Defy by Sara B. Larson

Pages: 336

Genre: High Fantasy

Series: Defy #1

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: Jan 7, 2014

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Defy! Defy, Defy, Defy. I don't really know what to write for the introduction, so can I just get on with the review? Yeah? Yeah.

I'm an absolute giant fan of High Fantasy novels, especially those that have something to do with court betrayals, political reasoning, and princes. (Let's be honest, mainly the princes.) so I was so happy that, while the kingdom was in a jungle (and how often do we see that?) there was still a bit of politics involved with all the happenings and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love that. I sound like a boring person, don't I?
Wait until I tell you about the kidnappings and the killing side of politics.

Defy is filled with kickass plot twists--some that killed me and some that made me want to strangle someone, because seriously? Seriously? Plot twists are in abundance here, especially towards the end. I'm not kidding, every few pages or so. But even in the first half of Defy, the pages were filled with fights, attacks, and a lot of secrets were revealed and while some were totally obvious, some shocked me and put me in a coma. (Metaphorically, of course.)
This book is filled with action and the story is fast paced with not much room to breathe. Because we had the ass kicking, the fights, the magic, and then...we had the sexual tension. And testosterone. Lots of testosterone.

Which leads me to the romance of course. But let's start of with our love interests.
Damian, the dark and uncouth prince. Yeah I'm on his team. How can I resist? Damian's the one with secrets and the one who has a duty to his country. Meaning that Alexa and his romance isn't going to be as simple as one would think with a prince and a guard-who-everyone-thought-was-a-boy-but-wasn't. Meaning that their romance is a whole lot of complicated.  But you have to love Damian anyways with his snark and his iciness that seems to wear off around Alexa.
Rylan was...not my favorite. He definitely didn't compare about Damian at least! I actually felt like he wasn't really needed as a love interest. As a best friend, sure, but the romance? I just felt like he never got to see the real Alexa before pronouncing his love. After all, she'd been pretending to be the most anti her for all the years he'd known her.
But really, I felt like both romances were pretty rushed and the words that came out of their mouths were a bit cheesy, and I wasn't a big fan of the love triangle. I do wish there was a bit of a Mulan moment where one of the love interests had a "fuck, am I gay?" moment, though.

However, our main character? Talk about badass! Alexa's the best fighter in a group of guys, and that has to say something. She puts duty first and she knows where her loyalties lie firmly. You can't help but love her for her fierceness and her scarily good skills with a blade. She's that kind of heroine that just surprises you. And who doesn't love that?

So yeah, I would recommend Defy. As Belle once said, "Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!" That pretty much sums up Defy.

Take it from Beauty. 

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Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Pages: 352

Genre: Fantasy/Retelling

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 28, 2014

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Oh God, the love I have for this book! As I'm writing this, I literally just finished reading it in one sitting at midnight, so excuse me as I collect my thoroughly gasted flabber off the floor and turn it back into a brain. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting when I dove into Cruel Beauty, but I know it wasn't this. And for once, that's a good thing!

So I'm a giant fan of retellings. And when I say giant, I mean giant. Add in Beauty and the Beast? It just got better and better! The tale as old as time is one of my favorites and one of the more commonly retold stories--but it's so, so, so hard to get right. But I can say with absolute certainty that Rosamund Hodge is a genius author whose brilliance can not go unheeded.

Hodge is a wonder with words, something that you can easily see through her debut. I fell in love with the first chapter and couldn't let go after until I'd read everything and was clinging to my plush rabbit in agony. The most amazing part, I think, is the worldbuilding, which has it's feet set in the plot, the characters, and pretty much everything.
The world is a mix of high fantasy, paranormal, and Greek mythology, something I found extremely unusual, but undeniably enthralling. It was amazing seeing the world come to life in the pages and being told the world's history and background through snatches of folklore and tale and  absolutely fascinating, how the author pieces together bits of her fantasy world with that of Greece. Who knew demons and gods went together?

The plot, I realize, is actually rather slow, but you don't get bored at all. The tension between Nyx and Ignifex kept me laughing and giggling forever and you can't help but get sucked into the story once they meet. It's more than just the romance, of course. It's Nyx trying to defeat Ignifex, to avenger he mother's sacrifice, and to keep her promise. It's amazing how this goes about and there are still so many plot twists I can't accept. I refuse to accept.

Romance! There are hints of a love triangle, but I can't really say anything beyond the fact that, well, it's not really a love triangle and that I loved Ignifex from the moment we met him, with his snark and wit and charm about him!

Nyx is truly a badass character. She's not quite the assassin I was expecting, but she's tough, she's fierce, she's curious, but beyond all that, she's absolutely and brilliantly flawed. It's even stated in the book that her heart was threaded with darkness, and you can't help but relate to her sometimes. Not to her situations, of course (I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone engaged to a demon prince), but her feelings and her regrets. She's a broken character and it's just something you love about her.

The ending, I have to say, was absolutely perfect. And that's all I have to say about that.

So yes. Cruel Beauty is one of those books you can't help but fall in love with, and one of those books that'll automatically jump to your favorites list. It's gorgeously written with brilliant characters, a cutthroat plot, and a romance that'll set you on fire. It's like reading a fairy tale--there's honestly no choice but to get enthralled. I honestly can't recommend this book enough! So seven out of five stars it is! 

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The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Goodreads Blurb

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

So you guys know, I'm not usually an MG (Middle Grade) person, but I have to say, I think I've changed my mind about that! You'll probably find me raiding the library for some more soon enough! It reminded me what kind of books I LOVED before getting addicted to YA. Better start reading this stuff again!

The False Prince was unbelievably amazing and there's just something about MG that makes you realize how different it is from YA! There's no insta-love worries, there's no romance taking away from the plot, and there are no ridiculous things going on--it's just wonderful writing, amazing plot, action packed adventure, a crown to be fought for, and conspiracies of the best. Or wait. Is that just The False Prince?

Because this book had all of that and so much more!

This was so fun to read! Immediately, we get a sense for just how troublesome Sage is and he's a character you'll immediately like! He's clever,an absolute troublemaker, and he's just an amazing character who makes every boring thing something of interest! Not to say that the other 2 boys were less interesting! Not at all! they're all so completely different that there's no way you can fully hate one. Tobias is educated and smart, but not as strong or willful as Roden, but Roden, in turn, is pretty hard headed and a bit thick. If we're talking stereotypes, Tobias would be the nerd, Roden the jock, and Sage? He's somewhere in between all that. I think his only flaw, really, was that he never knew when to quit or when things were to dangerous. He was strong-willed and COMPLETELY stubborn and I'd love him less if he weren't!

The plot is by far the best thing about The False Prince! It can seem pretty slow at first, but when you get used to the pace, you'll love how the plot just slowly unfurls, throwing twists and turns at  you along the way (I, for one, COULD NOT believe that ending!). It's a captivating read that'll please everyone, no matter what the age or gender!

The False Prince is a book that's hard to dislike and easy to love! Fit for literally everyone and anyone, I'd recommend it to anyone who's getting tired of reading the same old over and over again!

Pages: 342
Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade
Series: Ascendance Trilogy #1
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Goodreads Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.
Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.
When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Okay, you know those books that you have such high expectations for, but they just fall flat? This was so not one of those. I officially love anything Shannon Messenger writes. I absolutely loved her MG book, Keeper of the Lost Cities and the same definitely goes for Let the Sky Fall! She's just a genius with worldbuilding and plot!

Seriously. Worldbuilding first. The world of the sylphs/Windwalkers was so completely vivid and so well thought out! It was stunningly real and beautifully breathtaking (pun intended). I probably wouldn't make a lot of sense if I tried to explain the complexities of the world, but trust me, you;ll get it when you read it! It was definitely took a ton of creative power though, I'll say that!

Audra was such a strong character. I know I say that a lot, but she really was. She took the blame for her father's death but she never, not once, wallowed in self pity. Instead, she honored her promise to protect a boy, who was unbelievably stubborn, with her life. She sacrificed her own wants and needs for him and always put Vane first. She's a hardworking character who, even though she belongs in the air, is actually pretty down-to-earth.
Vane was...a guy. Or, like the stereotypical guys you roll your eyes at sometimes. He made a few perverted jokes throughout the series that really irritated me sometimes, but he really came through in the end. If anything, he's loyal to a fault, but it's one of the best things about him!

