Book Review: The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #3)

Ethan Chase is in the worst of places. Betrayed in Ireland when his supposed best friend Keirran drove a sword into his belly, Ethan awakes in Mag Turiedh to discover that he has been in a coma for some time. He learns that when he was attacked, he actually died and the Veil between the Faery and human worlds was stripped away, resulting in a moment of chaos and mayhem. Thankfully the amulet he was wearing brought him back from the dead but he is left with quite the mess to clean up.

The Iron Prince betrayed us all.

He killed me. Then, I woke up.

What is clear is that the Forgotten Queen has declared war on the Summer, Winter and Iron Courts of Faery and together the courts must rise up to defeat her. The trouble is that the Forgotten Queen’s army of Forgotten fey are lead by none other than Keirran, traitor son of the Iron Queen Meghan and Ethan Chase’s nephew.

It becomes ever more evident that the steps Keirran took to protect Annwyl are in fact destroying his soul. Following an encounter with the Dryads, Ethan realises that he alone can stop Keirran and so he and Kenzie follow Annwyl to the ends of the Nevernever and past the River of Dreams to try discover a way to save Keirran.

Along the way they pick up some surprising allies in those who were once foes of Meghan and Ash. We learn of the devastation that followed Ash’s quest for a soul and the impact that it had on Faery itself but surpringly those who would once destroy the Iron Queen and her lover are now at their side. Danger and jeopardy follows their every move in this gripping adventure which features a bizarre and surreal interlude in a horror carnival in the Between.

With no end to the bargains and sacrifices to be made, can Ethan reach Keirran before the Courts do and save him from a tragic and inevitable fall?

The Iron Warrior concludes Julie Kagawa’s Call of the Forgotten trilogy and is the seventh and final book in the epic Iron Fey series. It is a bitter sweet experience to read this book as we bid farewell to characters that we have travelled to the end of the world with.

While there were slow parts in the series (The Iron Knight was never one of my favourite books after all), the Call of the Forgotten trilogy was consistently entertaining and fascinating.

I have always liked Ethan – I understood why he was so jaded and respected that he equipped himself with martial arts and weapons training in order to protect himself from the Fey. Despite his years as a loner, he always put Kenzie first and allowed her the space to deal with her illness in her own way.

Even though he is the subject of the book, we actually don’t see much of Keirran in this book at all which is quite a relief given his utter obsession and self-possession in the previous book.

We do get to see more the cait sith Grimalkin which is fabulous, as well as many other characters from the entire series.

For a fascinating ending to an epic series, I give The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa five out of five stars and would highly recommend the series to all fans of young adult and paranormal fiction. If you enjoyed Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream you might be pleasantly surprised to reunite with his characters again.

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Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1)

When Ethan Chase was kidnapped by the fey and taken to the Nevernever, it set in motion a series of events that would change the power dynamic in the Land of the Fey forever. In faery terms, that happened many decades ago but in Ethan’s life, it has only been 13 years. In that time, his sister Meghan has become the Iron Queen and as far as Ethan is concerned, he’d like to stay as far away from the manipulative, duplicitous fey as possible.

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

Ethan is a loner, protecting himself and those he loves by warding off the fey that follow him. Despite his best intentions to never get involved, and despite years of kali martial arts training, he is nevertheless sucked in when a young fey at his school goes missing. When Ethan and local school reporter Mackenzie St James are attacked, Ethan is forced to take Mackenzie into the Nevernever to save her life.

The Lost Prince is the fifth book in Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Fey series and the first in The Call of the Forgotten series. I had a difficult relationship with The Iron Fey series and rated the books between 3 and 4.5 stars. I never could figure out whether I liked the series and was especially disappointed with The Iron Knight. 

I only mention this because I absolutely loved The Lost Prince. I adored Ethan and totally understood why he would be so angry at Meghan. Yes, she is the Iron Queen, yes she is amazing but I’m pretty certain that people like that aren’t all that much fun to live with.

It was wonderful to meet Grimalkin the uncanny cat again and also good to see just how much Meghan and Ash had achieved. The Wyldwood was as treacherous and exciting as always and I simply loved being back in the Nevernever.

If there was anything I didn’t like about the book, it was Meghan and Ash’s son Kierran. That is not to say that I didn’t like him as a character and don’t like his place in the story but I don’t trust him and I suspect he is going to cause a big upset in the next book.

Ultimately, The Lost Price is exciting, action-packed and fascinating. It was not slow-paced like the previous books in The Iron Fey series could be and there was less of the endless going around in circles in terms of love triangles.

Being that the third book in The Call of the Forgotten series is out in November 2015, I’m going to pick The Iron Traitor up immediately before moving on to The Iron Warrior. Considering that there have been three years between the first and third books, I am very happy with my decision to delay starting the series. Instant gratification, anyone?

One final word on the book cover. Every single book in The Iron Fey series had a gorgeous cover and The Lost Prince is no exception.

I give The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend to fans of Julie Kagawa and paranormal or fantasy young adult fiction. If you loved Twilight, Mortal Instruments or Divergent, you'll love this.

Buy The Lost Prince at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

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Book Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice Bell has never experienced what you’d call a normal life. Her whole life her family was held captive by her father’s paranoid ramblings about monsters, never allowed to go out at night and living in a highly secure but permanent state of fear. Except that he wasn’t delusional and monsters are real. It is bad enough that Alice loses her entire family in a car accident on her sixteenth birthday but on that evening she finally sees the monsters with her own eyes and she realises once and for all that her father was anything but crazy.

