The Thinking Woman's Guide To Real Magic

The Thinking Woman's Guide To Magic
Emily Croy Barker

Also known as: where has this book been all my life? 

“It was one thing to read about a society obsessed with female purity—quite another to find yourself living in one.”

This book was epic, it was fantastic. It was impossible to put down. And it kept me up many nights until I was too tired to continue. It was smart and funny and I loved it. It was an epic fantasy.

There are so many reasons I loved this book. Nora was a great protagonist, she may not have been smart in regards to her love life, but it every other way she was savvy and very intelligent and honestly it made this book great.

Nora is smart, independent, savvy, and able, as a protagonist. She's a strong, human protagonist. Awhile ago on Tumblr there was this post going around about writing strong-female protagonists. In this little rant/post about strong females the writer said not to worry about writing strong-kick-ass female protagonists and instead write about interesting, complex, human female protagonists. Now while personally I believe that writing strong women and writing complex women are not necessarily seprate and excursive only to that, Nora embodies both ideals.
She is a strong protagonist in the unconventional way that she is herself--she is complex and human, she really effs up a couple times. So that is what I mean when I say she is human.

So this story begins in present day earth. We find out that Nora's has had a rough couple of months and things take a turn for the worse as she finds out her boyfriend, another professor, intends to marry another woman. Meaning he had been cheating on her while they were together. Nora is a professor at the local university, she's very intelligent but she's hit a dull spot in her life. Her life is far from perfect at home and it is far from what she imagined it would be. But, her life isn't exactly bad, but it isn't exactly outstandingly great.

On a weekend trip up to the mountains Nora stumbles into an alternate universe while going for a walk. She doesn't realize this at first, in fact, it takes a long time for her to realize that this new world is far from what she thinks it is.

But she is introduced to a fabulous new world that is vivid, imaginative, and becomes more startlingly real as the book progresses. And when she meets Illisa, she is enchanted.

Illisa is beautiful, perfect and graceful. And she takes Nora under her wing and introduces her to Raclin and this amazing new world that's full of glitz and glamour.

It is of course too good to be true.
Eventually the nightmarish truth about this new world is revealed. The further Nora is submerged in this world, the further it becomes clear that Illisa and Raclin are not who they appear to be. And then the real story begins. Nora is saved by Aurendiel after she finds out the truth about everything.

And then, she learns about magic.

Honestly, this book was fantastic. It was full of adventure, and though the beginning started off slow, it didn't last long and quickly captured my attention. As a protagonist I loved Nora. Even after all the horrid things she had been through, when she's finally safe in Aurendiel's manor, she is finally able to be herself again. Her curiosity returns and she begins to learn more about this new, fantastic world.

This is a great book that will make a great Christmas present.

Give it to anyone who likes fantasy, or adventure with a side of romance. And despite the tittle I believe this book would make a great gift for men who enjoy fantasy too because honestly the writing and the world building are fantastic.

Murder Mysteries, Neil Gaiman

Murder Mysteries by Neil Gaiman is a short story I read in the Smoke and Mirrors anthology. The book is on loan from the library, but I wish I owned it. 

To reintroduce the book you can see the previous post and review on the entire anthology, but this story deserved an entire post on its own. Since I will be talking about it pretty in-depth there will be some spoilers.

 So, I didn't really like the beginning  as it started in an unfortunate way, that would (I admit) turn most people off. I should mention here that this book is definitely not recommended for any younger teens out there, mainly for people 18+ depending on the individual. But despite the distasteful opening, this story really REALLY struck me. 

It is a story that takes place while our universe is being created. 

(That enough should have you going '...um...cool.')

It is told by an old man, who swears it's true, as he tells a younger guy, in payment for a cigarette. 

We are led through the story by Raugel, (who's the old man), it starts when he is brought to life by Lucifer (Yes, that Lucifer) as the Vengeance of the Name. And he is instructed to find out who killed Carasel, another angel. We go through the story with him as he attempts to figure out who killed the angel. It isn't easy too really figure out who did it, this story kind of keeps you guessing for a while, and there are times when you think that it was either Lucifer or that Carasel just killed himself. 

Carasel turns out to be a workaholic, and he really throws himself into his work, and at the time of his death he was involved with creating emotions for humans. Being human, I know how messy those can get, and it is easy to see how he would have become overwhelmed by the emotions. 

So it was expected that Carasel would throw himself into the emotions he was working on, and we find out that Carasel, the angel that had died, convinced another angel to work on love with him, in a very intimate way, so together they work on love, and inevitably, end up lovers.  

The other angel falls for him completely, keep in mind, I'm saying he here but there is actually no gender in the angel world, you kind of just guess it by their actions and values, anyways, Carasel's lover turns out to be unable to handle the stress involved with love, and when Carasel begins to work on Death, he kind of just forgets about his lover. Causing massive heartbreak and pain, and his lover, therefore takes his life, hoping that the pain caused by Carasel's neglect will suddenly disappear if he's dead. 

 It doesn't of course.

Anyone who knows even the most basic information about Christianity should know that Lucifer turns into the devil by disobeying--or (as it is stated) disagreeing with god! 

So you may automatically assume that it was him who killed Carasel. The character of Lucifer is so utterly fascinating -I could go on and on about him.

The punishment for killing another Angel is death, which Raugel carries out, as he is the Vengeance of the Name, not many of the angels like it, most are scared of Raugel, even he doesn't like it, but Lucifer questions this! Lucifer is the only one that actually thinks about it. He feels it more wholly than any of the other angels, he believes that Carasel should have been helped, and yet, the Name (God, the Lord, I AM--whatever you wish to call him) the angels expect vengeance to be done, because Raugel, the Vengeance of the Name, was awoken, so it is apparent to the angels that Carasel being killed was just. But Lucifer doesn't believe so. And so starts his fall from grace. But God is there when it begins and when Raugel finds out about God being there, he says: 'Lucifer's journey will be the hardest of all.'

And yet, the character of god turns out to an angel that sits all day and dreams. I'm not joking. And to me it has always been that God as the Christian religion shows him is ludicrous, I've always believe that God was made in the image of man, not the other way around, and Lucifer was the most fascinating of all the characters. 

Raguel, though we're led through the story by him, functions mainly robotic until the very end, when he meets the Name. Lucifer walks outside the boundaries of the Angels Kingdom as we find out, but not because he communes with the voices of snakes that live within them, because he tests himself, everyday, to improve upon his strength and faith, but than at the end he hints at his changed attitude after watching the other angel (the Lover of Carasel) die in honor of the Name. It seems that each angel does what they believe they are supposed to do, yet, Lucifer thinks independently and the Name is just that, a name, an original idea that created all this life--yet it isn't God, in fact, it seems God is just as human as us. 

And, to bring me to the next point, this version of God, AMAZING! A million times better than anything I've read. He's not referred to as "God" (A concept I kind of hate due to many factors). He's referred to as the Name or occasionally Lord, but not as God. And the end version of him, basically as a supreme being, sitting and dreaming up the entire world is so almost humbling, and then when he sympathizes with Lucifer! WOW.

We've got Lucifer, treading the darkness to overcome it, yet we know he's going to fall. And even the Name knows that he will fall--but the thing is what the Name says, 'his path will be the hardest' is something that really struck me as wow. We all know people who have a harder life than what it is supposed to be, some of us, have it, some of us feel that our path is harder than the average person's. But it is also hinted that there is hope for redemption, there is hope as long as you don't loose yourself completely. Lucifer was the strongest of gods angels in folklore, but even the strongest can fall, its what happens after you fall that matters. 

Lucifer wishes to help Carasel's Lover and than questions the Name. 

Raguel, is swift judgement, robotic agreement.

Carasel, creative but oblivious.

Carasel's Lover, hurt, driven mad with pain, and a murderer--ill from pain--then dead.

And if you realize this, you may see that everything above is characteristics that any given person can have--we all have this possibility inside of us but what matters the most how we react to life--or the Name.

There is so much meaning within this story, surprising considering how short it was!

I loved it--so much. Maybe one of my favorites.

First of all, taken at face value, it is a story of archangels, the world they inhabit is as beautiful as it is fantastic  But there is so much more to it than that.

At times, especially since the story of the angels is told by a man asking for a cigarette, it makes you feel that this entire story really could go both ways, sure, it could be that this man was an angel, whatever, it's fantasy sort of, but at the same time, this could be an entire battle happening in his head. Okay, holy sh*t!! 

And, if you link that to what goes on inside an individual's head, you might feel that angel, god, heaven, hell, the devil, ect...all reside inside a human.

I loved this story. 

