Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Release date: 26th September 2013

Publisher: Gollancz 

Reason for reading: Historial urbanish fantasy with fae-hunting? Erm, yes

Add it on Goodreads

Buy: Waterstones | Hive

Goodreads synopsis

One girl's nightmare is this girl's faery tale. 

She's a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title — and drop-dead beauty.

She's a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. She's leading a double life: She has the rare ability to sense the sìthichean — the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans — and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She's a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her abilities and her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons — from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols — ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She's a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with the gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder — but she'll have to save the world first.

My thoughts:

The Falconer instantly appealed to me for a couple of reasons. One, I'm a big urban fantasy fan but have only read one other historical UF title which was Grave Mercy. Two, The Falconer sounded a little bit like Grave Mercy. Three, The Falconer sounded a little bit like Grave Mercy crossed with the Fever series with a little bit of steampunk added in, and it totally was. 

Lady Aileana Kameron might be a nobleman's daughter, but lately she's much more at home with her skirts torn to shreds, clutching a deadly crossbow and facing off with a faery than she is dancing at a ball with her many suitors. I really felt for Aileana because not only was she having to fight these faeries that just insisted on showing up at the most inconvenient times but she was having to deal with her mother's death and the fact that practically everyone, even her father, thought her responsible. Regency Britain was not a place where you wanted to cause any controversy, especially as a young, unmarried woman and unfortunately for Aileana, and despite her many attempts to appear reputable, controversy seems to follow her around just as doggedly as the fae she's always fighting.

I loved how we jumped into Aileana's journey a year after her mother's death, after all the initial realisations, explanations and training, it made the whole plot feel more vibrant and was a lot less bogged down by exposition and revelation. The different castes of fae and elements of their lore were explained naturally, as we came across them, which felt really refreshing.  I was a little unsure about the steampunk aspect, as myself and steampunk haven't always gotten along, but it felt super natural, not at all shoehorned in or over explained, which I think can sometimes be a bit of an issue as authors can feel the need to describe every tiny detail of every gadget/outfit/device just to show that it's steampunk. I loved how this element really tied into the plot with Aileana's fae-hunts, and how it added another aspect to her personality with her inventions. Aileana is smart, smart and capable and inventive and I really felt for how she was so constrained, both by society and by herself, as she couldn't make herself give up her need for revenge. She was really easy to like and admire, and I just wanted everything to go right for her.

I loved Derrick as a character, he provided much needed comic relief and it was nice that Aileana had a supportive presence. I was such a fan of Kiaran, as I was always going to be and I loved how that element of the plot unfolded. The big surprise character-wise for me was Gavin. Not the sort of character I'd normally like, but he was so supportive and noble and took everything in his stride and was just so perfect and I...really liked him. 

I felt that after the initial adrenalin burst of the opening few chapters, the pace of the book slowed down and it took me a while to get re-invested in the story, but once I was I absolutely flew through the fast-paced tension-filled final part. The ending was such a cliffhanger, the kind that made me absolutely desperate for the sequel but that also makes the wait for it so, so delicious.  

TL:DR; The Falconer really works as a historical urban fantasy novel, the steampunk elements only enhancing its appeal. With a cast of likable and interesting characters, an enjoyable lack of exposition and a cliffhanger ending that will leave you begging for the sequel, it's perfect for light fantasy fans. 

Series review: The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever (Fever #2) by Karen Marie Moning
Released: October 2007
Publisher: Delacourt Press
Reason for reading: Continuation of a series

Other books in the series: Darkfever, Faefever, Dreamfever. Shadowfever

Series rating: 4/5

**This is a review of books 2-5 in the series, my review of Darkfever can be found here**

Goodreads description of Bloodfever:

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.

My thoughts:

As soon as I finished Darkfever I realised I needed to read the next one which I immediately got for my Kindle. It's weird, because reading the first book, I did have a lot of misgivings but I can safely say that this series is one of my favourite Urban Fantasy series' ever. I love the take on the Fae in this book, it's a little different from most interpretations and is really interesting.