Alice in Zombieland is Gena Showalter’s latest foray into young adult fiction, following on from her as-yet-unfinished Intertwined series. Despite the play on the title of the Lewis Carroll classic, the book has little to do with Alice in Wonderland and it is not a reimagining of that story. In a sense, this might be misleading to readers as the front cover proclaims “Off with their heads” and the series is called The White Rabbit Chronicles but apart from Alice’s sightings of a white cloud in the shape of a rabbit, further references to Alice in Wonderland are extremely tenuous.

This suited me perfectly as there is a time and place for parody mashups but I think Gena Showalter is a better writer than that.  However, therein lies the problem with Alice in Zombieland.  It is probably worth mentioning that I am a great fan of Showalter’s Intertwined series to the extent that it is the first series in years that I have read several times.  The supernatural world that Showalter created in those books along with her characters’ natures and abilities was incredibly entertaining, unique and interesting. It is safe to say that I had high expectations of her with this book.

Ultimately, Alice in Zombieland is just an average high school melodrama with stereotyped characters and a zombie threat. Except that the zombies aren’t zombies, they are ghosts, despite the fact that the author insists on more than one occasion that ghosts don’t exist.  And, of course, the zombie ghosts can bite you and infect you which actually makes them zombies. I think I’ve conveyed how silly the distinction is.

There were so many scenes that reminded me of other books, films and television programs that little seemed original in this book.  The scene where Alice first sees Cole seemed almost identical to the scene where Bella first sees the Cullens in Twilight; the organisation of the hunters in relation to their parents seemed like a cross between Teen Wolf and Secret Circle; and the characterisation of Cole and his friends (and the subsequent reversal of that impression) felt like it came straight out of Fallen. 

My honest impression (and I might be entirely mistaken in this) was that Harlequin Teen had far too much editorial input into the novel and encouraged Showalter to write a book that they could sell. This was supported by Alice reading another Harlequin Teen novel in the book (product placement anybody?) and the fact that Showalter’s characters are now shiny and squeaky clean with no cursing or carnal bodily relations. 

So if you were expecting a Lewis Carroll / zombie mashup or a paranormal thriller of the same calibre as Showalter’s Intertwined series, then Alice in Zombieland is probably not the book for you.  However, if teen romances with a touch of the supernatural are what you are looking for, then his book performs fairly on that level.  I give it a fair 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Alice in Zombieland is published by Mira Ink and is available to purchase on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

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Book Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

When I first read about Cara Lynn Shultz’s debut novel, I immediately wanted to read it.  Spellbound is a paranormal romance set in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and is somewhat of a mix between Gossip Girl and Secret Circle. 

Sixteen-year-old Emma Conner arrives in New York to make a fresh start in life after suffering the tragic loss of both her mother and brother, and then abuse at the hands of her drunken step-father.  She enrols at Vincent Academy, a typically posh prep school in Manhattan and vows to keep her head down and remain invisible.

The last thing she expects to find is love, but Emma soon finds herself irresistibly drawn to Brendan Salinger, one of the richest and best-looking boys in school.  Emma soon discovers that this love brings with it a terrible curse and she learns that danger lurks in every corridor of Vincent Academy.

Spellbound ticks a lot of boxes but not always in a good way.  Fans of young adult fiction and several primetime shows will recognise many of the clichés in the story including the damaged heroine, the unbelievably good-looking and wealthy love interest, the gay best friend, and the weird gothic girl who turns out to be the coolest character of all.

Despite all of this, I thoroughly enjoyed Spellbound, far more than I expected as the story began to build in the opening chapters.  I liked the combination of prep school snobbery, burgeoning magic and supernatural hauntings and I especially liked the story-within-a-story as we learned about the curse.  Even excepting the curse and the paranormal elements of the story, the threats that Emma faces are absolutely plausible and there are some truly terrifying scenes in the book. 

Given the title of the book, I initially expected Spellbound to be entirely focused on magic and imagined something along the lines of The Craft or Secret Circle, or even the Harry Potter franchise.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that magic occupied a far more subtle place in the book in both its discovery and execution.  I found this quite refreshing and look forward to learning more in the next book.

There have been many occasions recently where I have found books to be gratuitously drawn out, with storylines inadequately resolved as the stage is so obviously set for a sequel.  I am happy to say that this is not the case with Spellbound.  There is indeed a sequel, Spellcaster, but the story in Spellbound was certainly resolved in a thrilling climax with just enough of a teaser to keep readers coming back for more.

I give Spellbound four out of five stars and I would recommend it to all fans of paranormal romance and young adult fiction.

Spellbound is published by Mira Ink and is available to buy on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

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Book Review: Crave by Melissa Darnell

There is no doubt about it; I am a fan of young adult fiction, preferably of the fantasy romance variety.  I can't get enough of vampires, witches, ghosts and demons, and if I like a book, I am usually thrilled to discover that it is part of a series. When you fall in love with characters, like I did with Gena Showalter's Intertwined or Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Take, there is nothing better than to discover that there are more books on the way.

What I’m not so keen on is the experience of rushing towards the end of a book, heart beating against my ribcage as the tension reaches boiling point and then… and then nothing. I understand the use of cliffhangers in books and films but for goodness sake, at least wrap up the storylines in the current installment! It seems to me that young adult authors are increasingly using this technique to end books in arbitrary places (I’m specifically thinking of the House of Night series), without ever really wrapping up the plot in any one book.

It is safe to say that I felt more than a little bit frustrated when I reached the end of Melissa Darnell’s Crave. I even flipped back and forwards through the pages to make sure that I wasn’t mistaken but it does seem that the book just ended, right in the middle of the action. So will I be coming back for more? The answer is yes; despite my frustration, I will certainly be picking up the next book in the series Covet when it is released later this year.