Book Cross Over 2013: Stardust

Stardust

Neil Gaiman

 

  To find out what a Book Cross Over is, check out this post which just about sums it up. 

Book Cross Over Info

First book of the 

2013 Book Crossover

This book was lyrical, mystical, and completely captivating. 

 “She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars.”
― Neil Gaiman, Stardust

“He stared up at the stars: and it seemed to him then that they were dancers, stately and graceful, perfomrming a dance almost infinite in its complexity. He imagined he could see the very faces of the stars; pale, they were, and smiling gently, as if they had spent so much time above the world, watching the scrambling and the joy and the pain of the people below them, that they could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.”
― Neil Gaiman, Stardust

There was so much in this book I loved. I adored the characters, the lack of weirdness regrading this weird world, and the simple, crystaline writing of Mr. Neil Gaiman.

About the book...

In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for six hundred years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. 

One crisp October night, as they watch the sky, a star falls, after Victoria promises him her hand if he can retrive the star, Tristran leaves. This promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.

Review

This is a book for fantasy fans. Anyone who enjoys the adventure and oddness of fantasy will love this.

It was strange and wonderful, and mystical and lyrical. The narrator was clear, concise and actually stitched together the past and our present, by slight indications when it came to things like the bag Tristran Thorn had, and what it would one day be called.

Neil Gaiman is a master writer, his story was set up, consistent and whimsical.
I think what I loved so much about this is how strange it was, the little furry creature that helped Tristran in the beginning,  the pirates  (though I did miss the cross-dressing aspect that part, that was in the movie). 




Stardust was, at times hilarious(!), and frustrating.  

It didn't shy away from normal human functions as well, I mean that the characters actually went to the bathroom, which most books skip over--obviously it wasn't detailed or anything, I only bring this up to show you how Mr. Neil Gaiman is able to create such real-feeling journeys. 

This story was an adventure to read, I loved the forlorn feeling, the feeling of being on an adventure completely cut off from everyone--in society today if we just decided to strike out on our own, we'd have cell phones, many ways of finding out information and would still be surrounded by the people we left behind in cyberspace. We'd probably have acess to emergency rooms and hospitals beds. And it is very unlikely that we'd encounter any fellow wanderers. And even if you leave your cell phone at home--it is a choice, there is something very different and definate about not having a choice about whether or not to keep in contact with your family. Which both shows Tritans stupidity and courage in this book.  You can kind of see throughout the story that even when Tristan strikes out on his own he manages to still be conforming to what his society wants for him--his society expects him to marry and have kids, he wants to marry Victoria Forester, so in order to do that, he has to get the star. And yet, when he comes back, he's changed, grown up and says goodbye to his family forver.

This story was also intertwined with others as you can see so plainly in the writing. For example, there a prince that is a squirl, that won't turn back into a Prince until he's found the nut of Wisdom--all these story lines are also in this, Neil Gaiman put work into even the simplist characters.

So, looking for the Star's point of view, this story is also a completely beautiful love story.

Victoria was obviously an annoyance, and every time Tristran talked about her, I was rolling my eyes--it is interesting how reading their stories gives you the ability to see what the characters do not.

Tristran is just a simple boy from the village of Wall who decides to prove his love for the beautiful but cold, Victoria Forester, which meant crossing the Wall (no one crosses it) and entering the unexplored land of Fiarie.

When reading Stardust it actually feels like Neil Giaman is in the room with you narrating the entire story. That is how the book reads, like it is being spoken. 

I loved the tongue-in-cheek humor. 
I loved Tristan's attitude, how he was completely in love with Victoria, to the point of actual frustration. The world Neil presents us with is one of possibility, if you know anything of fairy-lore, you'd recognize the themes within the story but you'd also recognize the beautiful simplicity of the world of Fiarie. Death is either justified or avenged. The rules of this society are quite simple, if someone helps you, you return the favor. 

You could refer to this as a story of growth, along the journey Tristran really grows into himself, granted, his development is sssllloooowwww. But eventually he gets there. 

Some of the characters took longer for growth then others, for example, Tristran took forever to let go of Victoria and his ideal simple life. Victoria never really changed, but she was a detailed-rounded character that I did enjoy reading about her.

The Brothers' Quest
Whoever finds the Power of Stormhold will be the 51st ruler of Stormhold. The seven sons set out to kill one another to obtain the power, but if someone else kills their brother, than there death is to be avenged. Obviously the king had a sick sense of humour. I enjoyed the ghosts as well, as they hovered around their living brothers, I also loved how the environment around the ghosts reacted when they talked. It was haunting and chilling at times. 


OVERALL

I loved this story. It was absolutely beautiful. And it had a slightly sad ending--a real ending, this fact alone is why I loved this so much more than the movie. No ending is ever wrapped up as perfectly as it was in the movie version of this book. I would recommend you read this, it is a complex yet simple book 


“I knowed a man in Paphlagonia who'd swallow a live snake every morning, when he got up. He used to say, he was certain of one thing, that nothing worse would happen to him all day. 'Course they made him eat a bowlful of hairy centipedes before they hung him, so maybe that claim was a bit presumptive.”
― Neil Gaiman, Stardust


Now dear followers, go and check out J.N. Cahill's review of Stardust and see how it compares to this one above, if you disagreed with my review, maybe you'll find you agreed more with her. 



Here is a painting by Charles Vess who has designed one of the covers for Stardust.His paintings are beautiful, completely ring true to the feeling of the book. This particular picture depicts the battle between the lion and the unicorn. Read the book and you'll understand it better. 

Insurgent: Veroncia Roth

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

{{The review below contains spoilers}}

Insurgent is the very much awaited sequel to Veronica Roth's startling debut novel, Divergent. Divergent as you may know was centered around Tris and her choices in regards to her family and her faction. 

Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, and Amity are the different factions, what faction you choose depends solely on what you believe as each faction has their own beliefs and attitude in regards to the world. 

Divergent was an amazing book, for anyone who read it, and I did not think the follow up to it could be even more surprising than the first book in series, but it was. 

In all honesty writing this review--gathering my thoughts on it, is difficult because of everything (!!!!!!!!) that happened in this book. So much happened, so many heart aching deaths and absolutely disgusting betrayals. 

First off, Tris is filled with grief over everything that happened in the previous book, her parents, Will, her faction, Markcus; for a lot of the book she kept the secret of what happened with Will to herself, and every time Four reaches out to her, and asks what's wrong, I was holding onto the edge of the book, mentally screaming at her to tell him. It was a very exciting and engaging follow up. 

We are introduced to an entire new set of characters--some old, some new--and there are just too many deaths in this book. *Sniff-sniff* The saddest probably being Lyn and Fernando. 

What I love most about Divergent and Insurgent is the themes Veronica Roth presents us with, betrayal, love, trust, beliefs, ect. they all play a huge role in this book, you can really see how Tris is Divergent because of the way she thinks, there are distinct similarities between the beliefs of her faction and the others in the way she thinks. 

What I love most about this book is the powerful voice of Tris. 
She always tries to do what is right, and can we just take a minute to appreciate how awesome that is, there are many people in reality that are not half as strong willed as her, doing what is asked of them, despite their inner compass telling them otherwise. It may be strange, but I can see our world within the confines of these pages. Something I could hardly believe when I was reading it was how the people in each faction are so similar to people in reality, or my own life. You can really relate to this book on that level and many others.   

I was surprised at two main points in this book--Christina's ability to forgive and Caleb's complete betrayal--of course there was Peters help but that just goes without saying that it was odd and unexpected, even when I began to get the idea that Peter was on the 'good' side, I still figured that Caleb was on Tris' side! Obviously I was proven wrong. But then towards the end (once again Veronica Roth presents us with another look inside each of their minds) we actually begin to understand why Caleb did what he did, even though I still agree with Tris on the point that it was cowardice that motivated him. 

What I love so much about this book is that Tris is a kick-ass hero who has really screwed up in some ways--shooting Will. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who was yelling at her to shoot him in the foot instead). And I can't begin to explain how much I love that Veronica Roth gives the right amount of time to PTS (Post-traumatic stress). I hate it when characters are unreal in the way that their emotions are presented as simple, I've read from reviews on Goodreads that people found the beginning of the book a "Snorefest" because of Tris' feelings, I'll skip over the part about being annoyed at people for that and say I completely disagree. Veronica Roth THANK YOU! You have presented us with real-life emotions that don't cop-out after the first page. You've given us a seriously real character with mistakes and flaws--you've made a character messy, and human, and so much like us. 

Good job. 

Seriously, you rock. 

