I've Been Busy!

I realise I haven't written a review in ages. Sorry about that.

Firstly, it was because I've been reading a very beautiful book - but it's hard reading!

And then I've had to go back to school and there's been birthdays and I've actually had very little time to read at all - let alone write reviews! Having said that, I should be getting back on track as soon as possible.

Thank you for still reading my reviews, I really do appreciate and I look forward to supplying you with even more soon!

Thanks x

City of Masks

Book Title: City of Masks

Author: Mary Hoffman
Series: Stravaganza #1

Date Started: September 4th 2013

Date Completed: September 5th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

Rating: Three stars

Review:

I picked this book up rather randomly. It's been on my shelf for years, and I felt like I should try something a little bit different. You can't really call this book a Young Adult story - I don't know whether it's supposed to be or not - but even so, I'm not quite sure if it's a particularly good children's book anyway.


City of Masks is about fifteen-year-old Lucien. After years suffering with cancer, Lucien wants something other than laying in bed, utterly exhausted. But when his father brings him a marbled notebook one day, and he wakes up in a strange, glittering city. He's dragged out of sight by a mysterious girl and soon he's enjoying Bellezza. But his presence in the city is not unknown, and people are coming for him.

The writing is part of the reason I think this is a children's book rather than a teenage novel (I should really check that). It was very easy, and to be honest bored me a little - I ended up skim reading the whole thing, and I was still able to understand the story due to the bare simplicity of writing style. For a children's book, it was good. Not great, but I can't judge it too harshly since I'm not exactly the target audience.
Having said that, I did love the descriptions of Bellezza. It's more than implied that this city is supposed to be a version of Venice, and the atmosphere really did remind me of the Italian City. It was really nice to feel like I was back there, and I think that was probably the best element of the whole book.
I don't know how accurate the description of Lucien's cancer was, but it didn't seem particularly real to me - from a reader's perspective. I think this was a big issue because I wasn't too bothered about what happened to him - I just couldn't connect.

I think my synopsis is slightly inaccurate as, to be blunt, the story isn't that exciting. I knew it wasn't going to be particularly complex, but there weren't really any parts where I was really into the book. It was very clear what was going to happen, and even for harmless villains, there was never really any threat towards the characters. It all seemed a bit rushed to me.
Having said that, it did remind me of the kind of books I read when I was younger. It's not the highest quality of story and writing, but it was still a nice adventure, and actually quite touching towards the end.
The one great part about the story is that certain parts were tied off that most people wouldn't want to lose. There is no going back with what Hoffman decided to do, and that does take a fair amount of confidence to do - especially in a series, where it could limit future events.

There were a lot of characters for such a simplistic book, which I think needlessly complicated the story since none of them really meant anything to me as I still don't remember any of their names.
I liked Lucian. He was a nice protagonist, but he didn't really do anything for the whole story.
I engaged with Arianna's part in the story because she seemed reasonably realistic. She did have affection for her family (especially her brothers, which is something I always get along with) and she really did have passion for the city. She was also the only character to take risks and actually have courage in the whole story. Young readers love courage and that sort of thing, so I expected more.
Rodolfo is definitely the hero, since he was the one to always work everything out for Lucien and actually do stuff to help their situation. He was my favourite character because he seemed to have genuine affection for both Lucien and Arianna.
The Duchessa annoyed me. Even after she turned out to be nicer, she still annoyed me. She seems like a brat who still acts like a child well into her life. Not much else to say about her.

The pace was okay, but it never really changed at all. As a children's book, it needs to be slower to explain everything to its audience, but there weren't any clear climaxes, and even when we did get to the important parts of the story, it isn't really any different from the rest of the book.

I think it's a really nice adventure for younger readers that I feel I would have enjoyed a few years ago (about the time I bought it). I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series, but I did enjoy this little journey back into my favourite childhood places and stories.

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Last Stand of Dead Men

Book Title: Last Stand of Dead Men

Author: Derek Landy
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #8

Date Started: August 31st 2013

Date Completed: September 4th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Horror, Mystery

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I don't think I've ever been as completely speechless as I was when I first finished this book (and several times during). I still haven't quite come to terms with the twists, and I have no idea where the hell the story is going to go from here. But I know one thing: that was possibly the most awesome thing I have ever read to date. I had high expectations, but the final product didn't even come close - as in it overshot those expectations by...a lot.

Note - there will be a spoiler section in this review because I need to vent these feels.

Last Stand of Dead Men is the beginning of the war. But not a war between good and evil; between mortals and mages; between the good guys and the bad. This is a war between Sanctuaries. Fellow mages turning on each other. The sparks have been there the whole time, but now they've been lit and everyone is getting dragged into it. At the same time, Valkyrie and Skulduggery are desperately trying to find a way to stop Darquesse from rising and destroying the world. But time is running out and even Valkyrie's reflection knows her original copy isn't strong enough to hold back for long.

