Review: Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Publisher: Greenwillow

Publication Date: May 19, 2015

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

What I Liked:

This book was pretty great! Definitely worth the long wait between this one and Heather Dixon's last novel, Entwined. Entwined was one of my favorite books of 2011 - and one of my favorites of all time! Fairy tale retelling, gorgeous fantasy, and lots of great humor. This book, Illusionarium, was a bit different, but with elements of Entwined that are true to Dixon's unique writing style. While I think I liked Entwined more (let's face it - I LOVED Entwined, and little will come close to it), I certainly enjoyed this book, and definitely want to read more by Dixon!

Jonathan and his family live in a large aerial city, living their lives and minding their business. His father is the second best scientist/surgeon in the second only to lady Florel, a cold by genius scientist who apprenticed his father. When the queen falls ill with Venen, the disease that is killing the people of the city, Jonathan and his father are taken to the king's ship. But when Jonathan's mother and sister contracts Venen, Jonathan gets caught up in a chemical called fantillium, a Lady Florel that isn't Lady Florel, a power he did not know he had, and a world he never knew existed.

Just a note - this book is not related to Entwined at all! This book is a historical fiction novel with aspects of fantasy and parallel worlds in it. Not quite time travel, though there is some playing with time. The ideas of this book are so interesting! Aerial cities is what drew me, but the illusions business is pretty cool too. Jonathan takes fantillium, and discovers that he can create illusions very well, with fantillium's aid. Could he illusion time to speed up? Could he illusion a cure's creation? Could he... illusion himself into a new world? Well, he didn't. The Lady Florel that isn't Lady Florel drags him to the parallel London, where she is queen. There, she strikes a deal: illusion for her, and she'll give him the cure.

This book is definitely a bit slow at first. Things really didn't "start" for me until Jonathan enters the parallel city of Nod'ol (the spelling of the name is eluding me at the moment, but I think that's correct). There, he is forced to compete in an illusion contest of a sort. The purpose is entertainment, but he must create amazing illusions and beat two prodigy illusionists (who are also in the competition to win something precious) in order to get the cure. The illusion aspect of this book is really interesting, and the side effects of fantillium are totally creepy. I won't give anything away, but the side effects are weird!

This book is told from Jonathan's point-of-view. Jonathan is such a kindhearted, jovial character. This book has an overall humorous tone, and Jonathan's inner voice is quite funny. Lockwood is another primary character, though his point-of-view is not featured. Lockwood is a military officer in the king's ship, a lieutenant, if I remember correctly. He is constantly trying to choke Jonathan (no, seriously), after Jonathan (accidentally) let the doppelganger Lady Florel escape. Lockwood comes with Jonathan to Nod'ol, though he can't illusion. Lockwood is a hilarious addition to this story, and I'm glad Dixon kept constructing his character throughout the book. The book would not have been as funny or as enjoyable without him. 

Another important character is Hannah - Anna in Nod'ol. Hannah/Anna is Jonathan's sister. Anna is the sister we see more of, as more of the book is spent in Nod'ol. Anna becomes a critical character in Nod'ol, just like Hannah is a critical character in London. There's also a little romance involving her, which was sweet. Jonathan has his own lady love, though his romance is by fair the least important aspect of the book. You might as well go in thinking there is ZERO romance to this book. Which is fine! This book doesn't need romance to stand on its own "legs".

The world-building was pretty well-done, in my opinion. I think I saw complaints about this, but I also think you really have to read the entire book to get a good grasp on the concepts of the book. I think Dixon's writing and world-building is solid. 

I loved the historical fiction aspect of the book! Dixon definitely has the historical side down. I'm also a huge history fan, so naturally I was obsessed with this part of the book. This time period is one of my favorites, and it's fascinating to see how Dixon incorporates something so unreal - an aerial city - into this time period. Creative!

This book wraps up really nicely as a standalone! The story started and finished and there really aren't any loose ends or leftover questions to be answered. This is good - I like it when standalones are airtight like that, with no room for ambiguity. The ending is very pleasant and light, though there is a death that was super sad. But then it's not as sad when something else happens. So the ending overall is very sweet. You'd have to read it to know what I mean!

What I Did Not Like:

This one definitely reads as a "younger" YA novel. Entwined had a "younger" YA vibe to it too, so I wasn't really surprised when I started reading this book and thought it was a tiny bit on the juvenile side. Not trivial or childish, but not the tone of a mature YA book that one might think of this book, given its strong historical fiction and fantasy foundations. So, if you're turned off by "lower" YA books, perhaps this one isn't for you. It didn't really bother me, though I definitely noticed it.

