Review | Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake #16) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Published: December 30, 2014
Publisher: Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 372
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Rating: ★★★☆☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
Russell wakes from a coma to find he's become a vampire. Now he has a thirst for revenge. Determined to hunt down the master vampire who turned him, he's used to working alone . . . until he meets Jia. She is after the same vampire for murdering her parents and insists she can help Russell on this mission. Reluctantly, he agrees, and sets up some ground rules:

Rule #1: Their partnership is strictly business. If he holds her a little too close . . . if she looks at him with those exotic eyes . . . well, that has to stop.

Rule #2: He's in charge. Jia isn't used to taking orders and questions every move he makes. So he stops her the only way he knows how.

Rule #3: Don't fall in love. But the kiss that was supposed to quiet her awakens something else in him . . . something forbidden. Because Jia is engaged. To someone else.(from GoodReads)

Review
When I read the first book to Love at Stake, I fell in love. I quickly read every book that was out (at the time, there were only 6). I greatly anticipated the next book and couldn't wait to read it. There were a few books that when I finished I just couldn't figure out why they couldn't have been as good as the previous ones, but I loved the world she had built and the characters in it...until an angel fell from Heaven.

Review | Forsaken (Daughters of the Sea #1) by Kristen Day

Author: Kristen Day
Published: January 27, 2015 (2012)
Publisher: Mark My Words Book Publicity
Format: PDF ebook ARC
Pages: 242
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Mythology, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her. Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity. Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she. But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love. She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it. (from NetGalley)

Review
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Forsaken turned out to be fantastic. Way better than I was expecting. I am surprised more people do not know about this series especially with how popular the Percy Jackson series has become. The cover caught my attention immediately and after reading the summary, I thought it would be something I would like to give a try. I love mythology especially when incorporated in a contemporary fashion. That it is a mermaid-esque story also intrigued me. I've never really read a lot of mermaid novels, and the ones I have read really didn't thrill me, however this one definitely exceeded my expectations, and I will be reading the second book.

Plot
The idea behind the story was pretty original. It is somewhat similar to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but other than these two series, I cannot think of a series or novel that takes this kind of take on ancient Greek mythology. In both series, the main characters do not know the legacy left for them, they go to a meeting place of people similar to them, and they face difficulties because of who they are and grow because of it. However, what I like about Daughters of the Sea is that it is from a girl's point of view. Just having that makes this story entirely different from Percy Jackson. Many stories like this seem male dominated. It is great to have these two stories from different perspectives.

Review | The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaign #1) by Diango Wexler

Author: Diango Wexler
Published: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Roc
Pages: 528
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, War
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
Enter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic....

Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the powder smoke settled, he was left in charge of a demoralized force clinging tenuously to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must win the hearts of her men and lead them into battle against impossible odds.

The fates of both these soldiers and all the men they lead depend on the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, who has been sent by the ailing king to restore order. His military genius seems to know no bounds, and under his command, Marcus and Winter can feel the tide turning. But their allegiance will be tested as they begin to suspect that the enigmatic Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to ignite a meteoric rise, reshape the known world, and change the lives of everyone in its path.

Review
I fell into this book pretty quickly. The story was structured fairly well, but seemed loose in some places. The pathetic map at the beginning didn't help my impression much. I really enjoyed Winter's portion of the story and would have enjoyed the story more if Marcus was given less of the book and was featured more as a secondary character rather than on the same level as Winter.

I just felt like his story wasn't as captivating as Winter's. If an author is going to write parallel stories, both stories need to be equally captivating and important. I found myself skimming more during Marcus's story to get to Winter's, and I feel like my skimming didn't really make me miss anything of the whole story, which tells me that there was a lot of fluff or at least unimportant things written in.

