the Lost Queen, by Frewin Jones

Summary – Picking up right where the The Faerie Path left off, Tania and Edric return to London, and come to begin a search for the Princess’s lost mother, Titania, who is somewhere in the Mortal Realm.

Rhia’s Review – This is another of those sequels that doesn’t make you lose interest in the series as a whole. Things really get interesting as old enemies return, and there’s a good bit of action and suspense.

The Recommendation – If you like Faeries, or if you read The Faerie Path and enjoyed it, you should really read this book.

The Other Books – So far, I’ve bought all the sequels, and I don’t intend to stop.

The Vitals* – the Lost Queen is available in both hardback($16.99) and paperback($8.99).

The Links – (Allan) Frewin Jones Official Website

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Captivate, by Carrie Jones

Summary from Borders.com -

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.
A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

 

Carrie Jones will be discussing Captivate at Book Divas from February 22-March 22. Come stop by and ask her a question! (I’ll be there!)

Rhia’s Review – Gosh, I loved this book! Why? Let’s start with Zara, the main character. Her voice is so strong, so individual. (Did I already say that in my Need review? Well, it’s still true, so whatever.) Throughout the book Zara is faced with some serious emotional issues, and she reacts with strong emotion. She doesn’t read like a character, she reads like a person. I developed a bond with her, even if we’re not very much a like.

At first glance at the summary, it might seem a little ‘eh’, and close to other YA book plots. But it so isn’t. Even though another male character enters the mix, Zara doesn’t get all confused and whiny. She sticks to her beliefs. And the supporting characters are perfect! Just enough about them to love and know who they are, but not so much we get distracted from our heroine.

In short, this is a REALLY good book! I couldn’t put it down, and  enjoyed every minute of it!

The Recommendation – Fans of Need won’t be disappointed in this sequel, and if haven’t already, you should really check this series out!

The Other Books – I’ve heard that Carrie is officially contracted for two more books in the Need series, and from the looks of things, they’ll both be high on my buy list! Can’t wait!

The Vitals* – Captivate is available in hardback for $16.99.

The Links – Carrie Jones Official Website, Official Website for Need and its sequels

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Android Karenina cover released!

Just yesterday the cover of Quirk Books’ new mash up Android Karenina was released. I am so psyched for this book and look forward to adding it to my personal collection. It will look great sitting on my shelf with the other three!

So, without further ado, here’s the cover.

City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments, #2), by Cassandra Clare

Summary from Borders.com - Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries?

Rhia’s Review – I love this book!!! Okay, now that that’s out of my system, I can tell you why.  Cassandra Clare really has really created this amazing world that’s so easy to become immersed in. I love the characters, I love the story, I love pretty much everything about this series.

The Recommendation – If you’re into any kind of YA fantasy series, you’ll love this. It has everything!

The Other Books – I was so excited for the next book, I couldn’t stop chattering about the series to a friend of mine. I might have annoyed him a little bit, but he took it really well. So, needless to say, I already bought it. So, yes I think it’s worth it.

The Vitals* – Go buy this book now! Paperback is $9.99 and hardback is $17.99

The Links – Official Mortal Instruments Page, Official Infernal Devices Page, Cassandra Clare's Official Website

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

the Faerie Path, by Frewin Jones

Summary from Borders.com – Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie.  But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there. Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly remembers why she disappeared, and realizes that she is the only one who can stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

Rhia’s Review – Once again this book falls into the category of  spin offs and derivations of classics, which is something that first drew me to it! I was so excited when I saw that Tania was the daughter of Titania and Oberon, as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my favorite Shakespeare play! But the best part of all is that this book did not disappoint!

Frewin Jones has created beautiful and magical world, and the story really drew me in. There were a couple of neat twists, and I love the characters! With so many sisters, you might think that all of their personalities would overlap and jumble up, but that doesn’t happen. the Faerie Path was really well written, and let’s face it, the covers are simply beautiful!

The Recommendation – While there isn’t a lot reminding me of Shakespeare in the book, fans of Faeries will really enjoy this book! But of course, I think everyone should read it.

The Other Books – There are four other books published in the series so far. I have three of them. Look fore more info in coming reviews.

The Vitals* – You can get this fantastic book in paperback ($8.99) or hardback($16.99).

The Links – (Allan) Frewin Jones Official Website

 

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Summary – Elizabeth Bennet has just married the love of her life, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Once they embark on their wedding tour, however, Mr. Darcy begins behaving strangely, and Lizzy begins to suspect that he may regret marrying here. But whatever is troubling Mr. Darcy is not as simple as that…

Rhia’s Review – Well, if you’ve read anything else in my blog, you may already know that I love books that are spin-offs or derivations of classic literature. I also love Jane Austen. And I like Vampires. All the criteria is there. This was a really good book, even if some of the big secret is given away in the title., and I think it works very well as an unofficial Pride and Prejudice sequel. There weren’t many action scenes, but it works well for the novel considering it’s supposed to be similar to Austen. It gives a host of characters, and takes place in several beautiful locations (Like Venice. Yay!), and spends a lot of time with the society they come across.

As a historical novel, I personally give it an A, but as a vampire novel, not so much. There are really only a few aspects that give it originality in an over-vampired age, but the book sets a nice tone of mystery so there’s good regency horror ambiance. I’m just thankful Mr. Darcy doesn’t. sparkle.

The Recommendation – I’d recommend Mr Darcy, Vampyre to big fans of historical novels and Jane Austen. And If you really like vampires, you’ll probably enjoy it. If any of those isn’t your thing, I probably wouldn’t bother.

The Vitals* – Mr Darcy, Vampyre is available in paperback for $14.99.

The Links –  Amanda Grange's official website Here's a pretty book trailer

*=All prices are from Borders.com and are subject to change without notice, and without this page reflecting those changes.

Updating this weekend!

I’m currently scheduling some reviews that  need to be posted. I like to schedule one every other day to make sure I don’t run out of content. I’m trying to change my reading pattern, so I should be able to finish books more often to review here. Right now I have to post reviews for books I read a while back because I’m reading too many at the same time to finish anything, but I don’t want blank spaces on this blog. I’m super serious and I want everyone to know it!

I hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day!