Review of: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Review of: Marked (House of Night, Book 1)

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Review of: Fugitive (The Cat Star Chronicles, #5) by Cheryl Brooks

When a Zetithian fugitive meets a beautiful Earth woman, their passion may cost them both their lives…

Manx is a Zetithian fugitive with a feline gene that gives him remarkable sexual powers. He has been in hiding in the remote jungles of Barada Seven ever since being marked for extermination by the violent Nedwuts.

Artist Drusilla arrives on Barada Seven, enticed only by the promise of finding a nature paradise there. But she discovers a wildlife she wasn't expecting when she encounters Manx. Reckless with desire for the beautiful Earth woman, Manx risks his life to win her as his mate.

Review of: The Magic Warble

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as ''the chosen one'', the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous ''Magic Warble,'' in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen's ''zelbocks'' before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

The book trailer:


An Excerpt:

Bernovem

Afraid to make a move, Kristina lay curled up in the place where she had been dumped out. The laundry sack was gone. The pile of laundry had been replaced by a pile of leaves, and instead of the basement floor, it seemed to be grass. She cautiously poked her head out the pile of leaves and saw a lovely manicured garden. In the middle of it sat a small cottage made of stones and with a thatched roof. The garden itself was circular and along its perimeter was a dense forest. The weather was slightly cold, and the sky was overcast. A cold breeze blew by her and made her shiver. She felt very strange, being in the garden, and wondered if she was simply dreaming. If this is a dream, I sure hope it’s more exciting than yesterday, she thought.She suddenly heard the sound of whistling again, and when she poked her head out of the pile of leaves, she saw a man—or at least she thought it might be a man—coming around the corner of the cottage. He looked old, and he seemed to be even shorter than herself. He had a stout stature, distinctly sharp facial features, icy blue eyes, pointy ears, a long white beard, and silver hair. Upon his left shoulder he carried a large sack, and in his right hand he held a rake. He walked toward the pile of leaves, and Kristina ducked back down so he wouldn’t see her. He dumped out the large sack onto the pile of leaves, which brought another pile of leaves upon her head. Kristina tried not to move or make a sound.

Then the little man struck a match and was about to throw it on the pile of leaves, right where she was hiding, but she jumped out just before he did so yelling, “Wait! Please don’t throw that
match!”

The little man almost fell backwards. “What in our lady’s name is this?” he said, steadying himself.

“I didn’t mean to end up in your leaf pile,” Kristina said nervously, while backing away. “As a matter of fact, I have no idea how I got here.”

The little man walked closer to her, leaning forward slightly and holding the rake in front of him, as if to protect himself. He stared at Kristina as though he’d never seen anyone like her before.

“You may find this hard to believe,” Kristina said, “but I was only trying to retrieve a little silver ball.”

The little man’s eyes grew wide. “A little silver ball, you say.”

“Yes, Sir I…”

The little man seemed impatient. “Well, go on. Go on, spit it out.”

“My teacher, Miss Hensley, gave it to me on the last day of school. It was a Christmas gift,” Kristina continued.

The little man twirled his beard around one finger as he thought for a moment. Then he looked up at her and, seeming relieved, said, “Why, yes, of course! How soon I lose my memory.” He dropped his rake on the ground.

“I’m very sorry if I upset you,” Kristina said.

“No, no. No worries! Come with me to my cottage, and we’ll have a nice cup of tea. I could use a little break anyway. My back’s about killin’ me,” he said, stretching backwards.

He picked up his rake, and then put it down on top of a wheelbarrow that was nearby. Then he motioned for Kristina to follow him. Kristina wasn’t sure if she should trust him, but he seemed friendly enough, so she walked after him. When they arrived at the cottage, he pushed open the small wooden door, and they went inside. He took a lantern down from a hook on the wall and led the way into the front room. There was a fire burning in a fireplace, and it made the room—probably the living room—feel cozy and warm. Kristina noticed that everything in the room was smaller than normal.

