The Taking

Oh my goodness … where do I start!  How about … I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!  I didn’t know what to think when I first picked it up.  It’s not my “usual” read.  However, I was pleasantly surprised.  I was surprised by the characters.  I was surprised by the plot.  I was surprised by how entertainingly brilliant the book was.  It kept me locked in my room, reading … only coming up for air to eat.  The Taking was everything I hoped for and more.

Kyra was the heroine.  She was your typical teenager, trying to figure out what path her life was going to take.  One night, everything changed.  After getting in a fight with her dad, she disappeared.  To Kyra, it seemed like she was only gone for the night.  However, five years had gone by and EVERYTHING had changed.  Life had gone on without her and now she was trying to figure out how she fit in with all the changes.  I don’t want to say too much because part of what I loved most about the book was not knowing what was around the corner.  I liked discovering things as Kyra was discovering them and trying to figure out the puzzle that The Taking revealed so amazingly.

There was a swoon-worthy love interest in the novel.  Kimberly Derting wrote it brilliantly.  Just the right amount of “crushing” to go along with a sixteen year old brain.  It was a sweet relationship that flowed easily and worked perfectly.

The plot was fast moving and kept me hooked throughout the entire book.  There were tons of thrills and secrets that kept me in the roll as “novel-detective” … trying to figure out what was going to happen next.  This was definitely a “can’t-put-down” book!  (This book has already cycled through two others in my family ... Dad/Husband included.  PS - He LOVED it!)

The Taking was an incredible YA paranormal romance.  I absolutely loved it!  And the ending … oh my goodness!  Just read it.  See what I’m talking about.  I’m sure you will love it too!

Here’s a little bit more about what The Taking is all about:

RELEASE DAY PARTY!

Today the Third book in the Throne of Glass series came out. I am so excited for this next book in the series, I already went out and bought my copy! I know some of you haven't read this little gem yet so I'm going to introduce the series to you. Enjoy ...

Throne Of Glass

 We begin the series by meeting one of my favorite heroines, Celaena Sardothien.  Celaena is not your typical female roll. She is hard, ruthless, skilled, arrogant, and witty. The author, Sarah J. Mass's inspiration for Celaena was Arwen from lord of the Rings.

Sarah said this about developing the character, "Arwen's arrogance and fierceness made me want to write about a woman like her—about a woman who never once said sorry for being talented and determined and utterly in love with herself." I think that describes Celaena to a tee. 

Once you meet Celaena and fall in love with her, we then meet the other two points in the triangle. There is Chaol - the hunky captain of the guard. He takes his job very seriously. However, right from the start you know that Celaena is going to cause problems for him and not just the trouble making kind.

Second, there is the handsome Prince Dorian - the heart breaker! I loved his cocky personality right from the start. Prince Dorian saves Celaena from the dreaded salt mines of Endovier. Endovier ia a ruthless prison that no one can ever escape from. Not even the world's best assassins. Dorian saves her so she can compete in a compition to become the king's assassin. The King is a ruthless man who is responsible for the death of her family. Her opponents are all men ... the best there are across the Empire. If she wins, she will serve the King for three years and then ... Freedom!

Here is what Goodreads has to say about the book;

"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 exhilirating. 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."

I was going to tell you all about the second book but I can't do that without giving away what happens in the first. I will just finish by showing you the awesome cover of the second book...

and the third book;

and say that you are in for a treat with the second one as well. Now we can all read the third together and fall in love with a world full of Princes, Guards, magic and best of all ... assassins together.

To read what Goodreads says about the second and third book keep reading ...

Surprise Saturday Book Review

"City of Heavenly Fire"

I had to do a post to review this book. I know I'm behind but I just finished this little gem this morning. Let me tell you, I hate to admit when I make a mistake (my husband will agree) but I was WRONG ... but wrong in a good way. There are a few series I have read in the past that at the beginning I LOVED.  Then they keep writing more and more when the series could have ended 5 books back. (cough...House Of Night...cough) I was afraid that this was where this series was heading. After I finished The Infernal Devices series I was a little "shadowhuntered" out. That's why it took me so long to read this book.  However, I was WRONG ... DEAD WRONG! This was the perfect ending to this series. Cassandra Clare took us on a whirlwind adventure as the Shadowhunters fought to save the world from Sebastian aka Jonathan. The book kept me on my toes and although I was sure they would pull through, made me constantly ask, "How are they going to get through this one?"

Now for the best news ... there is another spin off coming in 2015!! The story will begin 5 years after the Dark War and will be based on the Blackthorns and Emma Carstairs, whom we met in Heavenly Fire. I absolutely love Emma Carstairs and am excited to read on about her adventure and quest for revenge. 

One thing I wish is that we could have seen the seelie queen at the end of Heavenly Fire, I don't want to spoil more then I have but I learned to hate her and I would have loved to see her in the end (but I have a feeling she will play a big roll in the next series).

To Read what Heavenly Fire is all about, keep reading...

"Wings"

I really shouldn’t have read this book.  Firstly, I had just finished a series that I LOVED.  Secondly, I had passed by this book many times wondering if it would be something I liked.  I guess I should have gone with my gut instinct.

I think what kept pulling me back to it, was that Stephenie Meyer strongly endorsed it and put it on one of her “Must Read” lists.  I’m not saying I’m a Stephenie Meyer nut … I’m just thinking that an author who has been so successful tuning into the masses, might know what she is talking about.  So, against my better judgment, I decided to give it a try.  Wrong decision.

"Witch & Wizard"

I hate making these kind of reviews, but with that said … here it goes.  I think my main problem I had with this novel, was that I was expecting a lot from this book when I first picked it up.  It wasn't bad.  It just wasn't up to the expectations I had.

The premise was good.  The story itself was okay.  It just seemed a bit slow.  Nothing much really happened.  I could probably summarize the book in a few sentences.  Don’t get me wrong … the story wasn’t terrible … it actually kept me curiously interested and I kept reading until the end, just to find out how it would finish.

"Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children"

You know the old saying … “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”?  This old adage definitely applies to “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children”.  When I first saw this book, I didn’t know what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised to find, within it’s pages, and tale of adventure, mystery, monsters, and “peculiar” children.

From the beginning I was trapped.  The book moved along smoothly and I found myself wanting to read more.  The characters were well developed and I loved all the different personalities and traits they all displayed.

However, there were a few things that I struggled with.  I am reluctant to include them in my review because I would rather you read the book and form your own opinion.  I do strongly recommend this novel.  It’s thrilling, suspenseful, and when you reach the end … you are left wanting more.  (And more is definitely on the way.)

Here’s a quick look at what  “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children” is all about: