Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Daughter of Smoke & Bone is a fantastical world of hope and magic, pain and resurrection. Laini Taylor erases all boundaries of belief for the first book in her series. The novel is pure poetic prose steeped in pinpoint sharp detail and it easily draws readers into the world of Karou and all that has been hidden from her. 

Karou is the main character and the entire novel revolves around her. She works as an errand girl for Brimstone, a Chimera (a creature made up of other creature features) who collects teeth. Being an orphan, she sees Brimstone and his helpers as her family, even though no one else knows they exist. Karou is an artist living and studying in Prague. She has blue hair, a desire to fly, and eyes permanently painted on the palms of her hands. Readers will enjoy her quirky, vengeful personality while reveling in the other-world she plays a part in. As the story evolves, Karou is forced to question who and what she is and readers will further connect with her as discoveries are made, pasts revealed.

The plot opens with Karou introduced as a unique art student who constantly draws beastly characters. It's soon shared with readers that those creatures are real and Karou was not only raised by them, but helps them with their work. Unfortunately, angels are planning a mass destruction of the portals that connect Brimstone's shop with the world. And one angel specifically, Akiva, has his sights set on Karou when he learns of her. But when he learns about her, the enemy Akiva becomes the only one who can tell Karou who and what she is. 

Karou is the past. She's the peace. And she's the future of a remade world. 

This first installment in the series draws readers into an astounding world of mysticism and magic. It's a whirlwind of whimsy filled with passion, love, death, destruction. The terrors of war and the hope of peace. Laini Taylor does a wonderful job in setting up the series. Now that the portals have been destroyed, Karou must find another way to reconnect with her family. Leaving an ominous to be continued at the end of book one. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

City of Glass

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

*Contains Spoilers*

Valentine has the Mortal Cup and Mortal Sword in his possession. He now only needs the mirror to summon the angel, Raziel, in order to fulfill his plan. But the Clave doesn't seem to want to listen to any sense involving what Valentine may or may not do, so Cassandra Clare leaves it up to the normal underage shadowhunting crew of Jace, Alec, and Isabelle with a dash of Clary in her novel, City of Glass. 

This installment of the Mortal Instruments is the trickiest, thus far, to further develop character connections due to the increased amount of deception. Though deception has been a major theme throughout the first two novels, it evolves into more of a force in City of Glass.Clary remains her stubborn, rambunctious, and always helpful self (Just a bit of sarcasm there). She is determined to save her mother and won't let anyone tell her to stay home, which does, almost unbelievably, end well. Readers will learn much more about Clary's maternal past, thus having a much more complete history to connect with. (Though, there still seem to be a few secret skeletons slinking around according to the Seelie Queen.)

As for the supporting cast, readers learn more about Jace, though most of it is a collection of lies. Clare eventually does unveil that he has angelic blood, not demon, and that he is really the descendant of Stephen Herondale (remember Will from Clockwork?), not Valentine. His bravery and courage shine as he faces down a newly introduced enemy. Simon is still the only "Daylighter," a vampire that can walk in the sunlight, and Raphael has a very large problem with it. Simon also has a chance to show his bravery and newly acquired vampire fighting skills as he takes his turn standing up for his friends, aligning the Vampires with the Clave. Alec finally comes out to his family, and the whole world, when he teams up with Magnus and kisses him quite publicly. It may have been a cheesy moment but I smiled none-the-less. Isabelle does what she does best and is brutally honest and downright badass when she needs to be. 

The plot of this third installation follows Jace and Clary as they separately head to Alicante, the City of Glass in Idris. While Clary is focused on saving her mother, Jace is focused on helping determine the next step of Valentine's plan. With more deception than ever before, Clare sets up a mysterious supernatural story that won't disappoint shadowhunting fans. But now that the epic of story of Valentine has come to an end, what do readers expect for the next novels of Miss Cassandra Clare?

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Branded (Fall of Angels #1)

Jessica had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged by people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion that will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Keary Taylor delivers a heart-wrenching tale in which the main character stands trial for those who die, either being exalted or condemned. And oh-my-wow, what a tale it is. The storyline had me hooked from page one. I've been voraciously reading for the past two days and it was definitely worth it. 

Jessica Bailey is the main character. A twenty-year-old girl who ran away from home before her mother could institutionalize her because of her nightmares. The nightmares where she is judged for acts she never committed. She finds herself in Washington state acting as caretaker for a lake house, where no one can hear her screams as she fights off sleep and the trials. Jessica is an innocent character, very down to earth (surprisingly), and has all of the characteristics of the average young woman. She prays that the trials will stop and she'll be able to lead a normal life. Readers will connect with Jessica based on her personality and the empathy she evokes. As she attempts to make new friends, become socially active, takes care of her mentally troubled neighbor, and falls in love, readers will come to see Jessica as a close friend. 

The plot line follows Jessica's nightmares, which have always been consistent, until now. The dreams are starting to change as well as the angels within them. As the dreams change, so does her everyday world. Certain things become more intense and Jessica starts wondering if the angels could follow her into reality. Taylor does a wonderful job crafting a supernatural story that convinces the reader that it could be real. There were a few parts where a clue to the plot repeated itself and the end was a little less extreme as it promised. But that won't stop me from reading the rest of the series. Definitely going on the TBR. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Branded: Fall of Angels

Angelfall

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

**

Wow. 

