Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Source: Netgalley (originally) / My own personal copy. 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: Already Released

(Click this link to go to The Iron Queen's Goodreads page.)

Eeek! I was so excited to read The Iron Queen that I swear I totally jumped and shouted for joy when I was accepted to read it on NetGalley! And I wasn't disappointed at all! The Iron Queen blew me away, and I was left totally drained because I had put so much of myself into the story while I was reading it that I felt like when I finished I was lost. 

I'm going to try my hardest to make this a spoiler free review, and because of that you're going to get a lot of me gushing about how much I loved this book. Anywho...I abso-freaking-lutely loved The Iron Queen! Julie did such a fantastic job on this book, and I think that while it takes you on a major emotional roller coaster, it is a book that most fans will absolutely love! 

I think my favourite part of The Iron Fey series, aside from my love for Ash, has been Meghan's growth and how much she's matured. Over the series she becomes a truly strong character, and a heroine to be admired. I was so proud of her in The Iron Queen, and while sometimes her actions made me sad, I always gave her mad props for making her decisions and sticking to her choices! I'm going to avoid talking about Puck and Ash to avoid spoilers, but fans should know that they both have pretty big roles in The Iron Queen, and I love them both for very different reasons! And Grimalkin, he's as awesome as ever in this one, which I'm syure everyone is glad to hear! :D

Along with the amazing characters, Julie has once again managed to weave a wonderful world with her words, and it left me completely enthralled in it. She's woven a world where the Summer, Winter and Iron court compete for dominance and their interactions make for some thrilling action. This book made me happy, it made me anxious, it made me sad, and above all it took me into a whole new world. The Iron Queen was a fabulous book, and for anyone who hasn't started the Iron Fey series, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so, personally, I feel like it's one of the best YA series out there right now, and it is definitely one of my favourites!

Here are a couple of links just for fun:

The Iron Fey's Facebook Page

Julie Kagawa's website

Julie Kagawa's blog

And here are the Goodreads pages of the other books in the Iron Fey Series:

The Iron King ---This is the book that started this series, and I'm sure that all of us Iron Fey fans are super glad that we found it. :)

Winter's Passage --- This is a novella that takes place between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely check it out. You can find it free for download on various websites, I got mine from NetGalley. I don't think this one's free anymore though, but you might get lucky.

The Iron Daughter --- This is book 2 in the Iron Fey series, so if you've finished The Iron King you really want to check this one out. :)
Summer's Crossing ---  Puck's novella that takes place between The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight, it's set for release on June 1, and will be free for a limited time.

The Iron Knight --- There will be a fourth book in the Iron Fey series, this one's Ash's story! Right now Goodreads says its release date is October 18th! :D

Obviously by this review you can tell that I absolutely loved The Iron Queen, and now I can't wait to read The Iron Knight! Or Summer's Crossing! :D

How about you?? Any other Iron Fey fans out there?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare

Source: My own personal copy.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: Already released.

(Click to go to the City of Glass Goodreads page.)

I'm a huge Cassandra Clare fangirl, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. When I first found the Mortal Instruments Trilogy (back then it was still a trilogy lol) I flew through it in no time. I fortunately found the series when all three were out, so I didn't have any wait time between books. Now that there are three more books in the series I couldn't be happier. As much as I dislike waiting for books to come out, I know it will be worth the wait. I'm so excited to read City of Fallen Angels. I can't wait to read about the familiar characters that I've grown to love, and I can't wait to meet new characters either. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I simply cannot wait to read more about Jace, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. ;)

City of Glass was an amazing end to a wonderful trilogy, but while it was a great conclusion to the series, it was also done in a way that I honestly wasn't all that surprised when Cassandra Clare added three more books. I think some of it was left more open-ended because she had already planned to write a graphic novel for Simon after COG. That graphic novel fell through and now we have three more amazing books to look forward to. With City of Fallen Angels so close to release, I decided it was time for me to finally get my review for City of Glass written. So here it is. :D

I loved City of Glass. It had action, romance, mystery, angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, fey...you name it, and City of Glass had it. There were so many moments in COG where I honestly had to put the book down for a second because it was so intense. I find it so easy to get completely absorbed in these books, and every time I read them I get to that state where I just can't put them down.

