inquisitor is totally the Dolores Umbridge of The Mortal Instruments.  She basically exists to get in the way and to be as antagonistic as possible without any reason (ok we kind of get a reason at the end of the book, but in my opinion it's not justified.  How did this person get elected to such an important position if they're unable to be rational or objective?  SMH)

Other random thoughts:

• The faeries in this are rather weak.  Seriously, the biggest mischief you can get up to is forcing a brother and sister to kiss?  Boring!
• The snark that I enjoyed in City of Bones is completely gone.  These characters do not sound like teenagers, they just sound lame.
• Magnus has that creepy I'm-a-900-year-old-supernatural-being-who-creeps-on-18-year-old-mortals vibe going on *cough*Edward Cullen stalker*cough*  (Seriously though, I feel like Clare put Alec and Magnus together because she can't bare to have one of her characters be single.  They so do not work together, they are awkward and in my opinion it really drags down Magnus's character, who could be really awesome if Clare let him).
• Clary is such a special snowflake.  I really hate how her special rune power seems to have no limitations. 
• I had to get through 75% of this book (roughly 340 pages) for anything interesting to happen and to really see any development in the main story arc.  That is not good friends.  Not good.

So yeah.  To say I was not impressed was an understatement.  At this point I'm only reading this series so I can know what other people are talking about and because I own most of these so I might as well read them before I get rid of them.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

#1 in the Blood of Eden series
Published April 24, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
egalley for review from netgalley
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.


Review:  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is the YA Vampire book I've been looking for.  It has fantastic world building, compelling characters, and an overall story arch that is exciting and interesting.

First off, I have to say that FINALLY we have vampires that are legit vampires!  There's no wussy sparkling vampires here, they are frightening demons of the night that hunt humans like deer.  There are two kinds of vampires, one that are more or less human like even if they think that humans are blood bags, and the other are horrific "rabids", mindless mutants that attack humans and vampires alike (kind of like the movie Daybreakers, did anyone else see that?).  The vampires are cool, how they came to be makes sense, and how they function makes sense.  There's also a really cool apocalyptic aspect to this book that also makes sense so yay!  Science in my science fiction FTW!  The world building and setting is lush and definitely the high point of the book.

Another high point of The Immortal Rules is the action.  Allison is a kick-ass warrior and there is so much awesome fighting!  One of the characteristics of Kagawa's writing is that she does not shy away from violence.  She has an excellent balance where you get a clear (and yes that graphic) picture of the fight without it crossing into gratuitous.  You see this throughout her Iron Fey series and it crosses over very well into Blood of Eden.  There is some romance, but it is very minor in comparison to the main story line which is awesome.  I really hope in future books the romance (aka angst) won't take over like we see so often in other dystopian books.

Overall I really enjoyed The Immortal Rules and would recommend it to anyone who liked Kagawa's Iron Fey series or readers who like action packed dystopians.  It is thrilling addition to the YA vampire selections and should not be missed!

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

#6 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published December 7, 2010 by Razorbill
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Review:  I really enjoyed the end to the series, and I would say that this is one of the best paranormal romance YA series out there, and way better than certain other vampire series. I loved all of the twists and turns, there were a lot of things that took me totally by surprise. 

For the first time ever I can say that I really loved what happened to Lissa and the transformation she went through. I had always thought that once the girls left school Lissa became a rather unimportant character to the main storyline, but I really enjoyed what she had to go through in this book.  I don't want to give away spoilers, but I think that her ending was perfect for her character.  I will be reading Bloodlines soon, and of all of the vampire academy characters, she is the one I am most anxious to continue reading about.  I want to know what she will do and who will she become. 

Sure I was kind of sad about Adrian, but seriously, did we really ever doubt Rose and Dimitri? I know I didn't.  I did feel like this aspect of the story was rushed and that Adrian didn't get a very good resolution.  He basically just threw up his hands and stormed out.  That is the one aspect of the story that didn't give me a sense of completion.  However, I do know that Adrian is a big part of the Bloodlines series, so I know we aren't done with him yet.  

Overall the entire Vampire Academy series is just excellent.  It has a well thought out society and history that really supported the main story line.  The main characters Rose is awesome.  She is spunky and sexy and loyal to the people she loves.  She isn't perfect and makes mistakes, but in the end she will do whatever she has to in order to protect her family and friends.  I highly recommend this series to everyone who wants to read a compelling paranormal romance.  It's one of the best in the genre.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

#5 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published May 18, 2010 by Razorbill
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price?