(I digress) 

Tris becomes increasingly unstable throughout this book--she's filled with heart wrenching guilt and sadness, and throughout the book--in about the middle of the book it is so clear that she wanted to die--it just broke my heart, one reason we read is to know we're not alone and I think that this really relates to this book. Tris has problems, is reckless at times, but is strong, and realizes how much she wanted to live. 
It was something else to be inside the mind of someone so manic and sad, Veronica Roth I still can't get over how real the emotions were in this book. 

The ending will be summed up in gifs found all over Tumblr and the internet in general. 

The ending was a quick sucession of events that each felt about as good as being punch in the stomach and having water spilled all over you. 

Tris lies to Four, Christina is shot, Edward's a crazy jerk, my reaction?

Tris faces her fear and "kills" herself;

Tris fights Tori; 

Tori kills Jeanine; 

Four doesn't believe Tris;

Four comes back;

The ending; 

Meridian- Amber Kizer

I will give you fair warning, this book review may be biased, as it has such a special place in my heart. 

*******

My name is Meridian Sozu. 

I am a Fenestra. 

I have always shared my world with the dead and the dying. 

But I really didn't understand what that meant until I turned sixteen and glimpsed my own mortality. . .
Sixteen-year-old Meridian has always been surrounded by death. 
As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders burrowed into her bedclothes to die. As she grew, the animals got bigger, and soon they were finding her at school to die in her presence. Meridian became an outcast, labeled by her classmates as Reaper, Gravedigger, and Witch. Each death she witnesses weakens her body, and loneliness weakens her spirit.
On her sixteenth birthday, she witnesses a deadly car crash. Though she’s untouched, Meridian's body explodes with the victims’ pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and rushed to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. It's there that she learns the secret her mother has been hiding her entire life: that she is a Fenestra, the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. It's crucial that she learn how to transition human souls to the afterlife and preserve the balance between good and evil on earth. But Meridian and her sworn protector, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos. 

Dark, lovely, and lushly romantic, MERIDIAN introduces a powerful heroine who will entrance readers.

So read this I read it a while ago, back in 2009, and then read the follow up, Wildcat Fireflies about a year ago, maybe.  I loved everything about this book, Meridian was an amazing story about strength and death. I love this book, I loved Tens,  I loved his name, his sarcasm and his stone persona, and then I loved the simple relationship that developed between them, where they could sleep side by side without being completely sex-crazy, which I felt was a rarity within YA fiction. 

Meridian is followed by death. 
Animals and bugs come to her to die, she was always frail, and weak, she was always sick, and at school nobody talked to her because they thought she was a witch, she was an outcast and lost, not just at school but at home, where her mother and father were wary of her and the way things seemed to die around her. The only person she really felt close with was her younger brother, who she treasured beyond everything. 

 On her sixteenth birthday, as she's about to leave for school when she witnesses a car crash, all three people are immediately killed. Meridian was standing in front of her house when she was suddenly crippled by the pain of the car crash, but it didn't touch her. 

Meridian's body ignites in a flurry of pain and agony. That is when she's taken away, dropped off at the train station, told her family is in danger because of her, and told that she had to leave her little brother and go to her great Aunt's house.

***

This is a dark, haunting, resonating book. 

I found the characters were realistic, and were all very distinct from one another. 
They didn't blur into each other. 
Most of all, I loved this book so much because of the story and the strength of her, and the ideas on death that are introduced here.


Honestly, Amber Kizer has to be one of my favorite writers, I recommend this book to pretty much anyone, any young girls would just be over the moon about this fantastic book. 


 

Sorceress of Shadows

Sorceress of Shadows

Book 3 in the Heirs of a Broken Land series by Marie Bilodeau

The Wall of Loss separating the lands of light and darkness has fallen...

In an attempt to save her mentor, Circle Elite Shirina paid a devastating price. Infected by the darkest of powers, she is bound to a staff and cursed with limited magic.

Now on a quest to safeguard what remains of the Circle and fulfill its mission to protect Graydon, Shirina must find a way to fuse the clashing powers of light and darkness. With dwindling time and as her body succumbs to poisonous magic, the sorceress must first seek redemption and re-forge old alliances.

Cassara Edoline and Avarielle Grayloft are her only hope of success, but the princess distrusts her and the warrior wants her dead. As the final battle for their land erupts and the three struggle with their failing powers, they must again join forces to reunite their broken land or watch their world crumble under the shadows of death.

*As I just finished reading this book my review may be all over the place* 

Wow, wow, wow. 