I've always loved Derek's writing. He's amazing at combining so many different genres and aspects into it. Last Stand of Dead Men did take me longer to read than the other books, because it's not only longer, but the writing is more detailed and sophisticated. I've always said that, as the stories have gone on, Landy has really developed along with them. For example, the earlier books are simpler both in plot and style of writing, but this style has adapted as the target audience (of which I am proud to be a part of) has grown up, as well as the author.
The action is flawlessly told, and amazingly exciting to visualise. I love the description, even though it's reasonably simple - but it's just right to fit into the passages and get the desired affect on the reader. The dialogue is great and everything ties in really well together.
There's a very comedic flare to the narration (on top of the hilarious dialogue running through even the serious moments) that engages the reader very well. You get to know the characters really well form whoever's story a certain chapter follows. Since the story is told in the third person, we don't get direct quotes from the character's mind, but we still get their kind of attitude and perspective though the way Landy does present it.

Where to start with the story? So, so much happened. So, so many twists. I can't even begin to describe how well though-out this book was.
I have to say, I did have a bit of trouble at the start with remembering all the characters and everything that had happened in the previous book. The first couple of chapters didn't make much sense to me, and I ended up skim-reading them again once I had reminded myself of the events of Kingdom of the Wicked. After that, however, everything fell into place and became truly awesome.
I love how much the story developed. The book isn't short, I know. But still, within 600 pages, an astonishing amount occurred. And every part of it had me utterly transfixed. When I got about halfway through, I couldn't put the book down. I lost a lot of valuable sleep over this. But it was worth it.
The twists were legendary. I didn't see them coming until they happened. And then I was literally just staring at the page. Like I said before, I have never been so utterly speechless and clueless before. The brilliant thing was also that it wasn't so completely ridiculous that it couldn't be true. Sometimes twists like the ones in this novel are just too far fetched and they just don't work. But I didn't question the revelations. There also weren't just one or two twists; they were appearing throughout the whole book. You didn't have time to process what happened until something else came up. I was shocked by a most of it - which was great because it meant I was feeling something. I very nearly cried - very nearly.
But some of the events in this book must have been thought of AGES ago. I'm talking second-or-third-book ages ago. I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet about those things for that long! Especially since they're so huge and...huge!
The ending. You couldn't leave it on a bigger cliffhanger. I'm used to the Skulduggery books ending on cliffhangers, but this was just mean. (Somewhere in Ireland, Derek Landy is sitting, grinning at his own evilness.)

One of the things I found really hard to deal with - more at the start, I admit - was the sheer amount of characters. I often mistook some of the smaller people with each other, which confused things a little. However, after the first third, I managed to get to grips with everyone.
I could go on for hours about each character, because there must be literally hundreds, but these are, in my opinion, the best and most important.
Oh Valkyrie. You are such an amazing character. So realistic; conflicted, guilty, selfish, making mistakes all the time. That's what makes her so brilliant; she is in no way a hero. Yet at the same time, she strives for what's important. She saves peoples lives and she wants to do what's right. But she makes mistakes, and good intentions fail her, like they do to so many of us (just, in our cases, not on the saving the world scale).
Skulduggery remains to be a truly amazing mystery. I love the fact, even eight books in, we still don't know him that well. And he's still shrouded in secrets. This is emphasised by the fact that we're never given a chapter following Skulduggery's story. We have one for pretty much everyone else, but Skulduggery is always portrayed through someone else's series of events. It's a great technique, and I'm not sure I ever want to learn everything about Skulduggery. I always love mysterious characters; they're interesting because we don't know everything about them.
If you were to ask me who my favourite character was from this series, I would cheat and say all the Dead Men. Because I think I might have actually fallen in love with them. (Yes. Plural.) The Dead Men alive and participating in this book are: Erkskine Ravel, Ghastly Bespoke, Dexter Vex, Saracen Rue and Anton Shudder. I could write whole essays on each of them, but I'll try and keep it quick. They each have their own certain flare, but all share their love of sarcasm, dark humour, quick wits and disturbing tempers. We've known Ghastly since the first book, and Ravel has been around for a while now. But I really loved seeing Vex, Rue and Shudder more in this book. We've met them before, but they became primary characters in this instalment of the series. It's great to see the legends Skulduggery's been telling Valkyrie for ages in real life - and even more hilarious to hear their own stories.
I was so glad Fletcher came back. Oh I love that boy. He's a complete idiot, and infernally irritating, but he's so good. I felt so sorry for him for what happened, and I don't think he did deserve it. But of course, I was glad it happened, because it was great in the storyline. He's very real to me, because you can see when his emotions are affecting him - and that's quite a lot of the time.
You gotta love Tanith and Billy Ray. They're great. They weren't in the book as much as I'd expect, but then again they did just have a 'novella' (I can't even type that with a serious face) all to themselves. But I think they're a great pair and they always add both humour and drama to the story.
I was very entertained to find Ashione Flare in the story. It was strange, because I was just thinking about the girl she's based on, and if she would ever be involved in the story since she's such good friends with the author. And then the next chapter I read featured her alias. It was strange to say the least. Apart from the fact I know the origin for the character, I really loved Ashione anyway. She's feisty and her inclusion was great.
Where is the Kenny story going? I'm so scared he's going to bring everything tumbling down (or more than it already has, anyway). He's great, and I like the way we get to see a mortal's impression of the magical world. It brings everything into perspective.