Review | Alienated (Alienated #1) by Melissa Landers

Author: Melissa Landers
Published: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis] Synopsis
Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Review
This book was better than I expected! I've been looking forward to it's release. I tried getting the galley, but was denied. :(

I don't usually read/watch too much media about aliens, but recently there have been quite a few books/shows grabbing my attention--My Love From Another Star (kdrama), Star Crossed (TV), this book. This year seems to be the year of aliens. Is everyone finally over vampires?

Review | The Way of Shadows (Night Angel #1) by Brent Weeks

Author: Brent Weeks
Published: October 2008
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 645
Format: Paperback
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

Review
Yes! Assassins, magic, and secret organizations. I thought all the Japanese names were kind of interesting. Kind of reminded me of a dark version of Naruto.

Durzo and Azoth were awesome characters. Durzo kind of frustrated me until I learned more about his back story. Azoth's development was kind of typical for a story. From streetrat to deadly assassin feared by all. He seemed to learn and adapt so easily that I could wait to see what he would do next.

I felt sorry for the people around Azoth though, for the most part, he gets through things unscathed, but the people around him always seem to get hurt.

The universe created for this story seemed to be well thoughtout and planned. It was very structured and easy to follow. It also made the story more interesting and exciting. I would love to read another story line placed in this universe.

Review | The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2) by Patrick Rothfuss

Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Published: March 2011
Publisher: DAW
Pages: 1088
Format: ebook
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Rating: ★★★★★

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
In "The Wise Man's Fear," Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of his family, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe. Now, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

Review
This book seemed to be on par with the level of adventure and excitement that was in the first book. If it wasn't for the fact that life got too busy for me to continually read, I would have read this just as fast as the first one instead of it taking the week that it did. The story line is finally starting to progress more and become more interesting. Kvothe finally starts to see more of the world rather than just the academy. At the same time, there are some things that are just becoming more and more annoying.

Review | The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Published: April 2008 (2007)
Publisher: DAW
Pages: 722
Format: Paperback
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Rating: ★★★★★

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

Review
I couldn't believe how good this book was! It is the best book I've read since the beginning of the year. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading the whole thing in less than 2 days.

I really liked the opening and was hoping the story was starting from there, so I was a little disappointed when the story actually did start, but it didn't take me long to get into the new storyline. The plot kind of reminds me of Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones. The bulk of the story takes place in a magic school and has some of the intricacy of Game of Thrones along with the adventure and enemies.

Review | Beastly by Alex Flinn

Author: Alex Flinn
Narrator: Chris Patton
Published: June 30, 2010
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Pages: 6 hrs 41 mins
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright--a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever--ruined--unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Review
My first thought when I finished this book was, "I'm so glad they made the movie the way they did rather than completely following the book," especially on the ending. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't as realistic as the movie was. Though realistic is kind of relative since Kendra isn't exactly human and since she used magic to change Kyle.

Early Review & Book Release | The Angel Stone (Fairwick Chronicles #3) by Juliet Dark

TO BE RELEASED TUESDAY!!
Author: Juliet Dark (pseudonym of Carol Goodman)
Published: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books (Random House)
Pages: 288
Format: ARC/ebook
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Rating: ★★★★☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust.

With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school—a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to seventeenth-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear.

Review
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

I loved this book! I was surprised by how much I liked it, especially since I'm not into fairies that much, but it mostly had to do with witches. It was also really easy to follow the story even though I hadn't read the first two books. I hadn't realized this book was part of a series when I requested the egalley. It kind of reminded me of A Discovery of Witches. There were witches and vampires; they were college professors; it had time travel; and of course, they're battling evil.

The writing style was very descriptive. Enough to draw you in but not so overpowering so as to make you bored. For the most part, the story was very seriously written--the college has been taken over, and she's recovering from lost love, but it wasn't dark or dismal.

