Review: Untouchable - Kresley Cole

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time... and a Valkyrie aching for his touch.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela - the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Can they conquer an agony of frustration and slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Immortals After Dark Series:
The Warlord Wants Forever (Novella in the Playing Easy to Get anthology)
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable (Published in the Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology)
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Shadow's Claim (The Dacians book 1)
MacRieve
Dark Skye

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Review:
Untouchable is the eighth story in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and can be found in the Deep Kiss of Winter anthology (print or ebook) or on it's own as an audiobook. I read it as part of the anthology so I've not listened to the audio version and can't comment on that.

We've already met all of the Wroth brothers in previous books and we've seen hints of Murdoch and Dani's romance in the other brother's stories so I was really looking forward to spending more time with them. Unfortunately Untouchable just missed the mark a little for me and it was probably my least favourite story in the series so far.

Dani was a great character, she's half valkyrie and half ice fey which means she is incredibly sensitive to the heat and even touching another person causes severe burns to her skin. She loves her sisters but she desperately longs to be able to touch and be touched by another person. It was easy to feel sympathy for her and she's such a likeable character that you just want things to turn out well for her.

Murdoch on the other hand was a bit of an arse. He very quickly recognises Dani as his bride but he's absolutely adamant that he doesn't want to pursue things with her, the way he treats her was awful and I just felt so sorry for her that he kept walking away and abandoning her. There were good reasons for some of the problems in their relationship (the whole not being able to touch each other must have been incredibly frustrating!) but I felt like there was too much extra drama around that and it made it hard for me to enjoy their romance as much as I expected to.

This wasn't a bad book, I'm glad Dani has found her HEA and I'm still excited about continuing the series, but it definitely wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be.

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Stone Demon - Karen Mahoney

The just-unleashed demon hordes have delivered an impossible ultimatum to the Order of the Crow: produce the Philosopher's Stone, or suffer a deadly reaper storm of retribution. If Donna cannot recreate the mythical artefact, the world will be plunged into a devastating modern-day Dark Age.

Pitting her dangerously unpredictable powers against a vengeful demon king, two maleficent faery queens and an immortal magus with his own shadowy agenda, Donna must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. But, this time, death may not be enough . . .

The final, breathtaking story in the Iron Witch trilogy.

The Iron Witch Series:
The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen
The Stone Demon

Check out Karen Mahoney's website for more information

Review:
The Stone Demon is the third and final book in the Iron Witch trilogy so this review may contain spoilers for the first two books. The story picks up not long after the end if the last book and there is very little recapping so I really would recommend reading this series in order. Donna has been sent to London as a punishment for freeing the Demon King and his minions and is now continuing her training with the Order of the Crow. The Demon King has demanded that the alchemists hand over the philosopher's stone but the original was destroyed and they have been trying to recreate a new one for decades. Unfortunately their time is running out and if they don't find a way to stop the Demon King for good then the whole world is in danger.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series so I was disappointed by the long wait between the release of The Wood Queen and The Stone Demon. I was excited to finally get my hands on this one but I have to confess that my enthusiasm for the series had died down a little during the long gap. As someone who reads a large number of books I'm really losing interest in starting series that haven't been fully released - it's just too hard to remember what happened in the first book if you've read over 200 new books in the year or longer gap between publication. Anyway, even though I've had this book for a while now it took me a long time to get around to starting it. Thankfully I found it quite easy to slip back into Karen Mahoney's world and it was good to catch up with Donna and see how she was getting on.

I was expecting big things from this book, a fast paced and action packed finale to the series that would see Donna face some incredibly difficult trials in order for her to keep her friends and family safe. Unfortunately while it delivered this to a certain extent I felt that things came too easily for Donna, she seemed to instinctively know how to solve things that the other alchemists have been working on for centuries and the way things fell into place so easily removed the sense of danger I was hoping for. I liked the story but I just didn't love it as much as I hoped I would.

The stand out character for the whole series has to be Nav and he stole the show in this book too. He added humour to the story and I loved the way he is such a good friend to Donna without expecting anything in return. We didn't see as much of Xan in this story as I'd expected to but I didn't really find myself missing him, in fact I just would have liked more scenes with Nav to make up for it. I don't think the romance was quite as prominent in this book as it was in the previous two and things were left quite open ended so I do wonder if the author will revisit these characters in the future. Even though this wasn't my favourite book in the series if you enjoyed the first two books then I'd say its definitely worth reading The Stone Demon so you can find out how the trilogy ends. I love Karen Mahoney's writing style and this was a quick and easy read that answered the majority of the questions raised throughout the series.

Source: Received from Random House in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Obsidian Mirror - Catherine Fisher

Jake's father disappears while working with the obsessive, secretive Oberon Venn - and Jake is certain Venn has murdered him.

But what he finds at the snow-bound Windercombe Abbey is far stranger.

A mysterious black mirror.
A hidden diary of lost secrets.
A tribe of supernatural beings who haunt the woods.
A girl pursued by a wolf of ice.

There are life-threatening choices at every turn. But Jake won't stop til he knows the truth . . .