Crave is a paranormal romance told from the point of view of Jacksonville High School students Savannah Colbert and Tristan Coleman. Tristan is a Descendant, a member of the Clann family who hold much of the power in their East Texas town. Once friends with Tristan and other descendants, Savannah was ostracised when they shared a kiss in the fourth grade and banned from being friends with them. As rumours abound about the magical sources of the Clann’s power, Savannah discovers that she is descended from a far deadlier, more ancient family altogether – vampires.

When Savannah is struck by a mysterious illness, she recovers only to find that she is changing. As Savannah comes to terms with her vampire heritage, she and Tristan feel inexplicably drawn to one another. They embark on a forbidden relationship of secret dates, magic and shared dreams, but does Tristan truly care for Savannah or is he only compelled by her? And what will happen to Tristan and Savannah if the Clann or the sinister vampire council discover their relationship?

I thoroughly enjoyed Crave and raced through it in a matter of days. I felt that it was a bit weak in parts with respect to vampire and witch mythology but this certainly picked up in the latter part of the book. In any event, there was sufficient drama between Savannah and the other characters in the book to maintain the pace. All told, my only real complaint was that the book simply ended without any of the main storylines really being wrapped up.

Despite the frustrating ending, I would certainly recommend Crave to fans of paranormal series such as the Vampire Academy, House of Night, Twilight, Intertwined or Soul Screamers series.

Crave is another great book from Harlequin’s MIRA Ink imprint.  It is the first book in The Clann series which is currently planned to be a trilogy.  You can purchase it at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

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An advance, electronic copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Interview with Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron Knight

Julie Kagawa recently wrapped up the Iron Fey series with the fourth and final novel The Iron Knight which we reviewed earlier this week.  We caught up with Julie to discuss the series and what she has in store for us in the future.

What was your favourite chapter to write and why?  What was your least favourite chapter?

My favourite chapter in The Iron Knight is probably the third and final trial of the Testing Grounds.  I can't say anything more because of spoilers, but I got to write Ash in a completely new and unique way, as something that he's never been before.  I think my least favourite chapter was a certain scene with the characters’ evil dopplegangers, because it was hard keeping track of who was where and what they were doing.

Were there any story lines that you wanted to explore in the series but that somehow didn't fit?  Would you ever consider releasing your "outtakes"?

Nothing in Iron Knight stands out; I had a pretty clear cut idea of how the story was going to go.  There were just a few deleted scenes that never made it into the book.  But the Iron Fey website actually has a few of these outtakes if you want to take a look.

Who is your least favourite character in the Iron Fey series?  Were there any characters you were disappointed in?

My favourite character would have to be Ash, because I love my dark, brooding bad boys with swords.  Though Grimalkin runs a very close second.  And I don't dislike any of the characters, not even the bad guys.  I try to make every character unique, even the ones that don't get much page time, so it's hard to be apathetic towards any of them.

What is your worst habit as a writer?  Do you have a really bad habit that somehow works and gives you brilliant results?

Um, no.  Lol, my worst habit is being very distracted by Twitter and email and the internet in general.  Whenever I'm stuck, or even bored, I open up Tweetdeck to see what's going on.  This does not give me brilliant results, this just makes me frantic when deadlines roll around.  ;-)

What are you working on now?  I really liked that you brought out novellas to supplement the Iron Fey series.  Is this something that you will continue to do in future?

Right now I'm working on my new series Blood of Eden, which will feature post-apocalyptic vampires.  The novellas were actually the idea of my publisher, and will probably continue to come out between books. To follow Winter’s Passage and Summer’s Crossing, there just might be another in the works. But I can say no more right now!

It is good to hear that we have more to look forward from Julie Kagawa and I look forward to the Blood of Eden series.  Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Julie.

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Book Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I always reach the end of a series with a mix of sadness and excitement.  On the one hand I’ve finally finished the story and hopefully all of the various questions and threads have been resolved; on the other hand, I’m often saying goodbye to characters that I’ve grown to love over time.  This was exactly how I felt at the end of Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Queen as we reached the end of Meghan Chase’s story after the Iron Fey trilogy.  I was really thrilled then when Meghan’s love interest and knight, the Winter Prince Ash, pursues one final quest so that he can return to Meghan in the Iron Realm.

The Iron Fey series is set in the fantastical world of the Nevernever.  This is not the friendly and safe realm of children’s fairy tales but the dark and twisted world of trickery, favours and the eternal war between the Winter and Summer Courts.  The only thing that the summer and winter fey have in common is that iron is toxic to them and so it is that when Meghan rises to the throne of the Iron Realm, the Winter Prince Ash cannot stay by her side for fear that he will be poisoned.

The Iron Knight follows the story of Ash and the Summer prankster Puck as they scour the Nevernever for a way for Ash to become mortal and withstand life in the Iron Realm.  The story begins at the home of the Bone Witch in the most dangerous part of the Wyldwood where they are joined in their quest by the cait sith Grimalkin, the bad Wolf of lore and Ash’s dead former love, Ariella.

They travel down the River of Dreams to the very ends of the Nevernever, stopping briefly in the land of Phaed where faeries go when they lose their name and no one remembers them anymore. This desperate place can only be found by those Fey who are dying, so what omens does that predict for this fearless band of Fey?

The descriptions of the River of Dreams, with its monsters, nightmares, hopes, dreams and treasures is quite incredible and Julie Kagawa really does have an remarkable imagination.  The group must run a series of gauntlets involving Fu dogs and golden orbs, keys, traps and fire breathing dragons, a sphinx riddle and a hall of mirrors before finally reaching the End of the World and entering the Testing Grounds where Ash must perform his final quests.

"Hey, I've run a few gauntlets in my time," Puck shot back. "They're basically all the same - you have your physical challenges, a pointless riddle or two, and there's always a few nasty traps”.

There seem to be no bounds to Julie Kagawa’s inventiveness as she creates a universe that stretches beyond the limits of time and space.  Her descriptions of the end of the Nevernever, the Briars, creatures, gauntlets and guardians of the Testing Grounds are fascinating.

The problem is that The Iron Knight moved really slowly in parts.  The journey to the End of the World takes over two-thirds of the book and for much of that we have nothing else but the witty banter of Ash and Puck to keep us going.  And just as you imagine might occur if you were stuck on a real journey with two men engaged in a constant battle of egos, the constant taunts and jostling tend to get really tiresome after a while. 

Perhaps this slow pace was partially due to the first person narrative of Ash.  It might have seemed like a good idea to give the dark, brooding protagonist a voice but in the end, men of little words tend to give away very little and it doesn’t make for gripping reading.

In fact, if I wasn’t so invested in the story after reading The Iron Queen, there is every chance I would have given up half way through this book.

Then there is the notion of mortality and what it means to be human.  Ultimately, Kagawa reduced the human condition to three things: weakness of the flesh; conscience, guilt and morality; and finally, mortality.  Basically, it appears that it was a bit ambitious to tackle the meaning of life in a young adult novel and what of creativity, hopes, desires and the unconquerable nature of the human mind and spirit?

Despite my reservations and the way the story dragged, I am glad that I read it and The Iron Knight is a fitting end to the Iron Fey series.  I will definitely read Julie Kagawa’s next series when it comes out.

And so, for the first time, I feel I must qualify my rating.  Out of 5, I give The Iron Knight 5 stars for inventiveness, ingenuity and the overall story, 2 stars for pace and interest and 3 stars for the shaky summation of the human condition.  All told, I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

You can buy The Iron Knight at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

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A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Book Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase should be turning seventeen in twenty-four hours time but things are a little complicated. One year ago, on her birthday, her brother Ethan disappeared and an evil, violent changeling was left in his place.  Meghan learned that he had been snatched by faeries and she ventured into Nevernever, the land of the Fey, in order to save him.

What she discovered was the stuff of nightmares, a dark and sinister place full of malevolent and calculating Fey.  She also discovered that she was the daughter of Oberon, king of the Summer Court.

In the space of twelve months, Meghan has fought and defeated the Iron King Machina; rescued her brother; become indebted to the Winter prince Ash and then fallen in love with him; discovered and then forgotten her long-last human father; reclaimed the stolen Spectre of Seasons, thus preventing war between the Summer and Winter Courts; and angered the Summer King sufficiently for him to ban her from Nevernever.

Of course, it doesn't take much to anger Fey royalty, and Ash too has been banned from Nevernever by his queen and mother, Mab of the Winter Court.

So technically, Meghan won't be turning seventeen because time moves differently in the Nevernever and Fey don't age. The Iron Queen begins with the promise of peace and normality for Meghan and Ash as, banished from Nevernever, they have no option but to return to Meghan's home and pursue life in the normal realm.

I have to admit, I was quite looking forward to seeing how faery prince Ash adjusted to high school and teenagers but it was not to be because no sooner had they arrived at Meghan's home, were they attacked by spider hags sent by the false king of the Iron Realm.  Realising that she will never see peace until the Iron King is defeated, Meghan decides to fight him once and for all. 

The Iron Queen sees Meghan return to Nevernever to engage in the ultimate battle for Faery.  The creeping iron and resulting death of Faery, the impending battle, and the sense of doom were beautifully captured as was the fear, bravery and grim determination of the faery soldiers.  As Meghan, Ash and Puck enter the Iron Realm, we meet The Clockmaker and the introduction of time into the timeless realm.  One of the most interesting aspects of the Iron Fey series has always been the steam punk appeal and The Iron Queen certainly didn’t disappoint. 

The Iron Queen consumed me and the total battle at the end of the book was on par with the battles of Hogwarts and Narnia.  I simply could not put the book down and am happy to say that I was completely taken surprise by the ending.  Thank goodness next and final book in the series, The Iron Knight, is already available as I would not want to wait to continue the story!

I would recommend The Iron Queen and the whole Iron Fey series to all fans of young adult fantasy fiction, especially fans of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy or Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.  The Iron Queen is published in the UK by Mira Ink. 

I give The Iron Queen four-and-a-half stars out of five.

The Iron Queen is the third book in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. 

Buy The Iron King (book 1) from Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

Buy The Iron Daughter (book 2) from Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

Buy The Iron Queen (book 3) from Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa on Blogcritics.

A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Book Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

It is difficult enough to forgive the unforgivable but when you're a bean sidhe and that betrayal involves your Demon's Breath-addicted boyfriend enabling a demon to possess your body, it can be especially trying.  Kaylee Cavanaugh is just beginning to put the pieces of her life and relationship with Nash back together when she is confronted with her worst nightmare. Literally.

Nash's ex-girlfriend Sabine is back on the scene and she is a mara, the walking nightmare of lore that infuses slumbering humans with bad dreams and feeds off their fears. Sabine makes no secret of the fact that she wants Nash back and not only is she his first love, there is the slight technicality that they never actually broke up in the first place.

When teachers at Eastlake High begin dying in their sleep, Kaylee wastes no time in reaching the conclusion that it is Sabine that is killing them, draining their life energy as she harvests their fears.  But can Kaylee put aside her jealousy for long enough to see that Sabine might not be involved and she certainly isn't behind the wave of toxic jealousy that is tearing the school apart?

My Soul to Steal is the fourth book in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series and it is certainly the best in the series yet. With the scene set and the characters established, My Soul to Steal is non-stop action from the first page.  Apart from meeting the mara, we are introduced to more demons, hellions and creatures of the Netherworld creatures including hypnos, who feed from human energy through the barrier between the two realms.

Rachel Vincent steps up her imaginative and disturbing descriptions of the Netherworld and the scenes at the twisted Netherworld version of Eastlake High were fantastic.  As I read about the crimson creeper and deformed Netherworld creatures,  I couldn't help thinking that this is one series that needs to be brought to life in television or film.

Nash's dead, grim reaper brother Tod played a much greater part in My Soul to Steal, saving the show at the last minute as usual.  There is something brewing in his swirling bean sidhe eyes and I can't help but wish that it means that he and Kaylee will become an item in the next book.  Not that she seems to notice of course.

Clueless about Tod's intentions or not, I like Kaylee as a protagonist.  I like that she had enough self-respect to maintain her distance from Nash because of his betrayal and despite their undeniable mutual love.  So many young adult novels feature weak-minded lead female characters and Kaylee Cavanaugh certainly isn’t one of them.

Aside from Tod, the other characters I'd like to receive more attention are Alec and Kaylee's cousin Sophie. Who cares if Alec is technically 40-something? After being held hostage in the Netherworld for 25 years, he has the body and mind of a teenager. Surely he could find a suitable love interest?  After everything she has been through, I'd like to see Sophie grow a personality and take a greater role in the books. With her previous forays into the Netherworld, it could make for some interesting plot lines.

I have just realised that My Soul to Steal did not have a preview of the next book in the series, as was the case with the previous three books.  Thankfully I can confirm that If I Die, which appears to be the final book in the Soul Screamers series, was released in the US and Canada in September and should be reaching bookshelves in the UK in February 2012.   I can hardly wait!

I give My Soul to Steal five out of five stars and wait with bated breath for the next instalment.

Buy My Soul to Steal on Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent on Blogcritics.

A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Interview: Aimée Carter, author of The Goddess Test

Aimée Carter is the author of The Goddess Test, the debut young adult novel that she wrote when she was just 22 years old.  A modern day retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, The Goddess Test is the story of Kate Winters who would do just about anything to buy more time with her dying mother.  I reviewed The Goddess Test in September and caught up with Aimée to discuss how she began writing, her inspiration for the novel and the upcoming sequel.

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself? When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started writing when I was eleven, beginning with fan fiction and working my way toward original fiction.  I finished my first novel-length manuscript when I was fifteen, and before I sold The Goddess Test, I wrote over twenty more. It was definitely a learning experience.

The Goddess Test is a young adult fantasy novel set in the Underworld and featuring the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.  What made you decide to write in this genre and where did you find your inspiration?

Writing YA comes naturally, as that’s mostly what I read, and I’ve always had an interest in Greek mythology. As for inspiration, I think my biggest inspiration is wanting to tell a story that people enjoy. Cheesy, but totally why I write.

A central theme in the novel is death and dying as Kate comes to terms with her mother's illness and impending death.  This was really touching and well written.  Was this based on your own real life experiences or was it entirely fictional?

Thank you! I did lose my mother when I was ten, but she died suddenly, unlike Kate’s mother, and I was also many years younger than Kate is.  Ironically, after I sold The Goddess Test to my publisher, my father got sick and was hospitalized on and off for several months, and that offered me a new perspective on Kate’s situation.  I wound up going back during the editing process and rewriting a lot of what Kate goes through in order to reflect that.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?  What has been your best compliment?

I don’t read reviews, good or bad, because they have a tendency to rattle me and make me second-guess my writing. However, I think the toughest criticism to take is criticism from someone who didn’t “get” the story. It wasn’t a good fit, or there was a fundamental misunderstanding that wasn’t anyone’s fault. They feel like they’ve wasted their time, and I hate making readers feel that way. One of the best compliments is someone telling me they’re anticipating the sequel –not only did they enjoy the first book, but they liked it enough to look forward to the next one and maybe even form some theories on what will happen. I love hearing those.

Can you tell us what you are working on at the moment?  I believe that the sequel to The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted, is due out in January 2012.  Have you finished working on that and if so, what can we expect next?

The date for Goddess Interrupted keeps changing! I think right now it’s set for March 2012, but I don’t know when it’ll be released in the UK. Maybe it is January. I’ve completely finished working on the sequel, and I’m in the editing process with the completed third book right now. As for what you can expect in the sequel, the back cover flap was revealed a little while ago:

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Aimée.  I am certainly looking forward to Goddess Interrupted and in fact, it is already waiting on my bedside table!

Buy The Goddess Test at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Interview: Aimée Carter, Author of The Goddess Test on Blogcritics.

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Book Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee Cavanaugh has had the strangest time lately. In just ten short weeks she discovered she was a bean sidhe, learned that her aunt was trading the souls of innocent girls on the black market  in exchange for eternal youth, brought her best friend Emma back from the dead and reclaimed the soul of a young starlet from the hellion who had bought it. She did all of this with the help of her bean sidhe boyfriend Nash Hudson and his dead reaper brother Tod.

A month after she was grounded following the events in My Soul To Save, Kaylee is hoping to resume a normal teenage life. She might just have to wait a little bit longer for that because someone is getting teenagers hooked on Demon's Breath, the most addictive substance in the Netherworld. Demon’s Breath is exactly what it says on the tin, the breath of demons and it is craved by creatures of the Netherworld.  As Nash’s friends succumb to addiction, madness and death, Kaylee realises that it can have catastrophic and fatal consequences to human users. 

With their unique abilities to cross into the Netherworld, Kaylee, Nash and Tod will have to track down those responsible for supplying Demon's Breath to our world and stop them before this deadly substance spreads through their school.  But could it be that the surge of Demon’s Breath is merely a diversion from a far greater and far more evil plan?

My Soul to Keep is the third novel in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series.  In the previous two books, Kaylee and Nash met, fell in love and realised the lengths they would go to prove their love for each other.  Without giving away the plot, My Soul to Keep is a whole different matter as Nash fundamentally betrays Kaylee and her character is tested to the limit as she must overcome her shock and pain to push forward nevertheless and save the lives of Nash and her father.

As with all the books in the series, the best character in the book is Tod and I cannot wait to see if he will get a bigger role in future books.  Rachel Vincent has a terrific style of writing, and is able to convey humour, sarcasm and descriptions effortlessly, without weighing down the flow of the story.  Tod has the best line in the whole book which might make slightly more sense if you know the context.

“But without proxies to boost his energy level, Avari won’t have the power to possess his own wardrobe, much less the entire cast of the Kaylee Cavanaugh show.”

Avari is the demon behind most of the mayhem in all three books to date and the source of increasingly diabolical plots to gain control of Kaylee’s soul.

I’d recommend My Soul to Keep to all fans of young adult, supernatural fiction and fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy will love the banshees and demons in this series.

I give My Soul to Keep four out of five stars.

Buy My Soul to Keep on Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent on Blogcritics.

I actually purchased this book myself, so no need for a disclaimer this time!  This review contains affiliate links.

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Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

What lengths would you go to in order to buy some more time with your dying mother?  If you were offered a couple more days, months even, what would you be willing to sacrifice? Would you agree to become a prisoner, for instance, or enter a situation that you know might be fatal?  Or would you take the easy way out and make the simpler decisions?

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter is a modern day retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.  When Kate’s dying mother expresses the wish to spend her last days in her hometown of Eden, Kate agrees to leave their life in New York City behind and start over again in a new school and new town.

Pushing a strange encounter at the gates of Eden Manor to the back of her mind, Kate starts classes at the local high school but soon finds herself in the crosshairs of cheerleader and queen bee, Ava.  Ava lures Kate to the grounds of Eden Manor one evening, hoping to play a nasty prank on her, but events take a tragic turn as Ava has a terrible accident.  Risking her own safety and overcoming her fear of water, Kate jumps into a river to try to save Ava but it is too late. 

When the dark and brooding Henry appears, offering to bring Ava back to life if Kate will agree to spend the winter with him in his realm, the Underworld, Kate thinks she must be going crazy.  She nevertheless agrees to his request and is astonished when he brings Ava back to life. 

Henry wastes no time in calling in his debt and as Kate stands on the threshold of a winter in the Underworld, she makes a deal with Henry.  He will keep her mother alive for the whole season while Kate is to take a series of seven tests.  If she passes, she will become a goddess and Henry’s bride but if she fails, she will never see her mother again.

There was a lot to like about The Goddess Test.  Kate Winters is a strong character who has had to sacrifice a lot in recent years on account of her mother’s illness, including her entire senior year and any meaningful friendships.  She knows her own mind and is not afraid to stand her ground and assert herself which is a trait that I always appreciate in young-adult heroines.  I really liked Henry too, which is to be expected given my weakness for dark, brooding and tortured heroes.

The whole storyline centred on Kate's mother, her illness, their relationship, her impending death and Kate’s reactions to that was extremely well-written.  I absolutely identified with Kate’s emotions and her need to bargain, and I found that it was entirely believable.   A lot of the book is dedicated to the relationship that Kate continues with her mother while she is in the Underworld and it takes place in her dreams, in Central Park.  These dreamy, surreal sequences were full of symbolism and meaning and were quite fascinating.

There was, however, one aspect of the story that I didn’t quite understand.  I could not figure out how Kate went from feeling like a prisoner and not exactly liking Henry to suddenly becoming hell-bent on saving him from himself.  In many ways, the development of the romance between Henry and Kate was nowhere as well-written as the relationship between Kate and her mother.

The actual tests were extremely subtle and all the readers knows throughout the novel is that Kate is being tested.  The big reveal comes at the end of the novel during the final reckoning.  I can’t say too much without giving away the plot but I wasn’t too pleased to learn that Kate had essentially been a pawn in a much bigger game.  It remains to be seen how Kate will fight back against this in future novels.

If the tests were subtle, then the links to Greek mythology were tenuous at best. When the identities of the gods and goddesses were revealed, I was quite surprised because little in the development of those characters had indicated their true identities.  This is, of course, something that can be built upon in the sequel Goddess Interrupted which is due out in 2012.  Without the need for secrecy and intrigue, the real intentions and personalities of the gods can be explored. 

Author Aimée Carter was just 22 when she wrote this novel and she certainly has an impressive grasp of human interactions and motivations. If she puts more emphasis on the mythology and legends of the Greek gods, then this could become quite a powerful series.

The verdict is that this is an enjoyable, easy read and I will certainly be reading the rest of the books in the series. I give The Goddess Test 3.5 stars out of 5. 

Buy The Goddess Test at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter on Blogcritics.

A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Book Review: Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller

Outside the Ordinary World is the powerful debut novel by Dori Ostermiller. Spanning almost forty years of painter Sylvia Sandon's life, the novel has a watercolour quality as the author brings to life the burning landscapes of California during the 1970s brushfires, the sweeping beauty of forests in Oregon, and the wintry vistas of present day New England.  With her rich yet subtle style of writing, Ostermiller appeals to the reader’s senses as she describes the tastes, scents and tactile experiences of Sylvia’s childhood and adult life. 

Outside the Ordinary World begins with Sylvia frantically pacing the floor of a therapist’s waiting room as her daughter makes her case against her in the next room.  Some mistakes are destined to be repeated and as Sylvia's world falls apart around her, she recalls the events that tore her family asunder thirty years previously, leading ultimately to the death of her father. 

Sylvia was brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist but as her father distanced himself from the church in order to pursue his medical training and career, Sylvia’s mother Elaine turned to the arms of a lover.  Sylvia was burdened by the weight of her mother’s secret and terrorised by her father’s increasingly violent and abusive behaviour.  As she struggled to reconcile the chaos in her home with the teaching of the church, Sylvia swore that she would never become her mother.