Would I Recommend It:

I would recommend this one! It's light and humorous and a fast read. The story is interesting, the concepts are pretty unique, and the cover is lovely! What's not to like! Unless you're not a fan of YA for a younger audience - see my note above.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I liked this book! I hope Dixon has more novels up her sleeve, because I wouldn't mind reading more of her work.

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Blog Tour Review: Relic by Renee Collins

Welcome to the Relic tour! I'm so excited to be a part of this tour, and to share my review with you today! Renee Collins is one of the Friday the Thirteeners, and one of my various goals of 2013 (and 2014, since two authors got their books pushed back to April 2014) is to read all the Thirteeners books.

Anyway! Enjoy the post!

Relic by Renee Collins

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: August 27, 201

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

What I Liked:

I am happy to say that I liked this book! One of my many bookish goals this year is to read all of the Friday the Thirteeners books (check out their blog! They have cool stuff every Friday!). I own all of the books that have been released (ten of them) in some format, but as of right now, I've only read... five of them. This is one of the five!

Anyway, this one was pretty great! I love historical fiction. This book takes place in the old western Colorado times when people hated Native Americans and were totally prejudiced against them. Maggie's hometown is one of several that were burned down - supposedly by Apaches. But Maggie knows better - her Apache friend from school saved her. The Apaches are not the ones behind the fires and violence and death.

Maggie meets the illustrious Alvar Castilla in a relic factory. Maggie has a strange affinity for relics, as she is able to sense them better than most. Alvar discovers this when they meet, and offers Maggie a place at his home, in exchange for her services with relics. Maggie declines. Though she doesn't love her job with Adelaide at a saloon, she loves her friends, and when she meets Landon, she starts to fall in love with him.

But the law officials starts to move against the Apaches. And then Maggie's sister gets into trouble, and is in desperate need of medical attention. Maggie accepts Alvar's offer to live at his house and become acquainted with his relics, for Maggie's health and well-being.

So, this book is basically split into two parts: Maggie's time at the saloon, with Landon, and Adelaide, and figuring out how to help the Apaches. And then, Maggie's time at Alvar's hacienda, learning about relics, and wondering about her life and how she can help the Apaches.

I love the historical aspect of this book. Ms. Collins does her research so well - I can tell she knows what she's talking about, in terms of Old Colorado. Maggie's voice is unmistakable, and completely authentic, in my opinion. 

The plot of the story is pretty good. I was interested the entire time, right up until the end. The end kind of did not hold my interest, and I sort of skimmed it. I mean, I read it, but not as thoroughly as I read the rest of the book. But Ms. Collins definitely takes her readers on a ride! Everything about the relics and the powers and the mystery is so intriguing! I almost forgot that somehow, the burning towns have to connect to the relics. It all comes together at the end!

The romance is sweet. Poor Landon has to deal with Maggie and her shenanigans. First, she flat-out rejects him. Then she likes him. Then she leaves him (and everyone) when she goes to live with Alvar. Then she gets jealous because she's seen with someone else. Then they have a totally hot make-out session. Then... the climax and the end of the book (in terms of the romance) was surprising. Read it to know what I mean!

All in all, I enjoyed this book, and I'm pleased to have had the chance to read it early!

What I Did Not Like:

There were small things that bothered me. Like, for one, I really hated Maggie's sister. She's conceited, selfish, a total brat, rude, ungrateful, and she's like, seven? Ten? Somewhere around there. It's not like she was SPOILED when their parents and brother were alive. I don't know or understand why she expected royal treatment the duration of the book. Gosh, I hate her so much. HATE. HER.

And like I said above, I kind of lost interest in the very end of the book. I didn't read it quite as closely as the rest of the book, mostly because I seriously did not understand what was going on. I re-read the end twice, and I still don't understand some thing. Whatever. I get the gist of things.

And I totally feel bad for Alvar, despite his sleaziness. 

Would I Recommend It:

Yep! If you like historical fiction books, check this one out! This book shared a different time in history than I'm used to, but I really liked it and I'm satisfied with the historical aspect of the book, as well as mostly everything else!

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I like giving debut authors the benefit of the doubt. And I really did enjoy this book!

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About the Author:

Renee Collins graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in History, and currently lives with her family in the shadow of the Colorado red-rock cliffs, thugh she hasn't unearthed a relic. Yet. Relic is her first novel.

Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

8/19/2013 - Jessabella Reads - Review

8/20/2013 - Books, Bones & Buffy - Guest Post

8/21/2013 - The Quiet Concert - Review

8/22/2013 - Fantasy Book Addict - Interview

8/23/2013 - Heather Hearts Books - Review

8/26/2013 - Hobbitsies - Guest Post

8/27/2013 - The Demon Librarian - Review

8/28/2013 - Fade into Fantasy - Interview

8/29/2013 - The Eater of Books! - Review

8/30/2013 - Notebook Sisters - Guest Post

Review: The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Book Three of the Fire and Thorns series

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Riveting, surprising, and achingly romantic, Rae Carson has spun a bold and powerful conclusion to her extraordinary trilogy.

What I Liked:

SPOILER FREE REVIEW! I think. Well, read at your own risk. Definitely spoilers for Book One and Book Two. But I think I did a good job of keeping spoilers out of this review for Book Three.

Ahhhh, I loved this book so much! I can't believe this series is over! I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns two years ago, and I didn't absolutely love it. It was good, but I wasn't a huge fan, and I didn't really remember much of the book. Two years later, I attempted to read The Crown of Embers, and loved it! I read it because I knew I'd have to read this one - this one being a requested eARC.

Well, despite the fact that I didn't completely love the first book, didn't really remember it, but then really liked the second book, I was completely blown away by this conclusion! The second book ended in a cliffhanger, and I know a lot of people who read it but haven't had the chance to read The Bitter Kingdom were in agony. I was lucky in that right after I read book two, I jumped into book three. So, the cliffhanger didn't seem so bad.

Carson splits this book up into several sections. First, Elisa is on a mission to get Hector back. Then, she needs to go to the land of Inviernos to settle things. Then, she needs to go back to Cosme's land, to meet with Cosme and Alodia (the meeting of the queens that was mentioned at the end of book two).

With Elisa is Mara, her loyal handmaid, Belen, her loyal friend and guard (since Hector was captured), Storm, an Invierno-turned-loyal-subject, and a new addition - a small child named Mula. She's about Prince Rosario's age, give or take. While chasing Hector's captors, Elisa and her companions stay at an inn, where they see this young mixed-breed girl being treated badly. Elisa frees her of the inn, and Mula joins them in the search for Hector.

I feel like this isn't a spoiler, but they eventually find and rescue Hector. Actually, he was doing a pretty good job of rescuing himself. But anyway, that was nice. One of my favorite scenes is when Elisa tells him she has engaged the two of them to be married. Poor Hector!

So Hector comes with them to the Invierno capital. Things happen. Storm and his sister Waterfall get them an audience with their father (I believe it's their father). Things happen. Then Waterfall joins the group in heading back to meet Cosme. More things happen. Then, the final battle.

I loved the plot of this book. Not once was I bored, or about to throw my Kindle at the wall. And Carson has a way of throwing things into the plot that you don't see coming, but that are totally necessary to the story. I like what she did with Elisa and the oasis - that was unexpected.

The romance is so sweet. I am convinced that Hector is the best male heroine in Young Adult literature that I have encountered. When I say "best", I mean he is honorable, loyal, courageous, selfless, committed... I could go on. He is so sweet and powerful and protective and amazing. Margot from Epic Reads and I started a meme on Twitter - #GoodGuyHector. He's an all-around good guy! He's definitely one of my favorite heroes.

Did I mention that Hector's point-of-view is occasionally thrown around in this book? YES! It's not just Elisa! We get Hector's view on things every few scenes! It's awesome! 

I think this book - and series - ended extremely well!  You know that sad feeling you get when a series is over? I experienced no such thing. Carson ended this series so perfectly, and I loved it. I was so happy when this book ended - especially the way it did.

What I Did Not Like:

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I've had this problem since the beginning of the series. Usually, I'm really good with remembering names of people, places, things, etc., in fantasy novels and books in general. But I seriously could NOT keep up with the amount of names for all the places in this book. And some of the people's names slipped through the cracks as well. There are so many terms and people and places that aren't in English that I had a hard time remembering. For the life of me, I have no idea what any of the places are called - except Brisadulce, and Joya something.

I feel like this can't just be me. I had this problem in book one, book two, and book three. Usually, I do an excellent job of categorizing and remembering all of the weird terms and names. In this book (and series)? Not so much.

Would I Recommend It:

Yesssss! This is an awesome high fantasy series that I started out sort of shaky but ended up completely loving. The romance is amazing, but the politics and other plots of this story is what made it truly unique.

Rating:

4 stars. I hope any and/or all of you reading this review will check out this series! I'm so glad I stuck with it.