The characters, the settings, absolutely everything about this series draws me in, and I just can't break free from it. I've reread this series countless times, and it never gets old. I may know what's going to happen, but there is always something new that I notice with every reading. It might be something small like a certain line or joke that I didn't understand before or it may be something huge that I'm like 'Wow! How did I miss that?!' but there's always something. I never get tired of reading this series, and I cannot wait to read even more about some of my favourite characters in the next three books! :D

I don't want to go too much into detail with this review because this is the third book in the series, so I'm trying really hard not to spoil things. :P City of Glass was pretty action packed, and I loved the twists and turns, especially because once I'd read the book and I reread it, I could totally pick up on clues leading to those twists! I love it when authors set up their books in super subtle ways, and Cassandra Clare is majorly skilled at this. As always, I loved the characters in this one to bits. I loved that we got to see lots of Magnus, and I loved that we got POV's from Jace, Simon and Clary. I loved the jokes, and the blossoming friendships/relationships.

One of my favourite parts of the Mortal Instruments is the way that Paradise Lost is interwoven in the story, from the quotes between different parts of the books, to quotes from the characters themselves. It is so well done, and I love that it even makes Paradise Lost more accessible. I had to read parts of it for my comparative lit class, and after reading this series, I honestly felt like I already knew huge chunks of it. I also love the whole Shadowhunter mythology too, and I love how we get to see even more of it in this book...and that's all I'm going to say about that. ;)

Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series is, in my opinion (just making that clear :P), one of the best series in YA, it's got something for guys and girls alike, and if you haven't started this series yet...what are you waiting for?! If you like any kind of supernatural fiction at all, this series is definitely one that you need to check out, and since there are three more books coming, why not start it now? :)

Here are a couple of links for you:
Cassandra Clare's Livejournal
The Mortal Instruments Website
Cassandra Clare's Twitter 

Here are the Goodreads pages to the other books in the Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones -- 1st Book in the Series
City of Ashes -- 2nd Book in the Series
City of Fallen Angels - Release Date: April 5, 2011
City of Lost Souls - Set for Release In: May 2012
City of Heavenly Fire - Set for Release In: September 2013

Here's some links so you can get your own copy of City of Glass or pre-order your own copy of City of Fallen Angels:
 

Have you read the Mortal Instruments yet??
Are you excited for CoFA??? I've pre-ordered my copy already, have you??

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

 (Click this link to go to Jane Eyre's Goodreads page.)

Well, nowadays it's hard not to come across mention of Jane Eyre, and other classics, within current literature and media. For this reason, I really wanted to read this book. I wanted to understand the references and know the story.

At first, I had difficulty getting into the book and it was taking me a long time to read. However, once Jane grew up and the more notable characters were introduced, I found myself getting drawn in.

I loved Mrs.Fairfax, such a kind a gentle older lady, and Adele, was such a spoilt little girl, who you couldn't help wanting to dote on, at least I couldn't.

Jane herself, is such an interesting character, she has various beliefs, which she sticks to persistently. She won't let anyone sway her beliefs or ideas, and when pushed her fiery spirit comes out. You can't help but love her, she thinks herself plain and not handsome, which other characters repeatedly mention as well. It makes you think that it must have been terrible to be ugly or not 'handsome' back then because no one lets you forget it. Anyways, despite her plainness, she's brave and one of the greatest heroines of all-time, it's no doubt we're still hearing reference to her today. And Mr.Rochester, well I tend to love whomever the heroine loves, most of the time anyways, and this time was no exception. He seemed a strict and hard man, not handsome himself either, but the banter and connection between he and Jane was so strong, you couldn't help but notice it and root for it. Edward Rochester hid various secrets, but even with those secrets, I couldn't help but feel for him.

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone who hasn't read it, but despite the hardships that befall each character, I was happy with how it ended.

It's a difficult read because of the language, which obviously we aren't used to anymore, but if you persevere, it's well worth reading. It's a beautiful story and once I got used to the language it seemed to flow off the pages.

I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Have you read Jane Eyre? Do you want to read it?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

(Click this link to go to The Outsiders' Goodreads page.)

I have read this book twice for school, and I loved it both times, so recently I caved and bought myself a copy. :)

This book is amazing. The characters are so real, and they go through so much in such a short period of time. Their lives change drastically, but they always stay gold. ;)

I loved how the characters get introduced, and how you grow to know each of them. Their struggles and their connections with one another. And their names, I absolutely love their names. Sodapop. Ponyboy. Two-bit. The names just add a special touch of awesome to this book, and they're so unique. :)

If you're not sure about reading this book, the movie's fantastic too, probably one of the best book-to-movie transistions that I've ever seen. The cast was amazing, both in their performances and in their likeness to the book's characters, it was almost as if the movie came right off of the pages of the book.

