The Young Elites by Marie Lu REVIEW

Summary:

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina's black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family's good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars - they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be known as the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it's Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they've never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side and that Teren is the true enemy. However, the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that don't belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

My Thoughts:

This book started out really good and interesting, but started to drag later on (which made it boring). The beginning reminded me of ACID. The end seemed as if there will be a sequel. WHY DOES ENZO DIE???

-But there was some swearing.

-It seemed as if some of the side characters were prostitutes, but other times it seemed as if they weren't.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

The author's website is here.

Towering by Alex Flinn REVIEW

Summary:

High in my tower I sit. I watch the birds fly below, the clouds float above, and the tall, green forest stretch to places I might never see.

Mama, who isn't my real mother, has kept me hidden away for many years. My only companions, besides Mama, are my books - great adventures, mysteries, and romances that I long to make my reality. But I know that no one will come to save me - my life is not a fairy tale after all.

Well, at least no one has come so far. Recently, my hair has started to grow rapidly, and now it's long enough to reach the bottom of the tower from my window. I've also had the strangest dreams of a beautiful, green-eyed man.

When Mama isn't around, I plan my escape, even if it's just for a little while. There's something - maybe someone - waiting for me out there and it won't find me if I'm trapped here towering above it all.

My Thoughts:

I was excited to read this book. After I read it, I realized that it doesn't seem like a fairy tale retelling at all. But I did like it a little. It was good at first but then wasn't as good later on in the book.

-But at one point Wyatt is with a random girl on New Year's and they get kind of inappropriate and they just met . . .

My Rating: 3 stars

The author's website is here.

Black Butler Pictures and Quotes

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas REVIEW

Throne of Glass series: Book One

Summary:

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle - and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival - and a desperate quest to root out the source of evil before it destroys her world.

My Thoughts: 

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok. So I heard of this book when I saw another book in the series - and it looked awesome - so I decided to read this one.
I'm so glad that I did.
-But there was some swearing.
-And some of it was boring.

My Rating: 4.5 stars
The author's website is here.

Attack on Titan Pictures and Quotes

I recently started reading Attack on Titan and I love it!!!

Royal Blood by Una McCormack REVIEW

Summary:

"The Grail is a story, a myth! It didn't exist in your world! It can't exist here!"


The city-state of Varuz is falling. The capital is crumbling, and his enemies are poised to invade. Duke Aurelian is preparing to gamble everything on one last battle. So when a holy man, the Doctor, comes to Varuz from beyond the mountains, Aurelian asks for his blessing in the war.
But all is not what it seems. The city-guard have lasers for swords, and the halls are lit by electric candlelight. Aurelian's wife and his trusted knight seem to be plotting to overthrow their Duke, and Clara finds herself drawn into their intrigue . . .
Will the Doctor stop Aurelian from going to war? Will Clara's involvement in the plot be discovered? Why is the enemies ambassador so nervous? And who are the ancient and weary knights claiming to be on a quest for the Holy Grail . . .?

My Thoughts: 

This book was written in a different way than I am used to. It isn't terrible, but it would switch the narration from third person to first person without a warning, which made it a bit confusing.
The beginning was kind of boring, but it got better later on.
A lot of it was either confusing or not explained enough.
 The story was interesting, but the knights aren't actually searching for the Holy Grail, they're searching for for The Glamour (???), which no one really knows a lot about.

My Rating: 4 stars

More Info

Author Bio

**I received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review. Thank you!!!**

Doctor Who Series 9

The first episode of Doctor Who series 9 is tonight at 9. I can't wait!

Tokyo Ghoul Pictures and Quotes

To be honest, I am mad that there is only one volume of Tokyo Ghoul in English when there are more than ten volumes in Japanese and more in other languages.

Resurrection by Amy Carol Reeves REVIEW

Ripper Trilogy: Book Three

Summary:

A rash of gruesome murders has the citizens of London spooked, and Abbie Sharp fears that Max Bartlett - the only surviving member of the Conclave - is behind the bloodshed. When a pack of revitalized corpses attacks her family, Abbie realizes that Max has hatched a twisted plot to raise the dead and turn them into an army of revenants bent on destruction.

Racing between London and her country estate, Abbie tries to figure out a way to stop Max and his two evil associates. As her investigation leads her into a dark graveyards and subterranean ruins, she discovers a new way to fight Max - and to keep him from using the Conclave's secret elixir to gain unimaginable new powers.

My Thoughts:

This book was really good and reminded me of The Secrets of Life and Death and its sequel, The Secrets of Blood and Bone. 

Mariah comes back to life as a revenant. But I think she either should have not been in this book or not been in the previous book.

-There was some swearing.

-The romance between Abbie and William gets kind of inappropriate.

My Rating: 4 stars

Thor: The Dark World--Movie Review

Movie Trailer:

Plot:

It's been two years since Jane Foster has seen Thor. While investigating an abandoned building, she  is accidentally  transported to another world where she finds the Aether, a powerful weapon.
The race of Dark Elves had the Aether before it was taken from them to avoid a longer war. Now they wait until the Aether is found so that they can use it to destroy Asgard.
Loki, Thor's brother, is in prison for what he did in the Avengers.
But when the Dark Elves come to destroy Asgard, Thor must have the help of Loki to prevent Asgard from being destroyed.
Will Thor, Loki, and Jane be able to stop the Dark Elves before the Earth is destroyed?