My favourite thing about this series has to be the interactions between Barrons and Mac. They are so...multi-layered and complicated. There's an undercurrent of sexual tension with every conversation and this becomes more pronounced as the books progress. I loved wondering how they felt about each other, trying to find a hidden, or sometimes, not so hidden message in the words they exchanged. I loved their silent conversations; how they knew each other so well they could could interact non-verbally. They have to be one of my favourite character pairings ever. I really liked how their story arc turned out and the revelations that we had-and didn't have-about Barrons. I loved watching the change of attitudes that the two had towards one another and the gradual acceptance that came from so much time spent together. One of my only issues was that I found them so distracting I was often impatient to get to their next encounter and not always enjoying the rest of the plot in between!

Mac's character development across the series is outstanding. She goes from being a naive and quite annoying girl to a strong, capable and independent woman, fully able to fight her own battles and make her own choices. The things she did and the events that occured and what happened to her affected her character in a way that felt truly organic. I liked the explanation of her nature at the end of series that helped explain where some of her character changes came from. I liked how, at the end, she became a happy medium between the girl she was and the girl she became. She was lovable and fun but also hard and firm and wise. It was really interesting to see the parts of herself collide and combine across the series. 

I think the other characters are fantastic as well; the story is all about Barrons and Mac but V'lane certainly makes his mark and even Darroc has an interesting story arc. I loved the inclusion of Dani; a sort of surrogate sister for Mac. I loved how her character developed and the revelations we had about her, although I felt her story wasn't as complete as it could have been (although I have just discovered she features in the book Iced, so that now makes sense). I thought so many secondary characters such as all the fae, the sidhe-seers and the druids etc might confuse the story but they really didn't. I think the Dreamy Eyed Guy was one of my favourite characters. 

The ending of book 3 is when this series got serious for me. I just...was not expecting it to go down that way. I finished Faefever at 1am and I was just in shock. If I'd finished it earlier I would have started the next one immediately but I really needed to sleep! I really didn't know what was going to happen in the aftermath of that ending. I felt similarly about the ending of book 4, only worse! I literally could not believe what had happened. I found myself barely concentrating on book 5, unable to enjoy it until that particular plot element was explained. I also loved the almost post-apocalyptic feel that the latter half of this series had; it really added to the atmosphere and gave the story a grittier, more realistic feel. 

I found this series so riveting I just could not stop reading. I never guessed any of the plot twists and feel that this is one of the most surprising, most unpredictable, most enjoyable series I have read in a while. I was set a little on edge by the treatment of women (namely Mac) in this series. Sex is used as a weapon A LOT which was something I was not entirely comfortable with. It was also used in other ways that made me equally uncomfortable. A lot of the characters are very possessive of and domineering towards Mac which was something else I was not happy with. Mac did stand alone in this series and was clever in refusing to fully trust or ally herself with a particular person or group for the most part, but I felt that that led to her being constantly manipulated, lied to, ordered around and objectified in a way I wasn't too happy with. This is mostly why I deducted a point from my overall rating of the series. 

TL;DR: Despite my initial reaction to Darkfever; this series is far and away one of my favourites of its genre. With plotlines that left me constantly guessing and characters that take stereotypes and mould them into something new and interesting, the Fever series was an emotional and gripping ride. I urge anyone who loves urban fantasy to give it a read. 

Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Release: 28th August 2007 (This UK edition)
Publisher: Dell (This UK edition)
Source: Library
Reason for reading: Nearly due back!
Rating: 3/5

Goodreads description:

"My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple - any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then."

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac's cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Ma is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysteriou Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands....

My thoughts:

I requested this a month ago in the midst of my urban fantasy kick. It's clearly very popular because by the time I got it I had moved onto historical fiction. Not wanting to return a book I'd specially requested unread, I decided to give it a go. I knew barely anything about it aside from that it was urban fantasy and very popular and therefore wasn't sure what to expect.

The first thing that grated on me was the writing style. I hate that sorta omniscient looking-back-from-the-future style (please tell me there's a better name for that?) where the narrator starts sentences with ominous phrases like 'Little did I know' and 'Later I would come to realise'. I find it pulls me right out the plot and makes me feel like I'm reading an author's work rather than a character's story. That perpetuated throughout the whole novel and I did not like it. 

The other thing I was not a fan of was that at first, the characters seemed very cookie-cutter. There was the naive, sweet girl who knew nothing about the world she'd blundered into and the dark, brooding, give-nothing-away, borderline-abusive man she meets and inevitably exchanges barbs and information with.