This book is intense and makes you feel, both of which are things that I love in a book. It is definitely a fantastic read, and if you're considering reading it, go for it, it's worth every second. :)

 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who read this for school, so many of you have probably already read it, what did you think? And if you haven't read it, have you heard of it before?

 

Happy Reading!!!

 

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback

(Click this link to go to The Grapes of Wrath Goodreads page.)

I won't lie, I hated the beginning of this book. It took me at least a third of the book before I could actually get into it and enjoy the story.

Part of this might be that I prefer a more forward writing style and part of it was most definitely the topic. During my grade 12 year, all we read were stories with depressing topics, we were all convinced the school board wanted us to be depressed because of it.

Anyways, after I got past the parts that I struggled through, I really grew to enjoy this book. The characters, while facing the same situation in the big picture, all seem to struggle with their own independent problems. You get to know them, know what they like, what their habits are, and you see them, most of them anyways, do almost anything to support their family. They struggle relentlessly to stay together, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for them because of it.

The ending was shocking to say the least, but underneath the shock was such strength, and to be honest, a beauty. A beauty that mankind could be willing to go to such lengths to help one another, despite not even knowing those they are helping.

I found myself so into this book that by the end of it I had tears in my eyes. I'm a pretty easy crier, but I have to enjoy something to get to that state, so I can say I definitely enjoyed this book.

This book is a classic, and it definitely deserves that title. It's an amazing story, and once you get used to the more refined language, and by that I mean lack of current slang, it is easy to lose yourself within the story. The only downside of reading a story such as the Grapes of Wrath is that it leaves you feeling sad, which just shows you how much a book can move you, but it also leaves you with a sense of hope thanks to the ending.

I would gladly read the Grapes of Wrath again, and I'm sure that since I wouldn't be reading it for school this time, I'd like it even more.

Have you read The Grapes of Wrath? What were your thoughts?

And if you found it boring or hated it, that's ok, not every book is for every person. The important thing is to not judge other people for how they feel about a book. We're all entitled to our own opinions. And it's also important to give a book a chance, don't just say you hate a book because everyone else does...you're allowed to like a book even if your friends don't. And I'm going to leave you with that little message.

Review: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

(Click this link to go to Ella Enchanted's Goodreads page.)

I loved this book so much!

If you've seen the movie, the stories are nothing alike, but personally, I enjoyed both. I love the movie, and I love the book, for totally different reasons. The movie changed the plot, the timeline, pretty much everything, but it stays true to the characters, and since the story was so far from the book I found myself able to enjoy both separately. While I loved the movie, the book is even more adorable!

Char and Ella have so much chemistry in the book, and so many moments! The references towards Cinderella in the novel made it even more enjoyable to me, and Lucinda definitely redeemed herself in the book, in the movie not so much. :P

I loved how the story just had so many different aspects to it, you saw Ella as a child and also as she grew older. She experienced so much, and the comedic moments in the book were amazing, too! Ella on 'shrooms is all I'm going to say to that, not magic mushrooms, but anyone who has read this book will definitely know what I mean by that.

I enjoyed the moments with centaurs, gnomes, birds, elves, giants, pretty much all of it just was completely remarkable to me.

I loved this entire book! Gail Carson Levine is an amazing author, she weaves an amazing story, and although it's not a long book, it's one that has you enthralled from beginning to end. A must read! :D

 

Whenever I want to read a short and sweet story and want to know that I'll love it, I pick up Ella Enchanted. It never fails to bring a smile to my face and to make my day better. :)

 

Do you have a book that you just love to read over and over again??
And what are you thoughts on Ella Enchanted??

 

Happy Reading!!!

 

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

(Click this link to go to the Mermaid's Mirror's Goodreads page.)

Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin for letting me download this on Netgalley. :)

I LOVED this story! It was incredibly unique and the story seemed to weave together seamlessly. I loved Lena, and her family. Cole was freaking adorable, I always wanted a tiny little brother like him. Her father was probably one of the coolest dudes ever and her step-mom was pretty awesome too. You know your step-mom's pretty great when you call her mom instead of her first name. Her friends had totally different personalities and I also loved that there was diversity in this story.

The settings were described so fluidly and descriptively. This book made me want to go to the ocean, learn to surf, swim in giant waves, and walk on the beach. And the mermaids...well I love mermaids! I think you're crazy if you're don't, well maybe not crazy, but you're definitely missing out.