“Come, child, sit down,” the little man said, pointing to a small couch. “Now, how about that cup of tea?”

“Oh, yes, please. I’m a little chilly and that would warm me up,” Kristina said.

The little man picked up a basket filled with tiny red flowers.

Then he took a big handful of them and dropped them into a black kettle that was sitting on top of the fire. As the flowers fell in, the water in the kettle spat out the top.

“Now, then, let’s discuss matters while we wait on our tea,” he said, sitting down in an armchair across from Kristina. “This little silver ball… do you have it with you?” he asked, while lighting a pipe.

“Yes, I have it in my pocket. Would you like to see it?” Kristina asked.

“Yes, but let me get the tea for us first.” He got up and poured tea into two cups and handed one to her. The tea was fluorescent red, and Kristina had to squint because of its brightness.

“I’ve never seen tea like this before. Its color is such a brilliant red,” Kristina said. She took a sip of it. “Yum, this is very good.

I would say it tastes like…” She paused for a moment and then continued. “Well, actually, I can’t describe it at all, but it is very delicious.”

“It’s fairy blossom, very hard to come by nowadays,” the little man said as he sat back down. He took a big puff off his pipe, then stuck out his knuckle-swollen hand and said, “The name’s
Rumalock.”

Kristina took hold of his hand and shook it. “I don’t mean to ask a silly question or seem rude, but are you a human?”

Rumalock chuckled and said, “No, I am what you would call a dwarf.”

“I’ve heard of dwarfs in fairy tales.” She looked a little embarrassed.

“I never thought they… or, I mean, you were real. I mean, no one I know of has ever met one,” she said, getting a little tongue-tied and turning red. “I hope that I’m not saying the wrong things.”

Rumalock chuckled again. “No need to feel bashful, my dear. I’m sure you don’t run into many dwarfs where you come from, and for that matter, I guess, I could say that I don’t get the chance
to meet many of your type either.”

Kristina took another sip of her tea and then said, “My name is Kristina.”

“Pleased to meet you, Kristina,” Rumalock said. “Now, should we take a look at this little ball?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” She took it out of her pocket and dropped it onto the palm of his hand. He held his eyeglasses with his other hand and peered down at it. He rolled it around and then clasped his hand tightly shut around it.

“Yup! It is the one,” he said. “This, my dear, is a very special day, to say the least.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Kristina asked, looking a little confused.

“This little ball is called the Magic Warble. It is what everyone in our land has been waiting for, for many years,” Rumalock said excitedly. Then, looking very serious, he narrowed his eyes.

“After it was given to you, did anyone else come into contact with it or even with anything that it was stored in?”

Kristina had to think for a moment and then answered, “Yes, three people, to be exact. Wait a minute, four, actually, if you include my pet rat, Raymond.” She started to count on her fingers.

“So it would be Graham Kepler, Hester Crumeful, Davina Pavey, Raymond, a

nd, of course, me.”

“My, my, that many, and a rat also. I haven’t seen one of those little fellows in years. This could make matters very complicated,” Rumalock said.

“How so?” Kristina asked.

Rumalock placed the Magic Warble back in Kristina’s hand and said, “After the Magic Warble was given to you, whoever touched it or even anything it touched, like a container it may have been resting in, will be brought here.”

“Where is here?” Kristina asked.

“The place you are in, child, is called Bernovem,” Rumalock answered. He took another long drag of his pipe and blew out a large number of perfectly round smoke rings. Then he got out of his
chair, walked to the fireplace, and took a dusty book off the mantel.

“What is that?” Kristina asked.

“This, my dear, is the Book of Prophecy, and it is the only one in the w

hole land of Bernovem.” He opened it and ran his finger along the page. “Ah ha! Here it is, just as predicted: Kristina
Kingsly,” he said.

“Do you mean I’m in that book?” Kristina asked, getting up off the couch to take a look inside it.

