Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton Review

Published: November 15th 2010 by Clarion Books
Hardcover, 322 pages
Book Series: Goblin Wars, Book 1

Book Description:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Favor Quote...

"...Did God create them evil?"

"Of course not." Mamieo stopped to pick up a piece of blue bleach glass. "Why would the Almighty do such a wicked thing? All creatures," she said when they walked on, "from the moment they exist, set about becoming through their own free will. Some are becoming more of what they were meant to be, and some becoming less..."

Review:

When I picked up this book...actually when I first saw the cover of Tyger Tyger I had hoped to be engaged into a vivid world filled with mythical creatures, adventurous characters and imaginative settings. Kersten Hamilton has done just that.

The beginning of the story starts with Teagan and her love for animals. Even thou the book wasn't love at first read, I had a lot of respect for the author's writing which made made it hard for me to keep my eyes off the pages. Come to think of it, the characters are what blew my mind away first. For a story dealing with goblins and Irish Mythology, Teagan and the others seemed so real. Abby, Teagan's friend, was so likable and hilarious...a true friend. Irish Traveler Finn Mac Cumhaill is one I couldn't get enough of either, he was smart, charming and the farthest thing from a cliche. I loved his accent, I even tried my best to portray the way he'd talk.

Basically it's a war against the Goblins and disgusting as they are, I couldn't help but love the ugly bad guys. Tyger Tyger only got more fascinating as I read but that actually became a small problem for me...

By the middle-end of the book I started to become more demanding but knew I'd have to wait for the sequels. The story had a few drags here and there but it was too good to consider it a bore. In all, kersten Hamilton has created a fun-enchanting read. I can't wait for more Finn, Teagan, and Abby...even the Goblins.

4/5

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa Review

Published: August 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen
Paperback, 359 pages
Series: The Iron Fey (Book 2)
Book 1: The Iron Daughter For Review Click here.

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Favorite Quote...

"Tears filled my eyes and ran down my face, The gash on my cheek stung where they passed, but I didn't care. All I could see was Ash's pain, his loneliness, his yearning for someone who wasn't me..."

Another fun, entertaining read from the Iron Fey series. Julie Kagawa can do no wrong, her ideas and writing are once again, phenomenal!

So basically the story is another quest. It's a journey to find the Scepter of the Seasons that which was taken by "a new" kind of Iron fey. However close by, Meghan and the gang stop at nothing to win the oncoming war.

For the most part, this story was entertaining with all it's fun dialog, adventure and entrancing romance. Meghan, whose officially my favorite character in the books, is incredible. Her ways in handling a tough situation is still shocking...and so...inspiring. And how could I miss Grimalkin? the mysterious all-seeing cat. Team Ash? Team Puck?How can I choose from the two? They're both brilliant in their own personalities...

I can't get enough of puck and his witty remarks, nor can I ever forget the knowing, sweet and sexy Ash.

As for the rating, I didn't give The Iron Daughter a perfect mark because there were times, in just a few parts of the story, where I couldn't help but sigh boredom. But still a great book.

4/5

More from the Iron Fey Series...

Book 1: The Iron King ~*~ Book 3: The Iron Queen

The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith Review

Title: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1)
Published November 18th 2010 by Pyr Paperback, 320 pages


Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention.

In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

Whew , this book spoiled me. I loved it in so many ways...

But I must admit, I hadn't been quickly immersed in this book after reading the back description and I guess I was afraid by the presentation in the first few pages too because it was slightly intimidating in all it's alternative(otherworldly)history ...I was very wrong in my prediction. The promise of greatness in this read was fulfilled and there is no doubt that the on going Vampire Empire series will be epic. Enriched with wicked steampunk adventure, this read overachieves in all genres from soul-defined romance to impressive combative action. I was also enthralled by the glow of realism in the story too, it merged with the fantasy and paranormal romance aspects of the novel almost perfectly.

As for the cons, I waited for the eventual cliches but the writing was so crazy good that it distracted me from any that came. The love was something else too...it was a fine twist in the vampire romance part of the novel.

Clay and Susan Griffith are a fantastic duo.

By the end of the book I was completely blown away and excited for the upcoming sequels. The Greyfriar is a hidden classic, a thrilling story and I hope you consider this book because this book is too good to be missed.

Here is a video of the trailer for The Greyfriar if you'd like a peek at that:




4.5/5







Fav Quotes...

" "Greyfriar!" His tall figure leapt, and he drew his rapier while in the air, the blade falling as he came down. A bloody head lolled to the side. The swordsman didn't stop moving but rushed the vampire Adele was barely holding at bay...Clawed hands rose to strike the man across the face, but Greyfriar ducked and thrust through the chest of his opponent, twisting the blade to destroy her heart. The body fell to the ground and Greyfriar turned to Adele."

"Her hands astonished him. Her skin was so much darker than his alabaster flesh..."

