Review for Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate

WARNING
This is a collection of short stories from the Fallen series and by talking about the plot there may be spoilers from the first three books in this series.

Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: 2nd February 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Angels, Short Stories 
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.

And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding-and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first -and last- time, Daniel and Luce will spend a night together like none other.

Lauren Kate's FALLEN IN LOVE is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for."

Review 
I have to say that usually I’m not really a fan of short stories mainly because I find that they’re not long enough to get to know the characters and there’s not enough time for plot development but when I heard about Fallen in Love I figured I’d give it a go as those reasons are irrelevant with these four short stories as they centre around the characters of the Fallen world, a series that I love.

The book is set alongside the same timeline as Passion, the third book in this series, and takes place in Medieval England on Valentine’s Day as Luce and Co travel through the announcers.

There are four short stories centring around each characters Valentine’s Day giving us readers a chance to learn more about the secondary characters love lives unlike the rest of the series where the focus is mainly on Luce and Daniel.

The first story is Love Where You Least Expect It: The Valentine of Shelby and Miles where the friends blossom into something more whilst trying to help the Lucinda of the past have a romantic Valentine’s Day with Daniel. The second story is Love Lessons: The Valentine of Roland where we get to learn of the only woman Roland has ever loved a mortal girl who Roland loved and lost during this time period and revisits on this Valentine’s Day through an announcer. The third story is Burning Love: The Valentine of Arriane where we learn about Arriane’s great love with a demon girl named Tessriel and how being on opposing sides comes between them. And lastly for the grand finale we have the star couple in Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda which is the story of the one and only Valentine’s Day that Luce and Daniel ever got to spend together.

Surprisingly my favourite stories where Roland’s and Arriane’s. Both of them have sad heart-breaking tales of lost love which shows a different side to them both as characters and made me feel like I got to know them a little better. I found Arriane’s story especially interesting as it gives us some insight as to why she refuses to be on Lucifer’s side and why she’s a total martyr for Luce and Daniels love. I have to say that I’ve never been a particular fan of Roland but after reading his story and what he selflessly does for his lost love my heart really went out to him and I like him a lot more now.

Fallen in Love doesn’t add anything hugely new to the main storyline of this series but what it does do is give a deeper insight into the lives and loves of the secondary characters. It’s a short, quick, romantic, read that gives a little extra something to the fans of the series and also makes a good refresher of Passion ready for the series finale in Rapture. Although I don’t see why it would strictly need to be read as part of the series it makes a good little in between books read that I’d recommend to fans of the series.

Review for The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo 
Publisher: Indigo
Release Date: 17th May 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic
Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom's magical elite - the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance."

Review 
I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive to read this book simply because I literally have a love/hate relationship with the fantasy genre. I tend to either absolutely love a fantasy novel or loath it with no middle ground so I’m always anxious when starting a new fantasy book to see which category it falls under. I’d heard so much hype for this book in the US (US title Smoke and Bone) that I had high hopes for The Gathering Dark and I’m happy to say the hype is totally justified!

The reason I’m so picky with my fantasy is that I like to lose myself in a fantasy world from the start and so the book needs to immerse me in its culture. If the book doesn’t really go into the politics, names, and descriptions and I have to keep jarring myself out of the story to flick through and look it up then I give up on a book pretty quickly. For me it takes a talented storyteller indeed who can comfortably get me settled into their world and gives me enough information and description so that I can imagine the world with ease and can completely lose myself in their world without getting confused and having to constantly suss out the who’s who and what’s what in order to enjoy the book. I like to get sucked into a fantasy land smoothly and with effortlessness and Leigh Bardugo does that with the Kingdom of Ravka seamlessly.

Alina’s world is rich with detail and so well imagined. I loved the idea of having a magical elite in the Grisha with magicians who each have a speciality be it death, healing, fire, air, fabrics amongst numerous other things. I loved learning about the Grisha and their place in society. This book is a literal battle between light and dark as Alina discovers a power like no other Grisha that may be the key to saving Ravka from The Shadow Fold and restore the Kingdom to its former glory.

Alina is the perfect heroine she herself admits to being average in every way but as she learns about her new power she goes from being a normal girl to Ravka’s saviour and as the book goes on she makes a lot of tough calls and brave decisions and I totally respected her as our heroine.

My favourite kind of romance is when childhood friends grow into something more so Alina and Mals relationship was always going to be a winner for me. I fell for Mal pretty much from the start and only grew to love him more as the book continued. He’s charming, funny, and hugely likeable and his relationship with Alina was wonderful to read and watch develop.

The Darkling has to be the best villain I’ve come across in a long time you never quite know whether to trust him or not. He’s dangerous, seductive, and persuasive and I couldn’t help but be drawn to him along with Alina. I love when the bad guy has a good backstory and isn’t just bad for the sake of it but because he truly believes that what he’s doing is the right thing to do. The Darkling was powerful, charismatic, and fearsome and was everything I could hope for in a good villain.

I picked up this book purposefully because I was looking for a nice chunky book that could last me a while. Despite being a big book I read this in one night a rarity for me especially with a book of this size. I literally could not put it down and refused to part with it until I was finished in the early hours of the morning. The Gathering Dark held me captivated from start to finish and has to be my favourite book of 2012 so far. Even if fantasy’s not usually your thing I’d fully recommend giving this book a go. If you like books that transport you to richly imagined fantastical places, that introduces you to vibrant and warm characters, that has a gorgeous romance, and best of all an epic battle between good and evil then look no further. I loved every second spent with this book and thoroughly recommend it.

Review for Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 7th June 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Summer, Contemporary, Romance, Family, Friendship, Cancer, Grief
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"Taylor Edwards family might not be that close - everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled, but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor's dad gets some devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. Crammed into a place much smaller than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again, but as the summer progresses they're more aware than ever that they're battling a ticking clock. And as Taylor tries to deal with the drama at home, she is faced with the fact that the friends she thought she'd left behind haven't actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is still living across the lake and still as mad with Taylor as she was five years ago, and her first boyfriend has moved in next door...but he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve. Can one summer be enough time to get a second chance - with family, friends, and love?"

Review 
Amy and Rogers Epic Detour was one of my favourite summer reads of last year so I was really excited to hear that Morgan Matson was coming out with another summer read this time centring around a summer at a lake house, one family’s last summer together, and the importance of grabbing those all too rare second chances when life throws them to you.

If I had to sum up Second Chance Summer in one word it would be Bittersweet. The book is equally heart-breaking and equally filled with carefree blissful summer moments, Morgan Matson getting the balance just right. Taylor Edwards is spending her summer with her family in their old lake house; her days will be filled with ice creams at Jane’s, movie nights on the beach, and relaxing out on the lake, sounds perfect right? Well not really. Taylor’s dad has recently been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and has been given only months left to live. It’s her dads wish that they spend one last summer together as a family so they spend the summer at the family lake house re-connecting, reliving old memories, and generally spending their last few months in each other’s company while they still can. If that wasn’t enough Taylor’s reluctant to go back to their old summer lake house not only because she knows by the end of summer she’ll be coming home without her dad but also because she didn’t part well with her old friend from childhood Lucy and her first boyfriend Henry the last time she was in town. But summer is a time when anything feels possible, will Taylor learn to face her fears and get a second chance before it’s too late?

I said it in my review for Amy and Roger and I’ll say it again here. Morgan’s writing reminds me SO much of reading a book by queen of summer stories Sarah Dessen. If you’re a fan of Sarah’s books you will love Morgan’s and vice versa. What they have in common is that they both have the perfect balance in their books of tackling a sensitive subject, in this books case cancer, and yet still pulling off a feel good summer read. They both have this gift of knowing just how far to push people’s emotions without the book feeling too heavy and when to add the fun summery goodness to lighten the mood. Morgan Matson has also included a cameo from Amy and Roger at the beginning of this book something that Sarah is famous for doing with her stories. The cameo was a nice little extra and brought a smile to my face.

Second Chance Summer is the kind of summer read that I love. There were moments where you could almost forget what Taylor was going through because she was so brave and lived by her dad’s wish that they have as normal and happy a summer for as long as possible. Then there would be a heart-breaking tender moment with her father that was so touching that I’m not ashamed to say I cried over on several occasions so much so that I’m surprised this book wasn’t a great big soggy heap of paper by the time I was finished with it. This book is the perfect mix of summer fun and heartbreak as you watch Taylor have this life changing summer and watch her grow as a person.

However I do have to say that as nice as Taylor and Henry were I didn’t come to love them as much as Amy and Roger but that’s just my personal preference although I had a lot of respect for Taylor and the way she handled her family situation. I did however fall in love with so many of the secondary characters particularly Taylor’s dad, Warren and Wendy and Lucy and Elliot. There were so many great characters to get to know and love and the community at the lake was a real highlight of the book for me.

Although I didn’t love Second Chance Summer quite as much as Amy and Rogers Epic Detour it was still a brilliant summer read that’s well worth checking out. A word of warning, you may want to read this one in privacy and don’t forget to read it with a big box of tissues!

Review for City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Warning
This is a review for the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments series. Although there will be no spoilers about City of Lost Souls there may be spoilers about the first four books in this series.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare 
Publisher: Walker
Release Date: 8th May 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:
"The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?"

Review
Reading the latest The Mortal Instruments book is always like catching up with old friends. This has to be one of my favourite series and like all fans I was anticipating this books release something fierce. I know there were a lot of mixed opinions over City of Fallen Angels but I personally really enjoyed the extension on the series and like where Cassandra Clare was taking these books. The stakes are even higher now with Sebastian, to me, being an even more dangerous and twisted villain than his father Valentine with his evil plans that will affect the world as we know it, not just for Shadowhunters and Downworlders. I feel like Clare really upped her game in these last two books and I have really enjoyed where she’s taken this new plot.

That being said I did feel like City of Lost Souls had a few faults and for that reason it wasn’t my favourite of the series. I feel like I go through my ups and downs with Clary, in some books I really like her, and in others she just gets on my nerves. Sadly this was one of those books that she really annoyed me. She made some dumb, selfish, mistakes and I felt like screaming at her “How could you be so stupid!?” but by the end of the book she goes back to being the brave and strong Clary that I love so she redeemed herself a little but jeez it took her long enough! And she puts a lot of lives at risk in the meantime whilst she’s busy being a stupid girl, not cool. I also have to say straight off the bat that I love Alec, I really do, but seriously what is his beef with Magnus having loved other people before him? I mean, I get that Magnus has been alive forever and so has been in love with more people than your average person and how that makes Alec feel like just another notch on his bedpost, but regardless to how long Magnus has existed, we all have our baggage and a past so I really didn’t get his jealousy at all and would get annoyed with how he would treat Magnus, once again, not cool.

Those dislikes out of the way I loved everything else about this book. I enjoyed finding out what this new bond between Jace and Sebastian entails and the full extent of Sebastian’s evil plans. I really loved Cassie Clare’s writing and the alternating narrative between all of the characters is something I really love about these books as there are so many characters to love, and the switching perspective keeps things fresh with something constantly going down for one of the characters so there’s never a dull moment.

I feel like I’ve come to know these characters so well and I love to live inside this world through them that I’m sad that the series will finally be ending in the next book. Like in City of Fallen Angels I really liked how the prequel series, The Infernal Devices, is tied into the story and love reading the nods to that series as I’ve personally come to love The Infernal Devices even more than The Mortal Instruments.

I don’t think that fans of this series will be disappointed with City of Lost Souls. Despite it not being one of my favourites of the series on the grand scale of things it was still an epic read. Relationships fall together and fall apart, sacrifices are made for the greater good, and best of all (In my opinion) we get to know Sebastian better as a character; he’s certainly a villain I love to hate! This book doesn’t have a huge cliff-hanger but it definitely has an ending that has me interested to see where Cassie Clare takes us next. Overall, although not my favourite book in the series, it was still a fantastic read that builds up things nicely for what promises to be the grandest of grand finales.