Negative Content:

-There was some kissing.
-There was some swearing

My Thoughts:

I watched this movie for the first time about three or four weeks ago.
I loved it!!!
I cried at Thor's mother's funeral.
I cried when Loki "died".
I smiled at the end because Loki didn't actually die.

My Rating: 5 stars

Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey REVIEW

Summary:

Cursed at birth, Aurore is fated to prick her finger and sleep for one hundred years. To protect her, Aurore's parents forbid traditional princess hobbies like sewing and embroidering. Aurore instead explores the kingdom's grounds.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Aurore learns that the impending curse will harm her and the entire realm. Unwilling to cause suffering to the townspeople she knows and loves, Aurore embarks on a quest to end the evil magic. The princess's bravery will be rewarded as she finds adventure, enchantment, a handsome prince, and ultimately, her destiny.

My Thoughts:

I love reading fairy tales in different versions. But this one was terrible. Most of the book was boring, and when it wasn't boring it was confusing. Aurore doesn't fall in love with the prince she meets on her quest (the one who awoke her by kissing her), but instead finds the boy she loved (who was actually the prince's father and was very old until somehow he turns young again???).

My Rating: less than 1 star

Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn REVIEW

Summary:

Chased by their pasts and drawn toward a more hopeful future, five sisters embark on the journey of their lives . . . aboard the Titanic. One is going to have her wedding during the voyage. Another has become involved in a feat of scientific intrigue that has the potential to alter the course of history. All of them feel out of place, and at least one of them will soon find herself out of time.

My Thoughts:

This book was very disappointing. More than half the book isn't even about the Titanic.

-The sisters' mother summons/talks to spirits (or she at least says she does)

-At one point, they have tarot cards, an Ouija board, etc.

-Emma and Amelie are one person (???)

-The romance, at first, was kind of forced in when it wasn't needed.

-It was also very confusing

My Rating: 1 star

The author's website is here.

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer REVIEW

Summary:

It is the first century B.C. Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh's six children, is the one that her father has chosen to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left alone to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. 

Smart, courageous, ambitious and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history's most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely--herself.

My Thoughts:

I really loved this book. Reading about Cleopatra was fun (especially since there's a lot no one knows about her).  But there were some negative things in it (I think they some of them happened in Cleopatra's life, though).

-Cleopatra's best friend is a dancer who dances at banquets (they don't wear clothes when they dance)
-She asks her best friend to teach her the dances
-Cleopatra sleeps with Julius Caesar (and has a child). He is a lot older than her and is already married to someone else.
-Cleopatra sleeps with Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and has children. He is already married to someone else.
-The epilogue was kind of rushed.

My Rating: 4.5 stars
The author's website is here.

The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley REVIEW

Summary:

Eleven-year-old Isabelle is a lacemaker in the town of Versailles. One day as she delivers lace to the palace, she is almost trampled by a crowd of courtiers -- only to be rescued by Marie Antoinette. Before Isabelle can believe it, she has a new job -- companion to the queen's daughter. Isabelle is given a fashionable name, fashionable dresses -- a new identity. At home she plies her needle under her grandmother's disapproving eye. At the palace she is playmate to a princess.

Thrown into a world of luxury, Isabelle is living a fairy-tale life. But this facade begins to crumble when rumors of starvation in the countryside lead to whispers of revolution. How can Isabelle reconcile the ugly things she hears in the town with the kind family she knows in the palace? And which side is she truly on?

My Thoughts:

This book was pretty good, even though I am very picky when reading historical fiction books. It isn't really my favorite genre, and I have read many books in this genre that were very disappointing to me.

However, I do like this one, and I have read other historical fiction books in this time period that I didn't like.

But the ending wasn't very good . . . I feel like the story could have been longer than 196 pages.

-This is random, but I wish that more authors would write in this time period with fantasy and/or science fiction in it.-

My Rating: 4 stars

Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A. Nielson REVIEW

*Sequel to Forbidden Sea*

Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Sadelyn Hanson washes up on the shores of Windwaithe Island, her beauty and the strange marks on her wrist make superstitious locals suspect she is a mermaid. Feigning amnesia, Sade hides a far worse secret: she was sailing to her own murder trial when she was thrown overboard by the real killer, the cunning and cruel Captain Westwood.
Sade's quiet effort to rebuild her life on the island is threatened when she meets an actual young merman. Unable to speak his language, Sade still longs for the warm companionship he offers, despite the locals' dire legends about merfolk and their dark magic. But her confused feelings for the impossible boy become the least of her problems when Captain Westwood's ship docks at Windwaithe. With nowhere to escape, Sade must trust in the one person who doesn't fear the merfolk. A woman who had dealings with them herself—years ago. 

