Young Adult

Book Review: Lost in Time (Blue Bloods #6) by Melissa de la Cruz

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The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight – and love – another day

This one is much better then Bloody Valentine the Novella and I feel more on par with what is going on in the series again. So very good on that end of things. Some of it just seemed to drag a little and seemed like filler, but overall I enjoyed this this installment of the Blue Bloods novels. We are getting closer to the end game of finding the gates, having indeed found a gate to hell. I do hope we get to the other gate soon, the actual gate of promise or as is being hinted the gate to paradise.

Kingsley is back as well and there is a lot of very teenage go around with that between Mimi and him while Oliver just kind of hangs out and seems a little gullible. I wish they would make him the solid smart lad he was before. Overall a 4 rating because the story itself was enjoyable. It did not however keep me overly invested in the series other then the fact I have already invested so much time in it and I want to see what happens.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Destined (House of Night #9) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow…

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him…

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

Okay in general I feel the last line of the book description is a little deceiving as we do not get to much into Aurox and his humanity, some yes more then when we first met him yes but it was not the entire crux of the story. That said I really enjoyed this installment of House of Night. I love the play and different views of characters and what we learn from them. My favorite part although it made me cry and cry a lot was that Dragon who I always enjoyed and wanted to get to know better redeemed himself from the path of being very close to darkness that he was going to walk.

Lenobia gets more of a story in this version as well and we slowly start to learn some more about the horse Mistress. I loved the action in this one but I really loved that we are branching out and getting to know some of the “secondary” and older characters within the book as well not just the teens. I am looking forward to the next installment.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Bloody Valentine (Blue Bloods #5.5) by Melissa de la Cruz

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The Blue Bloods have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shape-shift, and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even those immortal vampires, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, part of the best-selling Blue Bloods series, author Melissa de la Cruz offers three tantalizing stories that delve deep into the love lives of the all-powerful vamps (and their Red Blood friends) from New York’s Upper East Side. Might a witchy new girl help cure Oliver’s broken heart? How did Allegra fall in love with a human? Will Schuyler and Jack finally be bonded?

Romantic and sensual, Bloody Valentine reveals the undying love, the hope and devastation, and the lust and longing that have defined the Blue Bloods throughout history. Prepare to be swept off your feet.

Personally with this one I found that the description promised a lot and the writing did not deliver. It was all smashed in to fit the novella and a lot of what happened was just to fast and not very clear. There was also a pop in by a character from the Witches of East end that just kind of made my eyebrows go up a bit. I guess it does not seem completely off to tie your books together, but still.

So while it was not the worst thing I have ever read but it was not the greatest either. I think the author might have been better off putting it into the first chapters of the next book in the series. It was useful on some things, but other then just getting some loose ends taken care of.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods #5) by Melissa de la Cruz

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After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the five remaining gates that guard the earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silver Bloods.

Back in New York, Mimi has been elected Regent of a crumbling coven. Struggling with her heartache over the loss of Kingsley and with her overwhelming desire to destroy Jack, she must focus all of her energy on a perilous new threat. Vampires are being abducted and their captors are planning to burn them alive online…for all the world to see. Help arrives in the form of Deming Chen, a Venator from Shanghai, who must untangle the web of deceptions before the killers strike again.

As the young vampires struggle for the survival of the coven, they uncover a deadly secret, a truth first discovered by Schuyler’s mother during the Renaissance but kept buried for centuries. And as the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler to a terrible choice that will ultimately map the destiny of her heart

This is not the best book in the series. I really enjoy the Blue Bloods books overall but this one is just rather a snooze. I normally blaze through them and this one I had to make myself sit and focus to get it done. Now it had some good moments I liked the new Venarator that we met. However over all the plot was not really furthered by this one, and it seems like it was just kind of there.I did not love it I did not hate it, I really do hope the next one is better because otherwise I may not be able to finish the series.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Book Review: Awakened (House of Night #8) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

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“My love, speak to me. Tell me everything.” Neferet went to Kalona, kneeling before him, stroking the soft, dark wings that unfurled loosely around the immortal.

“What would you have me say?” He didn’t meet her eyes.

“Zoey lives.” Neferet’s voice was flat, cold, lifeless.

“She does.”

“Then you owe me the subservience of your immortal soul.” She started to walk away from him.

“Where are you going? What will happen next?”

“It is quite simple. I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma. There, on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.”

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

I can say this is one of those book series that makes me want to reach into the book grab a character by the neck and shake them, the one I want to shake is Neferet of course. She is no good and never likely will be, ever. I wish that Nyx would smite her or something! Alas even though she makes an appearance on the earth plane and all, she doesn’t free choice and all that. Still.

Zoey and Stark have heated things up and I am enjoying the relationship there, although I do not like some of the darkness and other things that crop up but I do not want to give to many spoilers away with that. And of course there is Stevie Rae, love her. Always will love her no matter what. Overall it is a good installment of the novels and I enjoyed the look of where things are going, we even got some more time with Heath and didn’t that take an interesting turn!

