Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - Book Review

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman

What is it about:
Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.

So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. His new self. Whomever this new Simon might be.

But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. And that differences—like being a former vampire—are greatly looked down upon. At least Simon is trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D.

Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. These ten short stories give an epilogue to the Mortal Instruments series and provide glimpses of what’s in store in the Dark Artifices.

What did I think of it:
This is probably a great book for most people who love the Shadowhunters books, but it didn't work for me.

I went into this read with two wrong assumptions: That this would be stories focused on students in a boarding school, and that I could handle a book full of Simon.

Yes, the Shadowhunter students live at the academy, but that's about where the boarding school experience ends. The academy is a mess and stays a mess. I was wondering why the students would stand for this instead of starting a rebellion. I also wondered how any of the students living in the cellars even survived for more than a week as it was a serious hazard to their health.

Then there was Simon. I didn't much care for him in the Mortal Instruments series and I can't say these stories changed my mind. There was one returning character in these stories I really liked, but we all know what happens to secondary characters who I like, so the less said about that the better.

The stories themselves were nice, but nothing special. I wanted training and boarding school stuff, but most stories used the school as a starting point for teachers and whoever else to tell stories about Shadowhunters and their past successes and failures.

This book won't be a keeper. I will try to read Lady Midnight though, to see if that one gets me back into the world of the Shadowhunters.

Why should you read it:
If you like the Shadowhunter world and Simon this book is for you.


Buy from bookdepository

The Bane Chronicles - Book Review

The Bane Chronicles (The Bane Chronicles #1-11)
by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan
with illustrations by Cassandra Jean

What is it about:
Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices can get to know warlock Magnus Bane like never before in this collection of New York Times bestselling tales, in print for the first time with an exclusive new story and illustrated material.

This collection of eleven short stories illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit populate the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.

What did I think of it:
Magnus Bane is my favorite character in Cassandra Clare's books, so I had to get this book with short stories all about Magnus.

And I can advice this book to anyone who also loves Magnus Bane.

The stories are not brilliant I will confess. Some are cool, some didn't really float my boat, and some felt unfinished, but still I very much enjoyed this book.

The reason why I enjoyed this book so much, is that it gives lots of background information on a character I love, shows more about other characters from the books, fills in some blanks and generally lets you enjoy the world Clare build in her books some more.

The stories in this book can be read spoiler free before reading City of Heavenly Fire. There are some that might be spoiling a bit if you haven't read all the other books yet.

All in all this book is clearly for fans of Clare's books, and Magnus Bane in particular. I myself will put this book on my keeper shelves, and reread some of the stories when I'm in the mood.

Why should you read it:
It has lots and lots of Magnus Bane.

Unmade - Book Review

Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy #3)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

What is it about:
Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

What did I think of it:
I will confess I was both excited and scared to start on this book.

It's the last book in a trilogy, and I've had it happen before that I really enjoyed the first two books in a trilogy, only to discover in the final book that the author couldn't deliver a satisfying conclusion.

So it was with a certain nervousness that I started on Unmade.

And soon discovered I had worried for nothing!

Saran Rees Brennan managed to write a conclusion to The Lynburn Legacy that was everything I hoped it would be and more!

There's suspense, humor, romance, and bone chilling situations in this book. Kami is such a great heroine. She knows she isn't perfect, and she has her flaws, but she fights for what she believes is right, and for the people she loves.

I love how Sarah Rees Brennan shows that being the 'hero' isn't as wonderful as so many tales try to tell us. She shows it comes with responsibility, difficult choices, and sacrifice. I rooted for Kami and her friends, and wept for their losses.

All in all I'm happy with this conclusion, and sad that there won't be more books in this series, because I fell in love with Kami and her friends. I will most certainly reread this trilogy in the near future, and keep an eye out for other books by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Why should you read it:
This is an awesome mix of humor, suspense and magic.

Top Pearls 2013 - part 1

Here are 12 of 24 books we read this year that we wanted to give a shout-out, because they're really cool.
I haven't included the books that (will) have their own shout-out and giveaway post (except one).

Click the titles to go to my review, and stay tuned for part 2!


Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin
This is a wonderful Fantasy Romance with a swoonworthy hero according to Voodoo Bride.

Absolution by Susannah Sandlin
A Paranormal Romance with yet another awesome hero, and with a solid action storyline that made this a great read for both Voodoo Bride and me.

100 Days in Deadland by Rachel Aukes
This zombie retelling of Dante's Inferno is so cool I bought a print version after I finished reading the ebook.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
An awesome Post Apocalyptic YA.


Horde by Ann Aguirre
The epic conclusion of an amazing Post Apocalyptic YA trilogy.

White Cat by Holly Black
A cool Paranormal YA about a boy who grew up in a family of con men.

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Who knew books about angels could be this awesomely gritty? A great Post Apocalyptic YA.

Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson
The third book in a really cool UF series that keeps getting better and better.


Alien Research by Gini Koch
A great addition to a SF series that is cool, funny, and a pleasure to read.

The Outside by Laura Bickle
Words are not enough to tell you how awesome this 2nd book in a Post Apocalyptic duology with Amish and vampires is.

Forsaken by the Others by Jess Haines
What makes an already amazing UF series even better: Zombies!

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
A really fun and suspenseful Paranormal YA.

Top Pearls Giveaway - Unspoken (closed)

It's that time of year again!

2013 is almost gone, so it's time to look back at the best reads of this year and to give away some books.

I decided to start off with a giveaway of a book that when I picked it up, I expected to just like, but instead it turned out to be an amazing read that I love.


Unspoken (read my review here) by Sarah Rees Brennan was a book I picked up because I was going to meet the author and I was curious what kind of books she wrote. And I fell in love! Unspoken is a wonderful Paranormal Young Adult read (don't let that cover fool you into thinking it's Contemporary YA) filled with humor and suspense.