Chronoptika Series:
The Obsidian Mirror
Titles & release dates for future books in the series are to be confirmed

Visit Catherine Fisher's website for more information

Review:
When Jake's father disappears while working on a secret project with his best friend Oberon Venn Jake becomes convinced that Venn must have killed him. Now Jake is determined to prove that and find a way to make Venn pay but on arriving at Venn's remote estate in Devon he uncovers secrets that will change his life forever. Everything comes back to the mysterious obsidian mirror that Venn is convinced can open pathways into the past. Venn needs Jake's help to find his father who was lost in time when an experiment with the mirror went horribly wrong. But Venn isn't the only one who is obsessed with the mirror and as various strangers close in, each with their own very different motives, Jake finds himself caught in a life and death battle. Which of his new acquaintances can he trust and who is going to figure out the secrets of the mirror first? Is it even possible to find Jake's father and bring him home?

The Obsidian Mirror is a story that you need to devour slowly, the plot is told from multiple perspectives and blends the past, present and future in a way that sometimes leaves you unsure which way is up. It can be confusing to work out what the character's motivations are and why the do the things they do but if you stick with it you will quickly find yourself absorbed in trying to unravel the clues. Just when you think you are on the verge of an important discovery Catherine Fisher will throw something else at you that turns everything on it's head. I love it when a book can surprise me and this one certainly managed that!

Anyone who is interested in time travel or who enjoys reading books with a strong sense of mystery will love The Obsidian Mirror. Add in elements of fantasy with the Shee (or fairies) and even a wolf who tracks time travellers for his mysterious owner and you're in for a treat. I don't want to say much more because this is a book you need to go into with no expectations about the story - I would hate to ruin the journey by giving away a spoiler. Instead I'm going to end this review by saying that this is a great start to a new series and it's one that has me excited to see what happens next to Jake, Venn and the various other characters who surround them. Oh and can someone please send Piers in my direction - I really have a craving for a batch of his cookies!

Source: Received from Hodder in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Shadow Heir - Richelle Mead

The Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own - and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage . . .

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld . . .

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape-shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't - or won't - reveal. And as a formidable force rises to threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon - and risk the ultimate sacrifice . . .

Dark Swan Series:
Storm Born
Thorn Queen
Iron Crowned
Shadow Heir

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
Shadow Heir is the fourth and final book in the Dark Swan series so this review will contain spoilers for the previous three books - if you haven't started the series yet you probably want to stop reading now! I'm a massive fan of Richelle Mead, I love her Georgina Kincaid series and her Vampire Academy books make up one of my favourite YA series. I really liked the first couple of books in the Dark Swan series but felt disappointed with Eugenie in the last book, Iron Crowned, I was irritated by her refusal to accept her duties to the Thorn land and the way she let her people suffer because of that. I was also extremely annoyed with the way she kept running back and forth between Dorian and Kiyo! So I'll admit that I was nervous before I picked up Shadow Heir, particularly after reading the blurb and seeing a mention of a truce between her and Kiyo - he tried to kill her and their unborn children in the last book so I couldn't see how there could possibly be any kind of truce between them!

Shadow Heir picks up the story a few months after Iron Crowned ends, Eugenie is five months pregnant, Kiyo and Maiwenn are still determined that her son needs to die before he can fulfil the prophecy about him and Dorian is protecting her as he promised to do but Eugenie is unsure if she can completely trust him after his previous betrayal. I can't really go into any more detail than that without giving spoilers so I'll just say that I was surprised at a couple of places where Richelle Mead took the story.

Since the last book I haven't been Eugenie's biggest fan, I've found her actions to be selfish and I think she has made some incredibly stupid decisions. I'm sad to say that this continued to be the trend in this book. Although I could understand why she made some of the choices she did because she was trying to protect her children I felt that she didn't think things through properly. She could have saved herself a lot of trouble if she had just trusted Dorian but then again he has done some pretty horrible things in the past so I was never particularly his biggest fan either. He did grow on me a lot in this book though and I think he is now my favourite character in the series. I don't think Eugenie deserves him though, especially after her actions at the end of the book (I can't say more because I don't want to give spoilers but I'm sure anyone who has read the book will know what I mean).

I spent most of the book wanting to punch Kiyo and was really surprised that Eugenie didn't take more of a stand against him and Maiwenn. His actions were despicable in the last book and he made no attempt to apologise in this one. I'm annoyed that he never really got what he deserved and I couldn't understand why he continued to support Maiwenn even after the things he admitted near the end of the book. The plot was quite slow moving during the first half of the book during the final months of Eugenie's pregnancy. I did enjoy reading about her reactions to the babies when they were born but that just made her actions after that point even harder to understand. There were two major twists that should have shocked the heck out of me but unfortunately I'd figured them both out in advance so they didn't have the expected wow factor.

Overall I find myself extremely disappointed with the way this series ended, if this hadn't been the last book or if we knew a spin off series was planned then I think I'd have felt more forgiving but we are left with so many questions and I just didn't find Eugenie's actions even slightly believable. I still love Richelle Mead as an author and will look forward to trying her next adult series but in all honesty I don't think I could recommend this series when it ended on such a low note. I would happily recommend her Georgina Kincaid series though or her Vampire Academy books for YA fans.