This story had me on my toes and I didn't want to stop reading. It was beautifully written and is definitely a book that you don't want to miss! The ending was pretty open-ended, but it was still a wonderful story. :)

 

I'm going to be posting a bunch of reviews today, I decided to add all of the reviews I have on Goodreads right now onto my blog, so you can expect quite a few more.

 

This book just came out a few months ago, has anyone else read it??

 

Happy Reading!!!

 

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

(Click this link to go to Graceling's Goodreads page.)

I've been wanting to read Graceling for a while now. People are constantly saying how they love Katsa's character and that they loved this book, and I have to say I totally agree with them. This book was amazing. I borrowed it from the library, but I definitely want to get my own copy now because I know I'll be wanting to read it again!


Katsa was an incredibly strong character, physically through her grace, but also emotionally and intellectually. She has insecurities too, which made her incredibly easy to relate to because we all doubt ourselves sometimes. I was impressed by just how much she was able to figure out on her own in this book. She figured out so many things that I was like, 'holy crap, how the heck did she figure that out!?' Of course, if I wasn't so enthralled in the story and reading so fast because I just couldn't stop, I might've picked up on some of them too because there were plenty of hints. :P

I also loved Prince Po! His chemistry with Katsa was amazing. I loved their banter, I loved their fighting, and I just basically loved every single moment they spent together. Raffin, Katsa's cousin, was pretty awesome too! I wish my cousins invented headache cures that turned their hair blue. :) He and Katsa were so close, and I loved it. The familial relationships in this story were all so different, and the contrast between all of them made it incredibly interesting whenever they interacted. Po's family, for example, were all really close, which seems to be a Leinid custom, while Katsa and Raffin weren't really close at all to King Randa, who was Katsa's uncle and Raffin's father. I especially liked the different kingdoms and the descriptions of the landscape as they travelled through them. Katsa's amazement at the mountains and the sea was incredibly realistic and I was swept up in it with her.

Kristin created an incredibly vivid and realistic world in Graceling, and it's one I hope to visit again soon when I read Fire. I would recommend this book completely. It was amazing, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. :)

Have you read Graceling? Or are you just finding out about this awesome book right now?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

(Click to go to the City of Ashes Goodreads page.)

I've already shared my love for the City of Bones, so now it's City of Ashes' turn. :)

This book definitely has more dark parts than City of Bones, and it's packed full of action. After the revelation at the end of City of Bones, which I'm sure anyone who's read knows what I'm talking about...Clary and her friends have even more challenges up ahead. 

 In City of Ashes, There is a transformation, more magic, more demons, a prison escape, and an authoritative figure hungry for vengeance. I'm trying not to give away anything to big from this book, but I'm hoping I've peaked your interest with those snippets right there.

I'm a huge Jace fan...if that wasn't already blatantly obvious from my review of the City of Bones, but boy does that boy go through some classic teenage angst here. His life is a never ending woah is me fest in here, but to be honest, homework seems easy and not worth complaining about compared to what he goes through.

We see tonnes more of Simon, which is always awesome...especially when Jace is also around. Jace and Simon together equals written gold, they're hilarious...and LEGEN....wait for it...DARY (note: yes I do watch How I Met Your Mother, how can you tell? :P). Simon definitely faces his own challenges in City of Ashes, and he grows a lot as a character...and I'm not talking about getting his first chest hair, although that might have happened, but we don't know about it if it did....

Magnus Bane's role just gets bigger and bigger in this series, and honestly, I don't think anyone's complaining there. Magnus is an amazing character...even without all his magic and immortality, he'd still be awesome. He's definitely one of my favourite characters in the series, I mean how can you not love someone who is that obsessed with glitter?!

I don't want to say too much about Clary because she's kind of centred around the whole cliffhanger from City of Bones, but I will say that she definitely comes into her talents and skills in this one. I think Clary's an amazing character personally. I know some people think she's a weak heroine, but I think she's one of the strongest. She never gives up and waits for someone else to save her, and she's always trying to get involved with the action. Some might call her reckless, but I think she just thinks with her heart rather than her head sometimes, and I just can't fault someone for that. It's amazing to see a character who has that much love, and honestly, isn't that why we all loved Harry Potter so much?

We also meet a new character, Maia. I liked Maia, but again, I don't want to give too much away. She's biracial, and also a downworlder, so she kind of brings in other races, both from the Shadow World and from the ordinary everyday world. She's definitely a fierce character and you do not want to make her angry.

Izzy and Alec are also getting bigger and more definied as characters in City of Ashes. We get to know both of them a little better, and Izzy has one of my absolute favourite lines from this book.