Fall in love with Rose and Dimitri all over again in Spirit Bound, the eagerly awaited fifth novel in Richelle Mead's enthralling Vampire Academy series.

Review:   After reading this book I had to breath a huge sigh of relief.  I'm glad to see the series back on track. For anyone who is like me and hated Blood Promise, trust me when I say that was a hiccup in an otherwise excellent series. Spirit Bound is as full of awesome as the first three books. This is a difficult review to write because I don't want to spoil any of the crazy things that happen.  Let's just say that I really like what happened to Dimitri.  It's a really cool idea, even if it was presented in a rather convenient way.  I also really liked Abe and I'm very curious to see what he will do in the next book (turns out he's awesome lol). 

On the whole romance thing, I'm very anxious to see what will happen with the Rose-Dimitri-Adrian love triangle, but I have a few ideas.  I'll write this part like I haven't read the series and say that I never was team Adrian, and I don't really get the people who are on his team.  I mean, if you had the choice between a 6'7" awesome ninja fighter with respect and morals AND a super sexy Russian accent or a scrawny chain smoking alcoholic who is mentally unstable and makes thinly veiled sexual innuendos, who would you pick? 

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

#4 in the Vampire Academy Series
Published August 25, 2009 by Razorbill
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them . . . including Dimitri.

He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa the one she has sworn to protect no matter what and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Review:   I have to admit that after the awesomeness that was Shadow Kiss my expectations where VERY high for Blood Promise.  Sadly, I was disappointed.  Blood Promise was the only weak point in the entire series and it was very weak for 75% of the book.  With that said, there are still some really great parts of the book (mostly the ending, very awesome) and the introduction of some cool new characters (Sydney is super great as is Abe), but the book as a whole is far below the bar the rest of the series sets.

So, let's review the positives first.  Sydney is introduced in this book, and she becomes a pretty cool character in the rest of the series and in the spin off series Bloodlines.  However, in this book she's not that awesome, it's mostly just a way to put her in Rose's life.  I also really enjoyed the ending.  The final "battle" is exciting and really made me interested in the next book.  I don't want to give any spoilers, but trust me that the last 100ish pages are totally awesome.

However, there are 300 pages of BORING before you get to the awesome.  This book really takes a hit with the separation of Lissa and Rose.  Mead tries to have both their story lines run congruently, but neither are very interesting.  I found myself not really caring about Lissa when Rose wasn't around.  I didn't think the information revealed about spirit was that great, and most of Lissa's plot was just filler to give her something to do while Rose was away.  Also while Rose is in Siberia, we meet a lot of character that (with the exception of Sydney and Abe) serve no purpose to the main storyline and are basically just filler.  Which is very obvious.  Not to mention the way over use of flashbacks.  There was just TMI.  I don't care about the conversations that Rose had with Dimitri a couple months ago, I want to know what they're doing now.  This entire book (with the exception of the last 100ish pages) is just filler that doesn't do anything to push the main story along.

OK, even with all of that said, this is still an enjoyable read, just not as TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME OMG! as the rest of the series.  Don't let this book stop you from the final two books.  They are super excellent, especially Last Sacrifice.  Overall Blood Promise is a bit of a hiccup in an otherwise enthralling series.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

#1 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
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. 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review:  City of Bones has some really awesome things going for it, and some not so awesome things as well.  This review is going to be a little different because I'm going to make a pros and cons list.  Because I feel like it.  And I can do what I want.


Pros

• The Setting - I almost always love books set in New York City.  It's one of my most favorite places in the world, and I loved the whole paranormal underground club scene. 
• Snark and Sarcasm - I can be a pretty cynical beyotch when I want to be, so I found myself giggle-snorting at a lot of the one liners and quips that the characters toss at each other.
• HOTHOTHOTHOT - Jace may be an a-hole, but he's a sexy a-hole.
• Clary is a red head - She's a pretty good heroine.  She deals with all of the bad stuff that happens to her and doesn't take shit.  She's not afraid to stand up for herself and that is awesome.
• Shadowhunter Mythology - I really enjoyed the overall mythology and I think there's a lot of cool stuff to develop in future books. 

Cons

• Repeating the same stuff over and over - There were just too many repeated jokes, references, and phrases for me to really enjoy the writing.  I HATE it when the same adjective gets used twice on a page, and I kept noticing that happening (Brindle.  All the time.  Everyone and everything is brindle colored).  It's called a thesaurus.  Get one.
• Every character is the same - All of the characters have the same sarcastic sense of humor and after a while they all blended together into one giant ball of snark.
• Random plot tangents - There were a lot of sub-plots that didn't really support the main story arc.  I would read a hundred pages and then go "why did we just do that?"  They serve absolutely no purpose for the main story.
• GROSS - I'm not going to spoil anything, but ew.  People who've read it know what it is.  One of the plot points takes a really icky turn that I just do not like to read about.  I was not please that that's the way the story went.

Overall City of Bones has a lot of potential, but I think it was failed by its editors.  I am excited to read the next book in the series because even though I was not in love with this book there were a lot of great moments.  I'm hoping that as the series continues some of the technical kinks will be worked out so the awesome story idea can shine through.

The Morganville Vampires Vol. 1 by Rachel Caine

#1 and #2 in the Morganville Vampires Series
Published November 3, 2009 by NAL Trade
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
The first two novels in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series together for the first time in a new trade paperback edition.

Morganville is a small college town in the heart of Texas-not a place that exactly screams "hotbed of creatures of the night". But college freshman Claire Danvers is about to discover why, in Morganville, you should never, ever stay out after dark...

Glass Houses
College freshman Claire Danvers moves off campus and into an old house in the small town of Morganville. Her new roommates have her back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

The Dead Girls' Dance
Claire may have a great roommate and a new boyfriend, but when she's invited to the Dead Girls' Dance all hell breaks loose-literally. Because this time, the living and the dead are ready to tear up the night...

Review: You can tell that Rachel Cain has a foundation in adult urban fantasy.  I felt like I was reading more of a  toned down adult book than YA.  However I think this makes the series stand out from other YA vampire series.  Cain isn't afraid to show you the sexy make out scenes, rather than just tell you it happened and gloss over the actual hooking up.  I really appreciated that because what can I say?  I like a little hot kissing every now and then.     


Cain also puts her characters into very adult situations.  In the first two books we already faced drinking, bullying, drugs, attempted rape, murder, and suicide.  This is almost a bad thing because SO much bad stuff happened already I can't imagine where the series will go without becoming so dramatic it becomes ridiculous.  And there's a lot more in the series (11 books so far).  

Glass Houses 
In the first book in the series we're introduced to 16 year old college freshman Claire.  She is being horribly bullied by some BEYOTCHS and decides to move out of the dorms into an old house with three other teens Eve, Michael, and Shane.  And then the shit hits the fan because Claire finds out there are vampires running this town and the girls who have been bullying her are tight with some scary vamps.  Now Claire and her friends have to basically find a way to save their asses from being beaten or blood sucked to death.  This book was super exciting and really caught my interest because the writing was just so different from all the other YA paranormals.  I also loved that Claire was super smart and didn't abandon school just because of a little vampire problem.  Eyes on the prize girl!


Dead Girls Dance
If you thought things were tense in the first book, then be prepared to be blown away by the second.  Things really get crazy in this book when Shane's dad and his biker gang roll into Morganville to do some major vampire revenge massacre.  In this book I would almost say things were TOO cray-cray because the resolution of all of the drama seemed to quick and easy.  I do like how Claire seems to grow a pair in this book.  She's a lot more resourceful and daring (maybe a little too daring at times).  I also really liked learning more about the vampires and how they work (or don't work) as a society.  (However the title is misleading because there's hardly any dancing).  


I have to admit I was a little wary because of all the hype, but after reading the first two books I see that the series is deserving and am very anxious to read the next bind up. 

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

#3 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2008 by Razorbill
Ages 15+
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
For Rose Hathaway, everything seems out of kilter. Ever since she made her first Strigoi kills, a dark shadow has been creeping over her. Looming in the background, too, is another realization: If she follows her forbidden love for guardian Dimitri Belikov, she might lose her best friend forever. And these sleep-shaking worries couldn't have come at a worse time. The immortal unloving are prowling everywhere, famished for vengeance against her. An adrenaline-laced episode of the teen pop favorite Vampire Academy.