Unknown Magic by Evelyn M. Byrne Review

Note: Photos will lead to GoodReads


Title: Unknown Magic
Author: Evelyn M Byrne
Series: Daughter of Prophecy, Book 1
Publisher: White Bird Publications
Pages: 350 (Paperback)

Discovering she is a Tuatha Dé Danann straight from Irish Mythology, turns Megan’s life upside down. As if that was not enough, an arrogant, drop-dead gorgeous man tells her she is his mate.

Seamus escaped his mysterious captors seventeen years earlier, taking a little girl with him and returning her to her home. Returning to the one location he considers his safe haven, he recognizes Megan as the young child he rescued. Only now, she is stunning enough to make him forget, almost, just how treacherous his life is.

Megan soon realizes fighting her attraction for Seamus is a losing battle. But when the people hunting Seamus track them down, Megan and Seamus are faced with a much more immediate and deadly threat—a struggle for the lives of all the Tuatha Dé Danann. Can they overcome their pursuers and win?

(Note: There is some strong sexual content in this novel. Gets pretty Erotic at times.)

First off, I'd like to praise this beautiful cover art, it's actually what grabbed my attention first.

Now for the book itself, it was both very good and not so good in my opinion. Why? Because in short, the story is magnificent but it stumbles with too much details.

Throughout this story, Megan Tully tries to find her true self as a Magical Being with as much help as she can handle. Her father, Jim, isn't so carefree about the whole situation considering the trauma in their family that which Meghan barely remembers. Seamus who answers to fate and claims her as his match is the obvious choice for Megan whether anyone likes it or not, he as well as Megan's uncle's will try their best to help her recall most of what was forgotten before she becomes a full Tuatha herself on her 25th birthday.

The story was very exciting for the most part but I can bet it would've been better if it was cut down by a hundred pages or so. The magic was enchanting and the characters were just as appealing. I admired the pride of the Tuatha De Danann and was captivated by Seamus's love for Megan...he actually reminded of one of the the brothers in the Black Dagger Brotherhood books by JR Ward. If only the story didn't drag so much I would've favored it much more. It felt like I was stuck on the same subject for pages...and too many times I thought Megan as a teen rather than a women in her early twenties.

All together this was a worthy read and I will probably read the sequel when it comes out on Dec. 14, 2010

Favorite Quotes...

"She looked up into the most stunning pair of jade-green eyes she had ever encountered. She could see the rolling hills of Ireland in them and his face was that of a god."

"..."Oh, I do not think do. I will give you plenty of exercise to keep you in shape," Seamus said with raised eyebrows.""



3/5






Sequel: Stolen Magic

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken Review

Note: Photos will lead to GoodReads

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

Like Never After by Dan Elconin, I first heard about this title from the Who,What, When, Where, Why Blog. (For some reason the blog is no longer available, really sad). This was back at early 2010.

At that time, the title was yet to be released but the cover captivated me so much that I was immersed into finding any information regarding this novel.

The story tells of a distant village girl Sydelle lives in a small desert town that is about to be invaded by soldiers from another country. She’s saved from whatever fate occupation will entail by a traveling wizard called Wayland North. North claims that he needs Sydelle as his assistant (and guide – he has no sense of direction and can’t read a map to save his life), but there’s something he’s not telling her, some other reason she’s important to him. Syd is a talented weaver and has always dreamed of leaving her town, but under t ...more Sydelle and an unfortunate run into a young Wizard, Wayland North, who says he'd like her to accompany him in return for his good deeds to the place where she lives. Unable to ignore North's bringing of rain to the village, Sydelle lives in a small desert town that is about to be invaded by soldiers from another country. She’s saved from whatever fate occupation will entail by a traveling wizard called Wayland North. North claims that he needs Sydelle as his assistant (and guide – he has no sense of direction and can’t read a map to save his life), but there’s something he’s not telling her, some other reason she’s important to him. Syd is a talented weaver and has always dreamed of leaving her town, but under t ...more Sydelle and her family have no choice but to accepts the wizards request. At first Sydelle lives in a small desert town that is about to be invaded by soldiers from another country. She’s saved from whatever fate occupation will entail by a traveling wizard called Wayland North. North claims that he needs Sydelle as his assistant (and guide – he has no sense of direction and can’t read a map to save his life), but there’s something he’s not telling her, some other reason she’s important to him. Syd is a talented weaver and has always dreamed of leaving her town, but under t ...more Sydelle is appalled by everything having to do with North and his sloven ways but soon realizes the importance of the task in hand.

I rather not spoil the story so I'll just say that the books side trips involve wicked fights among magical beings, suspenseful drama involving royals and battles that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. I'm impressed by Alexandra Bracken first novel, she mixed all these enticing elements with a glimmer touch of fantasy romance...it's not everyday an author gives their all into a true passion of writing.