Rumalock pointed his finger on the page. “Is your name Kristina Kingsly?” he asked, while glancing up at her through his round glasses.

“Yes,” she answered, looking puzzled. “But how come I’ve never heard of Bernovem?”

“Bernovem is a land very far from your land, or any other, as a matter of

fact. It’s in a totally different galaxy than where you are from. You see, child, you have been brought here by the Magic Warble to deliver it to its resting place.”

Kristina’s face went pale.

“Is something the matter?” Rumalock asked her.

“I’m just worried that I won’t know where to bring it,” Kristina said.

“I thought you might feel that way. I must tell you that I can’t promise you that yo

ur journey will be a smooth one, but if you trust that the Magic Warble will lead you to where it needs to go,
you should be fine. And besides, you might even get some help along the way.”

Kristina looked back into the book. “Why are so many of the pages blank?” she asked.

“Oh that’s because the prophecies in this book will only appear on the pages a few minutes before they actually come to pass. Look here—it says, ‘Kristina’s scrape on her arm was healed.’”

“How could that be? The scrape is right here on my arm. It couldn’t possibly

heal within a few minutes,” she said, showing him the scrape she had gotten from falling on the icy sidewalk the morning before.

“Ah! But are you sure? Give me your arm.” Rumalock said.

Kristina stretched her arm out, and Rumalock poured a few drops of his tea onto her scrape.

“Ouch! What are you doing? That’s very hot!” she said, shaking her arm to relieve the pain.

“Take a look at your scrape now,” Rumalock said excitedly.

“It’s gone!”

“That’s right! The tea is also magic.”

“This is all so cool,” Kristina said excitedly.

“Yes, yes, I suppose you could say that,” Rumalock said as he placed the Book of Prophecy back on the mantel. “Now, child, you look hungry. How about a nice warm meal?”

“I’d like that very much,” Kristina said.

Kristina ate a delicious meal of cheese, brown bread, boiled potatoes, and the best chocolate cake she had ever tasted. Afterward, while sitting by the crackling fire, she still could hardly believe where she was or how she had gotten there, but she was much too sleepy to figure it out. She took the Magic Warble out of her pocket to take another look at it, and when she stared down at it; her sleepy eyes suddenly grew two sizes bigger.

“The Magic Warble! Its color has changed. It used to be tarnished silver, but now it is light purple,” she said.

“Yes, of course, Kristina, it is all part of its journey,” Rumalock said. He sat across from her in his armchair, smoking his pipe.

“All part of the journey?” Kristina repeated, yawning. Her eyes grew so heavy that s

he couldn’t keep them open any longer. Once she fell asleep, Rumalock got up, and placed a warm woolen blanket over her. Then he blew out his lantern and left the room.

About the Author:
Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in 1966, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister, Jeannette. When Vicki was 7, she moved with her family to British Colum bia. In her early twenties Vicki moved to Western Washington and now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married to her husband Russ, for nineteen years and they have three children; Toby, who is fifteen, Kristina, thirteen, and William, eight. She has home schooled her children for the past nine years, and she also teaches elementary school art. Vicki’s other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, two cats, Frodo, and Fritz, and two parakeets, Charlie, and Paulie. She did have a pet rat named Raymond when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, painting watercolors, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was twelve. She would sit at the kitchen table and read The Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe, she can touch someone with her story in a similar way. You can visit her website at www.themagicwarble.com.

My Thoughts: I had mixed feelings overall about The Magic Warble. While I enjoyed the core story and thought Kristina and Werrien were a good team and well drawn, I thought the kids didn't really use 12-15 year old language. At times I actually forgot how young they were. I also thought that given the age range of the target audience, The Magic Warble was 50-75 pages too long.

Title: The Magic Warble
Author: Victoria Simcox (book's website)
ISBN: 9781935097174
Pages: 276
Published by: Two Harbors Press (January 1, 2009)
Genre(s): Children's Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Source: I received a review copy through Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Grade: C+ What does this grade mean?