Mac...annoyed me. I tried not to dislike her. I'm doing this new thing where I try really hard to like female MC's cause sometimes I feel like we're all so women-hating, especially when we are them...but I couldn't help it. She was so silly and stupid and vapid and childish. Blundering around this world she knew nothing about, talking about things she knew nothing of and I wanted to hit her. A little bit.  I felt the plot mirrored its main character in that, for a while, it didn't really seem to go anywhere. I was starting to get disappointed.

Eventually though, just as I was about to abandon all hope, the plot did get going. I liked the whole mystery aspect of it; the dual story of finding out what happened to Alina and also finding out more about the whereabouts and the story behind the Book. There was more action towards the end which I liked, culminating in the obligatory female main character being completely pulverized and put back together by the male main character. Suddenly, it wasn't easy to hate Mac anymore and I found myself starting to like her and her determination and, whilst she still blundered around, at least she never fully trusted anyone she encountered, which is totally smart. 

I'll admit, I did expect Mac and Barrons to get together. The introduction of V'lane did make me anticipate a love triangle and I rolled my eyes at the hate-hate relationships, waiting for the chapter when one of the stories evolved into the love it was inevitably going to. I was pleasantly surprised by how that element of the plot progressed and I enjoyed the little half-moment between Mac and Barrons near the very end. 

TL;DR: Whilst this book wasn't all I expected it to be and whilst I am a little apprehensive about the treatment of women in the story; namely the abusive behaviour that came  from all angles, the ending was intriguing enough to make me get the second one for my Kindle. Whilst its far from my favourite urban fantasy first book, I have high hopes for the rest of the series. 

Why I Love Urban Fantasy

Hallo loves,

I bet you've all been wondering where I got to? Truth was, I just wasn't feeling blogging anymore. I thought maybe I'd quit for good, but I wasn't sure, so I just...left, for a while.

 Instead, I was hiding out and reading whatever the hell I wanted. And what I wanted to read, apparently, was urban fantasy.  I've said it before on the blog, but I used to love UF when I was younger, but I haven't read as much of it in recent years. Mostly because a lot of it is adult and I have been on a massive YA kick. I wish there were more YA urban fantasy series'. If anyone can recommend anything, seriously, do. (I've read Strange Angels, Sarah Rees Brennan's books, The Demon Trapper's Daughter books...prolly some others I can't think of off the top of my head...)

So anyway, I've been reading UF. I devoured the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews which OMFG I adored. It's gonna be a long wait for book 6 (and they appaz are no longer published in the UK, sob) and I read the first 4 of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, the first 6 Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs and the first 2 Chicagoland Vampires books by Chloe Neil.

I figured that instead of reviewing allllll these books, I'd do a post about why I love UF so much instead:

1. Girls

Now this (probably) isn't true for all UF, but most of what I read is written by female authors with female protags. I like this. I'm female, I like reading about females. I like reading about males too, but female protags always have a special place in my heart.

2. Awesome girls

So not only does UF have girls in, it has awesome girls. Girls who can stand up for themselves, who do stand up for themselves and who are strong, independent and capable. They fight for themselves and what they believe in and who they love. They arent self-sacrificing; they want to live, but if they're going down, it ain't without a fight.

3. Plotlines

 UF have MUCH better plotlines IMO than their PNR counterparts. There's more mysteries to solve, evil to battle, obstacles to overcome. While I do like a bit of romance in my books, I am much more about the plot. 

4. The Obstacles

The best books are those where there's something for the characters to overcome...and you don't know how, or even IF, they will overcome it. This can be ANYTHING of course, but in UF it is *usually* a life or death kinda sitch. Then you have the whole planning, gearing up for battle and the tension of "OMG who is gonna die, someone is definitely dying, there is no way they're all making it out of here alive" which is both terrifying and exhilarating 

5. Personal Growth

Again, this happens in a lot of books, but I especially like the theme of it in UF. It usually starts off with a tough-as-nails heroine, who slowly comes to recognise that life is much better with people that you love and care about and can depend upon and builds herself a network of unusual but loyal friends. I like that. 

So there we have it...my five favourite things about UF. If you like UF, what do you like about it? What books and series' are your favourites? If you DON'T like it, has my post inspired you to maybe give it a go?