The romance was a bit insta-lovey, honestly, but you can quickly forget that once you see how perfect Vane and Audra are! They just complete each other so well, but ugh, forbidden love strikes again! So much conflicting feelings on Audra's part! Like I said, majorly strong character here.

The plot. Oh God, this killed me. The ending. The ending. Talk about a twist! I never saw it coming. Actually, I never saw a lot of things coming! Shannon Messenger has a way of throwing things at you that you never see coming. I wanted to curl into a ball and cry for out main characters. It was horrible. 

Let the Sky Fall was absolutely captivating from start to finish. I never wanted to put it down and throughout the entire thing, I was both dreading and anticipating the ending. (Which, again, nearly killed me.) With the ultimate sacrifices, the ultimate betrayal, this one's going to send you in an explosion of feelings. Trust me. I've been there.

Also, couldn't Raiden (that's his name, right) just google Vane Weston? He never changed his name and it's rather...unique.

Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Let the Sky Fall #1
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date:  March 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5-->5 stars

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Pages: 384

Genre: High Fantasy/Gothic

Series: Splintered #2

Publisher: Amulet 

Release Date: Jan 7, 2014

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.
That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.
As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.
If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head. 

After naming Splintered my favorite book of 2012, is it surprising that I've been dying for Unhinged ever since I heard it was a duology (and now a trilogy! Eep!)? No. No it isn't. So when I managed to get my hands on an early ARC, I was beyond thrilled. Because...MORPHEUS!

And Unhinged did not disappoint at all. Because with a guy like Morpheus on the cover, who can't love this book?
So I guess we should talk about love interests, since I've mentioned Morpheus a few times already. Of course I'm Team Moth so I'm both giddy and heartbroken at how Unhinged turned out. Morpheus definitely shows up in his old self again and I both wanted to strangle him (with all the love in the world of course) and cuddle him until Sisters One and Two pried me away from him. He's as arrogant as always, with that manipulative personality that's pure Netherling, and a sexy smirk that just makes you swoon. While he did have his weak points, he proved himself time and time again throughout the book. (And went to unbelievably great lengths for Alyssa. Alyssa, if you don't want him, can I?)
And...yes. Jeb's here too. Not that I like to admit it. I will admit, though, that he was...sweet...and kind...but he didn't really seem to pop up as much as Morpheus thanks to a mysterious art collector by the name of Ivy Raven. So his and Alyssa's relationship? A bit on the rocks...until the end.
The love triangle is sort of my favorite, since we're actually not quite sure who she'll end up with. It's really rare when that happens, but Howard manages to pull it off brilliantly. Like everything else of course!

Alyssa, our heroine, is definitely different from so many other typical YA heroines. She has her flaws (like not listening to Morpheus and not wanting to save her own kingdom--but both are decently understandable!), but she's kickass, fierce, and loyal to the end. The fact that we see her grow more into her Netherling nature made me love her all the more (because like Morpheus says--he and Wonderland are a package deal!) and when she unleashed her powers was definitely when I loved her most! Also--her gothic style. Love!

The worldbuilding. There must be some Wonderland blood in A.G. Howard for her to create such amazing creatures (read: creepy creatures) that still manage to tie in with the story. I seriously loved how she would use nonsensical words from Alice in Wonderland and twist them into magnificent and horrible creatures that roamed Wonderland. And we didn't even really visit the world! We see glimpses of the Wonderland that enraptured us in Splintered, but instead of bringing us to Wonderland...well, she sort of brings Wonderland to us.
We're introduced to a whole slew of new creatures that absolutely terrified me (I've never been afraid of wood until now) like "mome raths", toys and creatures back from AnyElsewhere (Exactly what is AnyElsewhere you ask? Read the book and discover the creepy.), and a stalkery clown doll. Literally. It follows her everywhere with a creepy blood red smile on its lips.

The plot. Oh my God. There are no ends to the twists and turns and the absolutely horrifying, heart breaking, gut wrenching things that happen to everyone around Alyssa. Unhinged is fast paced and it's a race against, not time (because there's never enough of that anyways) but a Queen hell bent on revenge. What can be more action packed?
And the ending. No. I can't. My mind can not comprehend it at all. Just...you'll see.