Other reviews:
April @ Cafe of Dreams
Darlene @ Peeking Between the Pages
Gaby317 @ Starting Fresh
Shelia @ One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
More reviews

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Review of: Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey

Santa Olivia starts out as the story of Carmen Garron. She's a waitress in a dinner in post-apocalyptic US/Mexico border. The story shifts to Carmen's daughter, Loup, when Loup is six.

Carmen's two children have different fathers. Tommy's, who was six when Loup was born, father was a boxer in the military. Loup's father is not. Loup's father is one of the 'Lost Boys'. The Lost Boys were a group of young Hatian boys who were experimented on. As a result of these experiments, the boys developed fast reflexes and other super-human ablilities. They were nicknamed Wolf-Men.

When Loup is ten their mom dies. Tommy is sixteen and moves into an apartment above the gym where he is training to become a boxer (like his father). Loup has to go live in an orphanage. Loup eventually takes on the persona of the town's patron saint, Santa Olivia. Santa Olivia does not put up with injustices!

Besides Santa Olivia, I have only read Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. While I did not get as swept away with Santa Olivia I enjoyed it. If there is a sequel, Santa Olivia ends with that possibility, I will definitely read it. I want to know what happens for/to Loup Garron.

Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, SANTA OLIVIA is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth.

Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.

After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town.

Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

Title: Santa Olivia
Author: Jacqueline Carey
ISBN: 9780446198172
Pages: 341
Published by: Grand Central Publishing (May 29, 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Grade: B+ What does this grade mean?

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Review of: Naamah's Kiss (Kushiel's Legacy, #7)

Author: Jacqueline Carey
ISBN: 9780446198035
Pages: 645
Published by: Grand Central Publishing (June 24th 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Erotica, Romance, Adventure, Series
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?

There is a bit of a time skip between Kushiels' Mercy and Naamah's Kiss. Just the small matter of a few generations. The main character in Naamah's Kiss is a young woman named Moirin. The previous trilogy centered around Imriel and Sidonie. Well, Sidonie has a sister (I don't recall mentioning her before but she was there, she was very special to Imriel, he cared for her very much; like a younger sister) named Alais. Alais apparently went on to marry Connor mac Grainne of Alba. Alais is the great-great-grandmother of our heroine, Moirin. (This, of course, makes Moirin the great-great-grandniece of our star-crossed lovers Imriel and Sidonie.)

Naamah's Kiss is less of a love story (though there is some loving that goes on) and more of an adventure. Moirin goes through many trials, physical, mental and emotional. She resists some and embraces others. You can definitely pick up Naamah's Kiss without having read any of the previous 6 books. Moirin doesn't know about Imriel and Sidonie (or even Alais in the beginning), so it's you can learn about all of the highlights of the past right along with Moirin.

Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn; the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.

Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life; the bright lady, and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, it isn't until she comes of age that Moirin learns how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. The great granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn, and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D'Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.

After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance...on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d'Ange where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch'in, Moirin's skills are a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior princess desperate to save her father's throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon.

Books in this series:
Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, #1)
Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy, #2)
Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy, #3)
Kushiel's Scion (Kushiel's Legacy, #4)
Kushiel's Justice (Kushiel's Legacy, #5)
Kushiel's Mercy (Kushiel's Legacy, #6)
Naamah's Kiss (Kushiel's Legacy, #7)**
**This review.

Buy Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey:
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Review of: Kushiel's Mercy (Kushiel's Legacy, #6)

Author: Jacqueline Carey
ISBN: 9780446610162
Pages: 796
Published by: Grand Central Publishing (June 1st 2009) -- (first published 2004)
Genre(s): Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Erotica, Romance, Adventure, Series
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?