Of course, Sylvia could not have known that the challenges of being a wife and mother would lead her to make the same mistakes and Sylvia soon finds herself walking that same illicit path towards temptation.

It is difficult to do justice to this beautiful story with just a couple of paragraphs.  This is an epic book that begins as the Sandon family drag a U-Haul across the United States in 1968 and leads right up to 2005, when Sylvia has a family of her own.  When I first picked up Outside the Ordinary World, I expected a light romance novel and was taken aback by the richness and complexity of this story. 

Using the technique of alternating chapters, Ostermiller weaves together the story of Sylvia’s troubled upbringing with the events taking place in the present day.  With expert skill, Ostermiller leads the reader to the point where the storylines collide and Syvia must make the choice between submitting to the weight of her past or choosing her own path.

Outside the Ordinary World is the type of book that you can truly immerse yourself in and I longed for the scenery of the novel for some time after I finished reading it.  I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of the Seventh Day Adventists but was pleased to find that this was not a religious novel, but rather a compelling commentary on religion, faith, betrayal and legacy.

I would recommend Outside the Ordinary World to anybody seeking to get lost in a novel and would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller is published by Mira Books.

You can purchase it at Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller on Blogcritics.

A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Book review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Bridget Duke is the undisputed queen of Winchester Preparatory School.  The only daughter of a famous sports presenter, Bridget is beautiful and popular, and everybody at Winchester Prep loves her. Or so she thinks.  At best, people are afraid of Bridget, very afraid.  In reality, she is an unrelenting bully who is ruthless with the people she deems to be "wannabes", but most hurtful to those with whom she is closest.

As Bridget's friends and family begin to wise up to her antics and her crown begins to slide, Bridget feels the pressure and storms out of school one afternoon.  As she ponders how people would react to her death, she drives up an embankment and into some trees.  Now Bridget is trapped somewhere between life and death and is made to see through the eyes of those she hurt the most.

Bridget is the protagonist of debut author Paige Harbison's Here Lies Bridget. Written when Paige was just nineteen, this is a witty and entertaining novel that will appeal to fans of Gossip Girl and 90210.  It is an easy read and I certainly found it difficult to put down at times.

Here Lies Bridget opens as Bridget is in the car, hurtling towards the accident and the first half of the novel deals with the events that lead up to that day. Many of the events in Bridget's childhood are also mentioned, including the death of her mother, the subsequent arrival of her step-mother, and her relationship with her boyfriend and best friend. 

Knowing that we were heading towards the accident and some sort of reckoning, I wondered what more the author could add that would keep readers intrigued in the second half of the story. I am pleased to say that as the story was relayed through the eyes of five of the people most affected by Bridget, it was fresh and intriguing and indeed, a completely new perspective on the havoc Bridget had been wreaking.

My favourite part of the story (and the biggest surprise) was seeing ex-boyfriend Liam's perspective of the events leading up to their breakup and his analysis of Bridget.  I appreciated the insight that the book provided into the thoughts and motivations of Bridget, a deeply insecure yet somehow popular bully.  I felt that the book was wrapped up a little too neatly in the end but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Paige Harbison has employed an interesting literary technique of re-telling the story through a set of flashbacks and it could have easily gone wrong but in fact, the whole book was really well written.  There were several times when I thought “this would make an excellent script” which is just as well because 21-year-old Paige has already signed a deal to make the book into a film. 

I'd give Here Lies Bridget four out of five stars and will certainly be looking forward to Paige Harbison's next novel.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison, published by Mira Ink £6.99 www.miraink.co.uk.

Buy Here Lies Bridget at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com.

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Article first published as Book Review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison on Blogcritics.

A copy of this book was provided to me for the purposes of this review and all opinions contain herein are my own. This review contains affiliate links.

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Book Review: Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Sixteen-year-old Aden Stone is the boy nobody wanted. He has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic because he talks to himself and has been passed around between institutions and half-way houses his whole life.  The truth is he is not crazy.  Aden has four souls trapped inside of him and they keep up a constant stream of chatter in his head, passing commentary on every last aspect of his life.

When Aden arrives in Crossroads, Oklahoma, he knows that he has one last chance to prove himself or he'll land up back on a secure ward.  He has to comply with the strict rules at D & M Ranch, a halfway house for "wayward" teens and he has to avoid trouble.  Of course, that is easier said than done when one of the undead souls in his head can raise the dead, another predicts the death of others, and the other two can transport Aden through time or into another person's body.

Having spent his whole life alone and without friends to call his own, Aden is thrilled to meet Mary Ann, a shy, bookish girl who calms the voices in his head and accepts Aden for who he is.  Aden’s abilities have not gone unnoticed though and he soon finds that he is a magnet for supernatural beings, drawing them to him from around the globe.  One of these beings is the stunning vampire princess Victoria, who is literally the girl of his dreams, but chaos ensues when it becomes clear that not all of those beings have Aden’s best interests at heart.

Intertwined (Mira Ink) is written by prolific paranormal romance writer and New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter. It is the first book in an exciting young adult series that introduces us to a complex and darkly intriguing world of vampires, demons, shapeshifters, and undead souls.

The opening sequence of the book was thrilling, involving the rising dead in the graveyard, but I have to admit to being relieved that the level of gruesome horror did not continue throughout the book. The description of Aden dismembering saponified corpses did not aid digestion.  From the moment Aden encountered Mary Ann and the world seemed to stand still, I was captivated.

I loved this book and have not been consumed by a book in this manner in years. I literally could not put it down until I finished it and still had the book in one hand as I rushed to order the sequel, Unravelled, online.  I am pleased to report that it arrived this morning as I simply could not have waited to much longer.