Review:  The third book in the Vampire Academy series, Shadow Kiss is where the story really takes off.  In this book we learn a lot more about the vampire lore and also get to read some awesome action sequences and an ending that will seriously make you lose. your. shit.


The book starts off dealing with the tragedy from the end of Frostbite.  I love the bittersweet feeling of the molnija marks and how Rose is trying to move on, but seeing the ghosts of dead students really isn't helping.  It was interesting to read about Rose starting to question the life of a guardian and how dhampirs really get the shit end of the stick in society's arrangement.  Rose goes through so much growth and evolves from a mouthy teenager in the first book to a seasoned fighter by the end of the third.  I thought the legend of the shadow kissed was really cool.  I think it's a really interesting way of explaining Rose and Lissa's special relationship and definitely opens the door for more development and exploration of their powers and their connection.


The books starts off a little slow, but WOW what an ending.  It was action packed, thrilling, and completely unexpected.  What a heart breaking turn of events!  (I don't want to give away any spoilers but HOLY GOD).  This ending was one of the very best endings I've ever read in YA, and it's what earned this book a five star rating.  This ending is a strong transition from the atmosphere of the first three books to the final three books.  It sets up the rest of the series and I cannot wait to continue!


Overall Shadow Kiss is an interesting continuation of the series that delves deeper into the vampire lore and ends with a bang that is sure to have readers crying out in indignation, anger, and despair (I know I did!).

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

#2 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2008 by Razorbill
4 Stars

Goodreads Review

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price…

Review:  Frostbite is the thrilling continuation of the Vampire Academy series.  There is even more action, mystery, and suspense in the second installment of this exciting series.  Rose our heroine is still as engaging as ever, ensuring the reader will not be missing the atmosphere so wonderfully set up in the first novel.

Frostbite shows a lot of growth for our characters, especially Rose.  This is the first time she experiences true loss and she comes to terms with the full responsibility of being a guardian and that people could die if she doesn't take her role seriously.  She also grows a lot with her relationship with Dimitri and with love in general.   There's still tons of the sexual tension we loved so much in the first book, but now their relationship has reached a new level.  There's an understanding that if you love someone you need to be willing to let them go so they have can happiness.  Rose stops being so self centered and learns how to put others before herself.


I really enjoyed the action sequences in this book.  There are some great training sessions with Rose and Dimitri and Rose and her mom Janine.  The ending is way more exciting than Vampire Academy.  I found myself staying up late into the night because I had to know how it ended!


The only negative is this book takes a while to develop and is very slow at the beginning.  There are some side stories that I don't think are very important to the book nor to the series story arc.  I also think this book felt like a transition book.  Frostbite read a bit like it was just all of the information you needed before you could get to the real story in the next book.  However, it was still very entertaining and a great continuation of the series.


Overall Frostbite is an exciting second book in the Vampire Academy series that introduces new characters, information, and dangerous situations.  Fans of the first book will not be disappointed!

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

 #2 in the Shadow World Series
Published in 2011 by Ace
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance...

Review:  Shadowflame is an exciting second installation that introduces us to the politics of the shadow world and some of the history behind this society.  It also focuses on sexuality and how it is not so cut and dry and that there are many shades of grey when discussing lust verses love.

I want to talk about all of the things I loved about this book.  First is Sylvan's writing style.  Once again she delivers a book that is full of snappy dialogue and sarcastic humor as well as some really awesome nerdy references tossed in.  She writes with true ease and skill that makes reading anything she writes a complete joy.

I also really identified with David in this book.  I have been in a very similar situation as him and I thought Sylvan captured the sense of desperation and guilt very well.  I found it totally believable and relateable.  I really liked the overall theme of having sexual attraction to both sexes and being able to be in love with more than one person at the same time.  I think that love and sexuality cannot be penned into a heterosexual and monogamous box that so many people try to stuff themselves into, and I really appreciated Sylvan tackling this rather taboo issues with realistic honesty.

I also really loved the murder mystery aspect of this book.  There was no major info dump, clues and facts were revealed at a good pace that kept me guessing without frustrating me with lack of information or overwhelming me with too much. The action sequences were very well done and I really liked reading about the technology and David and Miranda's psychic powers that were used to try and solve the mystery.