Susan Ee has completely stunned me with her (excellent) novel, Angelfall. As the world erupts in chaos after the angel apocalypse, Ee enchants readers with her story about Penryn, a teenage girl who has vowed to save her sister from the angels wrath. Which involves her breaking into their aerie without getting herself killed. 

Penryn, who is also the narrator throughout the novel, is a remarkable character. She's strong, loyal, brave, focused, and knows a thing or two about martial arts. Readers will love her determination to save her little sister and side with her immediately, no second thoughts. 

One of the greatest things about first-person writing is that the reader gets to be in the shoes of the main character. Ee uses this technique and it creates a strong connection that only intensifies as the novel continues, making it an effortless task to connect with Penryn as she battles toward hell to save her family. Even her flaws help build the reader/character bond. The premise that Penryn isn't the perfect heroine makes her more relatable and likeable. 

The plot line throughout the novel was very simple, which helped keep the novel well-paced through the side line stories. Penryn must save her sister, no matter what. The obstacles that appeared were surprising, and sometimes a little gory, but they all helped Penryn move toward her goal, preparing her in various ways. 

Impressive debut novel. Now when does the equally impressive sequel come out? Because I need to know what happens next...

rating: 5/5 cups

Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days)

Tremble (Celestra #2)

Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is determined to bring back the dead.

For Skyla, being an angel from the coveted Celestra faction hasn't been easy.

An entire band of wicked angels is after her blood, a Sector is after something far more sinister, and her newfound powers lead her on a quest to save her dead father.

Skyla and her boyfriend Logan try to piece together a plan to take down the Countenance in order to maintain their relationship, but will Skyla's burgeoning feelings for Gage get in the way?

And when Skyla decides to use her powerful blood to change the fate of another deceased soul, just who is going to stop her? - Goodreads

*May Contain Spoilers*

It took me a little while, but I finally got a day to read Addison Moore's novel, Tremble. It's the second book in the Celestra series and I devoured it, like a fem. (You'll get it after you read the books...) The first one, Ethereal, was a YA novel that caught me in it's web. If you haven't had the chance to read it, it's quick, easy, and a fun read. (Read my review here)  

I must say, Tremble is definitely better than Ethereal. I like them both, but you can really tell how Addison Moore evolved as an author from the first book to the second. She still writes from Skyla's point of view, which makes everything require a teenage-mindset. But the evolution of Moore means the evolution of Skyla. Both of which are good things. :) 

I'm still not to privy to Skyla, per se. She's still selfish and a little b*tchy, not to mention she can not make her mind when it comes to boys... but she is determined, loving (in her own way), and the filter between the brain and mouth... yep, still not there. Which I'm honestly happy about. 

I am coming to like Gage and Logan a lot more. We learn secrets about Logan in this installment which will blow your mind. And Gage... he's trying to win Skyla's heart. He's such a sweet character, I think that readers can't help but like him, even with his stalker-ish tendencies. 

The plot in this installment is definitely as well thought out as the first and easier to understand. Skyla doesn't jump around too much and actually explains things that need explaining. All the while, Moore intentionally leaves certain things out leaving us all craving more. I absolutely loved learning more about the Counts (evil guys!) and a couple of specific characters that hold that title... 

And I'm off to buy the third book. Happy Reading! :)

Tremble

on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups

Ethereal (Celestra #1)

"Sixteen-year-old, Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. 

When her newly remarried mother moves the family to Paragon Island, to a house that is rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan Oliver, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds.

Skyla discovers Logan holds the answers to the questions she’s been looking for, but Logan’s reluctance to give her the knowledge she desires leaves her believing Logan has a few secrets of his own. 

Skyla’s bloodlines may just be connected to the most powerful angelic beings that roam the earth, and the more she knows, the more danger she seems to be in. 

Suddenly an entire faction of earthbound angels wants her dead, at least she still has Logan, or does she?" - Goodreads Blurb

*May Contain Spoilers*

Addison Moore creates a world where angels walk the earth in her novel, Ethereal, the first in the Celestra series. As a young adult novel, this book surprised me. (Who am I trying to kid? I love YA!) Overall, I think this novel was a great read. I had a few problems here and there, but for the most part I definitely recommend it. After all, I've already purchased the second one. 

Skyla is the main character who discovers she is an angel and that her life may be leading to danger. I liked Skyla for the most part, but I feel Moore could have dove deeper with Skyla so that readers would form a better connection with her. She's a cranky teenager who hates her new step-father, misses her (deceased) father, doesn't exactly like her new siblings, doesn't understand her mother, and has crushes on two gorgeous guys. She also doesn't seem to have a filter between her brain and mouth, which admittedly makes for some pretty funny situations. 

I just wanted her to have more depth. She seems to have a flip-flop personality, obviously not knowing what she really wants. But she is a teenage character, so what more can we expect? I'm looking forward to her growing as an angel in the next installments in the series. 

The plot line, I must say, was well planned out, with only a few minor hiccups. But I did feel like Moore rushed through the novel. Because of that, the novel was never idling, however it did create confusion in a few spots. I would find myself asking "What?!" out loud, only to return to the previous page to re-read it and work it out in my head so that the flow made sense. My only suggestions when picking up this novel: read slow and have a few hours of free time ahead of you. :) Happy Reading!

Ethereal 

on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups