In
Kansas during the Dust Bowl, Callie LeRoux is off on an adventure to
save her kidnapped mother and long-lost father. She knows her parents
are in California so along with Jack, a sweet teenage hobo, she sets off
to find her parents and discover the truth about her fairy father and
who she really is.
The beginning of the novel was intriguing and
got me excited for what was to come. Sadly, the rest of the book did
not live up to the beginning. Once Callie and Jack set out, the initial
mystery of what was to come was gone and left me trudging through the
rest of the book.
I was unsure what to make of this book. On the
one hand, it's yet another fairy book, and unlike witches, vampires, and
werewolves, I find fairy fantasy extremely tedious and repetitive.
Don't get me wrong, the other stuff can be repetitive too, just for some
reason I feel like every single fairy book has the same plot. There's
usually a girl who is half human and half fairy princess who must set
out on an adventure through Fairyland with a cute guy and in the end she
learns that fairies can't be trusted. The sad part is, even if a fairy
book didn't have that plot, I get so bored with them that it probably
wouldn't matter to me. I was hoping that the unique setting (Dust Bowl
era) would redeem this one, because I love when fantasy plots are
plopped into different time periods (like steampunk), but it only did
enough to pull me through to the end.
I wish I could analyze more
details of this novel for you, but since I've already forgotten most of
it, I am forced to bid you an early adieu.
2.9 stars
Callie LeRoux lives in
Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying
not to think about the father she’s never met. Lately all of her energy
is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their
effects on her health. Callie is left alone when her mother goes missing
in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a
few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her
parents in “the golden hills of the west”: California.
Along the
way she meets Jack, a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her
company—there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there’s
also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached
to the creative communities of American society, are very much aware of
the role this half-mortal, half-fae teenage girl plays in their fate.
When
Meghan's little brother is kidnapped and replaced with an evil fairy
child thingy, Meghan sets off to fairyland, called NeverNever, to rescue
him. Upon arrival Meghan discovers that she is the long lost child of
one of the rulers, and that finding her brother will be a lot more
complicated than she expected. With the help of the mischievous Puck and
the handsome prince Ash, Meghan faces an enemy unlike one that anyone
in NeverNever had ever heard of before.
For some reason, I don't
find YA fantasy about fairies nearly as satisfying as any about other
sorts of fantastical creatures. This book didn't defy that expectation,
but it was one of the better fairy books that I've read. It did have all
the same annoying markings-a half mortal/half fairy main character,
dark brooding handsome prince love interest, her long-lost father is
king, rescuing a mortal loved one-but it didn't feel as overdone as most
other fairy novels. Perhaps because in this book the fairy world had
rules that made sense and were easy to follow, as opposed to the ones
where random things happen and are explained afterwards.
Was it
just me, or did the Ash romance happen too fast? One second they're
mortal enemies, and the next they're true love. It happened so quickly
that my initial thought was that he was pranking her or part of some
elaborate scheme on his mother's part. He may very well might be though,
because there are still more books left to the series.
4.0 stars
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something
has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father
disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in
at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her
from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of
her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But
she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a
mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn
just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a
mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a
young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy
heart.
The
ideas connecting all the stories in this book was fascinating. Each
author took the topic of prophecy and prediction and interpreted it
completely differently. It was cool to read all the different takes and
twists on this one topic, especially because none of them were as
generic as I expected.
Gentlemen Send Phantoms, by Laini Taylor: I
loved this story so much that it inspired me to read Laini Taylor's
novels. It was light and sweet with hints of fantasy but with the
uncertainty if whether what you're reading is fantasy at all.
Burned
Bright, by Diana Peterfreund: Diana Peterfreund is one of my favorite
authors and I found out about her when I read her short story in
"Zombies and Unicorns". This story was absolutely fascinating. The twist
at the end reminded me of the O'Henry stories I had to read in 8th
grade, the ones with the shocking endings. After reading the last line
of this story my jaw dropped and it took about five minutes for me to
get it shut. It was totally unlike the killer unicorn or the Secret Society Girl books, which was quite unexpected and shows great talent on
the author's part that she could write in such different styles.
The
Angriest Man, by Lisa McMann: This story kind of scared me. I'm not
sure how literally I was supposed to take it but I'm not much of a fan
of symbolism so if there was any, I didn't get it. This take on
prediction was one of self-fulfilled prophecy and for some reason I just
thought of the movie "Megamind" in that everyone expects the main
character to be bad. Don't be mistaken though-this story is NOTHING like
Megamind.
Out of the Blue, by Meg Cabot: Cute, but typical Meg Cabot. One of my favorite stories in the book.
One
True Love, by Malinda Lo: The only way I can describe this story is
lesbian Oedipus Rex. But I think that was the point of the story.
This
is a Mortal Wound, by Michael Grant: Very very interesting but I
couldn't figure out how this story connected with prophecy and
prediction.
Misery, by Heather Brewer: Fascinating and introspective. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I did appreciate it.
The
Mind is a Powerful Thing, by Matt de la Pena: Another story of
self-fulfilled prophecy, just this time with a paranoid girl who thinks
the world is out to get her.
The Chosen One, by Saundra Mitchell:
Sweet and strong. A more classic take on the whole prophecy idea, but
the main character was full of spunk.
Improbable Futures, by Kami
Garcia: Not a particularly unique story, but definitely good. I wasn't a
huge fan of Beautiful Creatures so I wasn't looking forward to reading
this story or the next one, but this story was a lot darker than I
realized. This story is about a fake fortune teller who realizes that
everything she is predicting starts coming true.
Death for the
Deathless, by Margaret Stohl: This story was the first that had a
prediction loop which makes you question what comes first. I liked a few
of the other stories, but this one was definitely my number one
favorite. I was shocked when I looked at the author's name and realized
that I thought her other books were stupid.
Fate, by Simone Elkeles: This story had no fantasy involved but was just a short contemporary romance. Another goodie.
The
Killing Garden, by Carrie Ryan: This story was nasty. The concept was
messed up and made me cringe multiple times. I felt bad for the main
character for not realizing the truth behind her father's words until
the end, but the end of the story was okay.
Homecoming, by
Richelle Mead: To anyone who hasn't read the Vampire Academy books, this
story will seem out of place and won't be fully understood. To anyone
who has, it's nice to read about Dimitri's reunion with his family.
3.6 stars.
Have you ever been
tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question
fate? It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is
the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?
From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold
is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's
unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult
fiction's brightest stars.
Dana
has had nothing but excitement during her time in Avalon, and
everything is about to get a little bit crazier. After her aunt's
attempted murder on her life, Dana's father locked Dana up in a safe
house to protect her from everyone who would like to kill/use Dana's
unique fairiewalker talents. Unfortunately, that's a lot of people. When
the mysterious Erlking, a fairie hit-man of sorts, comes to Avalon on a
mysterious mission, Dana's dad gets extra terrified for Dana's safety.
The Erlking and his minions, the Wild Hunt, want something from Dana and
he's willing to resort to the most disturbing of tactics to get it from
her.
Most of the time I love the first book, hate the second,
and am somewhat ambivalent about the third, but Shadowspell and Glimmerglass were exceptions. I only somewhat liked Glimmerglass, but I
gave Shadowspell a chance because the ending was cut off in a way that
was solid, yet left me desperate for more. I'm surprised I even bothered
with Shadowspell, but I'm happy I did. Glimmerglass was more of an
introduction, while Shadowspell actually got the story started, and
Sirensong will complete it.
I don't have much to say about
Shadowspell because anything I had to say I probably said by
Glimmerglass's review, but I will acknowledge two things I appreciated.
The first is that the novel was filled with twists and turns. There were
multiple climaxes and I liked how everything kept moving. The second
was how Dana was a real teenager. She was extremely smart and sensible
at times, and extremely stupid and self-centered at other times. She
managed to keep cool during crises, yet she insisted on leaving her safe
house while the Erlking was around. Though the latter made me want to
yell at her, I have to admit that it was nice to read about a heroine
who seems mildly realistic.
5 stars.
On top of spending most
of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by
a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some
more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as
the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite
and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae
realm.
A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a
mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked
in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together.
Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the
Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The
smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only
seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?
It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...
Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again,
Dana decides shes had enough and runs away to find her mysterious
father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday
world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from
the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns
out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a
rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person
who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.
Dana
finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's
trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from
her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures
she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two
worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted,
not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.
Dana
is fed up with dealing with her alcoholic mother and wants to be a
teenager for once. So she runs away from home and heads to Avalon to
find her long lost fairy father. Upon arrival in the magical city Dana
is kidnapped multiple times because of her mysterious Faeriewalker
capabilities. As a Faeriewalker, Dana has the power to bring magic into
the human realm and technology into the Faerie realm. Dana is the most
valuable pawn in the complicated game of politics between Faerie and
Avalon and everyone wants to control her.
Faerie stories tend to
bore me because I feel like they're all the same. Glimmerglass took the
typical and twisted it with the unique city of Avalon. The faeries in
Avalon are no secret, in fact everyone knows about them. Avalon is the
bridge between the two worlds. It was nice to read a faerie story that
was acclimated to the 21st century.
For once there was a heroine
who was not completely insipid! Dana was responsible and had the perfect
blend of attitude and vulnerability. In a situation where she had
almost no control Dana didn't sit down and let everyone toss her around
like a piece of cattle but stood up and tried to take care of herself.
The complete opposite of Dana is Kimber. At the beginning Kimber seemed
to be the ultimate ice queen but she melted way too quickly and instead
of giving off the impression of a girl with a hard exterior and soft
interior I felt she was just fickle. I do regret not seeing more of the
relationship Dana has with her mother because I feel like that would
have rounded out her character a bit more and would have explained
certain plot elements that confused me slightly.
4.1 stars. This wasn't an amazing book, but a good start to a series.
Freak. That's what her
classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a
horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's
own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron
tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna
feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any
chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and
grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.
When
the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin,
Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between
the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout
with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means
betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to
the death to protect.
When
Donna was little, her father died and her mom lost her sanity while
protecting their daughter. Donna's arms are covered in iron tattoos that
were put there to heal her after the attack. Now, teenage Donna must
come fact to face with the same dark fairies that killed her father all
those years ago when they start reappearing and eventually kidnap her
best and only friend, Navin. Donna is a social outcast because of her
weird arms and Navin is the only person her own age who doesn't know her
secret who stood by her. Helping her rescue Navin is a hot new guy,
Xan, whose got some fairy blood in him and would like to discover more
about himself and his past. I think you can figure out the rest of the
story from those totally unoriginal details I have provided.
I
thought the whole thing was pretty cliche and pathetic. There are so
many fairy books out there and I felt like this one didn't stand out. It
was completely average. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but I
wouldn't stop anyone from reading it. It wasn't horrible-just not as
good as many other books I could have read in its place. It is very
possible that this all stems from the fact that it is meant for younger
readers, but even books meant for kids or younger teenagers can be
appreciated by adults if they're good.
One would think that in a
book where the characters know there are dark evil fairies running
around wouldn't be that trusting. One would be wrong. Donna and Xan
reveal their secrets to each other after knowing each other for around
five minutes which is pretty quick, especially when you consider that it
took her years to confess the truth to Navin. I don't care how
good-looking he is-when you have a giant secret like that you don't give
it away that easily! Donna acted like a know-it-all brat the whole book
and her naivete was anything but charming.
Halfway through the
book I looked up and realized nothing had happened yet. The action
didn't start until the last couple of pages. The beginning contained
some minor incidents, drama, and romance, but I wanted more action and
fairies. I understand the need for an introduction-the reader needs to
know what's going on-but I felt like I was being introduced to the story
and the characters for most of the book.
When a girl and guy are
best friends in a novel (and both are straight) it is practically a given that at least one of them must
have romantic feelings for the other. I always thought that was typical
and overused, but I actually missed it in The Iron Witch. While it can
be annoying in books that are already stuffed with drama, I felt like a
love triangle would have really added to the overall story. Just imagine
Donna enlisting her crush's help to rescue her other maybe-crush. The
emotional turmoil would have been tortuously amazing to read.
2.7
