Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Genre: Young/ New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Assassin, Magic, Fairies

Source: Hard back 

Pages: 416 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.     

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training  sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

My Review:
First may I start off by stating that Sarah Maas has made it to my top 10 favorite authors of all time the second I finished Throne of Glass.I haven't had a new author break that bubble in a while. ANYWAYS, the Throne of Glass tells the story of a young female assassin (one of my favourite subjects) who is taken out of the salt mines (the story's worst kind of imprisonment) and asked to participate in a competition to be the Kings Assassin (a man who she despises). If she wins, she will work for the King for 4 years before gaining her freedom, something she has never, ever had. BUT there is this monster that is killing some of the competitors... something not from this world.

Now, Sarah Maas DID write 4 prequel books that entail the story of what happened before she got caught. I read them, and it made the book make so much more sense. Saying that, you don't NEED to read them to read the Throne of Glass, you just have to use your imagination a bit more. I read the Throne of Glass before I even knew there were prequels... so it will be fine either way.

The main character in this book is absolutely amazing. She is wise beyond her years, but at the same time acts the way a normal eighteen year old girl would act. She loves living in luxury, but she knows how to live with the basics to survive. She is witty, and sarcastic, and a bit shallow... but underneath it all she has so much depth it is outstanding. There is a bit of magic in the main book, but none in the prequels. In this world the Fae have been killed and banished by the King... some of their spirits aren't so pleased with that. The connect to Celaena and try and save her from said monster I mentioned earlier.

Throne of Glass gets an easy 5 stars, as do all of the prequel novellas. 


PREQUELS:

Prequel book 1- Assassin and the Pirate Lord
On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She's been sent by the Assassin's Guild to collect on a debt  they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes - and she will risk everything to right the wrong she's been sent to bring about.











Prequel book 2- Assassin and the Dessert
  The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren't much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn't have it any other way. She's not there to chatter, she's there to hone her craft as the world's most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she'll be lucky to leave the desert alive.











Prequel book 3- Assassin and the Underworld
When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The misson is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer--and she doesn't like what she finds there.













Prequel book 4- Assassin and the Empire
Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. But Celaena won't be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel - so she and Sam decide to take one last daring assignment that will liberate them forever. And that's how Celaena learns that having everything... means everything can be taken away.

All of the prequels are about 100 pages each give or take a few in the Kindle editions. 

Arcadia Bell Series by Jenn Bennett

Title: Kindling the Moon, Summoning the Night

Author: Jenn Bennett

Series: Arcadia Bell #1, 2

Genre: Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Magic

Source: Kindle 
Pages: 388 pages

Rating: 4.5 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .      Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

My Review:

Once again, I started to reread another series. This particular series I stumbled across a few times while browsing for new books on amazon, but I never really felt a spark with it reading the summery. But, when planning my summer vacation, I needed books I could read during travel time (plane, bus and car rides between states). And because I am a fast reader, I needed at least 6 books for my 10 day vacation to be safe. ( I ended up reading 7, just FYI). So, I decided to give this book a chance knowing that i could always return it for a refund if I hated it. 

It turned out, I really liked the series. Jenn Bennett has this way of adding twists and turns and keeping you on your toes. I am pretty good at predicting stories when I read books, and this wasn't one of those books I could predict. Bravo, Bennett. This story focuses on Magicians and Demons and the relationship between them in the everyday world. The love interests in the story are a little different than the cliche as well, which I viewed as a breath of fresh air. The main character isn't the classic kind of beauty, and I think she is even on the strange side having hair like "the bride of Frankenstein". My favourite character, by far, was Jupiter (Jupe) Lon's son. I think you guys will fall in love with his mile-a-minute attitude too. I don't want to give away too much, this is one of those books that saying something may give away too much... so READ IT and judge it for yourself. Comment below and tell me what YOU think of it! Anyways, I give this series a 4/ 4.5 stars so far, but I have a feeling the rating will go up with the next book that comes out next May.

Book 2: Summoning the Night

MAGICAL TRICKS. DEMONIC TREATS.

After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She's gearing up for the busiest day of the year--Halloween--when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she's dating red-hot Lon Butler, the Club's wayward son, she can hardly say no.

