The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever. @goodreads.com


MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1319117947              4 STARS


What a wonderful book. I think this is a great first book, I look forward to the next one!!

**SOME SPOILERS**

Aurora was adopted fifteen years ago, she never knew who her parents were. She vaguely remembered her mother. She was adopted by her fathers family and they treated her like trash. She's sixteen and all of her life they have acted like she doesn't exist and are mean to her. She finds out her uncle has sold her to a Lord Oblek! And this man walks out of a tapestry in the library at Redstone Manor where they went for a mini vacation.

Aurora gets dragged through the tapestry into a world of Kings, Queens, Fae, Pegusus, and random other creatures. She finds out she is the Heir of Illiador. Her father was the King, before his half sister, Morgana killed him for the throne. She apparently killed her mother, Elayna as well. Her mother was a Fae with great powers, her grandmother, Izadora is the Queen of the Fae and the most powerful.

Morgana hired Oblek to bring Aurora to her so she could be killed as well. But, this turns out to be a great adventure and not as easy as Morgana was hoping. Aurora is saved by Rafe (love interest) and brought to Pixie Bush with Kalen, a boy that he was originally breaking out of the cell.

She finds out she has a grand uncle, the Duke of Silverthorne, named Gabriel. He's a very nice man. She also has an aunt and cousin as well. I love these characters! There are several that I love and they bring spice to the book. She also comes in contact with a pegusus named Snow who becomes her best friend.

Duke Gabriel tells her she has powers. More than she could ever know..not giving away that spoiler! Her family gave her an amulet she has always worn that actually hides her powers. Her grand uncle decides to try to train her in magic, but then decides to send her to Evolon, a school for mages instead.

Ultimately, she finds many enemies at the school, a best friend, Vivienne and a school teacher who is on her side. But Aurora jumps the gun a little when she is bullied and gives away who and what she really is. I can't say I blame her because she is most powerful and these other kids are jerks!

There is a great Quest they all go on and I really want to see where this is going to lead. Some great things happens and some very bad things happened to make this Quest harder!

I loved how the author described the setting and this world in depth, but not too much to get boggled down! 


**I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read this ARC!**

The Insect Hotel by David Stringer

A 2013 Wishing Shelf Gold award Winner! With Amazon US and UK having a combined Twenty seven 5* reviews with comments like "Masterfully executed to include humour, reality and a pinch of magic!" and "A warm and beautifully genuine children's book".

Read the fun times and adventures Harry and his Dad share together during the day while working in their garden, then enjoy the fictional bed time stories Dad creates for Harry about all the new insect friends they have met that day.

The book also contains a lovely foreword from Nature expert and TV personality 'Bill Oddie' who shares his high regard for both book and author with quotes like "if you think you can write better, I bet you can't!".

A book you and your young one's will love and share together. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1321040700

First off the cover of this book is so beautiful!!

It's a sweet little fast read for children and their parents or adults :)

This book is about Harry and his dad making an inset hotel and his dad made up stories about the bugs they put in the hotel. It was so cute and I loved the little bugs. They all had names and their own little stories!

The author tells at the end how they made their real insect hotel and I think it's a great idea :)  

5 Stars

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.

Late one night while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter’s Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer.

As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.

Both women will have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets... and the ghosts that haunt them still. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1276845726

This book was so good! I can't believe I have had this book in my stacks for a few years now! The story is so bizarre and sad. I loved it!

When Margaret is called upon by Vida Winter, a famous author, to come and write her biography she has no idea what she is in for with this woman.

Vida tells the story of her life as a child, but she is not who she seems. The twist ending threw me right off the bus. I didn't see that one coming at all, but I should have expected something along those lines.

The way the author weaves this tale is so haunting and it reels you right into the book. I can not fathom how children can be brought up this way! The story unfolds in a beautiful, well, what should be, a beautiful mansion in the countryside of London. They call the place Angelfield.

This is about a family that goes beyond being dysfunctional. I want to see this on film!

It is an incredibly sad story, I cried. But there is a happy ending so that is what matters.

The story is a beautiful tale even though it is incredibly disturbing at times and so very sad. All of the characters and background is very rich in detail and I liked a lot of the characters.

I would like to read more books from this author if they are as good as this one!   5 Stars

Mistborn: The Final Empire Book 1 by Brandon Sanderson

Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.

He failed.

For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.

Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and even the Lord Ruler himself. A new kind of uprising is being planned, one built around the ultimate caper, one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine, a street urchin who must learn to master Allomancy, the power of a Mistborn @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1301603349

I'm sitting here in shock after reading this book. I have to admit that I cried, I didn't see that ending coming. Brandon Sanderson has done it again. This is only my second book I have read of his and they both have blown me away.