Early Review | Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Author: Diane Setterfield
Published: November 5, 2013
Publisher:Simon & Schuster/Atria
Pages: 336
Format: ARC/ebook
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★☆☆

[Show Synopsis]
Synopsis
(from NetGalley)
Caught up in a moment of boyhood competition, William Bellman recklessly aims his slingshot at a rook resting on a branch, killing the bird instantly. It is a small but cruel act, and is soon forgotten. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to have put the whole incident behind him. It was as if he never killed the thing at all. But rooks don’t forget . . .

Years later, when a stranger mysteriously enters William’s life, his fortunes begin to turn—and the terrible and unforeseen consequences of his past indiscretion take root. In a desperate bid to save the only precious thing he has left, he enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner. Together, they found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

Review 
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

After reading The Thirteenth Tale, I had high expectations for this book, but unlike Setterfield's other novel, this was a pretty straight forward story. It had no suspense. The best novels I've read had some level of suspense. Something held back to draw the reader in. The only thing I was curious about throughout the novel was the annoying, reappearing rook. What is the significance of the rook aside from a childhood story that apparently leads to a lifetime trauma? But really, I didn't care about the rook. His perpetual reappearance, as I said, was rather annoying.

The mystery of who Mr. Black was that intrigued the town's people was carried on with the idea of having some level of suspense, but it was rather obvious who Mr. Black was to the reader. The town's people's suspense didn't carry out of the pages into the reader. I was rather bored with Mr. Black.

Review | A Rhapsody of Dreams

Author: Tami Egonu  
Published: March 3, 2013  
Publisher: Amazon  
Pages: 173
Format: ebook  
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis
(from Goodreads)
Tired of the monotony of life, Tyler hangs onto a magnificent balloon that takes him far above his London office. Seeing countless other daydreamers, Tyler is snapped back to reality and immediately abandons his stale life to begin a spiritual quest. However, his travels around a world void of magic makes it hard for him to keep believing miracles exist.

Meanwhile, at a Georgian house in Yorkshire, Tyler’s first love, Molly, has an extraordinary encounter with a heartbroken and bitter poet. But nothing is as it first appears in this story of a powerful enchantment, a field of magical sunflowers, a memory tree, and the search for love . . . even beyond death. 

Review
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This was kind of a strange book. I thoroughly enjoyed chapter one, but it just didn't click with me from there on. Most of the book was written like realistic fiction, but then there were these fantastical dream-reality...things that were abruptly put in making the story seem kind of choppy. It was also confusing that the chapters alternated between characters. It wasn't a consistent alteration, so you had to pay attention to who the chapter was about. Chapter titles would have helped, especially when the chapters weren't even about the two main characters.  

Review | A Girl's Guide to Vampires

Author: Katie MacAlister
Published: October 29, 2003
Publisher: Love Spell
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 374
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis
Joy is missing the romance in her life and enlists a friend of hers to help petition the goddess for romance to come her way. Soon after, Joy and her friend Roxy head to the Czech Republic where Joy starts experiencing visions around one of the local guys. Quiet and mysterious, whenever she's around him, she sees blood. Refusing to believe she's going crazy, their relationship progresses, but is this the relationship she had in mind when petitioning the goddess?

Review
I picked this up thinking I hadn't read it before. After about 40 pages in, I realized I had, but decided to read until the end since I couldn't remember much about it. I couldn't even remember if I had liked it. I didn't get into it this time around, but there are a lot of interesting and original elements included in this book. Don't let my 2 star review scare you off too much; give it a try and see how it goes. It just wasn't my type of book.

Review | Affliction (Anita Blake #22)

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Published: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: ebook
Pages: 576
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Rating: ★★★★☆

I was so thrilled to see this was coming out. I checked months ago but forgot the date. I checked a couple days ago and was excited to see that I didn't have long to wait. As soon as it was out, I hurried and got a copy.

The sex has been steadily decreasing in this series much to my delight. Hamilton comes up with some awesome plot lines that are diminished by how much pornographic material is added. I wonder if someone complained about it or if there was some indicator that caused her to decide to decrease its amount.