As I'm sure you're all aware, GFC will be vanishing in July. So I would appreciate it if you would:
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Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
Released: 8th May 2012
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Gift
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?


My thoughts:


Where to start with this one? I was very excited to get it and I read it in a day. The pacing is good, it's not heart-racingly, blood-pumpingly fast but it moves along in a way that means it's never boring or slow. 


Clary, in a fit of her standard recklessness, goes off to 'save' Jace, leaving everyone else to do the actual work. I was starting to like Clary, but she did kinda get on my nerves a bit in this book. I mean, she was there more so she could tell the story of what Jace and Sebastian were up to, but she never really did anything, and when she did have a chance to help, she was too weak to take it. Ultimately, she did make the hard decision, and she did redeem herself, but by that point I was a little fed up of her.


Fortunately, we spent a lot of time with the other characters and that helped. I think Isabelle grew a lot in this book, and I liked seeing that. She's fairly adult, and mature about everything that goes on; yet at the same time she reveals some of her vulnerability. Simon too, I really liked. He starts to come into himself more, away from Clary I think he really steps up and he makes some tough calls. Magnus and Alec....my heart ached for Magnus and Alec. Magnus in particular. Poor bloke. He's changed a lot since book 1, he's sacrificed a lot, he's committed himself and in this book it does sorta come back to bite him in the arse. I think he handled everything in the best possible way, but that doesn't make me happy about it! Alec, I do feel really bad for him, but he was a complete idiot. Jocelyn was another to get on my nerves, her and Clary clearly have this whole mother/daughter annoyance factor. She now refuses to treat her daughter as the shadowhunter she is, and has even admitted that keeping it from her has made Clary reckless and it has. I resent Jocelyn's poor decision making. Sebastian comments that Jocelyn is just as ruthless as Valentine, and I actually think he's right.


Ah, Sebastian.His relationships with both Jace and Clary are very bizarre but for different reasons. I didn't quite find him as....captivating as I expected to,but I really liked to see the developments in his character. I'm not sure how complex a character he is, how much of him is an act and how much is the real Sebastian.  Jace was...well, bonded. And bonded Jace is unnerving. 


Plot wise, this is definitely superior to CoFA. There's a big, overarching plot, there's things that need to be unravelled, there's information to be uncovered, risks to take, gambles to make. There's lots of nice little subplots, spin-off elements that all worked well. The ending of CoLS isn't the huger shocker that CoFA was, but it definitely sets a tone of foreboding. Lots of things happen in the build-up to the last pages, things that are definitely going to have some pretty huge consequences. I'm definitely intrigued for the final book, I think we can expect big things


At over 500 pages, CoLS isn't a small book, but I never once got bored. Reading about these characters is like slipping into a favourite pair of pyjamas; it's comforting and familiar. Yet at the same time Cassie's exemplary storytelling and interesting plots make for an exciting read.

Review: Forgiven by Jana Oliver

Forgiven (The Demon Trapper's #3) by Jana Oliver
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Release date: 1st March 2012
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

Riley Blackthorne. Kicking hell’s ass one demon at a time...

Riley has made a bargain with Heaven, and now they've come to collect.

Lucifer's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help...

My thoughts:

I've loved this series since I read the first book last year. I love the dystopian feel of the society, and the interesting inclusion of theology and of course, Riley Blackthorne. The impulsively brave and occasionally stupid yet loyal and fierce heroine. After the ending of the 3rd one (can I just say 'noooooooo!!') I was desperate to find out what would happen in the aftermath of Riley's choice and the consequences of it.

I definitely liked Riley more in this book. I feel like she finally realised that actually, her actions DO have consequences and she pretty much can't just do what she wants all the time. I think this led to a new level of responsibility in her character that I appreciated.

I also loved her friendship with Peter, and the relationship that develops between her and Mort and Stuart in this book. I like how they can all rely on each other, there's true friendships in this book and I liked that. Riley's relationship with Beck also progressed in this book, which, whilst good, I found slightly frustrating. It felt a little bit like it was going round in circles, like they were just dancing round the issue for NO reason at all other than to torture the readers. 