Kushiel's Mercy is #6 in "Kushiel's Legacy", but the third (and final) book in "Imriel's Trilogy"; the first three are "Phèdre's Trilogy". In Kushiel's Mercy there is a bit of an extra element that I don't recall from the previous books. There is some 'spell-casting'. At one point everyone who is gathered in the central courtyard is hypnotized/spelled into believing certain untruths. This in-turn leads to Imriel needing to flee the country. After Imriel is on his quest to find his mother, there is something more 'magical' that happens to him (with his consent).

This one in particular I think I really helps to read the preceeding book, Kushiel's Justice. Kushiel's Justice also deals with the Imriel, Sidonie, Dorelei, Maslin love square. I speak from experience. I read Kushiel's Mercy before I read Kushiel's Justice because Kushiel's Mercy arrived several days before Kushiel's Justice.

Having learned a lesson about thwarting the will of the gods, Imriel and Sidonie publicly confess their affair, only to see the country boil over in turmoil. Younger generations, infatuated by their heart-twisting, star-crossed romance, defend the couple. Many others cannot forget the betrayals of Imriel's mother, Melisande, who plunged their country into a bloody war that cost the lives of their fathers, brothers, and sons.

To quell the unrest, Ysandre, the queen, sets her decree. She will not divide the lovers, yet neither will she acknowledge them. If they marry, Sidonie will be disinherited, losing her claim on the throne. There's only one way they can truly be together. Imriel must perform an act of faith: search the world for his infamous mother and bring her back to Terre d'Ange to be executed for treason.

Facing a terrible choice, Imriel and Sidonie prepare for another long separation. But when a dark foreign force casts a shadow over Terre d'Ange and all the surrounding countries, their world is turned upside down, alliances of the unlikeliest kind are made, and Imriel and Sidonie learn that the god Elua always puts hearts together apurpose.

Books in this series:
Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, #1)
Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy, #2)
Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy, #3)
Kushiel's Scion (Kushiel's Legacy, #4)
Kushiel's Justice (Kushiel's Legacy, #5)
Kushiel's Mercy (Kushiel's Legacy, #6)**
Naamah's Kiss (Kushiel's Legacy, #7)
**This review.

Buy Kushiels' Mercy by Jacqueline Carey:
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Review of: Kushiel's Justice (Kushiel's Legacy, #5)

Author: Jacqueline Carey
ISBN: 9780446500036
Pages: 703
Published by: Warner Books (July 14, 2007)
Genre(s): Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Erotica, Romance, Adventure, Series
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?

I started reading this series on 2001. I have been a fan of Jacqueline Carey and the Kushiel Legacy ever since. Just like books 4 and 6 in the series, Kushiel's Justice is told from Imriel's point of view. (Books 1-3 are told from his adoptive mom's, Phèdre, point of view.) Jacqueline Carey creates such an in depth world in the Kushiel's Legacy series. The geography of her world is loosely based on western Europe/UK.

I am never bored by Jacqueline Carey's books. In Kushiel's Justice, Imriel comes to realize that he is in love with his cousin, Sidonie. One big obstacle in their way is Sidonie's mother, Queen Ysandre. Sidonie is her mother's heir (Terre' d'Ange is a matriarchal country.) Sidonie and Imriel are certain her mother will never let them marry because Imriel's mother, Melisande, tried to have Ysandre assassinated. And that's just the beginning! So much happens to Imriel in this book.

You don't need to read the previous books to be able to appreciate all that this book contains, but I would recommend it; the whole series is fantastic!

From GoodReads:
Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phèdre and Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in beauty, art, and desire.

After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother's misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair.

Blessed Elua founded Terre d'Ange and bestowed one simple precept to guide his people, love as thou wilt. When duty calls, Imriel honors his role as a member of the royal family by leaving to marry a lovely, if merely sweet, Alban princess. By choosing duty over love, Imriel and Sidonie may have unwittingly trespassed against Elua's law. But when dark powers in Alba, who fear an invasion by Terre d'Ange, seek to use the lovers' passion to bind Imriel, the gods themselves take notice.

Before the end, Kushiel's justice will be felt in heaven and on earth.

