Storyteller by Lisa Cresswell REVIEW

My Thoughts:

Well this was an okay fantasy. While it was pretty good at first, it then got boring and dragged on a lot to the point where I didn't really get what happened anymore.

Lily is half fairy and half elf. Her mother is a fairy and her father was an elf (he died). She can make up a story and it will happen.

She has to save her mother and the "True World" from her uncle, Kane.

This book was okay but not amazing.

My Rating: 2 stars

**I received this as an ebook from NETGALLEY for my honest review. Thank you!!!**

Elementals: the Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow REVIEW

My Thoughts:

Wow. This book was really good, and I'm so happy because I feel as if a lot of the books I read lately were not good at all. I hope to read more by this author soon!
Nicole is forced into a world of learning her powers without having prior knowledge that she is a "witch". She meets new friends who help her learn to control and use her powers, but she's doing it really fast. Almost too fast. Darius, her teacher, shows her a prophecy that he needs her to decipher: the Prophecy of Shadows. She and her classmates and friends must team up to decipher and solve this prophecy before it's too late . . .
Well, it's a lot like Percy Jackson, but it's still really good and well written.
Her realization of her powers could have been a more powerful scene.
But she learns that she might actually be a "demigod" not a "witch" and her father might be Apollo.
Apparently the difference between the two is that a demigod is half-god but a witch has a lot less power and isn't half-god.
I can't wait for more!!!

My Rating: 4.5 stars

**I received this as an ebook from NETGALLEY for my honest review. Thank you!!!**

Winter by Marissa Meyer REVIEW

The Lunar Chronicles: Book Four

Summary:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

My Thoughts:

YES I FINALLY GOT TO READ THIS BOOK AND I AM SO HAPPY BUT I WILL MISS READING IT SO MUCH.

The ending was okay, but it wasn't the best.

Other than that--WOW THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD AND AMAZING AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!

My Rating: 5 stars

The Detour by S. A. Bodeen REVIEW

Summary:

Livvy Flynn is a seventeen-year-old bestselling author whose YA fiction has sold all over the world. People in the industry kiss up to her. She's rich, she's famous, and she's full of herself.

When she's invited to an A-list writers' retreat, she decides to accept so she can work on her next book and enjoy the admiration--and envy--of the writer wannabes. Plus, she has a new, cute sports car, and it'll be fun to drive there by herself.

And then she hits the detour. Before she knows it, the car is wrecked, she's hurt, and she's trapped in a basement, with no idea where she is. A woman and her apparently manic daughter have kidnapped her. And they have no intention of letting her go.

My Thoughts:

I got this book for Christmas. It was published a couple months ago, I had read a few of the author's other books and liked them, I had even met the author at a TeenReaderCon. So I asked for it for Christmas, hoping it would be good.

Well, most of it was good. Everything was good, except for a really creepy guy.

But why did the woman kidnap her just because Livvy used a general idea that the woman had in her book, and unknowing that the woman had also published a book that apparently was almost identical to her's? Livvy only took a very general topic and somehow they ended up with similar stories. Livvy's was more popular so that person hated her for that. Which was a bit of a strange reason to kidnap someone over.

My Rating: 3 stars

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray REVIEW

Summary:

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . .
Eight years after the fall of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire now reigns over the known galaxy. Resistance to the Empire has been all but silenced. Only a few courageous leaders such as Bail Organa of Alderaan still dare to openly oppose Emperor Palpatine.
After years of defiance, the many worlds at the edge of the Outer Rim have surrendered. With each planet's conquest, the Empire's might grows even stronger.
The latest to fall under the Emperor's control is the isolated mountain planet Jelucan, whose citizens hope for a more prosperous future even as the Imperial Starfleet gathers overhead . . . .

My Thoughts:

Wow. This book was great.
It took you through Episode IV to Episode VI with the two main characters.
Unfortunately, there was romance between the two main characters, but it thankfully wasn't in most of the book.
Overall, this book was long but very enjoyable.