 I felt the pacing was off slightly in this book. It could be because I read it in many sittings, but I felt a bit like the final big battle sort of came from nowhere. One minute I was all "lalalala" and the next "huh...? Armegeddon is NOW?!" Having said that, the final battle was pretty epic. I liked how it panned out, what happened with the whole Heaven and Hell issue....pretty clever. 

Maliciously, I'm happy about what happened with Simon. He deserved that and so much more.  

As usual, the ending leaves you with lots of "ommggg" feelings, and I can't wait to see how everything will end up in Foretold. I loved how the ending mimicked that of Forbidden, yet it shows how much Riley has grown between that book and this, based on her reactions. 


I absolutely cannot wait for the final instalment of this gripping and well-thought-out series!

 

Review: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: 22nd February 2011
Challenge: TBR reading challenge
Rating: 4/5

  **Note this is the FINAL book in the Wicked Lovely series therefore this review will have unavoidable spoilers for the previous books**

Goodreads description:

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose "everything."

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's "New York Times" bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My thoughts:

When I finished Radiant Shadows when it came out TWO YEARS AGO my face was like this:

6 months later, my face was like this:

And when I finally picked up Darkest Mercy, having owned it FOR A WHOLE YEAR, my face was like this:

Why? Oh Iri. Iri, Iri, Iri. My darling Iri. Irial, one of my all-time favourite book boyfriends...WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU *wails inconsolably* 

However, upon *finally* finishing Darkest Mercy, my face is no longer like that. Because wow, Melissa Marr, you really know how to finish a series off in style. When Radiant Shadows finished, I remember thinking, how the FRICK will this be solved? War seemed unstoppable, everyone was dead, dying, missing or new to their role and not in their full powers. 

I was slightly confused about some details because of the 2 year break, but I couldn't bring myself to read Radiant Shadows again, so I soldiered on. I sorta felt like not much happened for the majority of the book, because it had to follow so many people, all of which had chapters from their POVs, there was a lot of buildup. When we did get to the climax though....wow. I was speeding through, frantically reading to find out what would happen. 

I love the characters in this series, I think there's only really Keenan that I'm not a fan of, but does anyone like Keenan really? Donia was as strong as ever, Aislinn really came into her own and Niall...well. We'll not talk about Niall. I was intrigued about Seth, by how much he actually knew in advance, the idea of seeing threads of the future really intrigued me and I loved the clever little move he did towards the end, though it was never explained whether it worked or not...I assume it must've. If you've read it, you (hopefully) know what I'm talking about. I really liked the introduction of Far Dorcha and Ankou. Their role was...kinda creepy yet cool. I didn't really get all the bargains he struck though, some of them never seemed to come to fruition and I just wondered what the point of some of them was....? With any war, there will be deaths. I think the characters that did lose their lives were cleverly chosen. It's such a balancing act; you can't kill off the main, main characters yet if you kill off people no one cares about, where's the emotional impact? Where's the realism? I think Melissa Marr did strike a good balance on this aspect. 

On one level, I really enjoyed the mixed POVs. Like I said, I love all these characters. It's funny, because none of them are human, and yet they all feel so, so human. Their emotions, their actions, their quirks, they're all so human. I loved that about them and I loved seeing them all. Yet it did lead to the story feeling a little disjointed and a little stunted. 

The ending was so, so clever. I loved how the Irial thing was resolved. I ADORE Irial and his relationship with Niall and how everything worked out in this area was really clever. I'd LOVE a spin-off novel following these two *sigh*. Everything else was tied up pretty neatly it seems...usually this is something I'd object to but I just LOVE all these characters SO much that I wanted a good ending for them. 

Overall, I think this lacked a little of the impact and action of the previous books, but it was a fantastic finale to what has long been one of my favourite series. I just want to say a quick thank you to Jess from Gone With the Words for pushing me to FINALLY read this. Thank you, Jess...you were right, it wasn't as bad as I expected ;) 

Review: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Release Date: 2nd June 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Rating: 5/5

Goodreads description:


Nick and his brother Alan are on the run with their mother, who was once the lover of a powerful magician. When she left him, she stole an important charm - and he will stop at nothing to reclaim it. Now Alan has been marked with the sign of death by the magician's demon, and only Nick can save him. But to do so he must face those he has fled from all his life - the magicians - and kill them. So the hunted becomes the hunter...but in saving his brother, Nick discovers something that will unravel his whole past...