Here's a fanmade banner with that line:

I found this on DeviantArt. I can't remember the artist's name. If you're the artist or know who it is, I'd loved to know. Thanks. :)

Ok, so obviously, you can see that the characters are becoming more developed, which definitely made me grow more attached to the series. I absolutely loved City of Bones, and City of Ashes too. It has the whole forbidden thing going on, and it is an amazing action-packed story. In fact, I recommended and borrowed this series to one of my guy friends and he loved it....which was awesome because it finally gave me someone to talk about the series with. He liked Simon more than Jace though...go figure. :P

Anyways, I think that The Mortal Instruments series in general, is great for boys and girls. It's one of those series that seems to not have gender, sexual or racial boundaries...it doesn't have age restrictions either. I'm sure I'll still love this series years from now. Cassandra Clare has done an amazing job at making the series reachable to all. She has romance, action, and even religious tales woven within the story. One of the biggest things I love about this series are the quotes from Paradise Lost, Dante's Inferno and other classic works. I love how Cassie ties the quotes into the chapters and the different sections of the stories. They even inspired the series, and one day I'll finally read the classics...and maybe I'll finally catch all the references within the series.

Here are a couple of links for you:

Cassandra Clare's Livejournal

The Mortal Instruments Website

Here are the Goodreads pages to the other books in the Mortal Instruments Series:

City of Bones -- 1st Book in the Series

City of Glass  -- 3rd Book in the Series

City of Fallen Angels - Release Date: April 5, 2011

 City of Lost Souls - Set for Release In: May 2012

City of Heavenly Fire - Set for Release In: September 2013

If you've already read City of Bones, and haven't read City of Ashes yet, what are you waiting for??

If you haven't read any of this series yet, why not?? Is there a reason??

And if you've read City of Ashes, what we your thoughts??

Ok, I'm done with the questions now :P

Happy Reading Everyone, and Happy Holidays!! :)

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

(Click this link to go to The Replacement's Goodreads Page)

I wasn't actually planning on reviewing anything for a bit, but I just finished this awesome book, and I really wanted to share my thoughts with you all. :)

I absolutely loved The Replacement. It was completely different than anything I've ever read, sure it had certain elements that were similar, but overall it was pretty unique.

The setting was incredibly established and it was done in a beautiful way, Brenna certainly has a way with words. I loved how the story seemed to unveil because no one really wanted to face the truth and they were all so happy just pretending like nothing was out of the ordinary. Such an oblivious town, and so many secrets.

I loved Mackie! He's such an intriguing character and I loved seeing his side of this story. Emma was amazing too, I loved the relationship between her and Mackie, so awesome. All of Mackie's friend were hilarious or just plain epic, and although they may not have had much dialogue or a huge role in the story they were all always there for Mackie and they're the type of friends anyone would want in their corner. And Tate, man she makes me wanna go out a punch someone if they ever mess with me, she is the perfect example about how girls don't always have to be docile and catty. She's one female character that we should all be looking up to, and I'm not saying that we should be violent, but we should stand up for ourselves and those we love, and we should accept others for who they are...even if they are a little strange. ;)

Overall, I thought that The Replacement was a fantastic story, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes stories that are fantastical, and a little eerie...especially if you like to look for truth among secrets and ignorance. :)

 

If anyone else has read The Replacement, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And if you haven't read it yet, are you thinking about reading it? Why or why not?

 

Happy Reading Everyone!!!

 

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

THE IRON DAUGHTER by Julie Kagawa

(Click here to go to The Iron Daughter's Goodreads page.)

I've already posted my review for The Iron King, which I loved! I started reading The Iron Daughter immediately after I'd read Winter's Passage, which I downloaded on NetGalley. I absolutely loved the novella too.

Winter's Passage was a short novella that showed Ash and Meghan's journey to the Winter Court and Queen Mab. It wasn't too long, and it packed a major punch full of action. I definitely recommend reading it if you haven't already. You can access it on various online sites. Here are a couple:
http://www.onread.com/book/Winter-s-Passage-191159
http://www.nightowlteen.com/nor/Reviews/Cgrotpeter-reviews-Winters-Passage-by-Julie-Kagawa.aspx
http://enterthefaeryworld.com/ironfey/#
It can be read online in some cases for free, and on other sites you can purchase it for download.
--------------
Now onto my review for The Iron Daughter...I didn't think that I could love Julie's Iron Fey world any more, but The Iron Daughter most definitely proved me wrong. It drew me into the realm of Faery even more, and I didn't want to put this book down at all. I wanted to read until I finished, and of course, once I finished I wished I had taken my time reading. I wanted it to go on forever, but of course books don't work that way, so I'll have to settle for rereading it sometime soon...maybe right before The Iron Queen comes out in February. :D