The pace was great. I found it a little slow to begin with, but that's because I was reminding myself of what had happened and the beginnings of the war had to be set up before it started. After that, however, it was fast and I couldn't put the book down.

[Spoiler Section - do NOT read if you have not read the book yet, and plan to.]
Darquesse! I have so many questions that need answering. What's going to happen there? Are they going to get Valkyrie back? Is Stephanie going to turn into Valkyrie, and then kill Darquesse? Will Skulduggery turn into Vile to help? What's going to happen? The build up to this part of the plot was so good - especially that chapter where Darquesse has taken over, and Valkyrie getting subdued and basically wiped out. Darquesse genuinely scares me, which is a first. And I think she's just as formidable and dangerous as she's been said to be throughout the last couple of books.
Stephanie. What a stroke of genius. I suspected Valkyrie's reflection was going to have a big part in her downfall, and everything that happens building up to the climax of the last book, but I didn't expect this! I admit, I was uncomfortable with Stephanie almost replacing Valkyrie, once she turned bad. Stephanie almost acts like a microcosm for the war between Sanctuaries: she's tired of being brushed aside and wants to be the important one. And if you think about it, while Valkyrie may be better when it comes to the magical side of things, Stephanie is actually superior when it comes to the mind. She remembers everything; every lessons Skulduggery or anyone else taught her; she remembers little details; she understands things to a different perspective than Valkyrie, but still in a sophisticated way. And Stephanie loves her and Valkyrie's family just as much as her original. So why shouldn't she have a life too? I love the way we're made to question this by Landy. It's awesome, and made me feel guilty about the uneasy feeling I got when Stephanie joined the gang.
I'm not going to say much about the deaths but, as much as it may hurt me, they were so vital to the story. I didn't see the coming, which made it hurt all the more. I actually just stared after Ghastly and Shudder were murdered. I didn't even know it had happened at first. Derek writes like that; so casually. It gives a strange affect of where you're detached, like it's not real. This is amazing because it's what I expect actually witnessing something like that would be.
[End of Spoiler Section.]

I recommend Last Stand of Dead Men to everyone. You MUST read the other books first, but do take into account that the story and writing develops and improves as the story goes on. The first book isn't as sophisticated as this novel - not that there's anything wrong with that - but I don't want people to be put off the books because they think the first instalment is too 'simple'.
But you should definitely go and read the series. It's one of the few stories that makes me laugh out loud, makes me nearly cry, and leaves me speechless. The action is wonderfully done, the characters are practically real and the depth and complexity of the story as it grows is indescribable. Go read. Now. If you're still reading this, then you haven't read it yet. Go.

And finally I leave you with this piece of advice: it's a very bad idea not to take the title seriously.

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Crown of Midnight

Book Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2

Date Started: August 28th 2013

Date Completed: August 31st 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Five stars

Review:

How do I begin a review of this book? I'm actually speechless for how to start this. Crown of Midnight had my complete attention the whole way through, made my heart race more than once, and broke it several times. 'So many feels' has never been as relevant as it is now. I thought Throne of Glass was hard to top, but Maas has taken the series to another level, and I need more.


Crown of Midnight opens shortly after the end of Throne of Glass. Now the King's Champion, Celaena Sardothien has started to fake the deaths of her 'victims', offering them a chance to flee the city and never return. She knows the risks surrounding her betrayal to the king, but instead decides to ignore them. But when she's given the name of one of her old friends to dispose of, it seems he might have information to give her that is vitally important. Torn between her duty, morals and the conflicting feelings about the people around her, Celaena must chose her priorities and somehow work out how to save the world in the process.

Maas' writing is great. It's definitely one of the higher levels of sophistication in Young Adult fiction, but it's still easy enough to read, and the flow of the words helps this. The action is beautifully described, and I can truly see Celaena performing all the stunts. There was a bit less in this book than the last, and when it was included it didn't have the grace that was present previously - but that is because of the circumstances of the story, rather than poor writing.
I believe all the characters all the time, which is really important in a novel like this. It's very character-based, as well as the story, so the reader needs to feel connected to the people and care about what happens to them. This was the case for me to the point where I was actually feeling upset for the characters - both with the little and large things.