The book is written from both Aden and Mary Ann's perspectives and follows their respective experiences, betrayals and romances.  I adored Aden and absolutely connected with his character.  I appreciated his self-deprecating humour and enjoyed the never-ending chatter in his head.  I liked  Mary-Ann's side of the story too; usually, I do not like it when books switch from one viewpoint to another but it really worked in Intertwined. 

Once again, I didn’t think it would work, but I somehow enjoyed the various supernatural beings appearing in one story together.  It seemed to add a level of depth to Showalter’s world to include witches, ghosts and other supernatural phenomenon, rather than focusing on one narrow species.  In this sense, her world is similar to that of The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, which I greatly appreciated. 

Aden is my favourite bad guy in the book but I enjoyed the demons too as I have always enjoyed demon mythology.  I’d certainly like to see more of them in the next books in the series.  I also liked the shapeshifter Riley and could certainly see why Mary Ann was so attracted to him.

It seems inevitable that comparisons could be drawn between Intertwined and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.  Indeed, Twilight was the last book that consumed me as much as Intertwined did and that I found impossible to put down.  And yes, it is certainly relevant to point out that this is yet another young adult, paranormal romance novel.  Nevertheless, as an avid fan of the genre, I can say that I enjoyed this book more than any I have read recently.  I would absolutely recommend Intertwined and I am glad that I do not have to wait to read the next instalment.

I give Intertwined an easy five out of five stars.

Buy Intertwined at Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com

Article first published as Book Review: Intertwined by Gena Showalter on Blogcritics.

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Book Review: Outside In by Maria V Snyder

Outside In is the sequel to Maria V. Snyder's dystopian, young adult novel Inside Out.  In Inside Out, it was established that the Insiders were living in a giant structure that was hurtling through space and that Outside did not represent blue skies and green fields but rather Outer Space. Using live sheep and vegetables grown through hydroponics to feed the population, the systems of Inside were self-sustaining and everything was recycled to further perpetuate the system.

Inside was divided into two main population groups: the uppers who controlled the systems and the lowers who performed the manual labour. The Travas family and the Population Control Police controlled the population of Inside with brutal and often lethal means and the seeds of discontent amongst the uppers and lowers were sown.

Inside Out reached its climax with the uprising and rebellion lead by a scrub named Trella and Outside In begins after those events. The Travas family are all locked up and Trella hopes to return to a quiet life while the newly formed Committee runs the affairs of Inside.

Trella's quiet life does not last long, however, as a series of attacks rock Inside (literally), thus putting Inside’s support systems into grave jeopardy.  Added to that, affairs between Trella and her boyfriend, Riley, are strained as he struggles to understand why she won't stand up and be a decent leader to her followers.

I had read Inside Out in February this year and gave it a 5-star review on Blogcritics as I’d found it innovative, imaginative and exciting.  It is reasonable to say, therefore, that I started reading Outside In with pretty high intentions.  Unfortunately, the book simply didn’t match up to those expectations.  Perhaps it was intentional and mirrored Trella's desire not to get involved, but the first half of Outside In truly dragged. It felt mechanical and stilted, as if the events in the book were being reported, rather than a story told. 

This resulted in a lack of depth in the novel.  Snyder has received criticism from readers in the past for constantly rehashing the events in her previous novels (this was especially true of Fire Study, the last in the Study series). With Outside In however, I felt that Snyder did not do enough to recap readers on the structure and systems of Inside and the various characters.  Characters are constantly introduced to the story and Snyder makes constant reference to the unique structure of time in Inside but it all seemed rather confusing and distracting given her lack of detail and depth.

Both books fall into the romantic fiction corner of the young adult market and perhaps most telling was that I did not relate to any of the men in the book, especially Riley who is meant to be Trella's love interest. There was simply no chemistry between Riley and Trella and in fact, I spent most of the book convinced that she was going to land up with another character Logan to whom she showed far more interest, respect and attention.

As a whole, Outside In felt extremely rushed as if Snyder realised she had dragged to the middle of the book and then needed to conclude the book in a certain time frame or page count.

Gone was the expert storytelling and weaving in of clues to be found in Inside Out or Poison Study from Snyder's Study Series. Instead, the reader was simply told of the constant betrayals and mutating loyalties of the characters in the book. Ultimately, the reader was left not knowing who to believe or, indeed, what the truth actually was. This was certainly complicated by the shallow characterisation in the book.  It was impossible to gleam the characters' true motives or intentions as no real depth or purpose was written into their actions.

As the book rushes towards its end, the great battle, resolution and conclusion take about fifteen pages and it seems like few of the great questions are really answered.  It is frustrating to say the least and it is hard to ascertain whether Snyder is setting the reader up for another book in the series or whether the answers were altogether too vague and insubstantial to leave an impression.

As impressive as it is that Snyder has managed to produce eight novels in six years, it is important that Snyder focus on quality as opposed to quantity.  Poison Study and Inside Out were fantastic novels introducing rich and wonderful worlds full of detail, imagination and innovation.  Perhaps this level of disappointment would not be possible with a less talented author but Maria V. Snyder is talented and I hope that she slows down somewhat and focuses again on weaving exciting and complex stories.

Outside In is not a stand alone novel and it would be hard to follow the events if the reader had not read Inside Out first.  However, the reader could certainly get away with enjoying the first novel and leaving out the sequel altogether.  I give Outside In two out of five stars and would possibly hesitate before reading a third novel in this series.

You can purchase Outside In by Maria V. Snyder at Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

I'd recommend that you first purchase Inside Out at Amazon.co.uk ¦ Amazon.com

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Article first published as Book Review: Outside In by Maria V Snyder on Blogcritics. This review contains affiliate links

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