What's truly the best thing about this series is how the worldbuilding is so uniquely magnificent and so hauntingly gothic, you can't help but fall in love with it (or the guys.) The worldbuilding just hooks you in, the characters enrapture you, and then you just fall in love with the entire thing.
My two words to sum up the review? Read it. 

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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads Blurb

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.
Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 
Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

There are no words for how much I loved this sequel. In fact, I honestly hadn't planned on writing a review at all...and then I finished it. All. The. Feels.

First of all, Celaena has become my favorite heroine ever. She's complex in a way I've never seen and I love her so absolutely much. Cold, arrogant, and completely badass, she's the kind of heroine we don't run into often. But then there's her softer side, the one that loves books and clothes, and is always in desperate need for a sweet.
And yet, she's always on the edge, waiting for something to tip her over. And, well, when it did, my heart hurt for her. This was the Celaena everyone else had heard about, the ruthless one that crept in the shadows. Was it wrong that I sort of loved this version of her too though?

Much to my chagrin, there's...there's no love triangle in this. Which, I guess, is a good thing, except I was on the wrong side of it. Dorian didn't really pop up as much as I wanted, and I will always be on his side.
Chaol and Celaena's relationship was sweet and it was deeply explored in Crown of Midnight (a little too much perhaps?) and I loved how they were both independent but had a small weakness when it came to each other.
We learn a lot more about Chaol than before and it turns out it's not only Celaena who's deciding where her loyalties lie. Chaol's been loyal to his kingdom for years, but Celaena makes him ask questions he doesn't really know the answers to.

As for the plot, there are no words for how much I loved it. While the main focus seemed to be the romance, there were still so many creepy happenings, more riddles, more clues, and, well, more blood. There were some twists that shocked me to the core, and others that made me giggle hysterically. The giant twist was predictable to me though, but I still sort of loved it. And it explained so much about Celaena. Although, you know, it's making me practically dying for book three.

There are honestly no words for how much I loved Crown of Midnight and it absolutely killed me every time I had to close the book for classes. (School, getting in the way of bookish needs since 1234) It's a brilliant sequel, enthralling from the first page. Maas is practically magical in the way she tells Celaena's story and you can't help but fall in love with all our characters and the world all over again.
I'll just be here, rocking in my corner, waiting for book three.

Pages: 432

Genre: High Fantasy

Series: Throne of Glass #2

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Release Date: Aug 27, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

Hero by Alethea Kontis

Goodreads Blurb

Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance.

You know what surprised me the most about this book? How much I absolutely adored it. I haven't read Enchanted, but now I have to because I just love Alethea Kontis's writing so much!

I am a sucker for retellings guys, especially when they intersect with about a dozen more of my favorite fairy tales and when they're written in E.D Baker esque! I grew up with Tales of the Frog Princess series, so it's really no surprise how much I loved Hero, in hindsight. Actually, more than I did The Frog Princess!
Ten pages in and already we see intersecting fairy tales--it's absolutely genius how enchanting she makes the story and how deliciously magical the world is. The sisters are the base of basically all my freaking favorite fairytales. I have fallen in love with a new series. And now you guys have to too.

Because from what I've seen, all the sisters, all the characters, are pretty kick-ass. Some are fiery, independent, and headstrong, while others are more mellow, but just as smart and brilliant. Saturday...well you can rightly assume she's in the first bunch. She made me laugh out loud and want to cry at the same time, but mostly? I just wanted to hug her. She's sassy and stubborn and I loved her witty remarks. Saturday's made it to my list of Favorite Heroines with her adventurous nature and her hilarious personality.

I loved the romance which was so absolutely cute and silly! It's insta-love, but in a fairy tale story like this, it makes things all the better and all the more adorable. It really was sweet how much Peregrine loved Saturday and I just couldn't help but fall in love with these two just as quickly. They're endearing and their interactions just made me giggle with glee.

The adventure was pretty action packed and just as exciting as the rest of the book. Saturday's destiny is to defeat the lorelei (water witch) while pretending to be her older brother and discovering a way to do so--without killing everyone on The Top of the World, including herself. You can bet that's going to be a bit hard. And absolutely fun to read. The plot is fun and definitely exciting and I can't wait for the sequel!