I have one copy of this book for one reader of my blog!

Rules:
- Leave a comment telling me about one of your favorite reads of 2013
- Leave a way for me to contact you
- Do this before January 5th

Open internationally to everyone who's legally allowed to enter this giveaway.

I will pick a winner at random on January 5th or soon after.

The winner is Miki!

Untold - Book Review

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

What is it about:
It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

What did I think of it:
Unspoken, the first book in this series, was a more than pleasant surprise to me. I had expected a nice read and instead was totally blown away by how cool, funny and suspenseful it was. So I had to get Untold as soon as I could.

And this is yet another awesome read.

Again suspense and humor blended together seamlessly and kept me enthralled and entertained. I had a hard time putting this book down and read it in almost one sitting.

I love Kami, she's a really great character. She is strong and resourceful and honest about her feelings. Again her friends play just as much an important role in the story as in the first book. I like how they stand together and support each other as much as they can. Friendship and loyalty are both very strong themes in this series, and I think Sarah Rees Brennan succeeds very well in showing this without turning the story into a lesson on morality.

The story is very suspenseful and there were a few chilling scenes. I kept rooting for Kami to succeed and to find a way to defeat her enemies. There were some hints of things to come that I picked up on, but other events managed to catch me by surprise.

The ending is yet another cliffhanger that almost makes me scream in despair over the fact that the next book will not release until somewhere far into 2014.

All in all this is an awesome book and I will stalk Sarah Rees Brennan's website for news about the release of the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a really fun and suspenseful Paranormal YA read.

The Demon's Lexicon - Book Review

The Demon's Lexicon (The Demon's Lexicon #1)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

What is it about:
Sixteen-year-old Nick and his brother, Alan, are always ready to run. Their father is dead, and their mother is crazy—she screams if Nick gets near her. She’s no help in protecting any of them from the deadly magicians who use demons to work their magic. The magicians want a charm that Nick’s mother stole—and they want it badly enough to kill. Alan is Nick’s partner in demon slaying and the only person he trusts in the world. So things get very scary and very complicated when Nick begins to suspect that everything Alan has told him about their father, their mother, their past, and what they are doing is a complete lie. . .

What did I think of it:
This is a really cool read.

After reading Unspoken, I was eager to read more books by Sarah Rees Brennan, so I was very happy to get hold of The Demon's Lexicon, the first book in a trilogy.

The mood of this book is very different from Unspoken. Where Unspoken is filled with humor, this book is more serious, and even dark at times. And this mood fits the story very well.

Nick is a very interesting character. He's not a self sacrificing hero, he's calculating and always looking out for himself. The only other person who's important to him is his brother Alan. I must say I could relate to Nick a lot of the time, especially when his brother would do or suggest something noble I would advice against as well.

The story is intense and full of suspense and action. There were some things I guessed very early in the story, but that didn't spoil the story for me. There were enough other things to keep me on the edge of my seat.

The ending is satisfying, but leaves enough open to make me eager to read the next book. You can bet I will try to get hold of it soon.

Why should you read it:
it's a cool and intense Paranormal YA read.

On McPig's Wishlist - The Demon's Lexicon

I just read Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan and loved it. Apart from dying to read Untold, the sequel to Unspoken, I also really want to try the first book in The Demon's Lexicon series.

I'll be going to World Fantasy Con at the end of the month, where I'll be meeting Sarah Rees Brennan, so I should probably try to wait until then with buying any more of her books, so I can get signed copies.


The Demon's Lexicon (The Demon's Lexicon #1)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

Sixteen-year-old Nick and his brother, Alan, are always ready to run. Their father is dead, and their mother is crazy—she screams if Nick gets near her. She’s no help in protecting any of them from the deadly magicians who use demons to work their magic. The magicians want a charm that Nick’s mother stole—and they want it badly enough to kill. Alan is Nick’s partner in demon slaying and the only person he trusts in the world. So things get very scary and very complicated when Nick begins to suspect that everything Alan has told him about their father, their mother, their past, and what they are doing is a complete lie. . . .

Unspoken - Book Review

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

What is it about:
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

What did I think of it:
I'm going to World Fantasy Con at the end of this month and I signed up for a so called KaffeeKlatsch (a talk with coffee and cookies) with Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan. I will confess having signed up because I was interested in meeting Holly Black, because I love both White Cat and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. But I decided that if I was meeting Sarah Rees Brennan at that KaffeeKlatsch too I might as well try reading one of her books. So I ordered Unspoken.

This is such a great book!

I will confess I was completely swept of my feet and surprised in a very good way. Sarah Rees Brennan manages to combine humor with a really suspenseful and intense story.

This book had me rooting for Kami, laughing at her wit and kept me on the edge of my seat.

The idea of an imaginary friend suddenly turning out to be a real person was very intriguing and I liked how both Kami and Jared felt almost betrayed when they discovered the other was real and not just a voice in their head. Their reaction to each other felt believable and I loved reading how they try to come to terms with the existence of the other.

The other characters, like Kami's best friend Angela and their classmate Holly are really cool as well. I liked how Kami's friends actually played a big role in the story instead of being there just to compliment the heroine as is so often the case with best friends in YA.

The story itself is suspenseful and kept me guessing at what was going on. The suspense is lightened by the humor, but still I was totally engrossed in the mysterious things that were going on.

And the ending!

I want, no, need the next book!

Knowing that ordering it now will mean it will most probably arrive just before I leave for World Fantasy Con, I decided to be strong and wait, so I can buy a signed copy of Untold while also getting my copy of Unspoken signed.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and suspenseful Paranormal YA read.