Books in this series:
Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, #1)
Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy, #2)
Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy, #3)
Kushiel's Scion (Kushiel's Legacy, #4)
Kushiel's Justice (Kushiel's Legacy, #5)**
Kushiel's Mercy (Kushiel's Legacy, #6)
Naamah's Kiss (Kushiel's Legacy, #7)
**This review.

Buy Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey:
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Review of: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan
ISBN: 9780385736817
Pages: 308
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 2009)
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy, Series, Zombies
Grade: A

I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth in just a couple of days, which is fast for me; typically a 300 page book will take me 3-4 days to finish given my limited time to read and my reading speed.

I got so swept up in Mary's life. Carrie Ryan did a fantastic job with this young adult novel, soon to have a sequel. I could smell the fetid breath of the Unconsecrated (aka Zombies ), I could hear and feel the rattling of the chain-link fencing. This is another book that I feel I can't give a lengthy review without spoilers. There is so much I want to gush about... but I can't!

Please feel free to e-mail me if you would like to know more, and aren't afraid of spoilers, or if you have already read The Forest of Hands and Teeth and just want to talk about it with another fan.

kylee.journal AT gmail.com

From GoodReads:
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Other reviews:
Suey @ It's All About Books

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Review of: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St. Crow
ISBN: 9781595142511
Pages: 304
Published by: Razorbill (May 2009)
Genre(s): Paranormal, Young Adult
Grade: C+
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 -

My first impression of Strange Angels is that it is pretty similar to (one of my favorite shows) Supernatural. In the 1st season of Supernatural we learn that the brothers were raised my their ex-Marine father because their mother was killed when the younger one was just an infant. The boys and their father have gone on to hunt and kill demons, ghosts and other "bump-in-the-night" things. In Strange Angels Dru is an only child and a girl, that was about the extent of the differences.

Over all, I enjoyed the 'meat' of Strange Angels. Given that it is paranormal YA, the plot is believable. There is a second book int the series coming in the Spring of 2010 and I will be on the look out for it; I'm willing to the series and author another shot.

My 'issues' with this book: For a book labeled YA I think there is too much swearing and drinking done. Dru is 16, disdains smoking, but thinks nothing of adding Jim Beam to her Coke? Also certain parts felt formulaic. More than once things 'unreel' before her (stairs and roads).

What follows in my 15yo old daughter's review of Strange Angels. It is all in her own words; I didn't change a thing.

Strange Angels by Lili St Crow was, in my opinion, a thrilling book. It had me hooked until the very last page and left me wanting more. It had a delicate balance of high heart pounding action and a slight taste of teenage romance. The fight scenes were so elaborately described, they appealed to all of my senses. I could feel the burn of the zombie goo and smell the rotting stench of it's body. It leaves a vivid picture in my head even weeks after reading it. ~SVG

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Review of: Alanna

Author: Tamora Pierce
ISBN: 9780689878558
Pages: 240
Published by: Simon Pulse (January, 2005 - first published 1983)
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy
Grade: B-
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Spring Reading Thing 2009 - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge


Alanna: The First Adventure is the first book in a 4 book series by Tamora Pierce. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the rest of them. Alanna goes from 10 to 13 years old in Alanna: The First Adventure. I bonded to her almost immediately. She's really committed to her plan of getting training in being a knight and then telling them all that she is a woman. I feel like I NEED to find out how/if she accomplishes this.

Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden--a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the crown prince, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil... somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her gender a secret?

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Review of: Specials

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865404
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (April, 2006)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge



Specials is book #3 in a 4 book series (#1 Uglies, #2 Pretties & #4 Extras). In Specials Tally, Shay, Fausto and others from the Crims clique have been made into Specials. But not just any Special, this group is called Cutters. All Specials have what is described as 'cruel beauty'. Tally is described this way in the first chapter "...all those operations had filled her with icy new muscles and reflexes tweaked to snakelike speed." Some of the things those operations gave to Tally, Shay and the other Cutters: bones made of aircraft ceramics and muscles sheathed with self-repairing monofiliments, flash tattoos and razor-sharp teeth and finger nails. They particular group are called Cutters because they do just that. In order to feel anything, they cut themselves.