My Rating: 4 stars

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell REVIEW

Summary:

Nicolette's awful stepsisters call her "Mechanica" to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother's knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

Then, on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there--and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules--be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

My Thoughts:

Wow. I loved this book!

It's a steampunk retelling of Cinderella.

I very much enjoyed reading this book and I wish that I was still reading it!!!

The only problems were: the prince and the ending.

The prince is actually Nicolette's friend and he acts as if he likes her--but he apparently doesn't like her like that.

The ending was weird. It didn't even resolve the problems with her Steps. 

One of the things she would need in the future to keep working was "cursed" but that was never explained or resolved either.

My Rating: 4 stars

The author's website is here.

Nightspell by Leah Cypess REVIEW

**Sequel to Mistwood**

Summary:

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger--not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.
Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister . . . if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom--not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition, not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once, and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.
In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

My Thoughts:

First--this doesn't really feel like a sequel--none of the characters are the same. But there's no romance!!!
While it was good, sometimes it got boring, dragged on, or confusing.
The ending wasn't really resolved.
But overall, this book was okay.

My Rating: 3 stars

Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Summary:

Oracles see the future. But they are never supposed to interfere. Charlotte learned that the hard way. If she hadn't tried to change one of her childhood visions, her mother wouldn't be in a wheelchair--and her father would still be alive.

Since that fateful accident, Charlotte has tried to suppress her visions. But when she receives a premonition of a classmate's murder, she knows she can no longer sit idly by.

Then she meets Smith, a man who not only knows Charlotte's secret but who also claims to have a way for her to manipulate her visions to change the future. But doing this means Charlotte must put herself in the path of the murderer.

My Thoughts:

Wow. I have finally read a book by this author that will get 5 stars. I didn't think I would ever find one.

While I hoped that it would be a scary story, and it wasn't, I still enjoyed this book immensely more than the author's other books that I have read.

Not only is the plot good and interesting, but there's a lot of action and mystery going on. And there's not much romance.

My Rating: 5 stars 

Mistwood by Leah Cypess REVIEW

Summary:

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her to ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

My Thoughts:

YES!!! THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!

I feel as if I have read it before, though . . .

BUT what's good is that it's better than I remembered (and no, I don't have that great of a memory).

The only problem I have with this book is that apparently Isabel and Rokan like each other??? They don't really mention it until the end of the book, yet it sounds as if there should have been more romance in the book.

My Rating: 4 stars

Destined by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Wings series: Book Four

Summary:

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days.

My Thoughts:

YAY!!! I AM FINALLY DONE READING THIS SERIES!!!!

While I enjoyed it for the most part, I didn't like it as much when I read these last books in the series . . .

It seemed to drag out the storyline to the point where I wanted to scream at it to hurry up and not be boring.

That said, I did like this book, but the series wasn't my favorite.

My Rating: 3 stars

Doctor Who Article

My sister, Elf, wrote a Doctor Who article--"Is This Still The Doctor?", which talks about how Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor is very different than the previous Doctors, and why that isn't really good at all, because of how he really seems to not care very much about anything except Clara . . .
He regrets saving other people, and he doesn't seem to care if he or other people die as long as he can save Clara.
I didn't really like this season that much either--the previous season was much better, with both his personality and the stories of the episodes. Let's hope that the Christmas special and the next season will be much better than this season.

Siren's Fury by Mary Weber REVIEW

Storm Siren Trilogy: Book Two

Summary:

Nym risked her life to save Faelen, her homeland, from a losing war, only to discover that the shape-shifter Draewulf has stolen everything she holds dear. But when the repulsive monster robs Nym of her storm-summoning abilities as well, the beautiful Elemental realizes her war is only just beginning.

Now powerless to control the elements that once emboldened her, Nym stows away on an airship traveling to the metallic kingdom of Bron. She must stop Draewulf. But the horrors he's brought to life and the secrets of Bron are more than Nym bargained for. Then the disturbing Lord Myles tempts her with new powers that could destroy the monster, and Nym must decide whether she can compromise in the name of good even if it costs her very soul.