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Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Book Two of the Fire and Thorns series

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

What I Liked:

I am ACTUALLY kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I got an ARC last summer, thanks to Epic Reads, and I never took the opportunity to read this one. To be honest, I am definitely scared of sequels - more scared of sequels than I am scared of conclusion books. And the other deterrent? I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns years ago. I literally remember NOTHING from book one, except the deaths of Humberto and Elisa's husband. When I cracked book two, a few things started to come back... but I especially didn't remember Hector being so, um, prominent in book one.

Anyway. I really liked this book! I believe that when I read book one, I liked it, but I couldn't really see how the series would work out, and how the romance would work out. But this book is an EXCELLENT sequel, and in my opinion, takes the series in a much different path than I expected. In a good way!

To sum it all up in a really concise way, Elisa needs to find the all-encompassing source of power that will fuel her Godstone, making her and the Godstone crazy awesome and possibly invincible (or something). She and her suitor Tristan, and her not-so-much-appreciated "friend" Belen, and Hector, and other friends of Elisa help her travel to find this mythical source of power. But I'm getting ahead of myself. That's the second half of the book.

The first half of the book deals with Elisa and her new role as queen. Her husband is dead, and she is left with a riotous kingdom, a little crown prince, and a mess, really just one big mess. There is an assassination attempt on her life, which slows her, and there are times when she needs to show her power and stand as queen. Those scenes are heartbreaking - especially the poison/kitchen scene.

I think that Carson does a great job of showing growth in Elisa. I remember what Elisa was like in book one (and I didn't really like her, which is one of the reasons why I didn't care to remember the book), but I think from book one to book two, Elisa has developed substantially. I love the new Elisa - she is decisive even when she is unsure, she is willing and determined even when she has opposition. 

The plot of this book is, as I said before, divided into two sections: the kingdom, and the journey to the zafira (the source of power). There are new characters in this book - plenty - such as Mara (I don't remember her being in book one. She wasn't - right? I know she has her own novella), Storm (loveeee him), and Tristan (he's cool). And the Quorum members. I don't like the Quorum. But neither does Elisa.

The romance. Okay, to be completely honest, I found the "romance" in book one, with Alejandro, and Humberto, really, really unsatisfying and unbelievable and trivial. I expected better of Elisa, and of Carson, and that was one of the reasons why I was disappointed and nonchalant about book one - because the romance was blah. And both of those men die at the end of book one. 

So, the romance in this book? I didn't see it coming. If I hadn't read the end of this book (oops...) before reading the whole book, I would have been completely thrown. Heck, I WAS completely thrown, when I peeked at the ending! But I loved the romance! Hector is... dreamy. And seriously the BEST male protagonist and love interest that I have encountered in a really long time. He is seriously a good guy. Like, a good guy, with very little issues and crappy pasts and problems and everything. He's honorable and selfless and he genuinely cares about Elisa. And she cares about him!

The ending: I WILL NOT SPOIL IT, but, WHY DO AUTHORS ALWAYS DO THIS IN THE SEQUEL!? In trilogies, I've noticed that authors will have a great first book, and then a crazy, series-changing sequel with an insane, heartbreaking ending, and then a crazy conclusion that is full of bloodshed or the equivalent of a ton of wars and violence overcome.

WELL. I'm so glad that I didn't have to wait to read The Bitter Kingdom. I've had that one since early winter 2013 - I just needed to read this one to read book three. And I already have (tomorrow's review), so be ready for that!

What I Did Not Like:

There isn't much that I didn't like about this book. I wanted a tad bit more from the romance, but what Elisa decides in the end (the very end) is good enough for me. AND, I already read book three, so I can't complain. UGH, focusing on book two here. It's hard because I read this book a few weeks ago, and I'm typing my review way after reading the book.

Anyway. The ending is also extremely heartbreaking and unexpected and it totally crept up on me! Remember how I said I peeked at the end? Well, after reading the ENTIRE ending, I was like, what?! Stupid Ximena. I never really liked her. But she's a good person. Sort of.

I just did LOVE this book, like I LOVED book three. Funny, because they both got the same rating though.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! This book does not fall victim to the sequel slump or sophomore slump or whatever it's called. I had no reason to be afraid of reading this sequel. *kicks self*

Rating:

4 stars. If you haven't started this series, you should! And if you're like me, and couldn't remember book one, don't worry! You'll be fine! And if you didn't like book one... keep reading. I promise it gets better. And BETTER ;)

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Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Book Two of the Throne of Glass series

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.