The story is so complex, and travels so far in such a short time, I'm not even sure where to start. There's several main plots, and then the even smaller details that drop hints for things to come, and are just enjoyable to read. And it's all synchronised so well that none of it clashes, and everything ties in with each other (rather than being separate and unnecessary). It must have taken forever to work out how everything was going to play out, especially since none of it is rushed or ignored or left unexplained (apart from when it's intentional, of course).
You might look at my synopsis and think that this book is going to be able the main character covering her tracks so she doesn't get caught out as a fraud - but then she slips up and she has to somehow rescue everyone she cares about. But no. That is a typical Young Adult plot line. This is a Sarah J. Maas novel. I actually had some trouble writing the synopsis because I had to think about what actually happened at the beginning of this book - because so much goes on and the development is amazing; Celaena is almost a completely different person by the end.
The magic in this book is so good. It's the traditional Fae magic, but the way it's described combines some more modern interpretations of faeries and spells, runes etc to get this new and unique form. It fascinates me and the whole backstory is so well orchestrated I would happily read a 'non-fiction' book about the whole world. Furthermore, the inclusion of magic in the plot is so subtle, yet it's amazingly effective. It isn't the main element of the story (although it is a key aspect), yet it's very important - it just adds that depth and realism to the story that just makes it better and better and better.
Lastly, the romance. If you've read some of my earlier reviews, you'll know that I often rant about romance. I don't like plots to be consumed by it, and it annoys me when it's unrealistic and perfect and just stupid. But the relationships in Crown of Midnight are exactly the kind of thing I really enjoy, and can really get into. It's heartbreakingly realistic, and I can feel the chemistry between the characters. The even better thing is Celaena doesn't lead people she isn't in love with on. (This is one of the main things I hate about the majority of Young Adult love triangles - many girls seem to take their time in deciding which boy they'd like, when both of those in question have to wait around - probably feeling like crap.) And she doesn't forgive mistakes, but she can't help still having feelings anyway. It's an amazingly realistic portrayal of what I'd expect love to be like, showing not only the memorable, quiet moments, but the unpleasantries and confusion and betrayal and hate and fragility or its nature.

I love these characters, and I've loved them since the beginning - but they just keep getting better. I've always loved characters that have mystery around them, because it makes them interesting and gives you something to think about. The great thing about Maas' characters is that they are constantly revealing new aspects of their personality, or history - or even finding them out for the first time themselves. This constantly engages the reader and keeps them on their toes, waiting for what might happen next.
Celaena continues to be my favourite character of all time. I fell in love with her gentle nature - but I love her unstoppable, ruthless side as well. We rarely see truly ferocious female characters in Young Adult books these days, and so Celaena is not only a breath of fresh air from the typical examples of YA heroines, but she's also incredibly stunning the learn about. In addition, she's an extremely clever girl with a loud mouth and a ton of abilities we actually get to witness (rather than just hearing about). I absolutely love her and I connected with her so well that I really did care what happened to her, and I still do.
Chaol. Where to start with Chaol. He's a new take on the common good-looking action male lead. But instead of being reckless (for which Celaena takes all) he's controlled, calm and clever. I really like this combination, since we don't get to see it much these days. I loved that tender side of him, and I can tell that he really cares about Celaena. Even later in the story, he still goes out of his way to help her, when it clearly doesn't help him. I think he's great and my heart is still breaking for him.
Dorian is probably the perfect boy. I've never been sure which of the two boys I liked more; and I'm still not. But Dorian is like the softer side of Chaol - I do sometimes think they're so alike they're almost the same person. They're both intelligent, controlled and care deeply about Celaena. (They both also know when to let go (whether they succeed or not) - thank god for some Young Adult authors that actually understand that.) But Dorian's almost cleverer than Chaol when he accepts earlier on, and helps his friend no matter what. I felt really sorry for him, but I also admired the fact that he didn't put himself first - also a contradiction from the typical 'princely' persona.
(I understand this might not make complete sense is you haven't read the book, but I'm trying not to give away spoilers.)
I've never been quite sure of Nehemia. I think I was wary of her at first, and it did take me a while to trust her, but now I do and I think Celaena needs a friend like her. They work really well together, but I love the fact that there's still an unspoken tension between the two about their origins and actions. Another time my heart broke.
Roland kind of disappeared after a while. I don't know whether that was important to the plot, or perhaps will be used later in the series - or if he had used up his usefulness. I thought he was very interesting when he was involved, and I hope to see more of him in the future.
I just love Mort. I think he's hilarious, and I just really love him. Not much else to say other than I think one of my favourite characters of all time is a bronze door-knocker.

The pace was fast - and I mean fast. So much happened; there were so many twists and turns; it almost feels like many stories wrapped into one when I look back on it. I couldn't put the book down for most of the time I was reading it - and only then because I actually had to do something. Everything was relevant and somehow important to the plot.
But none of it was rushed whatsoever. Maas took her time to explain everything and write it all in detail and make sure nothing was overlooked or made less important than it needed to be. We didn't miss any details because Maas wanted to get onto a later part - which tends to happen a lot in these sorts of books, where there's numerous plots and twists occurring at the same time.

I would recommend this book to absolutely everybody. It's one of my favourite books of all time (and you know how picky I am). It's got action, fantasy, mystery, thrills, romance, comedy. Literally, anything you'd want. And I don't think it's completely aimed at girls. I'm sure the pure adrenaline in a lot of this story would satisfy boys as well. It's honestly so good, and the story could go anywhere from here. You should read Throne of Glass first (or maybe the novellas if you aren't sure and just want to try it out) or you might get confused and there are some pretty huge plot spoilers.
I completely fell in love with this book and I'm actually getting excited by the prospect of another one on it's way.

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Girl of Nightmares

Book Title: Girl of Nightmares

Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #2

Date Started: August 26th 2013

Date Completed: August 28th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Adventure, Action

Rating: Five stars

Review:

I'm torn between wanting Blake to write more of the Anna novels because I need more of this genius; and then happy that she isn't wearing the story and characters so thin that they lose their charm and brilliance. Either way, I absolutely loved this book. I wasn't quite sure whether to give it four or five stars - but to be honest I couldn't pick anything out as negative in its purpose. It was amazing and I'm running out of words to describe how much I enjoyed reading it.


Girl of Nightmares takes place six months after the events of Anna Dressed in Blood. With Anna on the other side, Cas' thoughts are becoming increasingly guilty about what might have happened to her. And then when Anna starts appearing everywhere - almost as if she's haunting him - and starts crying for help, he knows he has to do something to get her out of wherever she is. But everyone is telling him it can't be done, and he's going to get himself killed trying. But after one successful contact with the ghost he loves reveals she may be in more danger than he suspected, Cas' friends realise there is really no stopping him in getting her back.

There's a simplistic kind of sophistication to Blake's writing. It is by no means the kind of elevated language you might find in a classic novel, but it's not your typical Young Adult level of writing either. I just really love it, and it flows so well you can read really quickly and still get every detail into your head. I also love Cas' narration. Apart from the fact that I've completely fallen for his character, he has this quirky, realistic attitude that brings out the personality so strongly in the writing that I actually feel like it's his internal monologue (and I don't find that with most books told in the 1st person).
The action is great, I just wish there was more of it. The description is good, the comparisons creating more of a personality around Cas. The dialogue is amazing and, and really fun to read. It's not necessarily funny, but there's a certain level of banter in it that makes it very entertaining to process.
I have to say, I wasn't scared as many times as I was in the previous book; I was glancing over my shoulders regularly for ages. But that was more of the fact that there were less situations that involved eerie events, since the plot had moved on to being more about the mystery and adventure side. Having said that, the creepy parts were definitely just that and the tension was built up amazingly well. One thing that I think a lot of other authors could learn from Blake is her ability to build up tension and create an atmosphere so naturally; she doesn't rush it, and really takes her time to make everything calm, and then start giving the reader little hints of something going wrong, before freaking them out with the punchline.

The main thing I love about Kendare Blake is her stories. Because they're so new and different from anything I've ever experienced. From TV, film, books, real life or anything, I can never predict exactly what's going to happen because I honestly haven't witnessed the story or twists before.
Girl of Nightmares goes through so many plot changes and the progress happens so quickly that I'd expect everything to get jumbled together or rushed a little bit, but nothing ever is. It's clearly been thought-through very well. We start at the beginning of the book with very little information back in Cas' house. We understand that something's wrong, since Cas isn't as quick in his ghost-hunting anymore, and Anna is appearing left right and centre with a selection of every injury known to man.
But read a hundred pages in and we've jumped to a completely different place on the map. We know more about what's happening and there's hope for what can be done. Another hundred pages and things are really heating up. By this time I was already completely hooked and I literally didn't put the book down for about two hours as I went to finish it. In a way I wish this was a longer book, because I just want more and more - but again I respect Blake's judgement of how much and what to include, because it ended up working perfectly.