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members' children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady's loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers--and she'd better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy.

336 pages, Kindle edition.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Star Crossed

Source: Hard Back

Pages: 620 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Available at:

Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

My Review:
I read this book AGES ago, back in 2008 when I was obsessed with Twilight. Now, of course, I have broadened my reading horizons and I realize how badly written Twilight was and how horribly cliche and unrealistic the whole plot was... HOWEVER The Host, the other novel Stephenie Meyer wrote, was nothing short of amazing. Rereading this book (especially at the end) I was blubbering so hard that I could barely read the words on the page. I am pretty sure there are permanent tear stains there now :p So before you criticize the book because of who the author is, and what mistakes she made in writing the Twilight series, give this book a chance. Believe me, you wont regret it.

Like I mentioned earlier, this book is truly outstanding.  This book is basically about aliens coming to earth and body snatching all the humans... a topic I stay FAR from, but this book just happen to be an (and probably the only) exception I made to the rule.You get so into the characters, especially the main character and her 'tag-along' so to speak. I decided to reread this book because I just happen to be at the movies last night and I saw that it was being made into a movie coming out mid march, 2013 I believe. When I got home, I dug through my book cases until I found which one i had stashed this particular book from and I spent six hours straight reading it. It's now 5am and I am very tired but I couldnt sleep without catching up on my blogging. Anyways, this is a definite 5 star book! 100% loved it. It's a MUST read... especially if you are interested in seeing the movie when it comes out!
   

Mythos Academy (Gwen Frost) Series by Jennifer Estep

     Hey all! So because I wasn't feeling well today, I decided to reread a series of one of my favorite authors due to the next book coming out in mid-december. I like to reread a series before the next installment comes out... especially when its been awhile since I have read the series. Its more of a skim read though. I don't read every paragraph because after reading a bit it all floods back to me. So I end up skipping descriptive paragraphs which is about 20% of the book. Hey, don't judge. I remember everything that happens, I DID read the book before. This time its just a refresher :)

The first book in the series is called Touch of Frost:

   

     My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy -- a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.     But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why – especially since I should have been the one who died …

The Details:
bought on Amazon. Kindle edition is 385 pages.

The Second book is Kiss of Frost:

     I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword…
The Details:
 bought on Amazon. Kindle edition 385 pages.

The third book is Dark Frost:

     I've seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I'm supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I'm just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me--again.
     Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects--and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I'm also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can't use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me--and I'm in for the fight of my life.

The details:
bought on Amazon. Kindle edition 401 pages.

Review on the series:
    I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep as an author. Saying that, this is not my FAVOURITE series, the writing is a little bit immature but its not too distracting and doesn't take away from the story. The foreshadowing used in the story is a little too obvious, but Estep does have some surprises up her sleeve throughout the series. So, if you think you can read the beginning and read the ending, you just may be wrong.  
    I am a huge fan of the cliched 'tortured bad boy' and Estep does not disappoint you here. The Romantic aspect in the series isn't too cliched and isn't rushed in the slightest bit. (Jennifer is veryyyy good at carrying out romantic relationships through one of her series... it takes several books for things to solidify. which is something that frustrates me to no end, and i secretly love)
     Did I mention the mythology? Another one of my favourite topics to read about. Actually, its probably my favourite right under medieval. This series has mythology galore! Not only Greek mythology (my favourite) but Norse, Roman, and some random stuff like ninjas and samurai's.
     Overall, i'd give the series a 8.9/ 10 for story content and a 7/10 for writing. I'd suggest it for the mythology geeks and lovers out there and definitely those who enjoy a good romance story. 

NOTE:
There IS a prequel to this series called First Frost. It is only 30 pages long and is basically a back story of what happened around the time of Gwen's mother (Grace)'s death and how everything went down and lead up to her attending Mythos Academy. I bought it (it was only $0.97 on amazon) and read it, but it isn't necessary at all to read the Mythos Academy series.

     I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It’s called psychometry – that’s a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people’s memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.
     My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy—to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don’t want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school – Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren’t preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos. Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids. The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same...