Absolutely enchanting, Hero was a fabulous read from a great author I can't wait to read more from! I loved every aspect of this story and definitely recommend this to everyone!

Pages: 301

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy

Series: Woodcutter Sisters #2

Publisher: Harcourt Books

Release Date: Oct 1, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Goodreads Blurb

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.
Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to revenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.
But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

The Burning Sky actually took me a while to read. I'd started it in early May and put it down for about 3 months. When I picked it back up, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. So many friends loved it, but I'd hated it. Or, at least, I did at first.
I was this close to DNF'ing The Burning Sky before someone told me that it got better in the second half--and it really did. 

The first half was...pretty dull and pretty annoying. I hated Iolanthe at first. She was whiny and she grated my nerves so many times. I wanted to like her, I did! But I just couldn't bring myself to really care for her at all, even when I passed the halfway mark. She grew on me a big, but I couldn't really care what happened to her throughout the book. She was definitely a bit badass though, and I loved her snarky remarks and willpower.
And Titus. At first he seemed like a pretty flat character, but I absolutely fell in love with him by the end! He's a misunderstood character who pushes everyone away because of both his "destiny" and his royal blood. I loved how strong he was and how dedicated he was to his cause. And, eventually, how dedicated he was to keeping Iolanthe safe.

The writing is a bit off with me. I found it a bit confusing at times and had to reread several parts a few times to grasp their meaning. It was also awkward for me because sometimes I had no idea who's POV I was reading from sometimes and felt a bit estranged from the story with it's 3rd person writing.

The worldbuilding, however, was absolutely gorgeous! It's a complex world, and I always love learning about a fantasy world. How the magic works, what creatures are there, how the government works, everything. And The Burning Sky had a beautiful, developed world with elemental mages, seers, and prophecies of all kind. Magic plays an (obviously) large role, but my favorite bit had to be the Crucible. But, of course, you'd have to read the book to find out what that is!

The plot was, like I said, slow in the beginning and achingly boring. But once you hit the halfway (or 40%?) mark, things quickly speed up until you're just stuck at the edge of your seat, wondering exactly what's happening and what'll happen next. There were no giant twists, but the progression of the story was absolutely breathtaking and page turning.

The romance, while fun with their constant banter an bickering, wasn't really built on anything besides the fact that they shared secrets--and that was only because of a chance of luck. I couldn't help but cheer them on a little, if not only for Titus. I'm going to seriously love seeing their romance develop in the next two books for sure!

If you can sit through the first half, The Burning Sky will take your breath away and astonish you with it's vivid worldbuilding and heartstopping plot. I'd definitely recommend it, especially for those who love a good high fantasy that has a pinch of Tamora Pierce in it!

Pages: 464

Genre: High Fantasy

Series: Elemental Trilogy #1

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Sep 17, 2013

Rating: 3.5

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Goodreads Blurb

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...
In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.
Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.
As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Of Beauty and Beast was…wow. Just wow. I wasn’t quite expecting how much I would love this retelling! It does the story of Beauty and the Beast justice, enchanting me almost right away. I was captivated by the world and by the legends surrounding it. It has that fairy tale feeling to it, something I can’t really describe, but leaves you astonished all the same.

I absolutely loved Isra. It was easy to relate to her yearning for freedom and for her wish of something…more. She was independent when she needed to be, and gentle all the time. She’s a blind princess and tainted at that, so she knows what hurt feels like. She’s not like most heroines, but she’s quick, kind, and tries to avoid hurting people as much as possible. I loved her character and I’m pretty sure she’s my favorite princess-character I’ve read in a long time. My heart ached for her as she faced her impending sacrifice and I pitied her when we find out just how much she’d lost.

Gem was a great love interest, our “Beast.”  He’s fierce, has a vendetta against the Smooth Skins, and is disgusted by the people of Yuan, especially our lovely princess. He’s temperamental and can get violent, but he’s humane all the same. The way he slowly dropped his guard and how hard he tried to stay loyal to both his tribe and Isra at the same time almost broke my heart too.

But as much as I loved the characters, the writing is most definitely my favorite part. It’s fairytale esque and immediately transported me to Yuan, where roses thirst for blood, and citizens cheer for the death of their queen.  Sometimes the writing was awkward, but the majority was enchanting, drawing me right in. I loved the present tense writing, using “walk” instead of “walked” like so many other stories. That and the gorgeously bitter world Jay created made this an absolutely superb retelling, making my heart stop for several beats!

The worldbuilding? Splendid. While it bordered on cheesy and cliché at times with the Dark Heart and Pure Heart, it was still absolutely breathtaking. I loved reading about Yuan and the roses, how the sacrifice worked and how Monstrous, Banished, and Smooth Skins worked and what kind of people they were. While there were a few confusing points, I let it go since, you know, it reminded me so much of a real fairy tale. (I DON’T SEE YOU ASKING WHY THE ROSES WERE SO IMPORTANT IN THE ORIGINAL. Not the Disney by the way. And anyways, why a candlestick?)

The plot was absolutely shocking for me so many times through, especially near the end. Honestly, I had no idea what would happen. Especially when I asked myself: Is Isra really going to die? SPOILER: I’m not telling. Enjoy having your heart in your throat.

There’s no end to the amount of betrayals there are, some of them making me want to rip out a certain character’s throat. But, you know. All in good reading!

Of course, we have to talk about the romance. It was sweet, though filled with betrayals at first, but I loved how much Isra trusted Gem and how fiercely devoted Gem was to protecting Isra. The fact that it was a hate relationship at first helped a bit too. We don’t really get to see their relationship grow much except in passing, and I wished that we had so we could see Isra’s feelings grow. I wasn’t really quite sure what caused her to fall in love with him when she knew he hated her at the time.

Of Beauty and Beast is a compelling read that left me absolutely breathless at the end. It’s a fairy tale that’s more than a simple story and enthralled me from the first sentence. It’s written in a fairy tale fashion, giving us that “tale as old as time” feeling—of course, perfect for a story such as Beauty and the Beast.

Pages: 400

Genre: Retelling/High Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Rating: 4.5-->5 stars

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Goodreads Blurb

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.
Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.
Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.
In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Oh my gosh. There are no words for how much I absolutely adore Keeper of the Lost Cities. It was an amazing debut and one of my favorite books by far--impressive, considering I rarely read Middle Grade in the first place! And honestly, if you crossed out Sophie's age, I could almost peg this as YA (except, of course, the cussing and stuff. So, umm, no worries there. I'm rambling. ON WITH THE REVIEW)

My friends can confirm that I was squealing so much while reading! There were plenty of hilarious parts (which I just had to read over and over and over, by the way) and I was beside myself with joy! From the blurb, Keeper of the Lost Cities, admittedly, sounded a bit typical, but OH, it was far from it! Talk about originality! I loved the world that Messenger created! It was well thought out, vivid, and detailed to the core! Not to mention the fascinating animals! (Seriously, guys. Can I have an imp?) I would've killed to see some artwork for this book! I especially loved Sophie's time at Foxfire because, while it did sometimes seem typical high school (or, umm, middle school? Migh School?), the classes and happenings were beyond fun. I loved discovering everything about Foxfire (Glowing fungus!) Academy and loved the classes and how Sophie handled them! 

I loved the plot! Somehow I managed to blow through all 500 pages of this in a day and still have free time on my hands. I really don't know how. What I do know is that the plot was definitely one of my favorite parts! While it's not action packed, we get to see Sophie adjust to the school, her new life, and deal with being the odd one out. Which, trust me guys, was even better than action-packed. It was just so fun seeing the world through her eyes! And we still had our action scenes that almost gave me a heart attack! Also, conspiracies, rebellions, social standings, and more. What more could a girl want in her plot?

Characters? Oh they were absolutely wonderful. They were well developed and they each had their own personalities! And I could definitely connect with Sophie. (Okay, so that may have something to do with us being near-same age.) I actually cried at a certain part in the book that was heartbreaking for Sophie and I pretty much squealed whenever she did. Whatever she did, I pretty much had the same reaction! And I just loved that as a reader! She was a strong character and I loved her for the sacrifices she was willing to make so that others weren't hurt. She was such a determined character who would really do anything she thought was right and would help people.