Review for The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

WARNING
This is the second book in the Bloodlines series and a companion novel to the Vampire Academy series. Although this review will contain no spoilers from The Golden Lily by talking about the plot there may be unintentional spoilers from Bloodlines and the Vampire Academy series.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead 
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 12th June 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Vampires, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"It's a risky game protecting vampire secrets, especially when you lie at the heart of the most dangerous of them all. Alchemist Sydney Sage is in hiding at the human boarding school, Amberwood, where she has been tasked with keeping secret and protecting the life of vampire princess, Jill Dragomir. But after a series of attacks, Sydney learns something shocking about the paranormal world she inhabits. Vampire hunters aren't just the stuff of legend. They're real. And someone very close to her maybe one of them..."

Review 
Richelle Meads Vampire Academy series and Bloodlines spin off are my favourite Young Adult series ever, so when a new book comes out I get really excited and have to read it right away and The Golden Lily was no exception. The book begins not long after where Bloodlines left off. Dimitri and Sonya have recently arrived in Palm Springs after the revelations in the last book that Strigoi who are returned to their former selves with the use of spirit magic are immune to being turned again and so the group are going through a series of experiments to see if they can find what’s in Dimitri and Sonya’s blood that prevents them from becoming Strigoi to hopefully discover a cure for the rest of the world.

I loved that Dimitri was very much a main character in this book as I honestly can’t get enough of the Belikov but what I find great about this series is that although Dimitri features a lot in this book the focus is very much on Adrian as the leading male of this series. Although Dimitri is beloved by me he didn’t over shadow Adrian like he did for me in Vampire Academy and I admired Richelle Meads capability of bringing such a strong, well loved, alpha male into this series and yet the story still belongs to Adrian, as for me as a huge Dimitri fan, it could’ve been easy for him to overshadow Adrian and so I was surprised when he didn’t.

Speaking of Adrian I have to say that I finally get him. Don’t get me wrong I really did like Adrian in Vampire Academy but for me it was always meant to be Rose and Dimitri and so I’d get annoyed with Adrian for interfering with that. In this series however now that he’s getting over Rose and him and Dimitri aren’t in competition for her affections anymore I’ve really got to know him as Adrian and not just the guy coming in between my favourite book couple. After reading this book I have to say that I now love Adrian just as much as I do Dimitri and I get why it never worked out for him and Rose and why there was always something missing between them for me and that’s because him and Sydney were 100% made for each other.

Adrian and Sydney guys! There is so much chemistry between them that I can actually feel it like it’s an actual tangible thing which is also how I felt with Rose and Dimitri. Who would have thought that these two unlikely characters would be so absolutely perfect for one another? I certainly didn’t! But it totally works and I want them to get together in the same passionate way that I did for Rose and Dimitri. The romances in these books are done so, so, well and not just between the main characters. Richelle Mead knows not only how to create the swooniest guys but also how to write unbelievable chemistry and sexual tension between a couple that practically sizzles off the pages.

Whereas Bloodlines was all about learning about the alchemists and the after effects of Last Sacrifice The Golden Lily focuses on a subject that was touched upon briefly in Bloodlines, Vampire Hunters, and introduces us to the corrupt group behind them, The Warriors of Light. The Golden Lily is also very much a growing pains book for Sydney. A lot happens in this book that makes her re-evaluate her beliefs as an alchemist and what she’s always believed about the Vampire world. I loved watching Sydney develop as a character as her heart told her one thing and her head another. This book is one giant learning curve for Sydney and I enjoyed reading her conflicting emotions.

Overall if you’re a fan of this series I don’t think The Golden Lily will disappoint. Even though this book did feel more character driven than plot driven I didn’t mind too much because I adore every single one of these characters! This is a book full of character development in both their personalities and relationships with one another; although this book didn’t lead to many huge revelations plot wise it did raise some interesting questions for the next book in the series. Reading a book set in this world be it Vampire Academy or Bloodlines is like coming home and like with all of the other books in the series comes with the highest of recommendations.