I was excited that they were going to Micah's home. You don't hear or see much of anyone's home life. You hear back stories of some people, but aside from Jason, no one returns home or sees their family much. You hear every once in a while that Anita's family doesn't approve of something she does, but it's usually a passing comment touched on and left quickly. I would like to see Anita in a setting where she had to return home too.

Twice Tempted (Night Prince #2)

Find Twice Tempted on Goodreads
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Rating: ★★★★★

Just (almost) as good as the first book! Where the first one kind of reminded me of A Discovery of Witches, this one didn't. Leila goes home and is kidnapped by some vampires trying to get at Vlad. Lots of action; lots of relationship issues.

I liked how disconnected Vlad was with human relationship expectations. One because he's lived so long, and I imagine that screws with your ideas and perceptions, and two because of the type of live had had/has that is so much different from the modern human expectations. It mad it more believable that he wasn't exactly human and that he came from another time and place.

The author also tried to show his possessiveness of Leila and wanting her to act like he perceived a woman should, but I don't think she did this that well. Back in Vlad's time, woman didn't count for much. They followed their husbands, did what they were told, and believed what their husband believed. Vlad was almost too modern in his thinking toward woman. He accepted her independence too easily and readily.

Never Let Me Go

Find Never Let Me Go on Goodreads
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★☆☆

(finished March 31st)

I found the beginning really hard to get through. If I had picked up this book on my own, I would have dropped it and never finished it. But since I want to read every book we pick for the book club, I forced my way through. In the end though, it was a pretty good and thought provoking book.

As for the "beauty in this book," I liked how everything unfolded, and you didn't find out everything until the very end. I love stories like that, but I didn't like the way it was written. It had too slow of a start. It also wasn't written in a way that made me very interested. Looking back now, I like the plot, but it wasn't very captivating to the reader.

From the beginning, the school the children attended was rather suspicious. The teachers are called guardians rather than teachers or professors, none of the children have parents but they’re not at an orphanage, and none of them will be able to have children of their own when they become adults. When I discovered that last piece of information, I thought, “Whoa, wait now. How do they know this? Did they do something to these children to make them sterile?”

Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Find Once Burned on Goodreads
Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
Rating: ★★★★★

This book was so much better than I expected it to be. At first, I was a little put off since the main vampire was Vlad "Dracula" and the main female character and her friend vampire were both carnies, but it all turned out ok. Truly.

This book in many ways reminded me of A Discovery of Witches. The main character is kind of kidnapped by the traditional vampire (Yay for traditional vampires. Modern lit is kind of getting away from that. Prime example: Twilight--ew.) The romantic relationship takes time to develop and isn't all like, "Oh my God, you're a vampire? Let me jump your bones!" They end up in the old country in a castle, and the main character has powers but not obnoxiously so. The book just seemed to get better as I continued to read, and I ended up reading it from start to finish without putting it down.

The only thing that was a little weird was when her family came into the picture. It needed to happen, and I liked that it happened, but not much happened. I feel like the father needed to protest more or something. It just all went too smoothly.

The only other thing that I questioned was her sudden disappearance from Florida. At one point in the book, Vlad offers to let her call home on a secure line so that her family doesn't report her missing. She doesn't because she isn't close to her family. Ok, but what about the other carnies? Her and Marty both just kind of disappear. Are none of the other carnies going to become suspicious?

Sunshine

Find Sunshine on Goodreads
Genres/Themes: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Thought I'd try this out since so many people seemed to have liked it. I have discovered that I am now not one of those people.

The beginning was pretty good if a bit wordy, but not even a fifth of the way through the book and the main excitement of the beginning had already finished. I was left thinking, "OK, I hope there is more exciting stuff to come." Well there was, kinda.