Our secondary and supporting characters were amazing as well! Grady, Edaline, Aldine, Dex, Keefe, Fitz, Biana, all of them! (Oh, and I fun learning their names too!) They were fun characters who supported Sophie and I loved all their personalities to the core. Especially Keefe, who's our resident bad boy! Fitz was a bit oblivious though, but it was endearing!

Relationships were a big part of the book, and the biggest one was definitely my favorite. Sophie and Grady and Edaline. I loved their familial bond and I loved how they were all there for each other. They had a sweet family relationship going and I loved them so much for caring about Sophie like their own daughter. 

Oh. And then, the crushes. I'm not really sure if Keefe had any crush on Sophie or anything, but I had to laugh at how oblivious Sophie was to a certain friend's crush and how Fitz was oblivious to her crush. I sort of wanted to push it, until I remembered this was an MG I was reading. Sorry! 

Keeper of the Lost Cities, I can safely say, was one of my favorite reads of the year! I can't wait for book 2 so I can fall even more in love with the characters and the world. Honestly? I have to recommend it for any fans of Harry Potter. So, umm, basically? All of you reading this right now should go grab a copy. Seriously.

Pages: 496

Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade

Series: Keeper of the Lost Cities #1

Publisher: Aladdin

Release Date: Oct 2, 2012

Rating: 10/5 stars

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Goodreads Blurb

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.
Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

Jumping straight in, the one issue I really had with City of a Thousand Dolls was Nisha. She was just so annoying and naive in my opinion. She thought she knew everything about the City and acted like such a know it all! And, even though I could understand why, it was annoying when she couldn't forgive herself for something someone had done to herself. She was too impulsive for my liking and I felt myself groaning in frustration so many times. She was so...hmm...
On the other hand I loved how she could talk to the cats and how much they seemed to adore her. It definitely made for some interesting conversations. I also looovvveeddd Jerrit. I want a catty best friend. Literally.

"There is more than one kind of secret, Nisha"

The worldbuilding in this was simply amazing and I loved finding out more about the City, the Redeeming, and the Houses. It was done so neatly and I loved how much Asian culture was included! I was excited to discover what lay beyond the gates and what happened to Nisha's parents all those years ago. The City was a fascinating place that was filled with contradictions--that "Beauty is serious business" and that worship of beauty is dumb, that women should be able to be free to do what they want, yet trapped into a marriage or apprenticeship, and so much more.

"There is the secret that no one may know, the kind one kills to protect."

I loved the plot twists. While I could see the major one coming (it was a bit obvious, if you've read most YA), it still left me in a breathless feeling, the way it was executed. There was barely any hesitation, and doubt, and that definitely made me like Nisha a little more. The other twists? I couldn't see them a mile away.  They were so unexpected, yet so perfect for this book. This was truly a thrilling read that was pretty impossible to put down!

"And then there is the secret that everyone may know, but no one will admit to knowing."

The romance is something...I can't quite discuss. But let's just say, I'm happy with the way it ended.

While I've heard some complains (and a few squeals) about another female assassin book, let me say this: this isn't really about an assassin (unless you count the one killing the girls). It's more of a book about trying to find out who you are, where you came from, and how much your freedom is worth to yourself. The idea of a City of girls is definitely original and most of the plot is too, so I had nothing to complain about here except that City of a Thousand Dolls? Way too short for my liking!

"Then there is the secret that everyone knows, except the person the secret is about."

A fantastic read that brought you to it's fantasy world with vibrant descriptions and scenes, City of a Thousand Dolls is definitely one I'd recommend to all epic fantasy readers and lovers and to paranormal readers ready to try something new! It's an amazing debut and I'll be here, eagerly anticipating the sequel, and wondering what house I'd belong to. Currently stuck between House of Jade or Combat.

"There are more secrets in the City than you could possibly know about. Which ones do you really care about?

Pages: 361
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Series: City of a Thousand Dolls #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: Feb 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5--> 4 stars

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Goodreads Blurb

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

I think we all know this book, after all, didn't we all fall in love with Daughter of Smoke and Bone? But, shockingly, I've been hearing some doubt about this sequel. (You guys are crazy. And that's coming from me.) So, here I am, ready to clear all of those delusions doubts.

