Stephanie's books

Clockwork Angel
Eragon
City of Bones
Twilight
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Golden Compass
Night World, No. 2
Thirst No. 2: Phantom, Evil Thirst, and Creatures of Forever
Thirst No. 3: The Eternal Dawn
The Iron Daughter
The Iron King
Nightshade
Divergent
A Discovery of Witches
A Great and Terrible Beauty
The Hunger Games
The Host
City of Glass
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


Stephanie's favorite books »

Sunday, 22 February 2015

Read to Review- By the Sword (The Kingdom Chronicles 3)

Title: By the Sword (The Kingdom Chronicles 3)
Author: B.C. Morin
Format: ebook (gifted from author)
Rating: 1000 stars its too good for an out of 5 rating it just gets its own number. 

Synopsis:

The Princess of Meira thought it would be easy, that she could go back, take her love, fight the evil Samil and finally begin to build her life. But as Alannah should know, nothing comes easy… especially not for her. 

Alannah finds herself running back to the Kingdom of Anrad to find the love of her life marrying another. As if the weight of that was not enough, it has been discovered that Samil is in his spirit form and can only be killed by a legendary sword whose whereabouts, no one knows. 

As a final battle looms on the horizon and Samil continues to build his army, Alannah and her friends must set forth on a quest to find Annullo. With her friends and some new unlikely allies, Alannah and the others find themselves traversing snow covered mountainsides, confronting ancient dragons, and fighting for their lives against the dark Drow. 

Loss and danger, secrets and legends, and the demands of sacrifice over love push Alannah and the others further than they thought possible in the epic conclusion to The Kingdom Chronicles.

My Review:

First of all thank you to the amazing author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This series has officially become one of my favorites, it was already on there but with the addition of this truly fabulous conclusion it has forever cemented itself a spot on the list. Thank fully this book picks up right where the last one left off, the open ending of book 2 almost killed me ans I was happy and satisfied with how it continued and I know many others will be pleased too. We also get thrown right back into the action, there is so much more going on than a wedding. 
The loss of Tristan is still fresh but it was handled wonderfully and in the end I think he helps them to find what they need and become who they are. The writing is just as amazing as the previous books, maybe better, the fight scenes are action packed and exciting and the beautiful love scenes between perfect lovers get better and better and I love how the two are combined into a perfectly balanced story of love, loss, friendship, and the fight of the century. The multiple POV's are also a great writing strategy, in this series there is so much to know about all the characters good and bad and getting such a rounded view helped me root harder for our heroes and connect to their struggle. 
I have always enjoyed Alannah but watching her be tested on this journey and show so much strength and courage made me love her so much more. I also love the rest of our hero party but I wont say to much as not to give anything away but I will say this is the best and most loveable group of people I have ever had the pleasure to journey with in print form.
I am very sad to see this series come to an end but I'm so glad I took this journey with the Fae of the five kingdoms and I will make time for a reread of this series it is worth it and I recommend everyone reads this series it has it all.

Book Review- Lullaby (The Watersong Quartet 2)

Title: Lullaby (The Watersong Quartet 2)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format: paperback
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Don't miss the next chapter of Watersong, a bold new series that will enchant you, entrance you, and hold you captive under its spell

Now that Gemma Fisher has inherited Penn, Lexi, and Thea's curse - and all the strange new powers that come along with it - she has no choice but to run away with them. Devastated that she has to leave everyone she loves behind, she's still determined not to give in to the unspeakable hungers that plague her.
Unfortunately, they're growing stronger every day, and she's not sure how much longer she can resist.
Harper won't give up on finding her sister Gemma, vowing to get her back no matter what the cost. The search draws her closer to too-gorgeous-for-his-own-good Daniel, and tests her fiercely guarded independence like never before. She's always been the strong one who everyone else depends on.... Can she let herself depend on Daniel?

As Gemma and Harper plunge deeper into a magical world they barely understand, it becomes painfully clear that Gemma's old life may be lost forever. But can she still hold on to her humanity?

My Review:
Book one took me a while to get into and I had the same problem with this one, but once again I found thst I got sucked in and actually ended up enjoying the last half, I was also lost a bit since I read book one a while ago so that may be a factor. My favorite thing about this series is the mythology about the sirens, how they came to be and how they survive, I don't know much about sirens but I do know these ones are scarier and a lot different then I imagined. 
Harper remains my favorite character and I love the relationship between her and Daniel there is an intense chemistry that bounces off the page and I can't wait to watch them fall in love (we all know it has to happen lol) nd I look forward to much more shirtless Daniel in the near future and I really look forward to answers about his "gift".
Gemma is not someone I am a huge fan of but my love for Harper compels me to put up with her and I've noticed I dislike her less and less as time goes on. Gemma and Alex are kinda cute together but they are no Harper and Daniel and I'm not sure I much care if they end up together. 
Although I feel wishy washy about these books, for the most part I enjoy them and I will continue on so I can see how it all ends.