I loved all of the "good" characters in the book. Each one of them have an endearing quality. My favorites being Kell, Vin and Sazed. It took me a little bit to understand the Allomancy, but it finally started to make sense and there is a little chart in the back of the book that helps out with that :)

Kelsier (Kell) is a Mistborn and getting an army together to try to take down the Lord Ruler who is the ultimate jerk!! He finds Vin and brings her into his fold. She has no idea she is a Mistborn and she ends up being so much more than that! I love that he took her under his wing and taught her so many things. She caught on very quickly but this is because of what all she really is...no spoiler!

Kell has such a wonderful team. I love them all. There are several that have powers themselves. I really think this story is great at having all of these characters with different things they can do. They all stand out very clearly and the friendship between this team is the best.

The book is full of evil beings, strange beings, war, senseless torture and killings, and the good people trying to make a difference.

I'm still at a loss for a lot of words because of what happens and the feelings that are put into the book. All I can say is I look forward to reading many more Sanderson books!!!

Fin 

5 Stars

The Camelot Shadow by Sean Gibson

“A chance to save her. Improbably, impossibly, inconceivably.”

Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam spends each day in much the same way: caring for his terminally ill wife and trying to lose himself in the dusty tomes that fill his library. Everything changes when he receives a visit from a man representing a clandestine organization operating with the backing of Queen Victoria herself. The group seeks his aid in finding an Arthurian artifact that, legend holds, can cure its bearer of any wound or disease.

Skeptical but desperate to help his wife, Alfred is convinced that the fabled item might actually exist after witnessing a seemingly impossible display of power by the organization's leader, James Nigel. He decides to pursue the treasure, accompanied by an eccentric scholar, a deadly druid, and his best friend, a sardonic bookseller who is far more than he seems. As he follows an arcane trail of clues from the gas-lit streets of London to the wilds of Scotland and deep into ancient catacombs in Italy, Alfred becomes enmeshed in a web of hidden agendas, secret societies, and ancient enchantments. Along the way, he learns a dark secret about Nigel’s past—and the true power of the artifact he seeks.

Steeped in a compelling mythology and filled with unexpected twists, The Camelot Shadow will leave readers stunned, breathless, and wrestling with an impossible question: what do you do with an object that has the power to both save the world and destroy it? @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1291029717               4 STARS

I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.

OMG! This book was so sad. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have started off with that :) The sad things are the people that die and the fact that Alfred is looking to cure his wife Ellen. Poor man almost drinks himself to death.

An evil man named Nigel and somewhat normal people come to Alfred saying his wife can be cured if he helps them find Excalibur. Yep, that's what I said. They say it has the healing abilities to cure his wife, so even though Alfred is skeptical, he is on this crusade like a dog with a bone!

Some of my favorite characters were Trusty John, Will and Stephen.

I loved the atmosphere of the book, all of the background the author put into the book. I felt like I was in Alfred's library at times or outside looking in from the beautiful grounds that I imagined.

There were even some undead in the book :) I thought that was a really good edition to the story. Ok, I have to add a **SPOILER** Especially when Trusty John kills one of the bad guys and remarks he guesses he will have to kill him again when he gets brought back as a zombie and has to fight him all over again. :)

The Epilogue is both comical and sad at the same time. I hope Alfred gets better.

The story is very rich in history of Camelot or more so Arthur, Merlin and the gang. I enjoyed it and I look forward to any more books from this author!
 

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton

Lizzy and Diesel return once again in an all-new adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Janet Evanovich and her co-author, Phoef Sutton!

Murdered and mummified more than ninety years ago, bootlegger Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle once found and re-hid a famous pirate’s treasure somewhere along the coast of New England. A vast collection of gold and silver coins and precious gems, the bounty also contains the Stone of Avarice — the very item reluctant treasure seeker, Lizzy Tucker, and her partner, Diesel, have been enlisted to find. While Lizzy would just like to live a quiet, semi-normal life, Diesel is all about the hunt. And this hunt is going to require a genuine treasure map and a ship worthy of sailing the seven seas . . . or at least getting them from Salem Harbor to Maine.

Greed is eternal and insatiable, and Lizzy and Diesel aren’t the only ones searching for the lost pirate’s chest. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to finding it, and are willing to commit murder or make a deal with the devil, just to hold the fortune in their hands. One of those people may even be Wulf, Diesel’s deceptively charming and enigmatic cousin. Wulf desires the Stone of Avarice. He also desires Lizzy. It’s hard to say how far he’s willing to go to gain either one.

It’s a swashbuckling adventure full of raiders, monkeys, minions, and mayhem. Lizzy and Diesel are going to have to do everything they can to keep their heads above water and hope they are living a charmed life. @goodreads 

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1297697859

***MILD SPOILERS***

I wasn't as impressed with this book as I was the first two in the series. I did like it as I like the characters and the crazy stuff they get do. It just wasn't as fun for me this time around.

Diesel and Lizzy are looking for the Stone of Avarice which is the third deadly sin stone. This involves finding a pirates treasure which contains pieces of coins that give clues, the stone itself and of course, treasure. Some of the coin pieces are spread out in other places as well.

They have to fight other people in the book, including Diesel's cousin Wulf, to find the stone as all of these people want it too.

I think my favorite character in the book is still Carl the monkey, he seems to understand what your saying and flips you the bird on a regular basis :)

The funniest part in the book to me was when Glo, Lizzy's friend and witch, puts a spell on the bad guy Ammon. But... Glo's spells seem to always backfire and she ends up combining two spells which makes Ammon think he is a dog. When he falls off the couch trying to lick his dog balls is hilarious.

I still liked the book and will continue to read this particular series. I love Stephanie Plum much better though :)    3 Stars

I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy

First time in trade paperback: the memoir by the late Leonard Nimoy, best remembered for his portrayal as everyone's favorite Vulcan, Spock, in Star Trek, the TV series and films.

Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of the ever-logical Vulcan, Mr. Spock, is one of the most recognizable, loved, and pervasive characterizations in popular culture. He had been closer to the phenomenon of Star Trek than anyone, having played the pivotal role of Spock in the original series, in six motion pictures, and in a special two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I AM SPOCK gives us Nimoy's unique perspective on the beginnings of the Star Trek phenomenon, on his relationship with his costars, and particularly on the reaction of the pointed-eared alien that Nimoy knew best.

Here, Nimoy shared the true story behind his perceived reticence to re-create the role and wrote frankly about how his portrayal defined an icon. @amazon

MY REVIEW:

 5 STARS 

May 3, 2016: I am going to update a little on this review since I just read Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man and I feel I need to come back to this book a little.


This book was re-issued not long after Leonard's passing. Or at least I think it was because suddenly it was available to buy again and I grabbed up my copy. This book is so wonderful, it tells so many things I never knew about Leonard. I know that I loved him so much and I cried my eyes out for a few days after his passing. You do that when you grow up with someone you love and admire. Spock wasn't just a tv/movie character to me, he always brought some kind of wisdom and I loved that.





I remember me and dad sitting up and watching Star Trek and how much fun we had. I remember getting Spock and Kirk action figures as a child and still have them packed away somewhere in the chaos of my life.

Life is never the same when we lose family members (including our animals) or people that we admired on tv. Spock will always be one of my heroes. *SOB*





ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW

It made me very sad to read this book because of the passing of one of my heroes growing up, but it was a great and wonderful book. Reading about the man who made Spock was very wonderful and just so sad :(

I love reading memoirs about my favorite actors and actresses. Finding out all of these little tidbits that you never knew about them.


The ongoing dialog between Spock and Leonard throughout the book is classic. He would have these conversations between him and Spock. They were quite comical and I enjoyed them immensely.

Leonard Nimoy was a man of many talents. He not only starred in a lot of films and plays, he was a great director.

I think anyone that loves the Star Trek franchise, especially Spock, will love this book. I highly recommend!

Lived Long and Prospered!!!!!

RIP ~ Leonard Nimoy 

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1213278466

AMAZON LINK TO THE BOOK:

http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Spock-Leonard-Nimoy/dp/0316388378?ie=UTF8&keywords=i%20am%20spock&qid=1462280140&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1

Sojourn by R.A. Salvatore

Far above the merciless Underdark, Drizzt Do-Urden fights to survive the elements of Toril's harsh surface. The drow begins a sojourn through a worl entirely unlike his own--even as he evades the dark elves of his past. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1303354186

Only the third book in and I'm still loving Drizzt Do'Urden!

In this book Drizzt is trying to live in the real world now and no longer in the Underdark. He is trying to learn how to live in the sunlight without going blind so to speak and traverse this strange new world. He still has his wonderful black panther friend, Guenhwyvar. Together they have to find a place they can call home while fighting off giants, orcs, bad humans, etc.

Drizzt finds some good people along the way that he becomes friends with and stays with for some time. I really loved Montolio. He was an old blind ranger living in the mountains, he trains Drizzt in the human language and about things in the world. He was such a great friend and a friend to animals, which I loved of course :)

I could not stand Roddy who pursued Drizzt to the end of the book! He was a jerk complaining about something that Drizzt did to him, well you attack someone they fight back! Get a clue!

I liked how the book ended with Drizzt finding a home with some new friends, including Catti-brie who was fearless in taking up for him, and she was just a little girl. Through the eyes of babes right?

I recommend to anyone that likes this kind of fantasy novel.  5 Stars

Order of Seven by Beth Teliho

Eighteen-year-old Devi Bennett is surrounded by mysteries: her unknown heritage, a recurring dream about an African tribal ceremony, an inexplicable attachment to a certain tree and a psychic ability she’ll never understand—unless she finds her biological parents.

Things take a shocking turn when she meets Baron, an intense and alluring energy healer who receives prophetic dreams which all seem connected to her. Devi must rely on an empath, a seer, and Baron to help research her roots to discover who she is and what she is capable of. But when Baron’s visions lead to an ancient legend which may link to her birthright, Devi learns her gift is more imperative than she thought imaginable.

Equal parts suspenseful and sexy, philosophical and adventurous, ORDER OF SEVEN delivers a story that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the hands that carry fate. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1260500237

I won this in a first reads good reads giveaway and I would like to thank the author for a signed copy and beautiful bookmark.