Source: Library

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Review: Shadow Fall - Erin Kellison

Sacrifice
Custo Santovari accepted pain, blood, even death, to save his best friend. But a man with all his sins just isn't cut out to be an angel.

Mystery
One moment he's fleeing Heaven: the next, he's waking up stark naked in Manhattan. In the middle of a war. Called there by a woman who's desperately afraid of the dark.

Shadow
It gathers around Annabella as she performs, filled with fantastic images of another world, bringing both a golden hero and a nightmare lover.

Wolf
He pursues her relentlessly, twisting her desires even as she gives herself to the man she loves. Because each of us has a wild side, and Annabella is about to unleash the beast.

Shadow Series:
Shadow Bound
Shadow Fall
Shadow Touch (Novella)
Shadowman
Shadow Play (Novella) (April 2012)
Fire Kissed (July 2012)

Visit Erin Kellison's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed Shadow Bound so was looking forward to picking up Shadow Fall which is the second book in Erin Kellison's Shadow series. Please note that this review will contain slight spoilers for the first book in the series so please don't read further if you've not already read it.

I had expected the story to pick up immediately after the ending of Shadow Bound so it was quite a surprise when I discovered that two years had passed since the events in the first book. Custo was tortured and killed while protecting Adam and Talia from their enemies and doing so earned him a place in Heaven as an angel. He doesn't want to stay in Heaven though, the last thing he discovered before he died was that there was another traitor in the Segue Institute and he is determined to find a way to warn his best friend Adam that he is still in danger.

As Custo journeys through the Shadowlands trying to find his way back to earth he stumbles across Annabella. She is a ballet dancer who is so skilled that her dancing has opened a pathway between the two realms. But Custo isn't the only one who has spotted Annabella - she has also drawn the attention of a dangerous hunter who has now followed her to earth and is determined to claim her as his own. Can Custo protect her from Wolf and at the same time track down the traitor in the institute to make sure Adam and Talia are safe?

As much as I liked Shadow Bound I have to confess I wasn't a massive fan of Adam as the hero so I was pleased to discover that this was Custo's story because I already liked him a lot more. Custo went through hell to protect Adam and even died for his friend so I was already impressed by his bravery and the more I found out about him the better he got. Custo doesn't feel like he should be an angel, he has done things in his past that he isn't proud of and doesn't feel worthy but the more you find out about him the more you realise that he has always had honourable intentions. I liked the way Custo is so protective of his friends and also of Annabella but I really wanted him to put himself first just once, or for someone to stand up and fight for him for a change. He is so protective that it turns into more of a self destructive streak!

Although I like Custo more than Adam I didn't enjoy Shadow Fall as much as I enjoyed Shadow Bound. I think that was mainly because I didn't connect with Annabella in the slightest - I just couldn't believe how stupid she was to go off with Custo so quickly (literally the first time she meets him). When the heroine is so scared of the hero that she leaves a voice mail message telling people who she is with & where she was taken in case they find her body I find it hard to accept that she has the hots for him a few minutes later. I had to laugh when Custo called her sensible for making the phone call - OK so if she is murdered the police might be able to find her killer but that wouldn't make her any less dead would it? That hardly makes her sensible in my eyes! As much as I know Custo is the hero she didn't have a clue who he was and I lost all respect for her at that point and didn't get it back. I also found myself quickly getting bored with the descriptions of her dancing but that is probably because ballet is something that has never interested me in the slightest - I don't know the names of the dance moves so found it hard to picture the dances in my head. If you're a ballet fan then you would probably enjoy that part of the story a lot more than I did. The romance between them was so fast that I didn't find it even slightly believable and I just didn't feel enough of a connection between them to like them as a couple.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with Shadow Fall but I'm still curious enough about this series and the world that Erin Kellison has created to try the next book. I'm hoping that I'll enjoy the next instalment much more and am interested in finding out what happens with Adam, Talia and Custo even if I don't particularly care about Annabella. I'm also desperate to find out more about Shadowman who I fell for in the first book and love even more now.

Source: I was given a copy of this book at AADPhilly in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Shadow Bound - Erin Kellison

Death
Some people will do anything to avoid it.  Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths
Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world. sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue
Adam Thorne founded the Segue Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run.  There is something hauntingly different about Talia O'Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.

Twilight
This is the place between life and what comes after - a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery.  And Talia is about to open the door.

Shadow Series:
Shadow Bound
Shadow Fall
Shadow Touch (Novella)
Shadowman
Shadow Play (Novella) (April 2012)
Fire Kissed (July 2012)

Visit Erin Kellison's website for more information

Review:
Adam started the Segue Institute after his brother Jacob was turned into a wraith and killed both of their parents.  Adam is set on revenge and will do anything to find a way to destroy his immortal brother and the wraiths that seem to be multiplying in numbers at a horrifying rate.  Humanity may not be aware of it yet but it looks like we are on the brink of a supernatural war with Adam's team our first line of defence.  After reading Talia's thesis Adam is convinced that she has information that could help him beat the wraiths, he just has to track her down and get her to help him.  But Talia is in hiding and when Adam manages to find her it quickly becomes clear that she is hiding something.  Why are the wraiths so determined to capture her?  Can Adam convince her to use her unusual abilities to help him?

I was hooked into Shadow Bound from the prologue where we are introduced to human Kathleen and the mysterious Shadowman.  We don't spend much time with the couple but you get a really good sense of how much they mean to each other.  Skip forward 26 years and the story picks up with their daughter Talia.  She knows she is different but she doesn't understand why and her parents were never available for her to find out.  All she wants is to live a normal life so she keeps her ability to wrap herself in the shadows a secret and knows nothing about the supernatural world.  It comes as quite a shock when she is attacked by a wraith, she doesn't know what this creature is but she manages to escape using the shadows.  Her first instinct is to run and hide and I can't really blame her for that.

When she meets Adam and starts to learn more about both what she is and the enemy that she is facing it takes her a while before she decides to fight.  I wanted her to be a bit more proactive and work harder at learning how to use her powers but it takes quite a while before she stops trying to run.  I did find her a likable character I just wanted her to be a bit more kick ass.  I found it easy to sympathise with Adam but there were times when I found it very difficult to like him.  His attitude and the constant lies and secret keeping were a real turn off for me and at first I struggled to see what Talia saw in him.  I liked the chemistry between them though and I do feel he'd redeemed himself by the end of the book.

I enjoyed the world building in the story, the mythology was a bit different to most of the paranormal romance stories I've read and it was woven into the story well so you weren't overwhelmed with info dumps.  I did find myself getting confused at times though, a couple of characters had very similar names and for a while I wasn't sure if they were the same person or not.  Despite the minor problems I really enjoyed the story overall and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Source: I was given a copy of this book at AADPhilly in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Wood Queen - Karen Mahoney

Born into the mysterious world of an ancient alchemical order, Donna has always been aware of the dark feud that exists between the alchemists and the fey. Her own mother - bound by a dark Faerie curse - has been confined to a hospital bed for as long as she can remember . . . But now there is a chance to release her, and Donna will stop at nothing until she is free.

Armed with her own brand of powerful magic, Donna must face the fearsome Wood Queen in order to save her mother. But in the Ironwood - a place that haunts Donna's dreams - there is far greater and more dangerous magic already at work . . .


The Iron Witch Series:
The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen
The Stone Demon

Check out Karen Mahoney's website for more information

Review:
I loved The Iron Witch when I read it last year so it has been a very long wait for The Wood Queen - I literally could not wait to get my hands on this book! Karen Mahoney picks up the story not long after the ending of The Iron Witch so Donna finds herself on trial with the alchemists for the loss of the last of the precious elixir. Not only is Donna in trouble with the alchemists but she also has the Wood Queen on her case again and this time Aliette is using Donna's mother for leverage.

So our heroine has a lot going against her but as I would expect she isn't going to go down without a fight. Donna is going to do whatever it takes to save her mum and she isn't going to let the alchemists walk all over her either. It was good to learn a bit more about the alchemists history and the different orders but I still have a lot of questions about them. The more we find out the harder it is to figure out just who Donna should trust but it's quite clear she has some powerful enemies.

I'm really interested in the new abilities that Donna is starting to develop and can't wait to see how that continues in the next book. The author has taken the series in a very different direction to the one I was expecting and I can't wait to see how that plays out - I have a feeling that things are going to get very exciting in The Stone Demon!

I absolutely loved Xan in the first book but I found myself feeling a bit less sure of him in this instalment. I still think he's hot (and there is a fab kissing scene with him and Donna!) but I found myself wondering just what he was up to and I'm not sure if he is 100% trust worthy. He was just a little too secretive at times and it makes me worry about what he could be hiding. I may be proved completely wrong though so I haven't written him off yet but I did find myself routing more for Nav in this book. I have a feeling he's been keeping his feelings for Donna a secret and I'm wondering if we could see them turn into more than just friends. Either way I think Nav is a great character and I love the fact that he is so supportive of Donna and always there when she needs him.

The Wood Queen is a great instalment in the series that has left me desperate for the final book in the trilogy! If you enjoyed The Iron Witch then The Wood Queen is a must read. If you haven't started this series yet then you really should read the books in order but I would highly recommend the series to any YA urban fantasy fans.

Source: Received from Random House in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Iron Crowned - Richelle Mead

An embattled realm mystically entwined with her own, the Otherworld is at the mercy of one woman . . .

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm.  But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom.  Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful fear . . .

But who can she trust to help her?  Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda.  And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her.  To control the Crown's all-consuming powers, Eugenie must confront an unimaginable temptation - one which puts her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal danger . . .

Dark Swan Series:
Storm Born
Thorn Queen
Iron Crowned
Shadow Heir

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed the first two installments of the Dark Swan series but I found myself getting really frustrated as I was reading Iron Crowned.  Eugenie makes some seriously bad decisions and there were times I was about ready to strangle her!  I'm getting really annoyed that she refuses to accept her role as queen of the Thorn Land, her people are suffering because she won't step up to her responsibilities and it's about time she grew up and did the right thing.

I've also had enough of the love triangle and starting to wonder just how many times Eugenie will jump back and forth between Dorian and Kiyo.  Dorian behaves badly in Iron Crowned and while I don't blame her for being angry I didn't like the fact that she goes running straight back to Kiyo before even talking to him to get his side of the story.  I've gone from really loving Kiyo in the first book to completely despising him now, his actions in Iron Crowned made me want to punch him!  I don't think Dorian is much better though so at the moment I'm not routing for either one of them.  I'd rather see Eugenie on her own and learning to become a decent queen.

I am curious to see if Eugenie can redeem herself in the next installment though and although I saw the twist at the end coming it should make things interesting as the series progresses.  Unfortunately this wasn't my favourite book in the series but I'm hoping things will improve again from here onwards.

Source: Library

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Review: Shadowmagic - John Lenahan

“Hi, my name is Conor. Other than my father being a bit of an eccentric lunatic, my life was pretty normal until I got attacked in my living room and whisked away to Tir na Nog, the mystical land of the ancient Celts, where it turns out Dad is the usurped heir to the throne and everybody wants me dead because of some prophecy. Don’t you just hate when that happens?”

Shadowmagic is a rip roaring fun fantasy adventure novel by John Lenahan very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends on the edge of a cliff (or at least a high curb.) Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems like, how to deal with a father's high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a beautiful girl – that wants you dead. Shadowmagic a podcast novel for young adults from 12 to 112.

Shadowmagic Series:

Shadowmagic
Prince of Hazel and Oak

For more information visit the Shadowmagic website

Review:

Conor is a normal teenager, about to graduate from school and enjoying spending time with his girlfriend.  He may have an eccentric father who makes him speak ancient languages and teaches him sword fighting but he never really thought much of it.  Not until the day that warriors break into his house and try to kill him that is.  Soon Conor finds himself held prisoner in a strange new land that he didn't know existed, his father isn't the person Conor thought he was and thanks to a prophecy nearly everyone he meets tries to kill him.  Perhaps he isn't quite a normal teenager after all.

I listened to this book as a free podcast found on iTunes, the story is read by the author and was fun to listen to, I enjoyed the author's accents and the way he tells Conor's tale.  The plot is fast paced and I was interested to see what would happen next but for some reason I wasn't hooked into the story as much as I expected to be.  I was really intrigued by the world of Tir na Nog and the different characters who live there but I would have liked more background information and more character development.  It took me 21 days to finish listening to the story as I was happy to settle for 1-2 chapters a day when normally if I'm sucked into a world I'd finish the book within a couple of days, or a week at the most for an audio book.

Although the description calls the novel a story for young adults from 12 to 112 I think it is more suitable for those at the younger end of the scale or perhaps adults who are fairly new to the fantasy genre.  I can imagine it would make great bed time reading material for families to read (or even to listen to the podcast) together.  I am curious enough that I will pick up the sequel but it isn't one I would be in a rush to get started on.  Definitely worth a try if you're looking for a light hearted adventure story though, especially as you can try it for free to see if it is to your taste or not.

Source: Downloaded as a free audio book on iTunes

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Review: Winter's Passage - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....



The Iron Fey Series:
The Iron King
Winter's Passage (Novella)
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information

Review:
Winter's Passage picks up Meghan's story right after the ending of The Iron King and gives us an insight into the journey she takes with Ash to fulfil her promise to return to the Winter Court with him.  While I wouldn't recommend reading Winter's Passage before you read The Iron King as it includes a couple of spoilers I would definitely recommend reading it before you move on to The Iron Daughter.

I thoroughly enjoyed Julie Kagawa's debut novel and am looking forward to continuing to read this series, she has created a world rich in mythology and full of interesting characters that has me hooked.  I love Meghan and Ash but Grimalkin remains my favourite character so I was glad to see him make an appearance in this story.  I can't tell you much about Winter's Passage without giving spoilers so I'll just say that it includes a little romance and plenty of action and is well worth reading, especially since it is a free addition to the series.  I love it when an author gives a little something extra to their fans! 

Source: I originally downloaded this copy via Netgalley but you can also find it as a free read on the Amazon Kindle

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Review: Magic Under Glass - Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimira's life takes an unexpected turn when she's hired by the mysterious Mr Hollin Parry to accompany an exquisite piano-playing automaton.  But Nimira's happiness with her new lifestyle is short-lived.  She soon discovers that the spirit of a handsome young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the machine's stiff limbs.  As they gradually fall in love, they become enmeshed in a plot to save the fairy realm from a ruthless gang of sorcerers - a battle that risks their very lives.

Magic Under Series:
Magic Under Glass
Magic Under Stone (2012)

Visit Jaclyn Dolamore's website for more information

Review:
Nimira has been working in a music hall and earning a very low wage so when she is offered a well paid job by sorcerer Hollin Parry she jumps at the chance.  He wants her to sing along with an automaton who plays the piano, she isn't the first person he has offered the job but the others have always left believing the automaton is haunted.  When Nimira first sees the lifelike automaton she can understand why the girls who came before her were nervous but she doesn't believe it could really contain a ghost.  However, she soon discovers that a fairy prince is trapped inside and as they find a way to communicate she becomes determined to find a way to set him free.  All is not as it seems in Hollin Parry's mansion but is there anyone who would be willing to help her and how does she decide who she can trust?