ALSO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR CRIMSON FROST! The fourth (or fifth if you count the prequel) in the Mythos Academy series coming out December 24, 2012.. assuming the world doesnt end first ;)

     For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes--the most hideous face I'd ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki--the evil god that I'd helped set free against my will.
     I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we'd gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I'd have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn't see that one coming. I've been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison--and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan's dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos ACAemy thinks I'm guilty. If I'm going to get out of this mess alive, I'll have to do it myself. . .
384 pages Kindle edition. 

Robin: Lady of Legend by R.M. ArceJaeger

Title: Robin: Lady of Legend

Author: R. M. ArceJaeger

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Romance, Medieval

Source: Kindle 

Pages: 281

Rating: 5 stars

Available at:

Amazon(.ca) • Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)
What if Robin Hood wasn't the man you thought him to be—what if he wasn't a man at all?

Robin of Locksley is young, headstrong, and about to receive the worst birthday present of her life. Still struggling to define herself in a society that believes women are fit for little more than governing a household and bearing children, she balks at her father's plans for her future, but the consequences of her rebellion prove deadly. Hunted by both her father and the Sheriff, Robin is forced to hide her identity and seek refuge as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest.

Disguised as a lad for protection, Robin maintains a careful isolation from the world around her...until she chances upon a young boy being beaten to death by the Sheriff's soldiers. Her rescue of the youth marks the beginning of her leadership in Sherwood forest and of the unfortunates who seek refuge therein. Robin's endeavors to provide a life of honor and purpose for her people while aiding the land's downtrodden win her high esteem, but enrage the Sheriff of Nottingham, who plots a deadly fate for her and her band.

As the Sheriff's traps close in around her and assassins seek to bring her down, Robin must risk losing love, leadership, and life if she is to save her people and fulfill her destiny as one of history's greatest heroes.

Alive with adventure and danger, sword fights and heists, hatred and love, Robin: Lady of Legend is the never-before-told tale of the girl who became Robin Hood.

My Review
This is another reread for me and another book that strays away from my usual fantasy novels. However, I find myself branching out more and more and I found that I absolutely adore medieval novels almost more than I enjoy a fantasy novels; you'll probably be seeing a lot of this genre on my blog as well.

I originally read this book this summer on the plane home from New York, and I loved it just as much reading it a second time. This time around, I read it because I have recently been obsessed with the BBC series Robin Hood and one of my favourite movies of all time, Princess of Thieves (staring Keira Knightly and tells the stories of Gwyn, the daughter of Robin Hood and the Lady Marian), was on TV last night so it just seemed right to reread the book.

I loved this book because it retold the tale of Robin Hood, one of the most over played stories ever, in a new fascinating way. Robin starts of the eldest daughter of the Lord of Locksley and betrothed to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Not wanting to marry the horrible man the Sheriff is, she dresses as a man and runs away leaving her younger sister, Lady Marian, and her cousin, Will 'Scarlet' (as he is later named) for London. However, she does not get to London, on her travels she meets a man, John Little, and after running into some trouble with some of the Sheriffs men she runs off alone into the Sherwood Forest. And so the tale of Robin Hood starts, but Robin has to keep her sex a secret. No one must know she is, in fact, a woman.

The writing is simple fantastic, it has to be to gain so much attention on a big website like amazon. I found that the plot flowed very easily with no bumps that distracted me or drew me out of my absorbed state as I flew through this book. I always like to pick up a book that claims to have retold a classic tale in a new way, because the project fails more than it succeeds. ArceJaeger didn't just succeed in finding a new and unique way to retell Robin Hood, she dominated. With a familiar cast of characters that you grow to love (or hate) in a different way, this book was amazing.

I don't want too give much away. Trust me in saying that if you love the Robin Hood stories or you enjoy medieval tales, you will absolutely LOVE this one. A definite 5 star novel in my book. I only wish it was a little bit longer.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire

Series: Beautiful Disaster #1

Genre: New Adult/ Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Source: Kindle

Pages: 527 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Available at:

Amazon(.ca) • Goodreads • Amazon(.com)

Blurb: (via Goodreads)

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl.

She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

The Details:
This book was voted #1 College Romance Novel and #2 Best Romance Novel of All Time on Bestreads.com. 