The only aspect that I didn't like was that David's sexual past seemed to come out of the blue.  I don't care what Kat says, but I never once picked up on his "swishy" nature in the first book.  I found his past relationships a bit difficult to believe because it seemed rather random to me.  I think if it has been alluded to more in the first book I would have been a lot more accepting of the events that took place in Shadowflame.

Overall Shadowflame is a great second book that begins to introduce the extensive pasts of the characters and vampire society and how it affects their present.  Traditional roles for both men and women are challenged as the characters struggle to come to terms with their pasts.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

#1 in Vampire Academy Series
Published in 2007 by Razorbill
4 Stars

Goodreads Review

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Review:  Vampire Academy is a surprisingly gripping adventure novel that introduces the mythology of the vampire society of the series while still being a solid book within itself.  Vampire Academy is equally thrilling with fast action, fighting, and scintillating forbidden romance.  


Let's start off with my only real criticism of this book.  The cover art.  I hate it.  I really hate the expression on the model's face and the colors used, the background, the spine, the font, everything.  That coupled with the cheesy title really drove me away from the series for a long time.  Vampire Academy is a prime example of how a bad cover can almost ruin a book.  The only reason I read this book at all was because every single book blogger I knew was raving about this series.  Vampire Academy is also proof that giving into peer pressure is sometimes not such a bad thing.


Ok, now that that's out of the way I can go on with the many reasons I loved this book.  First there's Rose.  She's the main character of the book and she is smart, spirited, sexy, and strong .  She is loyal  (hey look an not s adjective!) and will do anything to protect her best friend, Lissa.  I like how Rose isn't perfect.  She may be beautiful but she still makes mistakes and is selfish and does stupid things and has to deal with the consequences.  I loved reading about her psychic connection with Lissa and her budding romance with Dmitri.  I also really enjoyed all of the other supporting characters.  I thought they were well portrayed and all helped the story progress.    


I also really liked the romantic scenes in Vampire Academy.  They were very well written; the tension and build up were perfectly timed.  I found myself skipping ahead in the book to get to the next sexy make out session which is something I really don't do in books unless I really cannot wait to read what happens next.


I also really enjoyed the vampire lore.  I thought the two classes of vampires were unique and interesting.  It helped the reader like the vampire characters because there were true evil vampires out there.  They fit both the goody Twilight mold and the pure evil Buffy mold, so there's a little something for everyone no matter which type of vampire you prefer.  


Overall Vampire Academy is a good introduction to a very compelling series.  It has plenty of action, suspense, and romance that is sure to thrill readers with every page.

Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan

#1 in Shadow World Series

Published in 2010 by Ace
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Meet Miranda Grey - music and magic are in her blood.

Overwhelmed by her uncanny ability to manipulate people's emotions through her music, Miranda Grey comes to the attention of vampire lord David Solomon. Believing he can help bring her magic under control, David discovers that Miranda's powers may affect the vampire world too...

Review:  Queen of Shadows is the first fiction book from Dianne Sylvan, and is an awesome urban fantasy/paranormal romance. Queen of Shadows is a gritty story that pulls you into the secret shadow world and all of the lore of the vampire society.  (Warning, NOT for the kiddies!  There are some very intense adult situations that could make younger or more sensitive readers very uncomfortable).

Sylvan does a wonderful job combining fact with her fiction.  The setting is completely believable and mentions real places in a town you can tell the author has personal experience with and a love for (Austin, where Sylvan lives).  I also appreciated the new age aspects that were incorporated from Sylvan's previous works.  The techniques described are based in real life applications which adds to the atmosphere of the novel. 

The characters were all wonderfully developed, even the minor characters.  They were real people with stories that might not have been told, but were evident in the thought put into their words and actions.  Now let's take a moment and talk about my favorite character, David.  He is not your typical paranormal romance man.  Yes is is tall, dark, and brooding, but he has a great sense of humor and a streak of nerdiness that I LOVE.  I love the fact that he plays tetris, has an iphone, and writes kick ass computer programs. 

The very best part of this book is the voice of the author that is present on every page.  The humor of this book is spectacular.  She doesn't shy away from violence or sex.  Sylvan attacks heavy subjects with a rawness that is honest and impressive.  If there's one thing about this story that I loved, it's the snarky and honest style in which it was told.

Overall, Queen of Shadows is a great urban fantasy of action packed adventures told with great style and humor.  An awesome read!