I loved that there were more details in this book. As Meghan learned more about Nevernever and the fey, so did we. I loved that we see even more types of Fey in this book, even if most of them are Unseelie fey and aren't necessarily that pleasant to meet. :P I loved the bigger characters, and the smaller ones that we see only briefly. I loved Ash of course, even if he was a douchebucket during some of the story...but isn't that why we love him? :P I loved Grim and Puck, and the comedic factor those two bring. I loved the action, the romance, the tension in this story. It had so many things going for it!

I felt like in The Iron Daughter, Meghan was forced to grow up a lot more. She faced more hardships on her own and had to learn to not rely on Ash, Puck or Grimalkin as much. This book was also way more emotional for me, but I love emotional stories. I’m a sucker for them and a sap, so the tears flow easy.


There was so much turmoil in this book, and so much emotion. Julie has a way of making you care for her characters and during the emotional parts, that really came into play. I was empathetic for the characters and it was so easy to lose myself in this story. A lot of stuff happens in this book, but it just flew by, and boy did The Iron Daughter end with a bang. I just love Julie and her cliffhangers, the anticipation builds and builds. I mean, I feel tortured and everything, but I still love ‘em...I must be a sucker for those too.

The Iron Fey has quickly become one of my ultimate favourite series, and thanks to Netgalley and HarperTeen, I was able to read the galley of The Iron Queen, which I will try and review shortly. The Iron Fey series is a non-stop emotional rollercoaster and action-packed ride. And I for one am so excited for more...especially more of Ash *swoon* ;)

Here are a couple of links just for fun:

The Iron Fey's Facebook Page
Julie Kagawa's website
Julie Kagawa's blog

And here are the Goodreads pages of the other books in the Iron Fey Series:

Winter's Passage --- This is a novella that takes place between The Iron King & The Iron Daughter, and if you haven't read it yet, you should definitely check it out. You can find it free for download on various websites, I got mine from NetGalley.

The Iron King --- This is book 1 in the Iron Fey series, but if you're reading review, you likely already new that. ;)
The Iron Queen  --- This book comes out February 11, 2011...I personally cannot wait until it's out :D
The Iron Knight  --- It was also just released that there will be a fourth book in the Iron Fey series, this one's Ash's story! :D


If you've already read this series, what are your thoughts?? Ash or Puck??

Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

(Click here for Paranormalcy's Goodreads page.)

This was one of the books that I devoured during the Halloween Read-a-thon, and boy did I devour this book. It was freaking fantastic!!!

I loved Paranormalcy, and I'll be honest, I love a lot of books, I'm really not that picky if it's stuff that I like, and with Paranormalcy, it was packed full of things that I liked! Obviously, since it is called 'Paranormalcy' it was filled with the paranormal, which is most definitely my favourite genre at the moment. There were werewolves, vampires, mermaids, normal humans, and other crazy paranormal species throughout this story, and each chapter just got more and more interesting. It was also one of those stories that as you're reading it you start to figure out what's going on as it unravels for the protagonist, and boy do you feel smart when your hunches are right! ;)

As far as the characters go in this book, they were spectacular. Evie was an awesome protagonist, and I loved how extreme she was. She was hilarious, and she was fierce. I especially loved how she described being able to see past glamours, it was incredibly fascinating, like how vampires were all nasty looking underneath that gorgeous glamour they have. It was crazy, and I loved it! :D

I also loved Lend, he was awesome! Probably one of the sweetest dudes ever, and like Evie, he was different. Their budding friendship made me smile, and I loved when he and Evie would just hang out, so freaking adorable! Evie and Lend are the cutest couple, and I just absolutely adored them together! :)

...oh and how can I not talk about Tasey!!! Yes, Tasey is Evie's pink taser with rhinestones and all that. If I ever get a taser, it is so gonna look like that, or maybe I'll make mine orange instead. Tasey is a force to be reckoned with, so don't mess with the Tasey!

Back onto this review, and away from the topic of tasers...Paranormalcy was a remarkable story, and I cannot wait until Supernaturally comes out because Paranormalcy definitely left me craving more!

If you haven't read Paranormalcy yet...well what are you waiting for???

And if you have Goodreads and want to add Paranormalcy's sequels to your To-Read list here are the links:

Book 2: Supernaturally

Book 3: Untitled (as of right now)


Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa

Paperback, 363 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen

Iron Fey #1

(Click here to go to The Iron King's Goodreads page.)

I started the Iron King during the Halloween Read-a-thon, and I didn't finish it during the weekend because I had a Russian test the Monday afterwards and needed to do some massive cramming, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love every moment of this book...because I did. I thought it was an amazing story, and it had so much going for it, I'm not sure how I couldn't have liked The Iron King. It had faeries, love, action, a brooding prince, a funny best friend, and an amazing protagonist.

Meghan Chase is one of my favourite leading ladies, she is incredibly easy to relate to. She's an outsider and I think it's pretty likely that all of us have felt that way at least once. She has only one friend and no one ever seems to remember her, even her own step-father is constantly forgetting about her. It makes you feel fortunate that your parents both remember you in the morning at the breakfast table. She's incredibly humble too, and that shows when all she asks for on her sixteenth birthday is to go take her test for her learners permit. She's loyal and will do anything for the people she cares about.

Her best friend, who she knew as Robbie Goodfell, has many names, some of which you just might of heard of, especially if you've ever read Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Most people, you see, know him as Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, the trickster from the play, who gives Bottom the head of a donkey and makes Queen Titania fall in love with him. I think Puck is a fantastic character, and Julie did a wonderful job transcending him from a Shakespearean character into a slightly more modern one. Faeries are immortal and timeless, so they aren't exactly modern, but either way Puck adds a lot to the story. He adds in jokes, and is just his all-around awesome self.

Now, you've probably heard about all the Team Puck or Team Ash stuff if you've already heard of this story, and I've told you about Puck...now let me tell you about Ash...dark, brooding, mysterious, and incredibly sexy Ash. If you can't tell by that introduction or didn't see the Team Ash button on my sidebar...why yes, yes I am Team Ash. :D

I think Ash is the bee's knees. From the first moment we see him...and it was from a distance might I add, I thought he was awesome. Yes, awesome. I don't want to get into all of the ways that Ash pops up in the story because I think you'll enjoy it more if you read it yourself rather than have me spoil it, but there are plenty of swoon-worthy Ash moments throughout The Iron King. While I love Ash's dark brooding nature, I won't lie he had me a little pissed at him more than once, and while the strong independent side of me really doesn't want to admit it, that whole 'you-can't-have-me' attitude just made me want him more. Sure, he has his sweeter moments, and he is quite the dancer, but in The Iron King, he certainly excels at being standoffish and aloof, like he's playing hard to get with us...and he's a prince, that equals like an automatic swoon right there. Oh and he isn't hard to get all the time, which definitely didn't make me like him less. ;)

The whole Team debate in The Iron Fey series has an added bit of drama to it because Puck and Ash try and kill each other...repeatedly, I might add. This definitely makes you root for them even more. It had me torn, so I can only imagine how poor Meghan felt.

Now, all that lovely romance aside, this book has tons of action too. There are battles, giant monsters that try and kill people, like trolls and Iron Horses. I loved how Julie wove our world with the Nevernever. The Nevernever was amazing, with the territories and the various fey that live inside of it. I loved the Unseelie and Seelie court interaction, and their leaders: Oberon, Titania, and Mab. And the Iron Kingdom was so different from the rest of Nevernever, I'm not sure I'd even say it was part of it. I just loved how Julie created this incredibly intricate world, it astounded me, left me totally enthralled, and once I'd finished the Iron King, I was desperate for more! :D

Here are a couple of links just for fun:

The Iron Fey's Facebook Page

Julie Kagawa's website

Julie Kagawa's blog

And here are the Goodreads pages of the other books in the Iron Fey Series:

Winter's Passage --- This is a novella that takes place between The Iron King & The Iron Daughter, and if you haven't read it yet, you should definitely check it out. You can find it free for download on various websites, I got mine from NetGalley.

The Iron Daughter --- This is book 2 in the Iron Fey series, so if you've finished The Iron King you really want to check this one out. :)

The Iron Queen --- This book comes out February 11, 2011...I personally cannot wait until it's out :D

The Iron Knight --- It was also just released that there will be a fourth book in the Iron Fey series, this one's Ash's story! :D

I hope that if you haven't already read this amazing story by Julie Kagawa I've maybe made you want to read it at least a little bit. These books are fantastic, and without a doubt, they are worth reading. So, if you've been toying with reading these books, go for it. They just keep getting better and better! :D

Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!!