I loved this story. It was not what I was expecting, but they rarely are it seems. The characters in the book are all very likable with their own strong story line.

Devi and her twin brother Nodin have special gifts. They were adopted from Africa and when they come together with some other friends, they realize they need to find out where they come from and why they were given up for adoption. What is the story of their past? It's an astonishing revelation.

This is a beautifully written, mystical story of saving the world and keeping each other alive. They undertake a quest to find out the clues given to them in dreams. These clues lead them to an amazing discovery, more people like them in different places in the states and other parts of the world.

I would recommend to anyone that like young adult books that are just a little different. I do wish there was more time with Devi and Baron. I wanted to see them finally be able to get together, but there is to be a sequel the way the author left it, so we shall see. I certainly hope so because I would love to read another one :)

Fin
 
4 Stars

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1313183094

I freaking loved this book! I am going to buy this for sure! I haven't read a vampire book such as this one yet. It was unique and the storyline was terrific!

Tana wakes up in a house with dead teenagers all around her. She had went to a part with her ex-boyfriend Aidan. He had been bitten and strapped to a bed, he was also in a room with a very old/young vampire named Gavriel. So you can imagine that Tana was just a wee bit freaked out.

She has to break them all out and go on a road trip to Coldtown where vampires are kept in a kind of commune. Humans can go there as well to live with them. If your infected and not turned yet then you go there too.

They pick up a brother and sister along the way. They were doing an online story about vampires and wanted to go to Coldtown to be changed into vamps. They were going to record all of this for everyone to see as well. They called themselves Winter and Midnight. I liked the fake names :)

They make it there and not everything or everyone is who they say they are and things turn into a cluster. But it is sooooooo good! I absolutely loved it.

I would recommend to anyone that loves vampire stories and wants to read something a little different.

I also developed a crush on Gavriel! :) I wish the author would write a sequel to this book. As far as I know there isn't one, but I can always hope right?

Fin  5 Stars!

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.

After her parents and sister are abducted by the Enforcers, seventeen-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison for her parents' crimes of treason.

Against all odds, Adele must escape from the Pen and find her family, while being hunted by a deranged, killing machine named Rivet, who works for the President. She is helped by two other inmates, Tawni and Cole, each of whom have dark secrets that are better left undiscovered. Other than her friends, the only thing she has going for her is a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.

At the other end of the social spectrum is Tristan, the son of the President and a sun dweller. His mother is gone. He hates his father. Backed by only his servant and best friend, Roc, he leaves his lavish lifestyle in the Sun Realm, seeking to make something good out of his troubled life.

When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Tristan is thrust into the middle of a conflict that seems to mysteriously follow Adele as she seeks to find her family and uncover her parents true past.

In their world, someone must die. @goodreads


MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1298158009

I am so glad I finally got to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to the rest of the books in the saga.

I loved this story starts off in the Moon Dwellers Realm. These are people that live underground. We get to read about Adele, Cole and Tawni. They are in the Pen, prison for different crimes.

Adele's parents were taken away along with her sister and she ends up in prison. Her father did well in teaching her and her little sister how to fight. Adele is trying to think of a way she can find her parents again. It seems hopeless in the Pen.

One day while they are all outside, in a sense, a boy named Tristan is visiting the Moon Dwellers. He is the son of the President and he lives in the Sun Dwellers Realm. They are rich and take everything from the poor. When Tristan and Adele see each other they both have blinding headaches. Neither one of them can figure out what happened. And we don't figure out what happens in this book either so don't worry about a spoiler :)

I am however going to give away some ***MILD SPOILERS***!

Adele, Cole, and Tawni decide to break out of the Pen. They have a good plan in place on how to break out of their cells. But on this night one of the other Realms decides to start bombing the Moon Dwellers, this is sort of an advantage to them to keep the guards occupied. But they have to make sure not to get killed in the escape from the bombs. They set out to find Adele's sister first, Elsey.

In the meantime, Tristan and his friend Roc sneak down to the Moon Dweller Realm so Tristan can find Adele and try to figure out what is going on with them. He is a good guy, he doesn't believe in the things his father does and he wants to make things better for all of the Realms as equals.

Ultimately, they are all on the run from people trying to them and drag them back. The story has some good action, a very good description of the atmosphere in the different Realms, a death that I hated to happen, and some good reunions.

The author set up a good world and I like the premise. I recommend to anyone that likes these kinds of books.  4 Stars

You by Caroline Kepnes

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1281023043

OMG! This book! Why did I wait so long to read it! It was just sitting there in my stacks for me to pick up!!! And there is to be another one!

Lets start! Joe....... he is a wackadoo! You do not want this guy as a stalker! You do not want to get in the way of this guy if you are a threat to the person he is stalking!

He is in love/lust/stalker mode with Beck and she is a weirdo to start. She has a lot of issues with men, sex, her father. Not sex with her father, just her father not loving her. And Joe stalks the crap out of her until he gets her finally to love him.