But her heart never wavers.

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?

What I Liked:

POSSIBLE THRONE OF GLASS SPOILERS! I'm going to keep this review as general as possible, for fear of spoiling anything. But, just to be safe, you should probably read Throne of Glass. Or read this review at your own risk. Though it will be general!

This book picks up about where the first one leaves off. Celaena is know the King's champion, and she is sent to kill the king's enemies. Except, she doesn't want to kill anyone. So she finds ways to get around doing the king's bidding without raising his suspicion.

But then the King order her to kill a man she knew in her past named Archer. While she is on the quest to find a way around killing Archer, she discovers new and terrifying things. The King is not the only person she should fear. There is something - or things - that he has, that he possesses, that endangers the lives of everyone.

Basically, the first book was centered around the competition. This book is centered around Archer's demise. Celaena discovers more in the king's palace, as she goes exploring even more, past the ancient king's tomb. Secrets are made known. Promises are made. Lives are cost.

The plot of this book is phenomenal. Ms. Maas doesn't just have this book centered around Archer's impending doom. There is also Celaena's exploration of the palace, her discovery of new things about the Fae and evil forces, and her romantic life.

Ah, the romance. I was team Dorian in the first book. Now, I sort of hate Dorian, and totally am team Chaol. Go Chaol! Love you too! Things happen between Chaol and Celaena that pushes them together. But then, things happen that push them apart. I have no idea where the romance is going, but I genuinely like how Ms. Maas is treating the romance between her characters as if it weer a real romance. She jerks them around, but she makes the characters FEEL everything.

However, the romance was the thing that I really hated in this book as well. See below.

Overall, this book was great! There are SIX books in this series. Book one - the competition. Book Two - Archer's doom. Book Three - the Fae (not telling anymore than that!). 

What I Did Not Like:

The romance. I. HATED. IT.

Of course, above, I said I loved the romance, and how Ms. Maas made everything real, but I hate what she did with the romance in this book. In this book, Dorian makes a choice to try and forget Celaena. Also, Celaena makes a choice with Chaol. HOWEVER, something happens that causes Celaena to basically go insane and try to kill Chaol, and run straight to Dorian. NOT romantically, but it totally could have gone the romantic way with Dorian and Celaena.

Here's the thing. I WAS team Dorian in book one. I'm team Chaol in this book, and probably the rest of the series. I liked what Ms. Maas did in the first half of the book with the romance. But what she did in the second half? Bulls***. I hate Celaena. I loathe her, even. She abandons Chaol, and runs straight to Dorian, under the pretense of needing a friend. BULLS***.

Celaena is so ridiculous and I absolutely hate her. She's redeemed a tiny bit in my eyes because of the end, and what she says (even though the end is not all a resolution between Chaol and Celaena). Celaena kept her duty from Chaol; why is it any different if he keeps his duty from her? And then she goes insane when The Big Thing happens. I really don't believe her reaction AT ALL. Again. BULL. S***.

Here's another thing: she's so "bada**", but she kills NO ONE, and she whines and moans A LOT. I'm not seeing what's so "bada**" about an "assassin" that doesn't assassinate anyone! I sort of understand the moral question, but how can she have any morals whatsoever, when she's proudly named Ardalan's Assassin (or whatever)? Doesn't make sense to me. Actually, that makes me really angry. You can't have it both ways, Celaena.

I hate her. A lot. 

Would I Recommend It:

Sort of. I know I just went on a bit of a rant with the last section, but there's no need to stop reading this series! At least, that's what I'm telling myself. I hated the romance, and I hated Celaena. BUT. The plot, the story of this book? Awesome. I loved Throne of Glass way more, but I think most people will enjoy this sequel.

I'll probably read the rest of this series (there are SIX books!), but we'll see.

Rating:

3 stars. Not perfect, and no where near the quality of Throne of Glass (in my opinion!), but a pretty great sequel nonetheless!

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Cover Reveal: See Me by Wendy Higgins

Cover reveal time again!

Seriously, though. I NEED to make that banner.

I roll through cover reveals every single week!

And they're all so lovely.

ESPECIALLY THIS ONE!

Check it out!

See Me by Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Official Summary:

While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his cute Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she could have imagined. 

What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.

About the Author:

Wendy Higgins is the author of Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril from HarperTeen. She lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband, daughter, son, and puppy Rue. 

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What do you all think?! I love this cover! And the summary sounds awesome! See Me is not available for pre-order, as it is going to be a self-published novel. BUT, October isn't too far away!