Waiting on Wednesday: The Iron Knight

Author: Julie Kagawa (her blogger)
Publisher: Harlequin King
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Synopsis:

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

* I have read this series and fell in love with Ash-- I mean the books! O_O

** THEY HAVE A TRAILER :D (okay, I think I'm done freaking out now.) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjyPvcIUE2w&feature=player_embedded

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins (her website)
Release:
Synopsis:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.



**Yes, there are spoilers in this review because there was no other way to say how I felt without them.

Review:


I am not joking when I say this has become one of my new favorites. 
In a way, the plot reminds me of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Okay, maybe not exactly like it, the similarities start and end with the actual Hunger Games, where only one will survive. Where as in HP Cedric dies (sorry for that spoiler to anyone who hasn't read the book). The games also reminded my of what the Romans did in the Colloseum. Fight's to the death as public entertainment. (gotta love history class :P ) 
Anyway, the way the author more or less created a new world for her story was really awesome. The government set up with the districts and capitol is really clear to the reader, so it's pretty easy to follow along. I like how the reader gets sort of a background story to what happened to the earth and what lead to the Games. The whole dystopain future the author created have a very futuristic feel where the Capitol, weapons and technology are concerned, but they also have an older feel with how the districts live. It's an interesting mix that reminds me of something we've been learning in history. Feudalism. The nobles are the capitol and the peasants are the people of the districts.
Okay, I think I'm done with the history refernces now; moving onto characters...
Katniss is always looking after her family, she's strong and capable and she likes to be seen as invincible and more or less unemotional. But she's far from unemotional. Katniss literally turns over her own life to save her sister, who she loves and has been protecting for her whole life. Katniss is also very headstrong and daring and more or less a rule breaker. And those aren't always the best qualities to posses in an almost literal dictatorship (the Capital athorities being the "dictator").
Gale, I fell in love with him right from the start. He's very much like Katniss characterwise, all the way down to him being the one that watches over his family. I just wish there was a little bit more of him in the book...
Peeta, a baker, an artist.... a tribute. His situation is pretty heartbreaking... especially since Katniss thinks he doesn't mean it for most of the book. It's obvious for us to tell that he loves her, but she's in denial. In a way it's a good and bad thing they both are tributes.
Now for my favorite character...
Rue is the so sweet and small, but still pretty fierce. Katniss immediately feels protective toward her. And is Rue's last scene, i cried. The emotion the author portrayed in that particular scene was a big part of it, but the events that led up to it and Katniss and Rue's relationship did more. I could just imagine their bond so clearly, it was just sorrowful to see it get broken apart like that. I swear, when Rue started calling for Katniss, my heart stopped and I got chills.
So all in all, I love the way the author writes, I feel like I actually know the characters and i felt like i could actually relate to Katniss. Well, probably only as far as the fierce protectiveness goes since i have so many younger siblings, but my point still stands. 
The Hunger Games is an addicting book full of suspense that has your stomach clenching and your heart pounding the entire time. Recommended for anyone who lives dystopain type, star-crossed love, action-packed, rule-breaking, and/or futuristic type books.

Deja Vu Thursday #4

Deja Vu Thursday is a weekly post that I am starting on my blog. It focuses on similar book covers, may it be design, cover model, etc. It's like seeing doubles! And, let's face it,  midweek, everyone feels like they are loosing their mind anyway.

 

More information about the model can befound here and here.
Author: Lauren Kate
Synopsis:

Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

**i actually just read this recently, over summer break, but i wanted to reread the series and review each book first. Let's see how long THAT takes with my 2 million other books i have to read
*** P.S. I just had to show my sister the book trailer for Passion and tell her a bit about it and she was hooked.  She is now currently trying to finish Fallen.

Waiting on Wednesday: If I Die

Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Synopsis:
NO ONE WANTS TO BE THIS TEACHER’S PET . . .

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death.

But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out.

Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either.

But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life.

ANYTHING.

*I litterally gasped after reading "Kaylee's borrowed lifeline has almost run out." Adding to my MUST-READ list.

**Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event is hosted by Breaking the Spine to share upcomming releases we are eagerly waiting for :)

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Title: The Iron Thorn
Author:  Caitlin Kittredge
Release: 2011
Synopsis:

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.


Review:


The Iron thorn was a great read. Set in the 1950's, this alternate world on earth is pretty mind-blowing.  Monsters stalk the night, Protectors hunt monsters, romance makes it's annual appearance and belief in any religion is considered heresy. I love the way the author was able to incorporate some of the ideas from the 1950's, woman's rights being a main one. It was truly awesome. I mean, to think that back then, it wasn't right for women or girls to act out of line... And if her story was real life, well, i'd have no reason to be even writing these reviews because the books wouldn't exist because of their fantsy and supernatural content. 
The whole time I was reading this book, i couldn't help but think of the irony of timing. We are learning about The Scientific revolution (from witchcraft and God's will to science). 
Anyway...
The plot line was very well written and very creative. Like I mentioned before, the timing of the actual story just made the whole necrovirus and monsters thing click into place. I like the whole concept of having the protectors who will protect you...as long as you weren't what they considered heretics. And the war in the book is intriguing (the author mentions it in the story, but it's almost just background information). I didn't really catch what it was supposed to be over but the way the author went about it like it was nothing new to the main character was just brilliant. Over all, I really enjoyed Caitlin Kittredge's writing style as much as I enjoyed the story.
Now to characters.
Aiofe is a  very rebellious girl. She doesn't act like people expect her to. She has attitude, a voice, and spunk; and I appreciate that about her. She doesn't mind breaking the rules, as long as she finds her brother in the end. But the best part about her character is her brains. Aiofe is intelligent and a fast thinker when she needs to be and she's a marvelous engineer.
And every marvelous protagonist needs her own love-struck best friend, right? Cal, is that friend. I like that Cal is there for Aiofe but...he annoys me. I mean, yes he travels to help her find her brother but he's so corrupted by the Protectors in more ways then you even know. He's not opened minded toward her and some of the stuff they encounter through the book. Every time she tells him about something that's considered "heresy" to the Protectors, he blames it on her impending doom by insanity caused by the necrovirus.
Well, on a brighter note there's Dean (cue swoon).
 To me, Dean seems more "street smart" then he does academic smart but that's a helpful trait for what he does for a living. He's the bad boy of the story, just the kind of guy every book crazed teen goes googlie-eyed for...and even better (or worse depending on your point of view) he is labeled as a heretic. I think what I like best about him is the fact that he actually believes Aiofe when she tells him stuff. I can't get into too much detail over Dean because I'm trying not to do any huge spoilers...
My favorite thing about this book was the ending. I mean, who would've known it end like that?! I loved it. It's almost one of those everything-is-not-what-it-seems kind of things. Ahh, you got to love those twists a story can take. Ijust hope there's a second book because this one wasn't necissarily a cliff-hanger per se, but it was enough to keep me up at night wondering "What's going to happen now?"
And that's pretty much it :D  The monsters, the action, the romance, the Protectors and the ending are what held my attention throughout this book. I reccomend this book to any supernatural, YA and/or steam-punk fans.