Girl of Nightmares has very realistic characters that are unique takes on typical characters. I think they're all written amazingly well and I wish some of them were real.
Cas is one of my favourite protagonists ever. He's such a real person through the narration and the way he's presented. Even though you don't meet many people like him, his thoughts are easily believable and his empathy and anxiety to and for other people just add it that. Aside from the way Blake writes him, Cas is a really great guy. He really cares about his friends and family; he's amazingly intelligent; rebellious; cocky and filled with banter in a way that doesn't annoy everyone around you and then kick ass when it comes to the ghost action.
I also love Thomas. He obviously fills the typical 'geeky friend' role, but he's got a new twist to it. I keep thinking that he, Cas and Carmel are like the Harry Potter trio, with Thomas being Cas' under appreciated, but heroic, loyal and caring sidekick/best friend. I think he's a really great character and he works really well in the story.
Carmel goes through stages of really annoying me, and then making me respect her. She went though both in this book, which is one of the reasons she actually seems so real. She reacts how I would predict a queen-bee that actually cares about other people outside the cliques; conflicted, which sometimes leads to her making the wrong decisions. (Although to be honest, I can't then see someone flying halfway across the world because the person they effectively broke up with went on a deadly mission with his best friend - I don't know, maybe that's just me.) But she does really annoy me sometimes, just because I don't like people like her. But that doesn't mean she wasn't written well.
I love Anna so much. She's such a great character. I wish she was as kick ass in this novel as she was in the first, but she was still awesome. I really believe that she cares about Cas, and Cas cares about her. I nearly had a hissy fit when someone almost got in between them. She's barely even in this book, but I still love her so much because she's a new kind of character and she's just so amazing to read. I want more heroines like Anna please.
Jestine really, really pissed me off. I really did not like her. I did not like her beyond what I expect the limits of the reader's dislike is meant to go. I understand she isn't supposed to be that great at first, but then you're supposed to start liking her. I didn't really (that was because of something that I can't say because of spoilers, but still). Near the end, it was slightly better, but I still wasn't that bothered when she got beat about a bit.
Gideon is not what I expected him to be. We do meet him (over the phone) in the previous book, but he was still very different in 'real life' than I had imagined previously. I'm not sure if that's positive or negative.

The pace was really fast for the whole book, but you were rarely aware of it. There are definitely slower parts, but they're usually important to the plot or just entertaining or interesting to read. Blake is really good at building up tension, too, without the audience honing in on it until it's too late. No pacing problems in my opinion - the only issue is you lose a lot of time when you can't seem to put the book down.

I would recommend Girl of Nightmares to everyone. It's so well written, and the story is so original I can't say I've ever read anything like it before. You need to read Anna Dressed in Blood first or it'll be harder to understand Cas' world, and there are some big important spoilers. It is scary, and it is creepy, but that's what makes it so good. I can't say how much I think everyone should go out and read this book (after the first one) because it's so great.

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Clockwork Prince

Book Title: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #2

Date Started: August 22nd 2013

Date Completed: August 26th 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:

I really like Cassandra Clare. I think she thinks up amazing stories, and she writes them very well too. But for some reason I just can't seem to connect with the Infernal Devices. I don't know why, but the characters just don't seem to work as well as they should for me, and so the story becomes less interesting for me. I did enjoy Clockwork Prince, and I do think it was better than Clockwork Angel, but they're not as epic at the Mortal Instruments.


Clockwork Prince follows on from Clockwork Angel. Set in Victorian England, Tessa is living with the Shadowhunters of London, safe from the Magister inside the walls of the Institute. But her enemy is still out there, and he's closing in everyday. When the Clave question Charlotte, the head of the Institute's effectiveness as its caretaker, Tessa and the other Nephilim must prove her worth by locating the Magister within a fortnight, or risk forfeiting the Institute and being thrown on the streets. But it isn't as easy as tracking a mundane, and it seems he has ties even from within the Clave itself...

I love Cassie's writing. Not much else to say about it. She's very good at handling a great deal of characters at the same time, and she is always aware of what's going on and how she's going to map everything out. Her action is flawless (although there wasn't much featured in this book), and her description is perfectly good. She actually had me laughing out loud at parts in this novel, and she always finds a way to create the fitting atmosphere and build-up for each event.
One thing I keep noticing about The Infernal Devices is that there are only really two plot lines: the main Magister mystery; and Will's job for Magnus. Nothing else is really important or paid much attention. This surprises me a little, after experiencing Cassie's collection of so many different stories and points-of-view in the Mortal Instruments. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this fact, but I do feel it takes a little bit away from the story and brilliance of the book.