So, first thing first, I was so confused throughout about 40% of the book. I had no idea what was a flashback in time, what was a reference to Karou's life as Madrigal, what in the world was happening sometimes, what had happened, and who some of these characters were. Of course, that last part may have something to do with the fact that I completely forgot what happened in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but, you know. The wonderful thing about Days of Blood and Starlight (I'm just calling it Days.) is that you can quickly grasp the plot threads. 

I'm sure I don't have to go over how absolutely stunning the writing is. It's just gorgeous and lush and I can go on and on, but I'll spare you all the time it'd take. But for you people who haven't read Daughter? It will not disappoint you. 

The characters are just so incredibly well written and I bet I don't even have to explain how in depth they are. I loved each of their quirks, how even though a move seemed unpredictable, you somehow knew it was going to happen sooner or later. We just get to know characters more and more that we end up feeling as if they could be our next best friends! (Totally joking of course. I, personally, don't want a blood thirsty angel as a friend. Or an enemy.) 

The imagination used for this book is just crazy! I can't believe how vivid some of these descriptions are and I just love how detailed they are. It's amazing how much creativity was channeled into this 500 page thing! 

The plot was, well, a bit slow in the beginning. I was pretty bored and I just wanted so kickbutt scenes to come into play and I got it about 100 pages in! That's still 400+ pages of goodness, people. It's worth it. There were so many epic battle scenes and reunions and I loved anticipating what would happen next. Crazy things happen, unexpected events occur, and basically, Days will blow your mind!

Pages: 528

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2

Genre: High Fantasy/Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Goodreads Blurb

In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.
Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

Oh wow. I got this spectacular book from Shreya at Chocolate Coated Reviews since she is so nice that she sends me any books I want--as long as she rated them 3 stars or less, of course! I'm not that mean.

I'm so glad she decided to give this up. I've absolutely loved this book since page one, when we first meet Liyana, a character I Thoroughly loved! She was a fun character at times, but at her core she was a down-to-earth type with a practicality that shocked me sometimes (okay, most times.) But she was undeniably a strong character who went through a lot of things to get where she ended up. She lost her family and support in one night, discovered it wasn't her fault the next, and over the next few days (weeks?) found a forbidden love, made unlikely friends, discovered that maybe she didn't want to die after all, and lost and gained everything. But did she even falter? Nope. She was who she was and surged ahead to fix everything wrong.

Korbyn was by far my favorite character. He was hilarious at times, but you could tell he had his own dark side. He was definitely out of his comfort zone as a leader, but he took the role steadily and did whatever he could.He was...interesting we'll say, and there were so many layers to him it surprised me to no end.

The romance was...interesting. Needless to say, I was rooting for Korbyn and Liyana (don't you just love their names together? I love their names together) throughout the entire book. And then we get, randomly, we get another surprising (really, really surprising.) love interest. Near the end of the book. I can't quite say how it plays out, but it was both what I expected and what I didn't...I can't explain it any better without ruining it! But let's just say...I was pleased at one thing about the romantic end and not so much about something else. Confusing? Well, read it to see what I mean. You'll see...you'll see...

Did I love the worldbuilding? HECK YES! I'm a recent fan of high fantasy, if you didn't know. As in, I mainly stuck to paranormal. I think Throne of Glass broke that for me...but the world in Vessel was definitely well developed with it's own legends, creations, traditions, and more. I was overwhelmed by each element that came into play while discovering more about this world. Sand wolves, sky serpents, vessels, and more. To say I was sad to let this world go is a definite understatement and I desperately wish there was a sequel, but nope. Though if there ever turns out to be a short story, I'll probably be on it like a sand worm to water!

The thing about Vessel is it can seem a bit repetitive to some people, but I didn't find it that way at all! To me, Vessel was just an amazing high fantasy book that I absolutely loved to no end! It was suspenseful and shocking and the way things happened...it was unbelievable! So I don't know if this is just shock at how it ended, but I'm giving Vessel my 10 star sticker!

Pages: 424
Genre: High Fantasy
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Rating: 10/5 stars