To me, books such as this shouldn't be labeled a quick read because I like to relax as I get lost into a world of magic and absorb all the enhancement and battles that come way...just as long as the story comes together and makes sense, which Bracken does for her debut novel. I really hope there's a sequel for it.

Just to explain why I didn't give this a 5/5...there were times in this book where it got a little cliche which naturally zapped back into New York 2010, but for the most part it was imaginative.

I recommend this book for any young adult reader, there isn't much to dislike. It's a simple yet complicated, fantastical read.

4/5

Mistwood by Leah Cypess Review

Note: Photos will lead to GoodReads


The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Excerpt:

"Isabel held her head up, swamped by a swirl of confusion, conflicting feelings. Cheif among them was a fierce urge to protect her prince, but from whom?

Her prince...The possessive came to her mind without forethought, and accepted it without question. He had summoned her to him, and she would keep him safe from any danger that threatened him. Even if she still had no idea why, or what that danger might be."

I can define this book in three words if I wanted to but I'll make the effort and explain why this book in my opinion was for the most...forgettable.

Prince Rokan sets out to find the shifter so that it can protect him form assassins and death in general: by the way this fact was reminded constantly throughout the whole book so don't worry, you wont miss it or get confused in the slightest...
Isabel, the shifter who was taken from Mistwood by the prince himself, has the misfortune of forgetting her past from before she was taken which I thought was pretty intriguing but lets' focus on the characters for now shall we...Clarisse, soon to be King Rokans sister, is some what of a "bitch" which is fine but it wasn't painted with that old fantasy aura that I had hoped for...rather, she seemed a lot like Regina George from the movie Mean Girls.

The land and setting descriptions of the book didn't hold my interest to well either.

I don't understand, was this book dystopian...set in medieval times...what? There was a lot of times where the dialog matched a high school setting....words like bitch and sweet sounded weird in the conversations. The whole book was half "Graceling by Kristen Cashore" half "Mean Girls movie written by Wisman and Tina Fey." As for the romance, I lost track from all the flirting and Rokans' lonely cries...did I mention he was to be crowned king and described as a live alone die alone kind of guy. Confusing.

There were times of admiration...but only to be suspended by dissatisfaction. Half way through the book; things got abrupt and infuriating, which I didn't like. I can't say I didn't like it because I did. Sometimes it was so new and enticing but the book never held my interest enough to be memorable or satisfying. It's too bad, I really liked the cover.

2/5






As for sequels...There is "A stand-alone companion novel..."

Nightspell by Leah Cypess (Mistwood #2)

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman Review

Note: Photos will lead to GoodReads

Tennyson:
Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, BrontË, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

BrontË:
My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman has crafted a chilling and unforgettable novel about the power of unconditional friendship, the complex gear workings of a family, and the sacrifices we endure for the people we love.

This book was a web of astonishment. A true! ...but not so true story. Throughout the book, you have the voice of four unique characters that tie things up with a great message. In my opinion, this story told a message in the most unique way I've ever read.

In a nutshell, the story is about a girl, Bronte, who has been dating "the Bruiser" to soon find out by her brother, Tennyson, that there's more to The Bruiser then just a funny name. He has a special ability that I dare not mention because it's far more deserving than to just spoil you with.
Neal Shusterman has written a well thought-out book so I really recommend you get a copy or borrow it from a library.

The humor, action, science, and sheer wonder of the story is one of a kind.

4.5/5

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa Review

Note: Photos will lead to GoodReads

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart.

The second I read this book I had an instant connection with Meghan Chase. Not only because my name is Meg too but because she has a little brother whom she feels protective of as I do... hence the the reason for her adventure through the bitter cold and pronged Winterland-the necessary fight against her love for IcePrince Ash and The Iron King himself to save her innocent kid brother. On top of all that not to long ago, she's filled in that she is the daughter of King Oberon and that forbidden to deal with anything that is anywhere below freezing temperature.

The Cover for one definitely does the story justice as well as the supporting characters that I must admit are surprisingly unforgettable in their own corner. Kagawa has that great way in her writing that makes you wonder if this book is in fact fiction. Zooming on the fantasy parts of the story, it's hard to believe that there ever was a place called Earth because the reader gets so deeply sucked in to the paranormal elements that it's difficult to get out. The characters are marvelously entertaining; Ash, Meghan, Puck, Grimalkin...they all have these great personalities from humorous to dangerously sweet to witty and seemingly carefree.

Another point I loved in this story is the absence of a wide range of old folk tale stories and dreadful information that would normally lead the reader to the actual, entertaining part of the story. It's a fresh story with enticing, cool mythical beings and typical yet original everyday characters that don't require so much energy to get into.

5/5

The Other Parts to The Iron Fey Series: Winter's Passage, The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen.

Book 1.5 Book 2 Book3