I'm literally just finished reading this book, and am still completely caught up in the story still. This is the third (and as far as I know--final) book in this series *:(*, and I so don't want it to end. 

The growth of the characters is astounding--I mean just when you think you know these characters, they change more--in this book you get to learn so much more about Shirina and you're introduced more to Shala, the Orange circle, who in the previous book, Shirina really didn't like.  I'll admit Shirina was never my favorite character, it is hard to really feel what she cares about because at first her will is the Circles, but throughout this book you finally get what to who she is and what she cares about, the very ending scene with her just warmed my heart, actually they all did. 

Something Avairelle's says pretty much sums up the entire attitude of the book, and shows you how much they all change: "This motherhood thing is making me soft." 

(You will only get this reference if you read the books--which you should by the way.)

Cassara has changed so much throughout this book, but the one constant about her is the way she always plays her flute. 

Pack Nacker is worth mentioning, he was one of the most inspiring characters in this book--not only did he loose his best friend, his home and land, he was also turned into a gruesome monster by Sibala, but since he was saved by Avarielle before the transformation was complete, his soul was still intact, and he was terrified of losing himself, whatever Sibala did to him made it so that most of his memories are robbed of him, a lust for the blood  of his allies slowly grows and threatens to overtake him, but in the end, he beat it, he died remembering his name. 

</3 

The conclusion to this series was so good.  

This was a really intense book--there were so many battles and surprises in this book.  It was horrifying at times--completely, *Avarielle and Rojon*, and it was so sad, *Pack Nacker and the lingering memory of Kyrde--whose deaths still make me want to cry*, but it was mainly a complete triumph for this world.  

The battles were seemingly endless, just when you think that it must be ending, you close the book and realize you still have nearly 100 pages left.  

It ended pretty perfectly--or as perfect as it could, Jayden is one example of how the ending was imperfect, his memories and fears of his own land show that, Avarielle's nightmares, and the forever changed world all show that--but it was so good. 

I would love to read more about all of them, Jayden especially, and how he turns out and how he changes, hopefully life gets easier, and his scars heal. I am dying to know what happens to Sibala, if he does come back, will they figure out how to actually get rid of him--for now  though it remains a mystery as to whether or not it is even possible. 

As you may have gotten from my post on it, this book will leave you flustered, breathless and wanting more. 

Read this book. 

Marie you did an outstanding job, I think one of the best authors of 2012. 

Warrior of Darkness, Heirs of a Broken Land

Warrior of Darkness

Marie Bilodeau 

Book Two in the Heirs of a Broken Land trilogy 

After leaving her home in pursuit of marauding Eloms, Avarielle Grayloft found allies in a grieving princess and a sorceress with a hidden agenda. As dark powers poisoned the land, the three fought their enemies and each other until faced with a foe they could not defeat.

Betrayed and wounded, Avarielle is held captive in the fiery depths of a dangerous and deadly prison. Seeking vengeance, she escapes only to find herself trapped in the savage Land of Darkness. As she discovers the truth behind the Eloms she is forced to question everything she believes in.

With her homeland on the verge of destruction, her powerful sword about to fall into the clutches of evil and the Eloms growing in strength and number, Avarielle must take the greatest gamble of all, forging an alliance with the leader of the Land of Darkness and betraying all she has ever known.

So Marie Bilodeau takes us on another whirlwind adventure, filled with Sorcks—giant dragon-like stone brought to life by the dark magic of Deloras, Cassara’s psychotic aunt.

We are reunited in the second installment of the Heirs of a Broken Land with all our favorite characters—and yes, I do mean all. ;-)

We are taken directly into the action—right into the heart of the story and the action.

Once again I’m in love with Marie’s style of writing, everything is so clear and direct.

We meet up again with Avarielle who is drifting in and out of consciousness, but alive in Siabala’s Rage.

The prison that held the most heinous of magically gifted people.

I have to say that after  Sharina’s betrayal in the last book I wasn’t all to thrilled to see her, I still was in shock about what she done to Avarielle but through the book you grow again to really understand her and sympathize with her—though you still don’t agree at all with what she did.

This book introduces a new character as well, Kryde, who soon joins up with Avarielle on her quest.

So far I think this book was the best in the series.

Hands down.

The book starts off where Princess of Light finishes, there was no lag between the times, which I really loved. Right from the beginning my fingers were glued to the book—I did not want to put it down.