And since my paperback came with a bonus in the form of a novella in the watersong series I will give a super quick review of that.
Aggie is a mythological creature on a secret mission.  Lydia is a young woman from a magical family with no real powers of her own. And Daniel is a high school boy who’s made it his duty to protect his deeply troubled older brother.  Then one fateful night, their lives collide in a terrifying accident that changes them all forever. And beneath the surface, the ripple effects of the accident will have more impact than anyone could ever guess...changing not only their future, but the fate of an entire town.
5/5 stars.

My Review:
I loved this novella, it was an awesome look into the backround of a few characters and it made me excited to read more. I'm enjoying this series more as I continue and this little gem was a great addition. 

Saturday, 21 February 2015

Book Review- Thirst No. 4: The Shadow of Death (Thirst #4)

Title: Shadow of Death (Thirst 4)
Author: Christopher Pike
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Alisa is a five-thousand-year-old vampire, stronger and more cunning than her adversaries. But now she's trapped in the body of a newborn vampire and at the mercy of a terrible thirst. Worst of all, she's facing enemies whose fierce desire for domination grows ever stronger.

The immortal race the Telar is threatening to release a virus to decimate humanity. But Alisa and her friends can't take down the Telar on their own, and they must turn to the mysterious organization the IIC for help. But the IIC has secrets of its own and may have ulterior motives.

With two rivals and no one to trust, Alisa must rely on her dark side to defeat them. But it could cost her life, or her soul...

My Review:

I find this book very hard to describe, this being book 4 things have gitten very twisted and complicated and even though I have read the first three books I was extremely lost for a while but it fairness it has been a very long time since I read the last books.
I'm still unsure how I feel about it, I liked it and I read it rather quickly but I'm just not sure I can love this series and I think the large religious nature turns me off just a little bit but the action and drama make up for it and I know I will finish this series off cause I'm dying to find out how this ends.
I wish this book had more matt, dont get me wrong I love seymore and I hope he gets the girl but I live matt and although he was present it was not the same and I missed him.
The tellar and IIC are just the beginning Sita has some much bigger things to deal with and it will be an exciting adventure I'm sure of it. 
Book 5 is on its way to me and I'm eager to read more of Pike's great writing.

Book Review- If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

Tittle: If I Stay (If I Stay book one)
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Paperback (yes I have the movie cover version)
Rating: 5/5

 Synopsis:

The critically acclaimed, bestselling novel from Gayle Forman, author of Where She WentJust One Day, and Just One Year.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family. '

Now a major motion picture starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.
 

My Review:

First of all WOW, I honestly was not really sure about reading this it had so much hype and everyone was saying how it made them cry and all I could think about was my "The Fault in our Stars" debacle and how all the hype for that one didn't really add up, well this one lived up and then some. I don't think I can do this review with out spoilers so beware some small spoilers may be contained in this review.
I'm not much of a crier when it comes to books, movies, TV and sometimes songs can make me tear up but it's rare that a book can bring tears to my eyes and this was one of those books. I broke down and had to take an emotional break when her Gramps told her it was okay to go:
"It's okay." he tells me. "If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life."..."its okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting." 
With out realizing it he gave her the moat beautiful gift ans as someone who knows what it's like to have a strong silent Grandpa so full of love and understanding my heart broke and melted all at once with the broken beauty of it all.
I loved getting the flashbacks into Mia's life before the crash, but each story about the love of her family made it so much more upsetting when you realize they are already gone. I cannot believe she had to lose Teddy along with her parents, the bright young boy missed out on so much and I can understand why his death seemed to hit Mia a little harder than her parents, but even after getting so much insight into Mia the enormous impact that every death will have on her can never be truly understood.
I regret my initial thoughts on this book it was much better than I expected and I'm curious if the movie is as good as the book.
 

Book Review- The Queen's Choice (Heirs of Chrior #1)

Tittle: The Queen's Choice
Series: Heirs Of Chrior Trilogy book one
Author: Cayla Kluver
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:
Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.

When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.

Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.


My Review:
I wanted to love this book, I bought it solelyonly because of the author, well and the cover caught my eye, I loved Kluver's other books but this one was not quite as good and I had a hard time getting into it, now don't get me wrong I didn't hate this book it just was not as good as I had hoped.
I liked the characters in this book and I really liked how they interacted and how most of them were not all that they seemed, it made for some very shocking events and some interesting twists and turns that saved the whole experience for me. A lot happened in the beginning and I was very interested but when Anya must recuperate from an unfortunate stroje of luck (or so we think) I got a little bored, some of it did play out later on but when I think about it there was a lot of stuff I didn't need and it took away from the overall journey and adventure.
Despite my feelings on this book I think the series has promise and I woukd like to continue on, lots took place towards the end of the book and I have many unanswered questions. I adore Cayla Kluver and I have faith it can only go up from here.
 

Monday, 16 February 2015

I'm back!!




 I have not posted anything in a long time but after surviving a reading slump I am ready to get back into. I hope you all stick around for a fun year cause I'm ready to get some serious reading and reviewing done.