♪♫ Ambur

[Review] Relatively Famous by Jessica Park

Relatively Famous by Jessica Park

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing and adorable story. It was fast-paced, with some wonderful characters. It was just the book I needed right now. For Dani it was perpetually sunny in California and right now for me I'm seeing snow.

I loved how Jessica added elements of Hollywood and LA that we all associate with movie stars and other celebrities. The paparazzi, the restaurants where they get 'spotted', the agents, the parties...I was swept up in the LA lifestyle just as much as Dani was, although I may have realized she was being bratty a little earlier that she did.

The characters were remarkable. Dani was down-to-earth, relateable, and incredibly persistent. Even though I know my father and he most certainly is not famous, I could sympathize with the things she was going through. I thought she was a fantastic main character.

Mark, oh that Mark Ocean, I would have thought he was dreamy had I not been reading it from his daughter's perspective. Shallow at first, he grew on me. Even when before Dani arrived I sympathized with Mark, and I loved going along with him through his transformation.

This story was told in alternating perspectives, which I honestly wasn't expecting, at first it was kind of different, but I loved it the more I read. You get to see Dani and Mark's sides, it's like knowing both sides of a story at the same time, which you don't see very often.

Not only was this story filled with an incredible journey between a father and daughter, it also had boys, which I will never complain about. It was hilarious too, I was cracking up over the joking in this story more than once, I loved Dani's sense of humor. It was also an emotional journey, and I teared up and shed some tears multiple times.

The ending seemed a little rush, but it was so adorable that I didn't really mind. Although I could have done with a little more of ______ at the end. (I'm leaving that a blank so that if you read it I don't ruin it :P )

I loved this story, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a great story because that's exactly what this is.

View all my reviews

*Thank you Jessica for providing this book for a fair review. This review is completely of my own opinion, and I was not required to give a positive review.*

Here's the link to Jessica Park's blog: http://yaauthorjessicapark.blogspot.com/

And if you're interested in purchasing Relatively Famous:

I'm also planning on having an interview with Jessica, so look for that soon. :)

Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

One Night That Changes Everything

by Lauren Barnholdt 

View One Night That Changes Everything's Goodreads Page.

I loved this book! I love Lauren's writing style, she has a way of making her characters fresh, realistic and relateable. I read Two-Way Street over the summer and I loved every minute off it, so I was expecting very good things from One Night That Changes Everything, and I wasn't disappointed!

I loved every minute of this book, and I finished it quickly because I didn't want to put it down, I just had to know how it ended. It was an addictive, and quick read. The characters were fantastic, and I felt like I knew them. I was cheering Eliza on every step of the way as she tried to get her notebook back, and I loved Cooper! He was an amazing character, and even though Eliza 'hated' him or tried to  convince herself that she did, I was cheering for him every step of the way too.

Not only did this book have great characters, it also had an interesting and unique flow. Instead of normal flashbacks to figure out what happened between Cooper and Eliza, we got to see it through Eliza's thoughts and memories in quick sentences or brief periods. It made the story seem incredibly realistic, and it was totally refreshing.

This was an amazing story and I wholeheartedly recommend it, especially if you're like me and need a quick break from reading mostly paranormal stories. I love Lauren's stories and I can't wait to read some more! :)

Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!

♪♫ Ambur

REVIEW!! [Stolen: a letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher]

Well, since I've been reading up a storm this week, and popping out reviews like crazy, here's another one.


Stolen: A letter to my captor by Lucy Christopher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After I finished this story all I could really say was, "Woah..."

It was definitely an incredibly unique story. This was Gemma's story, told through a letter that she wrote to the man that 'stole' her. If my friend Steph reads this, I just wanna say thanks for recommending this book to me, I loved it!

I didn't expect to like this story as much as I did. It was kind of an out there idea, and I was pleasantly surprised by how enthralled I became with this story.

Ty may have stolen Gemma, but I couldn't help feeling for the guy. I empathized for him, and to be honest, even wanted Gemma to come around and like him.

The Australian outback is described so vividly and plays such an important role in the story. Even London, through Gemma's memories plays a pretty vital role. Australia sounded gorgeous, even though it seemed like a prison to Gemma, she couldn't help seeing it's beauty.

After finishing this story I'm not even sure how I felt about Ty. Just like Gemma, my feelings are completely all over the place. A part of me can't help but want to hug the guy though, and I think Gemma feels the same way.

An amazing, interesting and intriguing story. It's definitely worth reading, and I hope that this review does it some justice.

{View all my reviews}

Happy Reading and Do Svidaniya!!!

♪♫ Ambur