My Gemstone Rating:

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Teaser Tuesday 2/26/13

- Ambrosia 2 Comments

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“No one has experienced it’s like since the mighty vampyre Cleopatra casted a protective circle around her beloved Alexandria.”
“No one enters the Isle of Women without the permission of Sgiach, ” Darius said. pg.88 Burned (House of Night)

Book Review: Converting Kate Beckie Weinheimer

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Kate was raised in the Holy Divine Church it influenced everything from her homeschooling to her handmade clothes. But ever since her unbelieving father’s death last year, she has suspected that there’s more to life than memorizing scripture.

Taking advantage of their move to a new town, Kate to her devout mother’s horror quits Holy Divine. She joins the cross-country team, wears shorts to public school, and even tries a traditional Christian church. As she struggles to come to terms with her father’s death and her mother’s unquestioning beliefs, Kate discovers there’s a big difference between religion and faith and that the two don’t always go hand in hand
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After her father’s unexpected death, Kate begins to question the conservative religious tradition that she has been brought up in. When she and her mother locate to a new town, Kate discovers new ideas, new friends, and is able to gain a sense of peace about her father’s place in her life and his ultimate death.

I liked a number of things about this novel. Kate was a likable character and some of the novel’s minor characters were well-drawn and interesting. However, the novel’s primary focus, Kate’s rejection of her traditional religious upbringing lacked subtlety. In the novel, anyone identified as ‘Christian’ was narrow-minded, ignorant and filled with hate. Non-Christians were liberal and tolerant. I’m sure many teens questioning their religious backgrounds do see things this starkly, but a more sophisticated view, which allowed Kate to question her beliefs while recognizing that there were good, loving aspects of the tradition she was leaving might be more realistic and helpful to teens.

I also found myself distracted by the fact that ‘The Church of the Holy Divine’, described as being a fundamentalist Christian church with cult-like overtones, was actually a thinly veiled version of the LDS Church. I think it might have been a more interesting and honest story if the author had been more open about this. It certainly would have provided a better context for the reader to understand the rich tradition and culture that Kate was choosing to leave behind.

Book Review: The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

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With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss’s true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard…. And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind.

Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series

Book four in the Blue Blood series of books does not disappoint. By this time we are fully lost in the world of the Blue Bloods, the special vampires that are really fallen Angels. I am still taken by the premise that Melissa de La Cruz has gone on for this series and the web that is being weaved draws me deeper in.
It has been over a year since Rio and Schuyler and Oliver have been on the run nearly as long. It would seem as though she has made her choice, but just as she makes a daring move to secure her and Oliver’s safety, she is thrown into the very thing she fears the most and into the arms of the one she can hardly bare to live without. Being her mother’s uncorrupted daughter has made Schuyler the Blue Bloods last hope, but despite the fact that she has embraced her task, she has managed to run from the biggest similarity that she and her mother share, until now. Is her mother right? Are there some loves worth dying for?

Bliss has been in a lost state, struggling just to remember her name. She can’t account for over a year of her life, and there is a Visitor living inside her, taking over whenever he pleases. As Bliss fights to regain control of her mind, body and future, she uncovers the truth of who she is and in the process uncovers a scheme that could undo everyone and everything she has left, but how do you fight something that lives in you? Will she be strong enough to stop the Visitor, before it’s too late?

Mimi has traipsed a crossed the globe, searching for the watcher with her venator team, led by the very one who nearly caused her death, Kingsley Martin. But every time they think they’ve finally caught up, they are left wanting. Is it the year of adventure and near death experiences that has caused Mimi to reevaluate her life, or has she only just found someone that allows her to be as she truly is? Is it just meaningless nothing, an impulse of this life, of this time, or has Kingsley been there, every cycle, pushing her and possibly loving her and worse, her loving him back?

I’m not going to reveal anymore, it would spoil the fun. Once again I was swept away in this complex world, with its vibrant characters, spot on dialog, and nerve wracking plot.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

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Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling’s spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart–such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increa… more »singly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review–to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling’s fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry–bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero’s mission–not just in Harry’s quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man–and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore’s warning about making the choice between “what is right and what is easy,” and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling’s skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix’s flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience

What is there to say about the Deathly Hallows it was a good story, a fitting ending in all honesty. Anyone who knows me knows I have not been wildly fanatic about Harry Potter but I was looking forward to this book and in all honesty I was not disappointed. The start of the book was a bit slow, but it did pick up.
We once again follow Harry and his Gang through twists and turns and all leading up to the battle against Voldermort. Certain chapters fell flat as if perhaps the writer had run out of something on that topic to say, but others were gripping and held you riveted. I won’t spoil the ending in case there are others like me who are behind on the Harry Potter train, but regardless of what some say I do not think it fell flat, I believe the ending was just right. The tension was so epic through a great deal of the book and the large battle even more so especially as you tally up the loses, and they were many. The ending was like a release of the tension and keeping the character intact. Well done and a good ending.

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