Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Release date: January 5th 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds. 

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.

My thoughts:

When Alyxandra Harvey mentioned Ian Somerhalder twice in her prologue I thought "this is going to be good" and to a certain extent, it was. Stolen Away is  written in the style I've come to expect from Ms Harvey, snappy and precise with not an excess word in sight. Her main characters Jo and Eloise have instant personalities, traits and mannerisms--something I think Harvey is very good at. I also really liked Devin, he played his part as the long suffering male friend well. The rest of the characters I could kinda take or leave. There wasn't much development there and they were pretty cookie cutter. I was pretty disappointed by this as usually Harvey's characters are very three-dimensional. The two love interests in particular were fairly bland; stereotypes rather than characters in their own right. Isadora was one of the best characters and it's not surprising that she was the one with a fully developed and interesting backstory.  

The plot was interesting and didn't dwell too long on describing ALL the different types of fairies and all their different kingdoms and allegiances etc, the details of which I always feel bog a story down. However, at the same time, the plot felt a bit sparse. As though some over-zealous editor had cut out too much of it. This meant the whole story felt a bit rushed, and of course added to the under-developed character dilemma. 

It's a shame really because I feel this story had a lot of potential and can't help feeling like, at just 227 pages, there was some room left for embellishment. If you're a fan of fae stories, or of Alyxandra Harvey in general, this is a quick and enjoyable read--perfect for an afternoon. 

In My Mailbox [23]

In My Mailbox is a meme designed to showcase the very cool books we're all receiving and is hosted by The Story Siren!

So I haven't done an IMM in almost TWO months! I know! My camera cable has gone AWOL, completely and utterly...but I've resorted to using my BlackBerry.

I didn't want to feature EVERY book I've received in the past 2 months, so I've picked out some of my faves to showcase:

For Review:

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Bought:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (review here)

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (review here)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I actually got a copy of CP for review about 3 weeks ago, but I really wanted to pay for a copy so I donated mine to a friend and bought myself one! I also got SJ from NG but then loved it so much I had to own a physical copy! (It's also the first contemporary book I've bought for about 4 years!)

Stolen Away sounds SO good and I love this cover, and ofc I was ridiculously excited to receive Pandemonium.

I want to thank Bloomsbury, Hodder and Walker Books, but also Macmillan who have sent me many cool books recently that I didn't picture. Thank you all! You continually make this girl very happy. 

That's all for now guys, please leave me links in the comments so I can see what you all got! I expect to see lots of Clockwork Prince this week ;)

Review: Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey

Bleeding Hearts (Drake Chronicles #4) by Alyxandra Harvey
Published: 3rd October 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Rating: 5/5


Goodreads description:


Lucy's cousin Christabel has come to live in Violet Hill, and adjusting to the difference between life in a small mountain town and her home in the city is difficult enough. The strict curfew that Lucy's parents enforce is the worst part. Something really dangerous couldn't possibly happen in this tiny town. But Christabel has noticed some mysterious happenings, and it seems like Lucy, her boyfriend Nicholas and his brother Connor are all in on a secret that Christabel doesn't understand - one that seems deadly serious. Although she won't admit it, Christabel would love to be in on any secret with Connor Drake. But after Christabel is kidnapped by the ruthless Hel-Blar vampires, Lucy and Connor finally fill her in on all the undead drama. Together, they must find a way to stamp out the Hel-Blar for good.


My thoughts:


I absolutely adore this series, it is totally my guilty pleasure read. I love the world created, it's so detailed and unique. The plot was really amped up in this book, with more action and intrigue than the previous books. I loved the focus on the Hel-Blar and I just could not put this book down. At first, I found Christabel slightly unrealistic, and her constant hints about her mother annoyed me, as in situations like that I prefer characters to just come out with it rather than continually referencing it. However, despite that I did grow to like her, just not quite as much as I like the other female characters.  I also think Connor is my least favourite of the Drake brothers, but that didn't stop me loving their romance! I loved their interactions, especially in the huge action scenes. Christabel acted how most people would act; even though we probably all wish we'd act differently in that situation-be a little stronger, better fighter etc but in reality we wouldn't. My heart was in my mouth in all the crucial moments, and for once I actually began to doubt they'd all make it out alive. The ending was the biggest clifffhanger ever, I am desperate for the next book!


Again, I was astonished at Harvey's ability to maintain such a huge cast of characters, all of which have distinct personalities and storyarcs and none of which feel abandoned. I can't wait to see how Lucy's training goes, what happens with Christabel...it reminds me somewhat of Grey's Anatomy; a huge cast of characters, but all with storylines and appearances. The little cameos in each book are always really enjoyable. 