Consider yourself warned; if you read this ensure you have sufficient time—and I would suggest waiting until after NaNoWriMo, as it will put you way behind on your word count.

-_-

But it is worth it. Besides anything you may be working on for this years NaNoWriMo will most likely pale in comparison if you are as in love with this series as I am.

I am hesitant to say much more than that because I hate it when people spoil books for me.

All I will say is read it. First read Princess of Light, of course.

Cassara is such a strong character.

And she’s really grown since the start of this book series.

The Hallowed Ones

The Hallowed Ones

Laura Bickle

 

“Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community?”

Outsiders are forbidden ever since word spread about the unrest of the outside world. But, while out in the fields one day Katie finds a gravely injured young man, after convincing the Elders to submit to Gelassenheit Katie has a choice to make, leave him for the Gelassenheit or save him. Katie smuggles him into her family’s barn, all the while wondering what happened outside, why the Elders and Bishop were so cruel to him, and racked with guilt. The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning. This is a book you will be curled up in bed with late at night, unable to put down. 

Wow.

This book, was, wow.

Amish MC+ serious horror elements, and on top of that, a fascinating look at religion.

Wow, is this ever a book for me.

I have to admit that I did not expect to love this book as much I did, but it was so good.

Don’t believe me?

Well, read it.

Reading through the eyes of Katie was in some ways, like being a child again. 

"I was so easily stymied by the threats she faced; crime, hatred, war. In my peaceful life, I had never known any of these things. I knew they existed as abstract concepts, in things like comic books. But I had a hard time believing they were real." 

That passage is just one example of why it reminded me of being a child. Thinking that war is an abstract concept, and not fully believing it is real. The story starts off slow, and throughout it I found I had a difficult time relating to Katie because she is so child-like in many ways. As the story continued, I was able to relate to her more and more, as she found out how hard growing up can be. Reading this reminded me of being a child again, seeing the world through such innocent eyes, and being shocked—horrified when finding out what kind of evil humans are capable of committing.

This book had a fast pace and it kept me on my toes, constantly. I was constantly trying to figure out what would happen, but this story kept me on my toes, as you can never be sure what is going to happen, it was an unpredictable plot--which is awesome. Of course, it took a little shift in focus to get accustomed to this world, and the formal way they speak with each other. It is truly very different then ours. 

I was surprised by how much this book blew me away, the world was very authentic. Before reading this, I knew a very little about Amish culture, and after reading it I know much more. And, the writer, Laura Bickle did an amazing job not having information compacted into this, and having it laced throughout the book so that while you enjoy it, you actually learn a bit about Amish culture.   

Exclaiming ‘Oh My God’ is an everyday expression used by millions of children, from surprise, to anger, everyday, repeatedly. But for Katie, exclaiming Oh My God is actually a serious swearword, which goes to show you how different this world is. Katie is a really strong, complex character. You think you have her figured out, and then she surprises you. At first I had a hard time identifying with her. But I could relate to her; she’s a little rebellious, and she thinks for herself, which is looked at as a fault within her community.

This is by far the most extraordinary, surprising Vampire book I’ve read in a long, long time.

I liked as well how the dystopian elements were in it, but not in the usual way. The fall of the Outside society, didn't really affect Katie's that much. 

 But, a forewarning, Twilight fans, these are not your sparkling, good spirited, forever tormented/ brooding vampires we are now so accustomed to in our society. These are raw, ugly, vicious, brutal, crawled from hell, type of vampires. 

The characters in this novel stood out strongly as well.  I loved the Hexenmeister, and Ms. Parsall, I loved Alex’s sense of humor, his causal use of the nickname “Bonnet”, and his attempted heroics at the end.

At first I thought that maybe Laura Bickle came from Amish culture because of how authentic the society felt, I had a general idea of what Amish culture was like, and now even more so.

There were times, I will admit, when I found that there was a little too much telling, for my taste. Too much dictating what is going on, which I felt separated me from the character and story a little, but really this was an awesome book. I recommend it for anyone who loves a good story, or a book that is much more than just a book. 

Katie’s strength, her way of life, her beliefs, and her humanity are all tested in this book, constantly as each new challenge looms up before her. 

I loved the mix of magic, and religion, and science. I loved how original this was, how Laura Bickle brings all religions into perspective which creates an eye opening clarity for the reader. I loved the descriptions, the entire world. I loved Katie, who was such an engaging character who really proves her strength.