But.... she finds out all of these creepy things he has been doing. I'm not giving out any spoilers because whoever is reading my review needs to read this book! Now I am all creeped out thinking more about stalkers and what they can actually find out from you so easily.

Joe knows how to work his way into your life. If he gets something of yours then you are toast. He is in!! He is in all of your stuff! He takes hacking and stalking to a whole new level.

I loved this book and hated it too. I can't even explain it. The book is so well written and just freaky that I am at a loss for words. I mean Joe just gets away with so much stuff and it's all legit. Just read it people, seriously. You may not love it because we are not all the same, but it will trip you out. And you will want to smack a few people, but whatever, just read it :)

I can't wait to read the next one!!!!  5 Stars

***VERY EXPLICIT BOOK! JUST SO YOU KNOW BEFORE LETTING ANY YOUNGSTERS READ IT! IT'S VERY PORNOGRAPHIC****

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1312201392

I can't believe I waited this long to read this book! I didn't think I would like it but I was so wrong. I loved it! The characters of June, Day and Tess were awesome!

I'm going to try to write this without any spoilers! So, there are the rich people and the poor people and there is a plague going around, but it seems to only be in the poor parts of town. Go figure right?

Day is a sort of Robin Hood, steal from the rich and give to the poor. He's awesome and I love him! He took Tess on as a sort of sister when he found her some time ago all alone on the streets. He's a really good guy.

When he finds out his families house is marked for the plague he feels he has to break into the hospital and steal the cure. They only let the rich people in, the jerks. He is almost caught and in his escape he injures a soldier named Metia in the shoulder. This turns out to be the brother of June, who is automatically brought in as a soldier of sorts to hunt down and bring Day to justice.

They end up meeting in a weird way and when she finds out he is Day, she has him caught.

So, all of these things happen that are not what they seem forcing Day and June to come together as a team. This does not bother them at all as they have fallen for each other.

It is a very good storyline with some messed up people doing some messed up things, but isn't that always the cause with people in government :)

I look forward to the rest of the trilogy!   4 Stars

Bone by Jeff Smith

An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300 page epic from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback.

Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pre-technological valley, spending a year there making new friends and out-running dangerous enemies. Their many adventures include crossing the local people in The Great Cow Race, and meeting a giant mountain lion called RockJaw: Master of the Eastern Border. They learn about sacrifice and hardship in The Ghost Circles and finally discover their own true natures in the climatic journey to The Crown of Horns. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1309890525

I have been wanting to read these books for years, but never bought them. I saw this tome of all 9 books on Amazon and have been waiting to buy it, when lo and behold, the library has it! I am so glad I got to read this graphic novel, finally!

I love the Bone cousins, Fone Bone being my favorite :) The cousins get kicked out of their home town, Boneville, because Phoney Bone cheated the town. He's not that nice of a Bone, but he does alright in the end. At any rate, they get lost in the woods and are trying to find a way to sneak back into town. This leads to an epic adventure of rat creatures, creepy people in robes, cow races, dragons, princesses and queens. There is a cast of gullible towns people at the bar that good ole Phoney Bone tries to swindle left and right. He does pretty good at it too.

Fone Bone falls in love with Thorn, who lives on a farm with her cow racing grandma. Smiley Bone is the funny one of the cousins and he is always coming up with something funny to say or do. They all have a cast of forest critters that talk to them and become good friends with, even a bug named Ted :)

I love all of the characters in the book. I love Lucius who owns the tavern, grandma is a hoot, the few townsfolk are a great crew as well. I love all of the critters they talk to and the little rat creature baby they take on. Smiley names him Bartleby.

They finally fulfill their quest and attempt to make their way home once again. The end was sad and a little bitter sweet. I loved it though and the journey with the Bones' was a great one!  

4 Stars

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1307193216

WOW! I really didn't think I would like this book. I put off reading it for so long because I'm not usually into witch books, but I "LOVE" this book! This book is a good sized book at 579 pages. I was not bored at one time reading this book. There are just so many things the author has for you to learn that you really don't have time to think "get on with it."

Diana and Matthew, the witch and the vampire. This love story between them was written so beautifully. It's not just some sap story, it actually has a lot of substance. Diana is a scholar and really has a smart brain. I don't know one iota of what she was writing about or talking about. I would flunk her class for sure! And Matthew is smart too, being a doctor, but he works in a lab coming up with more things that would make my brain turn into mush.

There is so much information in this book on all of the things going on that I was amazed that I didn't get bogged down with it. The characters are wonderful. Well, not the bad ones. They never are! But there are so many people in the book that I just love! Marcus, Matthew's son. Ysabeau, Matthew's mom and Marthe, Matthew's house keeper of sorts. I love the magnificent castle they live in. I love the horses :) All of that atmosphere.

On Diana's side I love her aunt Sarah and Em a close friend of the family. I love all of the ghosts in their house and the house itself that is alive! There are some other characters that put in some appearances that I loved as well.