The prose was as enjoyable as the previous books, snappy and engrossing. Like I said, I love this series and I pretty much say the same thing in every review. I'm glad I finally started reading it, having passed it over for years. If you haven't yet picked this series up I can't urge you to enough. It's one of the best of its type I've read and the books are all quick reads. 

Review: Out For Blood

Out For Blood (The Drake Chronicles #3) by Alyxandra Harvey
Published: November 1st 2011
Published: Bloomsbury PLC

Goodreads Description:

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?
My thoughts:


I gotta say, I think this is my fave of the 3 Drake Chronicle books currently released. I'm possibly in love with Quinn…what is it with vamps named Quinn? I always love them. But he’s the most entertaining of the Drake brother’s we’ve met so far, definitely the most sarcastic and reckless.

I liked Hunter too, she was a smart and loyal girl, dedicated to her cause but not indoctrinated in any way.  She was open to change and alliance which I loved about her, and her enthusiasm and excitement about the upheaval in her world was great to see.

I just loved the whole vampire hunter/vampire relationship going on with Hunter (great name) and Quinn. There’s something about forbidden love that’s just exhilarating to read about. I loved the progression of their relationship too, I thought it was fairly natural and less insta-lovey than maye Logan and Isabeau’s was in the previous book.

The plot of this book is less centered on the Drakes and revolves more around the Helios-Ra academy that Hunter and her friends attend. Whilst this book wasn’t an in-depth outline of everything that goes on at the academy it was great to get an insight into that world, as the last book gave an insight into the Hounds. I definitely enjoyed this plot the most-it had more of a mystery element to it than the others and it was hard to know who to trust and who not too-something I love in a novel. It really keeps the reader on edge and hyper-aware, looking for any hints as to who the culprit may be.

We saw a few sacrifices in this book unlike the previous two, and I have a feeling there’ll be more of those to come as the series progresses. Whilst most people hate to see characters killed off/maimed/in anyway put out I definitely think it adds more to the realism of the story, as well as playing on the reader’s emotions

Harvey has yet to write a novel, a character, a plot, a line of prose that I haven’t adored, and openly fawned over. If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet-you’re making a grave (ha) error. Get yourself down to your bookshop and purchase one immediately! 

Review: Blood Feud

Blood Feud (The Drake Chronicles #2) by Alyxandra Harvey
Published: 22nd june 2010
Publisher: Bloomsbury PLC


Goodreads Description:


The action and romance continue as the Drakes face a new vampire with a 200-year-old grudge. It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks. 

The clans are gathering for Helena’s royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha’s reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy. 

This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan’s and Isabeau’s perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.


My thoughts:

This is the 2^nd book of the Drake Chronicles and, if it’s even possible, better than the first. Isabeau’s character was so strong and resilient that you instantly loved her. It was really good seeing how difficult her life was in the French revolution, and the horrors she went though after being turned, that definitely helped me bond with her character.

I also enjoyed learning more about the Hounds, the pagan-esque vampire group who live in caves, wear bones and train dogs. I thought the Hounds were pretty awesome and it was great to learn more about how they lived, why they existed and all about their rituals. I love the mythology that Harvey has created in this series, it’s so unique and yet still maintaining important aspects of traditional vampire lore. There was less exposition in this book than in the first, which I definitely appreciated.

This story focuses on another of the Drake boys and in this book it’s Logan, the self-proclaimed ‘best dressed’ of the pack. I really liked how Harvey introduces a different Drake brother, a new love interest, a new plotline and yet manages to still incorporate the plot and main characters from the previous book. We still hear about Solange and Kieran and Lucy and Nicholas, which I really admire, tying that many elements together in a coherent fashion cannot be easy.

The book takes place only a week after the previous, which was a clever move as the last book ended with an insane battle scene, so the immediate aftermath of that is avoided, but it’s also not too far in the future that you want to know how things worked out. You learn more about the intricacies of the problems facing the Drake family in the aftermath of the previous book which I liked, it wasn’t all “lalala now everything is perfect” but also not too much drama that it got annoying. There was a great balance in the plot, especially between the scenes revolving around Logan and Isabeau and the scenes relating to the main plot.

Despite the vampires, teen characters, and love stories these books are an absolute breath of fresh air. I feel so…clean after reading them. It’s so easy to tell that they’re not written to fulfil popular criteria simply to get published, they’re well thought out and well executed and whilst not exactly deep and meaningful they’re a light and enjoyable read whilst still including my favourite YA elements.  

Harvey’s snappy prose and hilarious character exchanges make these books a perfectly entertaining read-great for a relaxing afternoon! 5/5 

Review:Haunting Violet

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Published: 4th July 2011 UK (available now)
Publisher: Bloomsbury PLC


Description from Goodreads:

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My thoughts:

I love books set in the Victorian era. I’m not a huge historical fic fan, but anything Victoriana I will make an exception for. I love Harvey’s Drake Chronicles series, so I was eager to see if her new standalone novel lived up to my expectations and it did not disappoint. Haunting Violet follows the story of a fake spiritualist medium and her daughter, Violet who does not believe in ghosts and yet, ironically, can see them and converse with them. The book is part murder mystery part paranormal intrigue and fully entertaining.

I loved Violet’s character instantly. She’s got a pretty bad lot in life, forced to go along with her mother’s outrageous schemes, but she’s not bitter or self-pitying in the least. Her friend Elizabeth was definitely my favourite-she was absolutely hilarious and provided much needed comic relief to the plot. I really liked Colin too, and I enjoyed the development of his relationship with Violet, it was very fitting of the time, and it was enjoyable to see a relationship that had clearly happened over time and not sprung up out of nowhere.

The mystery element of the plot was done exceedingly well-I think I suspected everyone except the actual culprit, everyone in the story seemed to have a motive, without it appearing forced. I loved how the story unfolded slowly, but with enough pace that the plot was kept interesting throughout. The  séance scenes were fantastically written-I loved reading about all the tricks Violet’s mother employed to fool her guests and it was obvious this had been well researched which I appreciated.

Harvey’s writing style was impeccable as always, but a few phrases stuck out as definitely non-Victorian. I wasn’t ridiculously bothered by their presence, but I definitely noted them.

The supporting characters were as well thought out and embellished as the main ones, something I really admire in a book as making sure characters don’t seem as though they’re only included to further the storyline is one of the hardest things to get right in my opinion. I enjoyed reading the back stories of the characters we were given.

I thought the ending was perfect-what needed to be wrapped up was done so-but it wasn’t so happy that you were left with that dissatisfaction that comes with an unrealistic conclusion. I genuinely wanted the best for Violet, I wanted her to marry someone rich and live out her days in bliss-and that’s not something I can say often. I’m a sadistic reader, I like it when people die, when the love interest dies, when their parents die…you get my drift. But for Violet I wanted that happy ending and that is excellent character building on Harvey’s part.

Overall this was a spooky and thrilling piece with an overarching gothic feel that I adored. My only regret is that it was a standalone!

5/5

Haunting Violet is available now on Amazon.co.uk, click here to go to the page.

Review: My Love Lies Bleeding

My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey
Published: 22nd December 2009 (UK)
Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK)

Description from Goodreads:


The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.


My thoughts:


I loved this book immediately! I loved Lucy and Solange's narration I instantly clicked with their characters. I'm not always a fan of changing perspectives but in this case I really liked it. I love seeing girl's perspectives of each other- where Lucy thinks Solange is prettiest for certain reasons, then it flips to Solange and you see how she thinks Lucy is the prettiest and how she wishes she could look like her. I think that really holds true to girls in reality. Lucy is such a funny narrator and I loved her banter with the Drake brothers. Solange's voice was quieter and more analytical but I loved that too. 


I loved the take on the vampire mythology in this book-I thought it was really fresh and interesting. I loved how there were so many different types of vampire and how each had their own backstory. I'll admit the description of them all definitely pulled me out of the story briefly, but it was really interesting to hear about.  The vampire pheromones were a nice touch, I liked that their lure was less supernatural and more of a scientific evolutionary thing, that always appeals to me. 


I definitely had a bit of a soft spot for Nicholas, one of Solange's 7 brothers. He reminded me a bit of Fang in Max Ride. I felt the other brothers faded into the background a bit, which is to be expected when there's 6 of them, but I heard the rest of the stories revolve around different brothers so I've forgiven that. I liked how protective they all were of Solange and I loved her mum Helena, she was hilarious. The only thing I was a bit confused about was if the males in the Drake Family are all born vampires, and they all turn when they're 16, as is what happens in their family, does that mean Solange's Dad looks 16? It was never fully explained, and I guess that's the case and if so that's a bit weird. Not sure how I feel about that if all the males are 16 then their turned wives look their actual age. 


When I first picked it up I didn't actually expect that much to happen in it, but it had a kick ass plot and I couldn't put it down! I started reading it on the train to Nottingham and whilst I was with my friends I was constantly wondering what was going to happen in the book, I couldn't wait to get back on the train the next day so I could finish it! It's one of those books that really flows well and you just devour until its finished. I definitely didn't expect all the twists and turns to the plot, but I really enjoyed them and I was literally on the edge of my train seat towards the end. 


This book is a refreshing and gripping take on vampire lore, with an obviously well planned out and interesting backstory. All the characters are well written and the plot is fantastic. I can't wait to read more about the Drakes!


5/5