Magic Under Glass is one of those novels that had huge potential and could have been brilliant but unfortunately didn't quite live up to my expectations.  That isn't to say it's all bad though, I loved the descriptions of Lorinar and especially Tiansher where Nimira grew up.  Jaclyn Dolamore has a beautiful way with words that makes it very easy to picture the places she is describing and she has created a world I wanted to know more about.  However, although I can picture the world I don't feel like I know very much about it's inhabitants.  I wanted to know more about both the fairies and the sorcerers, there is a lot of background politics going on but I never felt like I had the full story which was disappointing.  I know there is going to be a sequel and I will definitely be reading it but I can't help feeling that if this novel had been fleshed out a bit more I would have loved it.  The ending felt rushed to me and we weren't given enough of an ending for me to feel satisfied.  In some ways it felt like my copy was missing half of it's pages.

Nimira was a likable main character, she is treated very badly by the locals because she is different and I liked the way she was prepared to stand up for herself.  She knew what she wanted and was determined to get it and it made a nice change to read a story where the girl gets to rescue the guy and not the other way around.  I felt for bad for Erris - it must have been awful for him being stuck inside the automaton - but because of his limited communication I didn't really feel much of a connection with him and didn't get to know him very well.  I wanted more of his history and to know how he ended up trapped but we didn't get an explanation for that.  I have high hopes that we'll get to know him much better in the sequel though and from what I saw towards the end of the book I think I'll really like him.  I guess because we don't get to know Erris well I found it difficult to believe that he and Nimira had fallen in love within such a short space of time.  I could understand her wanting to help him but I just didn't believe they were madly in love, I would have liked a stronger romance between them.

I will definitely be reading the sequel but I wish I'd waited until Magic Under Stone was available before I read this one.  I think I'd have been less disappointed by the ending if I could have gone straight on to the next book.  Like I said at the beginning of my review this story has a lot of potential and I'm sure a lot of people would really enjoy it, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next book will be even better!

Source: This book was given to me by Becky from The Bookette, thanks Becky!

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Review: The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined ...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fitted in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her little brother is taken, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

She could never have guessed the truth. Meghan is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will have to choose between a normal life and her magical destiny - and between her best friend and a darkly dangerous prince.

It's time for Meghan to enter the faery world...

The Iron Fey Series:
The Iron King
Winter's Passage (Novella)
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information

Review:
Meghan has never quite fitted in either at school or at home with her family, ever since the disappearance of her father something has just felt wrong.  She should be excitedly looking forward to her 16th birthday but too many strange occurrences are making her nervous.  Then her young brother seems to have a complete personality transplant and Meghan makes the horrifying discovery that the real Ethan has been kidnapped and a violent changeling has been left in his place.  Meghan is determined to get her brother back, even if it does mean venturing into the Nevernever and facing some of her worst nightmares.  But will she succeed and if she does what will it cost her?

I have heard so much about the Iron Fey series since The Iron King was released in the US last year that although the fey tend to be my least favorite paranormal creature I have been really looking forward to reading this book.  When I started reading it didn't take long before I was noticing things that reminded me of several other stories (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Alice in Wonderland and Labyrinth along with many others) and I loved the way Julie Kagawa has managed to give the flavor of some of my favorite fairy tales but still come up with a unique and interesting story that is completely her own.  You will find plenty of familiar mythology in there but Julie has also added a twist that I've never seen before and was very impressed with.  It's hard to say more about the twist without giving spoilers but I'm sure anyone who has read the book will know what I mean.

I liked Meghan, she was completely selfless when it came to her search for her brother and I liked the fact that she was willing to risk anything to make sure she got him home safely.  She does make mistakes but I think that is understandable considering the way she is thrown into the deep end with this whole new world with rules that she knows nothing about.  What I really appreciated was the fact that she learnt from her mistakes and didn't keep repeating them.  Her character really grew in confidence as she learnt more about her new surroundings and although she did need help from her friends at times she didn't just sit back and expect anyone to save her, in fact she tried hard to make sure she could save herself.

The Iron King has an interesting cast of supporting characters of which my favorite would have to be Grimalkin the talking cat who I adored.  I also really found myself liking Puck and the banter between him and Ash.  I want to learn more about both Puck and Ash and I'm hoping they have major roles in the rest of the series.  My only complaint would be that the romance happened a little too quickly and without me feeling much of a connection between the two characters.  I would have preferred more time spent on them getting to know each other, especially when there is a whole series for us to see things develop between them.  Having said that I am hopeful that we will see much more of this in future books and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Overall I'd say The Iron King is an impressive debut and the start of a series that I'm looking forward to reading more of.  I'm very curious to find out more about Julie's mythology and would recommend this book to any fans of a good fairytale.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

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ARC Review: The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney

Freak.

That's what they call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood at Ironbridge High School.  A horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child left Donna branded with iron tattoos that cover her hands and arms - and magically enhanced strength, that she does all she can to hide.

Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, Donna finally accepts her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie - the dark elves.  Aided by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must save her best friend's life - and that means betraying one of the world's greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family.

The Iron Witch is released in the UK on the 20th of January and in the US shortly afterwards.

The Iron Witch Series:
The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen
The Stone Demon

Check out Karen Mahoney's website for more information

Review:
As a child Donna and her father were attacked in Ironbridge woods by the fey, her father was killed and Donna was severely injured.  Having almost lost her arms Donna was given magical surgery by the alchemists (who her parents were both members of) and now her lower arms are covered with special iron tattoos that give her far more strength than any other girl of her age.  Wanting to be normal Donna keeps her arms hidden with long gloves but since an incident at her school she has been known as the "freak" by the other students.  Excluded from school she is now home schooled by the alchemists and the only normal thing in her life is her best (and only) friend Navin.

Navin has no clue about the fey creatures who inhabit the world alongside us and Donna has worked hard to keep him safe from that knowledge.  When he is captured by the wood elves Donna will do whatever it takes to bring him home, even it it means going against everything that the alchemists have ever taught her.

I have been looking forward to reading The Iron Witch since I first heard about it last year so I was incredibly excited when I received a review copy.  I'm happy to say that The Iron Witch is a fantastic story and the only thing I'm disappointed about is that I'm going to have to wait before I can read the sequel The Wood Queen!  I'm impressed that this is Karen Mahoney's debut novel and am sure we can look forward to great things from her in the future.

Donna is a great heroine, things have been tough for her and she struggles to fit in with the real world but she doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself.  I think this is partly due to her friendship with Navin, the two of them are very close and I think she would have found things a lot harder to deal with without his support.  It was really nice to see such a strong friendship that wasn't based on romance and I loved reading about the two of them.  Donna has kept a lot of secrets from Nav, partly to protect him but also because she was afraid of how he would react if he found out the truth.  I really felt for her when circumstances forced her to tell him things she didn't want to involve him in but I loved how they remained so loyal to each other.  When Navin is captured by the wood elves Donna is determined to do anything to rescue him and this is where her inner strength really starts to shine through.

We are also introduced to Xan who Donna finds herself instantly attracted to (and who can blame her - he is HOT!).  I really liked the fact that although Donna and Xan feel drawn to each other they don't immediately jump into a full on relationship, in fact things between them are developing quite slowly and I was left looking forward to seeing this continue throughout the series.  Xan has his own secrets to keep and although we have learnt some of them by the end of the story I still believe there is a lot more than meets the eyes when it comes to his character.  He is definitely intriguing and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better.

When it comes to the story I really liked the world Karen Mahoney has created, there is a detailed and well thought out mythology when it comes to both the fey and the alchemists but this is introduced in a way that doesn't overwhelm you with too much information at any one time.  In fact I'm sure we still have plenty to learn as the series progresses and this is something I'm looking forward to.  I would highly recommend The Iron Witch to any fans of the YA urban fantasy genre and I can't wait to continue reading the series.

Source: Received from RHCB in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Black Swan Rising - Lee Carroll

Jeweller Garet James isn't the same as everyone else.  She just doesn't know it yet.

With her fair share of problems - money (lack of), an elderly father, a struggling business - Garet should be just like any other young, feisty, single New Yorker.  If only it was that simple...

It begins with the old silver box that had been soldered shut.  All Garet has to do is open it.  A favour for the frail owner of the antiques shop.  Who wouldn't help?

Only it's then that things start to change.  Garet doesn't notice at first, the shifts barely perceptible.  But the city in which she grew up is beginning to reveal a long-hidden side - darker, and altogether more dangerous; a parallel world of chaos, smoke and blood.

Now it's out of the box...and it has no intention of going back in.

Black Swan Trilogy:
Black Swan Rising
The Watchtower (4th August 2011)
I don't have any information on the 3rd book in the trilogy at this time

Lee Carroll is a pseudonym for novelist Carol Goodman and her husband poet Lee Slonimsky.  I couldn't find a separate website for the name Lee Carroll but you can find out more about Black Swan Rising on Carol Goodman's website.

Review:
Garet is a jewellery designer who helps her father run an art gallery in New York.  Due to some bad decisions her father has made they are in a lot of financial trouble and when there is a robbery at the gallery her father is top of the police suspect list.  Garet is sure her father is innocent but the question is can she prove it?  At the same time Garet is asked by the owner of an antiques store if she will open a silver box for him, thinking it is an easy way to earn some extra cash Garet agrees but little does she know that opening the box will have major consequences for her.

Black Swan Rising is the first book in a new urban fantasy trilogy that has the potential to become one of my favorites.  Garet is a smart & feisty character and one I found very likable but I did find myself getting frustrated with the way she was so easy to trust people she has only just met.  After doing a favour for someone and opening an antique silver box Garet discovers a whole new world that most of us have no idea exists alongside our own.  The parallel world is complex and Lee Carroll has done a wonderful job of infusing old and new along with fantasy and reality.  I loved the way some of the characters are ones we can recognise from history and the way the author has woven Shakespeare and famous artists into the story.