Tally (especially) seems to only feel comfortable 'in her own skin' when she is a position to feel superior to someone or a group of people. Anyone who is Ugly or just not Special seems to make her almost physically sick, especially her sometime boyfriend Zane whose brain was damaged due to taking meds he wasn't supposed to take.

Well, I don't want to give away the whole book! I worried about issue of cutting in the book, but the way that Tally relates to cutting changes throughout the book and I like that. I hope the young people that read this realize that cutting is a wrong and dangerous way to deal with their feelings. Tally has a lot to deal with in Specials. A lot goes right and very wrong for her. She has to learn to deal with it all in the right ways; she accomplishes this in my opinion.

I've become a little ambivalent to the characters in this series. I think I will read Extras at some point; just not anytime soon.

Special Circumstances

The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a super-amped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

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Review of: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865398
Pages: 384
Published by: Simon Pulse (November, 2005)
Genre(s): Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Grade: B
Challenge(s): 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 'n Review '09 - Scott Westerfeld Mini-Challenge - 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge


Pretties is the second in a four books series (#1 Uglies, #3 Specials, #4 Extras) by author Scott Westerfeld. As I stated in my review of Uglies, I became aware of this series through my oldest daughter. Pretties picks up a few months after Uglies ends. Tally is now pretty and living/partying in New Pretty Town. Other than that it almost felt like I was reading Uglies again. However, I found myself zipping right through this one (and the next) in just a few days. Again, I had to know what happened to Tally, Shay and the rest. Not sure what that says about me...

My review of Specials will be more in-depth. Quite frankly, I am writing this about 3 months after I read Pretties. I'm going to skip through Specials and re-read some of the chapters to refresh my memory.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

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Review of: A Wrinkle in Time (sort of)

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
ISBN: 9780440498056
Pages: 256
Genre(s): Children's Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy Fiction
Grade: A
Start date: 11-20-08
End date: 11-24-08
Challenge(s): (Genre Challenge) Fantasy



I don't feel like I need to review A Wrinkle in Time. So many have already read it, so many will read (and reread) it. I will say that I enjoyed it more now than when I was 9 or 10 when I first read it. I have the next 3 in the series and will read them at some point. =) I will also continue to look for An Acceptable Time, which is the 5th book.

Review of: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld
ISBN: 9780689865381
Pages: 425
Genre(s): fantasy, sci-fi, YA
Grade: B+
Start date: 11-7-08
End date: 11-10-08
Challenge(s): (1) genre - sci-fi



I originally became aware of this series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials & Extras) because of my daughter. She was 12 at the time and a little young for the books, I thought. Now that I have finally read the start of the series, I think that belief was unfounded. When I hear that a book is categorized as Young Adult I automatically think 14+.

SV, my 14 (almost 15) year old read the first three in the series this past summer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Tally, Shay David, Croy and all the rest. Their world is our world... 300 or so years later. The "ruins" are our cities - crumbled, burned, destroyed. There is a definite message to us, now, in Uglies. We need to stop living like "What I do doesn't matter to anyone but me".

As far as the "operation" that everyone has when they turn 16 (everyone except those that have conviction enough to runaway) that scares me. There is already a belief in this country that it's okay to give your children plastic surgery for a high school graduation gift or even a 16th birthday present. I won't go on about how wrong I think this is.

There is a total cliffhanger ending to Uglies. I am finding it hard to NOT pick up Pretties which is now sitting in my bookcase since I thieved it from my 14 year old daughter's bookcase. =)

Shared Reviews: If you've reviewed this book too, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment with the link to your review, and I will add a link to it at the bottom of my review. Please, for convenience, if you leave a comment, leave it in the review-post.