My thoughts:


Liz from Planet Print bought me this, and insisted it was amazing. Naturally I believed her, but it ended up on my TBR pile until I picked it up a few weeks ago and discovered the absolute amazing-ness that is Sarah Rees Brennan.


 I have to start this review by talking about Nick. He's pretty much my perfect male protagonist. Completely morally-bereft, borderline psychopathic, yet utterly smoking hot and sharp-tongued. I absolutely adored him. I identified with him really easily and loved him just as easily. It's funny, because really, you shouldn't love him, he's EVIL. But you do. YOU DO. You love him and you think to yourself 'I could totally fix this boy.' but if you did, he just wouldn't be the same. I've found my new top book boyfriend and I think it'll take a lot to usurp him.  Jace? Who's Jace...?


Onto the other characters. Mae's such a feisty female protagonist, but not in that over the top way that sometimes annoys me with heroines.She's fierce and wildly protective of her brother.Her posturing annoyed me at first, the hair, the outfits etc, but by the end I'd forgotten all about that.  Jamie is so cute, his humour is hilarious, and yet it felt really realistic.  Alan is the only character I had a problem with. In a way, he's almost as psychopathic as his brother, Nick. I found it very hard to like him, yet I don't actively dislike him either, I'm just...wary. I actually really admire Sarah Rees Brennan for her characterisation in these books.I've read a few reviews where people have claimed the characters aren't 'likeable' and they've given low ratings as a result; but really, why does EVERY character in every book HAVE to be likeable? I didn't like Mae and Jamie at first; I thought their imposition into the lives of Nick and Alan was really unacceptable and at first this blinded me to them. Normally, they would have been totally self-sacrificing but no, they were selfish, their actions their motivations, everything was fairly selfish. But this is how people ARE. No one is inherently noble and self-sacrificing, so whilst they irritated me for a while, I appreciated how real they were. I enjoyed that you had to work to like them, it made reading the book less passive and more of an active process on my part. 


The plot is so imaginative, I loved that the setting was England, and the urban fantasy leanings were perfect. The concept of the goblin market was intriguing and I loved all the mythology surrounding the demons and the magicians and the talismans. The world Sarah Rees Brennan has created is so rich in detail and yet utterly realistic. I can almost imagine that the goblin market really does exist. The ending was...wow. You think you know exactly where the plot is going, and then suddenly you're hit with twists and turns you really didn't expect. The plot is so, so complex, tiny details early on, minor things hinted at and missed out end up being pivotal in the end and this is excellent storytelling from Sarah Rees Brennan. You can tell a lot of work went into the conception for this novel and I really appreciated that. 


I loved Nick's narration, his struggle to be what his brother wanted him to be and his unrelenting dislike of most people. It's weird to empathise with someone who lacks empathy, but you DO feel for Nick throughout this whole book, and then you realise he'd probably kill you if he knew that. The humour as I mentioned is perfect. Nick and Mae have a very dry sense of humour that I really appreciated, and Jamie's quirky babble, whilst irritating at first, really won me over by the end. 


I already had the rest of this trilogy, and I think the mark of a good series is when you want to drop everything else and read the rest of it immediately. I was thinking about this book at work, analysing Nick's behaviour, really thinking about the psychology of it, and a book like that, a book that stays with you when you aren't reading it, is a triumph of literature. This has become my absolute favourite Urban Fantasy series, knocking The Mortal Instruments and The Strange Angels series down my rankings. I think it's severely underrated and EVERYONE should be reading this! 

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Release date: 6th December 2011
Publisher: Walker books
Rating 5/5


Goodreads description:


In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My thoughts:

Where to start with this one? It's no secret that I prefer the Clockwork Angel to the Mortal Instruments series (even though I ADORE that) so I was expecting big things from Clockwork Prince and I was not disappointed! 

Reading this book, I feel as though I am looking at the back of a piece of embroidery, seeing all the threads woven together, knowing that if I turned it over, it would form a beautiful, complicated and detailed picture. I can almost feel how the picture is going to look, how-if I turned it over- I would let out a sigh and say "of course that's what it's a picture of!" but I can't quite see it, and I'm not allowed to turn the fabric over quite yet. Cassie Clare gives us a few tantalizing glimpses of the 'big picture' in this, the middle instalment of the Infernal Devices trilogy. I feel like I got to know Mortmain's past, plans and motives a little better in this book, even though the man himself never makes an appearance. Cassie gives you just enough to create that sense of satisfaction, yet withholds enough that you're left wondering what the heck is going on and how this whole thing is going to be resolved--which I feel is something of an art-form. 

The character development in this book is astounding, I feel as though I know each character so much better as a result of this book, and they were never under-developed to begin with. Tessa is fast becoming one of my fave YA female protagonists. She's smart, brave, honourable and really easy to love. There's nothing I don't like about her, no choice I disagree with. We get some hints into her true nature,but not even this aspect of the plot is tied up yet.  Will and Jem are equally fantastic, usually I find it SO easy to pick which male character I prefer, but in this case...I JUST DON'T KNOW. Will is so caustic in his humour, so utterly broken and subtly vulnerable. Jem is so sweet and kind and yet you see a fire in him that you didn't realise existed in Clockwork Prince. The love triangle development was perfect in my opinion; it was one of those moments where you know exactly what's going to happen and you're sat there, clutching the pages, quietly keening, whilst people stare at you on the bus and wonder what the FRICK you're reading. It was so suspenseful, so awful and yet so wonderful.  In order to save myself from the inevitable heartbreak that will occur I am ESCHEWING both Jem AND Will and officially declaring myself to be TEAM MAGNUS. Ah Magnus. He's so melancholy here, moping over Camille, and yet he has wonderful moments, his interactions with Will are simultaneously insightful, hilarious and emotional. He's my favourite character out of both of the series.  The scene with Woolsey Scott was one of my favourites in the book, and especially funny if you've read CoFA! Henry and Charlotte nearly stole the show with certain scenes. There was the usual bemused Henry and exasperated Charlotte dialogue, but you caught a glimpse into the true nature of their relationship and it was very moving. 

The writing style is as perfect as ever; engaging and witty, well paced--promoting a sense of urgency when required and encouraging you to slow down and savour certain scenes. It felt absolutely on the money for a novel set in Victorian England, I didn't read a single word or expression that felt out of place in this period.  I always get the impression with Cassie's writing that each sentence is deliberately formed, each word painstakingly chosen to deliver the intended effect and that's something I really appreciate. The banter was as hilarious as ever, something I've come to expect as default in a Cassie Clare novel.

Whilst I found a few minor plot points to be guessable, the majority of it took me completely by surprise, leaving me to feel I was being hit over the head by the book rather than reading it. In what is one of my favourite books of the year, Clockwork Prince absolutely does not suffer from the dreaded second book syndrome and  has everything you could want; full of light and dark moments, romance, mystery, revelations and drama  in a tale that is ultimately extremely bittersweet. A must-read for any Cassie Clare fan, I defy you to not enjoy this!

Review: Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

Reckoning (Strange Angels #5) by Lili St. Crow
Published: 27th October 2011
Publisher: Quercus (UK)
Rating: 5/5


Goodreads description:


Nobody expected Dru Anderson to survive this long. Not Graves. Not Christophe. Not even Dru. She’s battled killer zombies, jealousdjamphirs, and bloodthirsty suckers straight out of her worst nightmares. But now that Dru has bloomed into a fullfledged svetocha—rare, beautiful, and toxic to all vampires—the worst is yet to come. Because getting out alive is going to cost more than she’s ever imagined. And in the end, is survival really worth the sacrifice? 


Dru Anderson’s not afraid of the dark. 
But she should be.




My thoughts:


Finishing a series is such a bittersweet moment; finally, finally you get resolution. But at the price of not hearing about some of your favourite characters again, characters you have grown attached to, and care about. However, with this book I didn't have time to mourn the end of what is one of my favourite series'. It was so action packed, full of chases and explosions and 'on the run' scenes--as I've come to expect from this author. 


I've said it before but I do love a story where the characters are on the run; it's exciting, faster-paced and I think it makes a story flow well. You never get the impression with this series that anything in it is forced, orchestrated by the author to create drama or angst, it's so realistic that you feel as though she is no more than a narrator, committing to paper a tale that actually occurred. 