My Review:

I loved this book. I initially bought it because a) it had a butterfly on the front cover (and for those who don't know, I am absolutely OBSESSED with butterflies) and b) I thought it was a fantasy novel; but after the first 100 pages and nothing fantastical happened I was too into the story to care. 

Even though it wasn't my typical kind of read, Jamie McGuire made the characters come to life. 

Abby Abernathy, the main character is just as the summary entails. She is a good girl who is freakishly good at math (for good reason) with a shady past that slowly reveals itself throughout the book. Her and her best friend, America, traveled far from home to get away from, well... you'll see, and attend college where Abby soon meets Travis at an underground fighting ring.

Travis 'Mad Dog' Maddox was wonderfully damaged. The author has written him as this this complex character who KNOWS he always screws up when it matters most, but despite his faults, he is a fighter (both in and out of the ring). On the surface, Travis is the boy every parent warns their daughters about, but under all of those bad decisions and screw ups, he is this prince in shining armour. 

Plot wise, I loved the way Jamie McGuire slowly gave her readers bits and pieces of Abby's past without it becoming frustrating. The anticipation of the next tidbit kept me wanting more, while the characters just kept me reading. Each of her character's decisions and feelings felt extremely read and authentic, while never feeling forced or fake. The situations Jamie puts her characters in are so believable and how they react to said situations are so genuine and life-like I found it hard to believe this was fiction. I commend Jamie McGuire on her FANTASTIC writing of Beautiful Disaster.

I heard rumours that this was the first book in a series, but looking at the ending of the story, I have a feeling it's just a rumor. Saying that, if she does come out with a sequel, I will be the first to pre-order it!

**UPDATE** Jamie McGuire has written Beautiful Disaster in Travis' point of view titled Walking Disaster. You can read my review HERE

**UPDATE/ Spoiler** Jamie McGuire wrote a short novella detailing the Top Secret details of the wedding titled Beautiful Wedding

**UPDATE** Jamie McGuire has written a book for each of the Maddox brothers titled Beautiful Oblivion, Beautiful Redemption, and Beautiful Sacrifice 

What to Expect:

Hey Booklovers!
I just wanted to start this blog telling everyone what to expect in terms of what I'll post and a little about myself.

About me:
     I am a 18 year old student attending college in Vancouver, BC majoring in English and aspiring to become an editor/publisher of fantasy/fiction novels. I live at home while I am going to school and spend all of my free time reading, or finding new TV shows that peak my interest. Needless to say, I enjoy getting out of my own mind and diving into a story, whether it is in a book, on screen, or in a theater. I am a huge theater junky and plan to spend as many vacations as I can in New York with my best friend watching every show that ever comes on (or off) Broadway.

My books:
     I am a huge reader (duh, you'd have to be to start a book blog) and my nose is constantly in a book, so to speak. Now a days I mostly get my books via amazon because at the amount I read the price of books matter. That is not to say that I don't love a good paperback every so often, but some of the books I buy are only available via Amazon for my Kindle reader.
      As for the genre I typically read? I am mostly a Fantasy novel kind of girl. My favorite books have to do with shifters, of all sorts, or assassins. I do also love my mythology and medieval tales as well... I am not very fond of vampire, angel, or faerie books, although I have read and still read a few due to the dedication of amazing authors with a fantastic flare for writing. Because of my interest in fantasy novels, sometimes my book choices go into more of the 'romance' kind of genre and some intimate scenes occur. If that is the case for any novels I review, I will post a warning at the beginning of the review so there are no surprises if you choose to read the book yourself.
     Of course, even though I mostly enjoy Fantasy, it doesn't mean I don't like to branch out. I am open to all sorts of books as long as they sound interesting. However, 99% of the books I read, and will review, will be found in the fiction section of your local bookstore.
    If you ever have any questions or would like me to review a book before you buy it (or after and you think I'd enjoy it) i answer all my emails at vanessaaere@gmail.com

NOTE: if you DON'T have a kindle and have completely fallen in love with a book I have posted about, there is no need to sweat. Kindle apps are available for your desktop, tablet and smart phone. I personally have a Kindle app on all three as well as my actual Kindle.