Diana and Matthew have to go on a wild ride of trying to find out more about Diana's past. And at the same time not be taken out by the Congregation that want to know Diana's power and have a law that species can't mix. This puts a lot of their family in danger, but they all rally and a war is about to begin.

Once again I loved this book and I look forward to the next book! I am so glad I decided to read this book!  4 Stars

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

When Helen Macdonald's father died suddenly on a London street, she was devastated. An experienced falconer, Helen had never before been tempted to train one of the most vicious predators, the goshawk, but in her grief, she saw that the goshawk's fierce and feral temperament mirrored her own. Resolving to purchase and raise the deadly creature as a means to cope with her loss, she adopted Mabel, and turned to the guidance of The Once and Future King author T.H. White's chronicle The Goshawk to begin her challenging endeavor. Projecting herself "in the hawk's wild mind to tame her" tested the limits of Macdonald's humanity and changed her life.

Heart-wrenching and humorous, this book is an unflinching account of bereavement and a unique look at the magnetism of an extraordinary beast, with a parallel examination of a legendary writer's eccentric falconry. Obsession, madness, memory, myth, and history combine to achieve a distinctive blend of nature writing and memoir from an outstanding literary innovator. @ goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1306853318

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Mabel the goshawk. This is a memoir about going through the grief of losing your father along with doing something you have loved all of your life, being a falconer.

Helen brings us into her world of giving up everything to learn with Mabel and train her. She shares her grief, the ability to turn down a job because she has to stay and fly her goshawk, stressing over running out of money, losing everything... all but the joy of being with Mabel.

I thought the way she wrote was almost poetic at times. She spends a lot of time talking about T.H. White's book about his goshawk. She read his work as a child but did not understand it. As an adult she could relate to what he was saying more so than in childhood.

This is a beautiful and sad story of a girl that grew up to do what she wanted to do as a child. I am happy for anyone that can do that and I'm sorry about the pain of losing her father. Losing anyone in your family like that is devastating.

I would recommend this to anyone that loves animals and memoirs.  4 Stars

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik, author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale.

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
@goodreads 

MY REVIEW:


 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1214925125

I loved most of the main characters in this book. Agnieszka is the sweet girl that is taken from her home to live 10 years with the wizard Dragon, although I like his name Sarkan better. It seems from the very start that these two have a rocky beginning. She is clumsy, he is hateful. As a matter of fact, I didn't like him throughout the first part of the book. His prissy attitude is hilarious and the mishaps him and Agnieszka get into are classic. But he does grow on you after a bit.

Sarkan is teaching Agnieszka to be a witch and she does remarkably well to Sarkan's astonishment. And at times he gets cranky about this :)

**SOME MILD SPOILERS**

Then her best friend Kasia is taken by walkers into the WOOD. The woods are corrupt and anything that goes into the woods, or is taken into the woods become corrupt as well. Agnieszka refuses to believe she can't save Kasia and sets out to do this very thing, much to the chagrin of Sarkan. Agnieszka does manage to free her from one of the heart trees and bring her back to the tower with Sarkan. They manage to combine their magic and perform a Summoning spell and save Kasia although she's not quite the same.

The story goes on to tell of more corruption from the Wood and what they must do to make it all better. Agnieszka is very good at this and keeping up with taking care of the Wood and the heart trees with the help of the walkers. I think Agnieszka is a wonderful character and the things she does to help the trees and the people are bitter sweet.

I loved the character of Alosha. She's a tough warrior with magic of her own. She's only in the last part of the book though and I'm hoping there might be another book to go with this one, but if not it's great as it is, I just want the story to continue for myself :)

There are some people in the book I don't care for but what would a book be without that!

I love the atmosphere and the descriptions of the places in the book. I could see it all in my minds eye. And the ending is so good! I really enjoyed my journey with this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes these types of fantasy books. My review is short and to the point, I don't like to drag on and on. I hope you enjoyed it and it gave you a little bit of an idea what you will find in this wonderful book.

Fin!  4 Stars!

Rememberers by C. Edward Baldwin

For 19-year-old Kallie Hunt, everyday moments began feeling all too familiar. She had a sense that she'd lived them before. But that was crazy, right? Deja vu. That was kid's stuff, right? Been there, done that, impossible. You got one shot at this life thing. One shot. You lived. You died. End of story.

But if that was true, then why would the government be interested in her? Why would priests literally be stalking her? How could a small town girl possibly have anything to do with saving humanity from terrorists and demons? And pray-tell, what does any of it have to do with her first love?

For Kallie Hunt, there would be no simple answers. Besides, nothing in life is ever really simple. Not good. Not evil. Not even love...

Rememberers, taking urban fantasy to a whole new level. @ goodreads

MY REVIEW:


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1299304318

I won this book through a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.

It took me some time to sort my feelings about this book. I almost gave it a two star rating but there are some good concepts of the book and I really hate giving low ratings unless I just really hate a book.