The mythology of this series is one of my favourites of any series, it's true Urban Fantasy with different types of vampires (not all of which are 'good') and other creatures which come together to create rich and dense storylines. Whilst some of our favourite characters from earlier books had brief appearances, this plot revolves almost completely around Dru, Ash, Graves and of course the ever-present and ridiculously swoon-worthy Christophe. 


I felt we got a lot of resolution in this book, one particular issue is dealt with pretty much fully, and Dru has become more accepting of herself, her abilities but also her limitations. However there is a lot of room for reader-interpretation, for you to develop Dru's story past the end of the book, to reach your own conclusions and decide for yourself what happens when Reckoning's final page is turned. One area where this is especially prevalent is the love triangle between Dru, Graves and Christophe. Each character fully expresses their feelings and positions by the end of this novel, and yet, uniquely, it's hard to decide what has actually happened. I know I have my own interpretation of what has happened, and would, in the future occur (based strongly on my own undying love for Christophe) and I know that other people will feel differently from me. This is such a complex relationship, so many factors are in play and neither of Dru's options are completely clear cut. But this is something I like, St. Crow gives you enough to feel satisfied, but leaves enough to interpretation that you can shape the novel to suit your own thoughts. 


One thing I love about St. Crow is that she defies traditional YA stereotypes in her novels. Yes, they're aimed at teens, but they're more like her adult series' (only with the sexual content made appropriate for a younger age group) in the sense they're full of ambiguity, hard choices, broken characters and ultimately, they are not intended to end perfectly. People are perfectly entitled to have a problem with this, and if this is you, if you like everything to end nicely, wrapped up with a bow and presented to you in a way that you know exactly what happened and are happy with it, this series is not for you. However, if you're someone that enjoys putting your own spin on a story, and enjoy something that is realistic, is gritty and dark and contains heartbreak, full-on action  and unanswered questions then this is a series for you. 


And if you're angry about the ending, I recommend you read Lili's post here, or read it anyway, it's interesting and if you think like me it'll confirm what you thought when you finished this series!

Review: Forbidden by Jana Oliver

Forbidden (The Demon Trappers #2)

Published: 5th August 2011

Publisher: Panmacmillan

Goodreads description:

Riley's beginning to think being a demon trapper isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her dad's been stolen by a necromancer, her boyfriend's gone all weird and she's getting warm and fuzzy feelings for someone who's seriously bad news. It's tempting to give it all up and try to be normal, but that's not an option. Because the demons have plans for Riley. And they're not the only ones

My thoughts:

I was so excited when I got this book in the post! I couldn't wait to see what was happening with Riley and this instalment did not disappoint. There's so many mysteries going on in this, some answered and some not, and you can't help but feel that the answers are right THERE and you just need one more little piece to put the whole puzzle together. It's a highly exhilarating and toe-curlingly frustrating feeling, but one I adore as it really pulls you into the story. 

Riley was as independent as ever, though I definitely winced at some of the choices she made in this book. Actually, I more than winced, I pretty much yelled at her. Whilst I can see the reasons for her choices, I definitely definitely wish she hadn't made them. But again, it pulls you into the story. I'm so invested in Riley Blackthorne, I feel like she's my little sister or something. Peter totally came into his own in this book as well which was a pleasant surprise. I have high hopes of him becoming a trapper's apprentice.  Simon...omg I don't think any character has ever annoyed me as much as him...well obviously they have but man did I hate him! It's possibly partly because of my atheism but I had NO sympathy for him and I just wanted to slap him and lock him up or something. What he did to Riley was...wow. I couldn't believe it.  Beck was as adorable and confused as ever. Ori...wow. I mean, I kinda saw that coming, but it still knocked me for six. And I felt so outraged on Riley's part as well, again like a protective sister. Harper I liked slightly more in this book as well. 

The plot was definitely faster paced than the previous book, and like I mentioned earlier every mystery presented was added too and developed. I kinda like the way you can see how all this is going to come to a head but you don't know how or why or when or anything. It's great writing on Jana Oliver's part and I am DESPERATE for the next book.  That ending, it was SO good. A cliffhanger yeah, but an anticipatory cliffhanger rather than a *groan* 'why it end there' cliffhanger. So much happened in the space of like, a second it was mind blowing. 

This book was a definite improvement on what was fast becoming a totally awesome series, and for that it gets 5/5 from me.