The author is very wordy and likes to go on a lot of tangents. I found myself speed reading some sections to get through it. The tangents were ofter fluff, boring, or could have been better placed to evolve the story line. The main character would often have something happen to her and think a ton of stuff before reacting when it's obviously a situation where she only hesitated a second or two. I know that you think faster than you talk since most of it isn't in words, but would she really be able to think almost 5 pages of stuff in less than 2 seconds? 

There were also a lot of questions that were left unanswered or vaguely answered. Where did Constantine originally come from? How old is he? (This was kind of answered, but not really.) If Con and Bo are the same age, then why are their abilities so different? (Again, kind of answered, but the answer gave another question: What are the two different "types" of vampires? Is there more than two?)

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13)

Wow. My first book this month. Life has been super busy, and I kind of went on hiatus. I'm so behind in reading. I need to read 3 books before the end of the month for my book clubs, and I went and read this one instead!

Find Dead Ever After on GoodReads
Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

I was really excited when I stumbled across this book last night. I have been a bit starved for good vampire romance novels and hadn’t realized this had been released. I seem to be caught up on all my favorite series at the moment, and it’s frustrating having to wait for the next book to be released. If you’re like me and starved for more material, check out Kerrelyn Sparks and A Discovery of Witches (Review) if you haven’t already. Two of my favorites!

This book was pretty good and definitely temporarily satisfied my vamp cravings. I feel like Sookie’s tone was different in this book than the others though, but that just could be because it’s been a while since I’ve back-read and it’s being tainted by the horrible setting of True Blood. (Sorry to anyone who likes it. Good for you, enjoy, but I don’t like it.) I couldn’t really put my finger on it, but some of the things she said and did were just slightly un-Sookie like to me. She just seemed too blasé about everything—like she’s gotten used to the situation or is a bit shocked.

The whole thing with Eric wasn’t really done very well. I was finally getting to like him, but for the most part, he was out of the picture in this book. [Show Spoiler] (Though now I understand why.) I kind of felt like Harris was tired of Eric and just wanted him out of the picture. With the way she tied everything up with him and Sookie and Sookie’s new romance and feelings, it gave the sense that she’s trying to bring the whole series to a close.

The Elite (The Selection #2)

Find The Elite on Goodreads
Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★☆☆

I finished the book and thought, so what development was there that actually happened? I think it's just because I read it so fast that it seemed that way though. The more I think, the more I realized, "Oh yeah, that happened."

One of the girls was punished, the numbers dwindled a little, and the king's pissed off. Mostly it seemed like a lot of fighting and bickering and you learn a couple dirty little secrets. The most important thing we learn is the actual history of the start of Illea and some of the goals of the raids.

The twist at the end of book one didn't play out like I'd hoped. I kept yelling, "America! So stupid!" in my head every time Aspen came around. I know her feeling are all messed up, but there's no reason to chance getting killed for a guy that you're not sure you want to be with. Not like that anyways.

The Selection (The Selection #1)

Find The Selection on Goodreads
Genres/Themes: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆

My sister has been on me for about a year now to read this. I kept putting it off thinking it was going to be some childish story, and it was a bit, but it was pretty good.

This is basically a Cinderella tale. There is a caste system where Ones are relations of the royal family and Eights are the homeless. America's family is in caste Five: Artists. Entered in a drawing, her name is one of 35 drawn to join the Selection and becomes a potential bride to the prince.

I love and hate the twist that comes at the very end. I was kind of expecting it but dreaded that it would actually happen. I can't wait to see how it plays out in book two.

There were two things that I didn't like about the book. (1) There was no world map. Some of the places you would figure out since the author used places we are familiar with or just meshed names together, but there were some that made me wonder and some that would have been nice to see where the boundaries were. (2) I didn't like the name choice for America. I don't like it when people name their kids after countries or states or certain inanimate objects. Just gets on my nerves.

The book was written decently well for a children's/young adult book--simple enough for children but not too childish for adults. I kind of laughed when America picked on the prince for using the word "shall." I don't really think it's that uncommon of a word and hear it used regularly all the time.