This book is labeled as an urban fantasy, which I do not believe it should be in this genre of books. I think this is one of the reasons the book kept throwing me off. It's seem more of like a theological thriller.

Kallie has what she these deja vu moments through out her day. Now I can't go into that too much without giving out some major spoilers and I'm just not going to do that. Kallie falls in love with Seth and the have a really different ending together than I would have thought in a million years.

So without giving out any clues as to who is what in the book I'm going to give a wide variety of what you will find in this book. You have Catholic priests, demon possession, reincarnation, terrorist plots, and psychics. I know I'm leaving some stuff out, but that is all I can manage at this point. I did like a few of the characters as well.

I want to try to read this book again at a later date with a different view coming into the read.

I would like to thank the author for a copy of this book.  3 Stars

Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu

Silly is used to feeling left out. Her three older sisters think she’s too little for most things—especially when it comes to dealing with their mother’s unpredictable moods and outbursts. But for Silly, that’s normal. She hardly remembers a time when Mom wasn’t drinking.

This summer, Silly is more alone than ever, and it feels like everyone around her is keeping secrets. Mom is sick all the time, Dad acts like everything’s fine when clearly it isn’t, and Silly’s sisters keep whispering and sneaking away to their rooms together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot, and giggling about jokes that Silly doesn’t understand.

When Silly is brought into her sisters’ world, the truth is more exciting than she ever imagined. The sisters have discovered a magical place that gives them what they truly need: an escape from the complications of their home life. But there are dark truths there, too. Silly hopes the magic will be the secret to saving their family, but she’s soon forced to wonder if it just might tear them apart. @goodreads 

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1291985056

I won this book in a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.

This story is very sad, but it is a truth in the world today.

Priscilla (Silly), Marla & the twins Eleanor and Astrid are all sisters. Silly is the youngest and left out of things with her sisters. They think she is too young until this year they finally let her in on their magical world.

The story is of a beautiful place four sisters have to dream up for them to find their own peace. They live day to day walking on eggshells around their alcoholic mother. Their dad tries, but he doesn't seem to know how to help the situation. The mom has been sent to rehab many times, but it's still ongoing and no one is helping the kids cope so they find a way to cope for themselves.

It's a beautifully, sad story and I really loved it. The author wrote this in a very delicate way and I think incorporating the dream world for the sister is amazing.

I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the book telling a little about the story and her own issues.

I would like to thank the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful book.  4 Stars

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story. @ goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1243197977

I freaking loved this book! It was outrageous and over-the-top and I loved it!!

First off, I love the cover of the book! I actually did judge a book by it's cover because I never really read totally what it was about, which didn't seem to make any difference because it kept me laughing and that's what I want in a book at times.

Just the commentary alone of Dot, Kato and Rexi are enough to keep you in stitches, but throw in hydra's, monkey's, evil witches, wacked-out princes, and so many beings it makes for a great comedy in a magical land.

There is not so much going on that it makes the book overwhelming like many can, it makes it just right! And I love the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter from a book in the land of Fairy-tale :)

They author also left it open for another book and I so hope this is the case!

I would recommend this to anyone that loves this type of fantasy book and just wants a nice little laugh. There is plenty of smart@ssness to go around in the book!   4 Stars!

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1281027252

Read from May 28 to June 07, 2015

I liked this book, the atmosphere, the characters, the settings and the descriptions.

Lia is a strong character who decides she wants to live life her way and runs away with Pauline on her wedding day. Lia's family wanted to set her up in an arranged marriage to keep the peace, but it seemed to me they were already in a war regardless so I'm not sure how it would have played out. Lia had written a letter to the Prince for a meeting before their wedding, I think if this would have happened she would not have been so hateful about the idea, and of course, we wouldn't have had a book!

Lia and Pauline had a wonderful time working at an Inn/pub owned by Berdi. She didn't mind keeping the Princess hidden away as long as she worked etc. I loved the ambiance of the Inn/Pub and town.

There are assassins sent out after her and the Prince himself comes to find her. I was thinking the whole time, well you want until she runs away to come to see her. Men! :)

So you have Rafe and Kaden, I wonder which one is the Prince. :) There are other characters in the book that play good characters and bad characters. I thought they were all well played out. One of Lia's brothers puts in a couple of appearances as well.

Overall I liked the book and will continue on with the series.  3 Stars

No-Where But Here by Katie McGarry

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1249842403

Read from May 27 to June 05, 2015

I thought this was a wonderful book. I'm looking forward to more in the series.

Emily is caught up in having to go spend some time with her biological father Eli, who is in a motorcycle gang. She thinks her father abandoned her and her mother when she was little but that is not the case. I was very surprised when I found out the truth of what happened!

Oz is a boy around her age and they fall in love over time as he is forced to watch over her because of some issues with a rival gang.

This story is about loyalty, love, hate, death and family. I very much enjoyed the characters in this book. I really want to know more about what is going to happen now that all of the things are out in the open. I want to know what is going to happen to Oz and Emily when she goes back to her real home.