As the first book in a planned trilogy there is a lot of detailed world building going on, I loved the descriptions of both New York and the parallel fantasy world.  We are introduced to a host of interesting mythological characters and it is difficult to tell who is good and who is evil which made things interesting.  I found myself swinging backwards and forwards about some of the characters just as much as Garet was.  You could never be quite sure who or what Garet would be introduced to next and I loved some of the side characters we got to meet.

Although there is romance between Garet and Will this wasn't the main focus of the story and to be honest it felt a little rushed in places.  I liked Will but I was never sure whether he could be trusted or not and I wasn't particularly invested in their relationship.  I am curious to see what happens to them both in the future though & hope we get to see the romance develop more throughout the series.

My main complaint was that I found the amount of information given could be overwhelming at times.  Everything was described in great detail which was interesting and worked well most of the time but started to distract from the main storyline in places making me start to lose interest.  I also felt that things came a little too easy for Garet - she had to learn a lot about her abilities and it would have been more realistic if she had found it harder to get to grips with things.  In spite of that I still felt Black Swan Rising was a promising start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more of this world.

Source: Received for review from Transworld Publishers in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Thorn Queen - Richelle Mead

Eugenie Markham is a shamen for hire.  She's paid to bind and banish creatures from the Other world...

But something happened after her last battle.  She became the queen of the Thorn Land.  That said, with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind, the job's really not all it's cracked up to be.

Now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld and no-one seems willing to find out why.  Or put a stop to it.  Not that Eugenie's fazed by spilling fey blood, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle and dangerous - and nursing a very personal grudge.

Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in a power she can barely control.  She may be a reluctant queen but she's vowed to do her duty, even if that means facing the darkest - and deadliest - side of her own nature...

Dark Swan Series:
Storm Born
Thorn Queen
Iron Crowned
Shadow Heir

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
This is the second book in Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series & although I won't give spoilers for this book in my review it is almost impossible not to give spoilers for the first book Storm Born.  If you are new to the series I highly recommend you don't read any further with this review - instead check my review of Storm Born.

I really enjoyed Storm Born so was excited about reading this book but Thorn Queen surpassed my expectations and was even better.  Life hasn't been easy for Eugenie recently - at the end of Storm Born she became a reluctant Queen of the Otherworld kingdom Thorn Land.  The land changed to reflect Eugenie's favorite place and is now a desert kingdom that her subjects have no idea how to survive in.  Her people are starving and she feels duty bound to help them.  On top of that young girls are disappearing, possibly being taken by a group of bandits who are causing trouble in some of Eugenie's villages.

Kiyo is spending more and more time with his very pregnant ex-girlfriend which is something Eugenie finds very hard to deal with.  She loves him and is happy for him but is also jealous that he is going to have a lifetime bond with Maiwenn and their child.  In Kiyo's absense it is Dorian who is there to help her with the problems her kingdom faces and she finds it hard to fight her growing attraction for him.

I know you can always expect plenty of action from a Richelle Mead novel but this book had twists and turns galore & was full of the unexpected.  Eugenie finds herself in a very vulnerable situation which I think Richelle handled excellently.  I didn't see that coming but I think it is going to lead to an important change to Eugenie's character.  This book was a lot darker than the Storm Born but it kept me gripped & I can't wait to read the next installment.  The only disappointment is that we've got to wait until 2011 for Iron Crowned.

Source: Library

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Review: Storm Born - Richelle Mead

Just typical.  No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get into your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world.  Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat.  Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite.  Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy - one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldly ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead.  Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she weilds a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this.  She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction.  But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

Dark Swan Series:
Storm Born
Thorn Queen
Iron Crowned
Shadow Heir

Visit Richelle Mead's website for more information

Review:
I'm already a big fan of Richelle Mead's succubus series so I was really looking forward to reading Storm Born and I wasn't disappointed. I loved Eugenie's character and the world that Richelle has created for her. Eugenie is a shamen, she was trained by her step-father to banish creatures from the Otherworld who have crossed over to the mortal realm and is very good at her job.

Everything starts to change when she is employed to find Jasmine, a  teenaged girl who was abducted by the Gentry (this is what Eugenie calls the Fey / Fairies) and taken to the Otherworld. Jasmine was abducted over a year ago and to find her Eugenie will have to physically cross into the Otherworld, something that she hasn't really done before because it is so dangerous. Unable to leave Jasmine to her fate Eugenie calls for assistance from her spirit minions - Volusian, Nandi and Finn - to help her on the journey. She is going to need more help than they can give her though and is forced to request assistance from Dorian, a fairy king.

Then there is Kiyo, a gorgeous guy she met at a bar, who is definitely more than what he seems. She is attracted to both Kiyo and Dorian but afraid of her feelings as neither of them are fully human. It is hard for her to reconcile her attraction to them with the fact that she belives that people from the Otherworld are all evil.

As I've come to expect from books by Richelle Mead this book had a fast paced story line and very strong characters. There is also a lot of humor which I enjoyed and the supporting characters are great. The book ends well although there are still a lot of unanswered questions and I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next.  I'd thoroughly recommend this book to fans of Richelle Mead but also to anyone who enjoys reading urban fantasy.

Source: Library

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