The story is alright. I have to say, it hasn't grabbed me as much as Cassie's other creations. I think the main reason for that is there doesn't seem to be any real threat in my mind - I know the Magister is dangerous, and they are in trouble if the characters don't do anything, but I don't feel particularly threatened by him. I'm also not as close and connected with these characters, so I don't care as much about what happens to them.
The mystery element is really good, and I'm glad it was carried through into this second book in the trilogy. I think it's engaging and it does keep the audience guessing and trying to piece together the clues. It also progressed a lot during this book, but did not get resolved, which spans questions onto the last book.
The negative here was that I felt Clockwork Prince got a little over-taken by the romance. Luckily, it was a conflicted, but interesting storyline with the romance, so it didn't annoy me too much - but I'm not a huge fan of love-based stories.
The end was great, and there were quite a few parts to it. First of all the twist - it was hilarious, and I definitely like this new Will more than the old one. I have to admit I have rolling my eyes a little bit at the idiotic simplicity, but it was very good. Second of all, the awkwardness was so real I felt it myself just reading the book, and I truly felt sorry for Will at the end. And then the political side with the Clave could go any which way in the next book, which I have to admit I really am looking forward to.

Right, the characters. I've said this many times before; I haven't connected with the characters of the Infernal Devices as much as I'd have liked. I don't even have a reason why, since they're all interesting enough, and none of them are particularly unbelievable. But I'm afraid I just don't.
Tessa is a good protagonist. She really annoys me sometimes, I'll be honest. She's like Clary in the way that she's made out to be really talented and thoughtful, but she rarely shows it. Unlike Clary, however, her skills of defending herself are not improving, despite the vigorous training she's been receiving (something I'm still puzzled about since she isn't even Nephilim). She's amazingly ignorant half the time as well, and she can't be that clever if she isn't aware she's leading on two men at the same time. But, at the end of the day, she does have a special gift, and she does her part as being the main heroine and source of the story.
Jem is obviously the main male focus for this book. I remember really not liking Will in Clockwork Angel, because he was the male lead, and I thought he was too full of himself. I was unhappy to find these feelings shifting to Jem at the start of this book. Luckily, they did disappear not too far in, and I still find myself liking him very much now. But I don't find anything particularly amazing about him, I have to be honest.
I find myself liking Will a lot more now that he isn't the centre of attention. I also was very relieved when we learnt a lot more about his backstory now. I don't think we really had to be told all of it, as we were, but it was good to finally start to understand him and therefore be able to get closer to his character. I really started to care about him during Clockwork Prince, and my heart did break a little for him at the end.
Thank god we got to learn a bit more about Jessamine in this book. I love her character so much, and I loved the changes in her story this time! I didn't see them coming, and they helped the story so much. The great thing was, even though I hadn't predicted it, it was something that I could imagine Jessamine doing. I admit, I would have liked more detail into why she did it, and I would have like a little foreshadowing for what I hope to happen in the next book, but I can't complain with the inclusion I got of her in this book.
Nate was great. I can't actually remember what happened to him in the last book to make him how he is now, so it would have been good if there was a little reminder since it clearly wasn't that memorable. But he's a really great character, and he played a vital and interesting part in this book.
Henry and Charlotte are adorable. I absolutely love Henry, and his little outburst three quarters (or something) of the way in was just perfect. I love his and Charlotte's relationship, and I love the fact that they're still made out to be extremely important, despite their older age - which is something you don't see in very many Young Adult books these days.
Magnus is my favourite character in this series. I really liked him in the Mortal Instruments, but for some reason there's a lot more mystery around him in this book, and I just find him fascinating. He's definitely my favourite (and then Alec is my favourite in City of Bones - strange how that works out). He works very well with Will, and I like the way he's kind of isolated from the rest of the Shadowhunters, because it doesn't only stick to his backstory, but also starts to explain some things about his personality when we meet him further down the line.
And Cecily - dun dun DUNNNNNNN! (I had to, sorry.)

The Infernal Devices is different to the Mortal Instruments in the way that it isn't as complex, doesn't have as much action and isn't as character-based. This means that, in theory, the pace is quicker (apart from the action, obviously). We're not having to handle various sub-plots at the same time as the main storyline, and it's less about the people, and more about the story, so it moves on quicker.
But, while the plot of the book might move on more, I don't feel like much progress is actually being made in the development of the characters and story in the series, as a whole. It's almost as if it's being rushed slightly, and so details and development is missed. As a singular story, I'd say the pacing is perfect. But because Clockwork Prince is in a trilogy, I feel like there just needs to be a little more attention to the long-running details and plots - since they aren't really being changed and grown to my immediate attention.

I would recommend Clockwork Prince to anyone who likes Cassie's stories, though in my opinion it isn't her best. There's fantasy and mystery and romance, but it's lacking a little bit in the more adventurous, action side. Definitely read Clockwork Angel first - but I would recommend reading the whole Mortal Instruments series before even that.

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Breaking Point

Book Title: Breaking Point

Author: Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5 #2

Date Started: August 20th 2013

Date Completed: August 22nd 2013

Genres: Dystopian, Thriller, Action, Romance, Mystery, Adventure

Rating: Four stars

Review:


I really love Kristen Simmon's dystopian world, and I think the characters and story work wonderfully in it. But to be honest I'm a little indifferent about the progress and development of the plot in Breaking Point. It was perfectly good and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as exciting as the first book, and I don't feel like an awful lot happened.