My Thoughts:

THIS BOOK IS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I didn't expect the merman to approach Sade (I thought it would be Jedayi). I didn't expect the Sea Queen to not like Sade. I didn't think that Cora Lynn would be depressed about not marrying Denn. A lot of this book was surprising and unexpected. 

BUT I LOVED IT! 

My Rating: 5 stars

Exile by Anne Osterlund REVIEW

*Sequel to Aurelia*

Summary:

Crown princess Aurelia is a survivor. She survived attempted assassination. She survived the king's rejection. She survived her mother's abandonment. And now, in exile, she must survive her kingdom - from hostile crowds to raw frontier to desert sands. But even as unknown assailants track Aurelia and expedition guide Robert, she knows what her greatest risk is: falling in love...

My Thoughts:

This book was (in my opinion) better than Aurelia. There was a lot more action. There was also more romance, which I expected. Aurelia even gets to meet her mother for the first time and hear why her mother left her. A lot of facts about the kingdom and its laws are explained. She meets Robert's parents (who don't like her at first because they think that she will break Robert's heart). AND THE MOST SHOCKING THING OF ALL: MELONY BECOMES QUEEN WHEN AURELIA'S FATHER DIES. It sounds like her father was poisoned and that they say Aurelia is guilty of it (which doesn't make sense. Aurelia leaves a long time before her father gets sick and dies.).

-At one point Aurelia thinks that if she and Robert go any further in their relationship, she could be pregnant.

That is the only negative thing about this book.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Renegade by Amy Carol Reeves REVIEW

Ripper Trilogy: Book Two

Summary:

The Conclave—a secret group with twisted ideals and freakish practices—has been wiped out, thanks to Arabella Sharp. Now there’s a new malevolence afoot. Fishermen are getting killed, their partially devoured bodies washing up on the shores of Scotland. Is the Ripper responsible? Or have the Conclave’s sinister experiments left behind something more monstrous? 

Abbie fears the worst when her beloved Dr. William Siddal vanishes. To save the man she loves, Abbie must comply with the Ripper’s dreadful orders—and put her own life in grave danger. 

My Thoughts:

After reading Ripper, I was excited to read Renegade because Ripper was really interesting. But I was very disappointed. The story isn't as good and kind of drags on which made most of it boring. 

-Also, William Siddal has a weird past, and when Abbie hears about it, she rejects him. He gets really sad and depressed about it.

-The half girl/half dragon was really weird and her story was also strange.

-There was some swearing.

I only finished Renegade because I didn't know what I would read next.

My Rating: 1 star

Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves REVIEW

Ripper Trilogy: Book One

Summary:

It's 1888, and after her mother's sudden death, Abbie is sent to live with her grandmother in a posh London neighborhood. When she begins volunteering at Whitechapel Hospital, Abbie finds she has a passion for helping the abused and sickly women there.
But within days, patients begin turning up murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper. As more women are murdered, Abbie realizes that she and the Ripper share a strange connection: she has visions showing the Ripper luring his future victims to their deaths--moments before he turns his knife upon them. Her desperation to stop the massacres leads Abbie on a perilous hunt for the killer. And her search leads to a mysterious brotherhood whose link to the Ripper threatens not just London but all of mankind.

My Thoughts:

This was a very interesting book. I don't normally read historical fiction, but I read this one and like it. The book was well written with surprising plot twists. (like how the people she works with are helping Jack the Ripper). 

-But there was some swearing.

-Abbie's mother apparently was a model for a painting (and it was an inappropriate painting) and slept with the painter, who Abbie thinks is her father (not the man her mother married).

(This is random, but whenever I think of Jack the Ripper, I think of the characters in Black Butler who were Jack the Ripper.)

My Rating: 3 stars

The author's website is here.

The Fearless by Emma Pass REVIEW

Summary:

The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jori is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their  lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

My Thoughts:

THIS BOOK IS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was disappointed in ACID, but The Fearless was so good. The first few chapters were about Cass when she was ten and the Fearless invaded her town and that her father was Altered (while she was watching out the window and couldn't do anything). Then they escape the town and go to a friend's protected island, inviting many people who are on the run from the Fearless. 

Then it's seven years later and she risks her own life to save her little brother.

It swore a few times, though.

My Rating: 5 stars

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund REVIEW

 



Summary:

Princess Aurelia is next in line to rule the kingdom of Tyralt, but she would rather be one of the common folk, free to learn and roam and . . . not marry the next tyrannical prince that comes courting. Naturally, the king wants Aurelia to marry for political power. Aurelia wants to marry for love. And someone in the kingdom wants her . . . dead. Assigned to investigate and protect Aurelia is Robert, the son of the king's former royal spy and one of Aurelia's oldest friends. As Aurelia and Robert slowly uncover clues as to who is threatening her, their friendship turns to romance. With everything possible on the line, her life, her kingdom, her heart, Aurelia is forced to take matters into her own hands, no matter the cost.

My Thoughts:

This book was pretty good, although it wasn't my favorite. There wasn't much romance in this book (yay!). It was not as good as I expected, but the story was interesting. Most books of this type of story are not as good as I expect them to be, which is why I don't normally read books like this.

My Rating: 4 stars

The author's website is here.