All in all this is a great book and I recommend to anyone that likes this type of genre and motor cycle gangs. 4 Stars

Clown Fellas by Carlton Mellick, III

In a topsy-turvy world where clowns are killers and crooks, Little Bigtop is a three-ring circus of crime, and no syndicate is more dangerous than the Bozo family. From the wildly original mind of Carlton Mellick III comes the short-story collection ClownFellas—an epic mob saga where life is cheap and the gags will slay you.

For years, the hard-boiled capos of the Bozo family have run all of the funny business in Little Bigtop, from the clown brothels to the illegal comedy trade. But hard times have befallen the Bozos now that Le Mystère, the French clown Mafia, has started moving in and trying to take over the city. If that weren’t enough, they’ve got to deal with the cops, the Feds, the snitches, the carnies, the mysterious hit man Mr. Pogo, and the mutant clowns over in the Sideshow district. With the odds stacked against them, the Bozos must fight to survive . . . or die laughing.

Advance praise for ClownFellas
“Mario Puzo meets Barnum & Bailey . . . You just can’t look away as the ridiculousness escalates.”—Publishers Weekly
“The most original novelist working today? The most outrageous? The most unpredictable? These aren’t easy superlatives to make; however, Carlton Mellick may well be all of those things, behind a canon of books that all irreverently depart from the form and concepts of traditional novels, and adventure the reader into a howling, dark fantasyland of the most bizarre, over-the-top, and mind-warping inventiveness. In my opinion, ClownFellas is his best work to date.”—Edward Lee, author of City Infernal and Header
“I rarely enjoy clowns—which is ironic since I’ve been one for over four decades—but ClownFellas is great on so many levels, irony being one of them. What can I say besides I love it! Great read, and funny as hell . . . I have been accused of being unfunny before, and after the trial I had to enter the Witless Protection Program. This is funny!”—Barry Lubin, aka Grandma, longtime Big Apple Circus clown @ goodreads


MY REVIEW:



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1296342934

Read from June 01 to 03, 2015

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book! It is one crazy ride with a mafia clown family. There are several stories about the different clowns in the Bozo Family or the clowns that work for them.

My favorite clowns are Vinnie Blue Nose, Hats Rizzo, Pinky Smiles, and Captain Spotty. Don Bozo is the boss of the family and he has one messed up, crazy clown son named Jimmy. He is in all sorts of trouble in this book. But it's great regardless.

They all live in Little BigTop. It's not just a carnival, they have houses, stores, run businesses, it's a whole other world that involves clowns. It's not just a clown book, it has real people in it as well.

The rival clown group is called, Le Mystere, they are a French clown gang. It's all so crazy but awesome at the same time!

Humans have the opportunity to try to become clowns by taking Happy Juice, but sometimes it don't work and it makes you a mutant instead of a clown. So you are carted off to another part of town where they live because they are very dangerous. I forget what their part of town is called though. Either way they are creepy.

There is a whole list of cool characters in this book and things that only clowns can do. I don't want to give away any spoilers. Let's just say if you want to read something very different and totally cool, here is your book. I had some great laughs even though there are plenty of mafia related activity as well.

Clown lovers with especially want to read this book.  4 Stars

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a "life and death" message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission "for love of country." As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man..."

Karigan's promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination. @goodreads

MY REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1291572958

Read from May 27 to June 02, 2015

I really did like this book and I look forward to seeing what happens in the other books in the series.

There will be some mild **SPOILERS**

Karigan G'ladheon is a wonderful character. Sometimes she made me mad with the choices she made but they always turned out for the best.

She is running away after being expelled from school for something that really wasn't her fault. On the way down the road she runs into F'ryan Coblebay who is a Green Rider, he has been shot with arrows and is dying. He gives her a request to take a message to King Zachary. Karigan decides she will do this, she puts on his pendant and cloak and gets on his horse, which has a mind of his own. I love that horse. He's almost human! Accepting this request takes her on a hell of a journey hiding from mercenaries, being caught by mercenaries, being attacked by crazy, evil insects. There is just so much going on it's a wonder she even survives anything.

I loved the part when she comes to the Berry sisters house in the middle of the woods. Sounds Hansel and Gretelish but it's not :) The Berry sisters are really cool and have a lot of magical stuff in their house. They have these poor servants that are invisible and you can't hear them speak. Their father put a curse on them years ago before his death and could never find an incantation to correct it. Although, it's a cool thought to always have someone around you, they could just watch you while you do anything, plus it's sad for them.

The pendant of the Green Rider has magic as well and Karigan can make herself and the horse invisible! That is so cool and this is one of the reasons she makes me mad at times when she doesn't use it. But I digress. It does sap her energy so there is that. Oh, and the sisters gave her a moonstone that will help keep her warm and light her way, as it chose her. They gave her some other little things that came in handy.

This is a really good book with a lot of evilness, fighting, magic, creatures, and sneaky little jerks all over the place.

I think anyone that likes these kind of high fantasy novels would like this book.

Fin 

4 Stars