Breaking Point continues Ember and Chase's story now that they're with the Resistance. But even after being accepted into the ranks of the rebels, Ember still feels unwelcome in this strange new place, and the rule that she stays inside is starting to become to much for her to handle. But when a sniper starts shootings all over the country, and suspicion turns towards her, she and Chase realise that their safety is questionable even with their supposed allies. They have two options: stay and help the Resistance despite their wavering loyalty; or escape and leave Ember's old friend at the hands of the MM after promising to save her...

I get along well with Simmons' writing. It's easy to read, and I can get through it quickly. It's also got a great narrative that I can connect with, and Ember's character is easily believable and a generally interesting point of view. The action is always great and engaging, and the description is good enough for the purposes of the book.
There's nothing that stands out for me about the writing style really, which puzzles me because I recall finding something special in Article 5. Maybe my preferences have changed, or perhaps Breaking Point just isn't on the same level as her first novel. (I still enjoyed it, so I can't really complain.)

The story was okay. I don't think it was as good as the first book because, although the characters definitely went on a journey, facing various complications at each stage, the variety wasn't really there in what happened and where they went. I understand that after joining the Resistance, Ember and Chase's options were slightly narrowed as to where they could go and what they could do, but this unfortunately meant I wasn't as engaged for a lot of the book. (For example, they basically travelled from one 'safe house' - none of which were in the least bit safe - and then got attacked, or bombed, or threatened etc etc.)
However. I thought the long-runnning plot twist of having to rescue Rebecca from the MM was very good, and really needed to keep the whole story together. There needed to be a goal for Ember - otherwise she really would have just been running from one place to another for no purpose. I admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled with this, because I hadn't connected with Rebecca well in the first book, but at least it was this ending target that kept something for them to do when they'd finished their latest brush with death.

The characters were good, but I only felt close to the ones that stuck around - as is to be expected - but there weren't exactly that many of them...
I really like Ember. She's a good female protagonist. Again, I feel like she was slightly better in the first book, but she was still realistic enough to me, and I think she's a very brave and clever girl. I really like the relationships she builds up with people, even though she can be reckless and mean sometimes. She's a nice variation (not individual, mind) of the typical female lead. (Ember can also actually look after herself, which always gets my approval.)
Chase is a great male interest. I loved him the first book, still love him now. I think he had a little less flare this time, but he was still great. I think, just because we know him a little bit more already in this book, his mysterious appeal lowered a bit - if you know a lot about someone they aren't as mysterious, are they? But he was still great.
I love Sean. I think he kind of took over Chase's role for me, because I constantly wanted to know more about him. This happens a lot with me and series': I like one character, pay them loads of attention and then, by the next book, I have to switch to a different character because I've found out everything there is to know about the first one.
I love Billy to death. He's adorable, and his relationship with Ember is really sweet. He was very realistic for me, and I'm glad someone a lot younger than the other characters was included, so we could see the different effects it had. (Spoiler - kind of) I think of him as Ember and Chase's adopted son.
I actually really like Tucker. I know he's the bad guy and everything, but I think he's a great character and he's really good in this book, especially. I loved his role in the novel, but I felt like he could have been made out as more of a hero by the end. Instead he gets a small nod and then kind of fades into the background. Maybe he'll turn up in the next book to kick some ass, I don't know.
I really don't like Cara. I have a feeling she's supposed to be one of those characters that grows on you or turns out to be nicer behind their walls or whatever, but I don't really feel like that happened. I didn't like her at any point, and frankly she pissed me off for the majority of her screen time.
I can't remember being particularly overwhelmed by Rebecca's character in the second book, which did make it harder to want the group to do well and find her. This uncertain feeling was definitely present again here, but I don't really hate her. I just don't really like her too much either.
Marco and Polo just have awesome names and were a really good duo. I want them to reappear in the last book please.

The pace was a little weak for me. Ironically because it never really stopped. There were points of down-time, but they didn't last very long and they were usually interrupted, or very closely followed, by really fast action or dangerous scenes. There's not a whole lot wrong with this, but due to the story type, I would have liked the quieter moments to have been given a little more detail.
At the end of the day, Breaking Point is an action thriller, so I can't really criticise it for never stopping. It just took some of the effect out of the climaxes and made the slower, more meaningful bits a little more insignificant.

I would recommend Breaking Point to anyone who likes action thrillers, dystopians, romance, crime. It's a really good read, and enjoyable, just not as great as the first one in my opinion. Definitely read Article 5 first, or very little will make sense and loads of spoilers will be revealed if you decide to then go back to the first book.

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