As she navigates the stark industrial cityscape of Bron, Nym is faced with an impossible choice: change the future with one slice of a blade . . . or sacrifice the entire kingdom for the one thing her heart just can't let go.

My Thoughts:

YAY! I FINALLY GOT TO READ THIS BOOK AFTER THE TERRIBLE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END OF THE LAST ONE!!!!!

Eogan is in the process of being taken over by Draewulf. "you can't save both your homeland and the person you love" (I don't know if that is exactly what he said, but it's close). Nym can't bear the thought of killing Eogan, but she believes that she must in order to kill Draewulf. But Eogan is still fighting Draewulf . . . Will Nym be able to save him?

This book was an amazing sequel to Storm Siren. I loved it!

And I can't wait for the last book in the trilogy to come our!!!

My Rating: 5 stars

Freenet by Steve Stanton REVIEW

My Thoughts:

Ugh. I hated this book. While the summary sounded cool and the cover is AMAZING, the book disappointed me a lot.

First, there isn't much description of where the book takes place . . . it's not earth but they don't say what planet (unless the name of the place they go to is the name of the planet).

Second, the book isn't really set in space too much, unlike what the cover makes you think. The characters are only floating in space once (and it's near the end of the book).

Third, there doesn't seem to be much of a storyline at all.

And did I mention some of this book was inappropriate?

While the cover and summary seemed captivating, the book isn't captivating at all.

My Rating: less than 1 star

**I received this as an ebook from NETGALLEY for my honest review. Thank you!!!**

earth BOUND by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Summery:

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she's never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there's much more about her past that she isn't being told.

Tavia immediately searches for answers desperate to determine why she feels so drawn to a boy she hardly knows. But when Tavia discovers that the aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents' death may have actually been responsible for the plane crash that killed them--and that she may have been the true intended victim--she flees for the safety of Camden, Maine, where the boy she sees in her visions instructs her to go.

Now, Tavia is on the run with no one to trust. No one, that is, except for her best friend and longtime crush, Benson.

Tavia feels torn between the boy who mysteriously comes to her at night and the boy who has been by her side every step of the way. But what Tavia doesn't know is that the world is literally falling apart and that to save it she will have to unite with the boy in her visions. Only problem? To do so would mean rejecting Benson's love. And that's the one thing Tavia Michaels swore she'd never do.

My Thoughts:

WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT SPACE.

Unfortunately.

I thought it was going to be about space. But no, it isn't. And I really hated this book (not only because it wasn't about space).

The story drags a lot and makes it really boring. It doesn't get better until the end. And then there is a cliffhanger.

My Rating: 1 star

Death Marked by Leah Cypess REVIEW

**Sequel to Death Sworn**

Summary:

Ileni could change the world. She could do what she has always been trained to do: destroy the Empire. Her people want her to. The assassin she loves--who is now deadlier than ever--wants her to. But now that she knows her entire life was built on a lie, Ileni needs to see the truth for herself. Is the Empire truly as evil as she has always believed?

The answers lie in the Imperial Academy of Sorcery, a place where danger and temptation sit side by side. If her true purpose is discovered, she won't escape alive. But once she discovers what the imperial sorcerers can offer her, she may not want to leave. Ileni has found the one thing she never expected--a place where she belongs.

Except, this place has its secrets, too. 

The truth is never purely evil or purely good. And Ileni no longer knows whose side she is on.

My Thoughts:

I found this book a lot more interesting than the previous one.

But, like the previous book, there wasn't much description about where Ileni was.

And while most of the book was amazing, the ending was so strange and unexpected.

I have very confusing feelings about this book, but I did like it.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Wings series: Book Three

Summary:

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life returns to normal, Laurel realizes that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

My Thoughts:

This book was okay. I hate how Avalon is never a big part of these books--I would have loved to see it described in more detail and take up half of one of the books in this series.

But it wasn't like that.

In the beginning, it seems like Laurel just came back from Avalon. Then there's the weird love triangle thing taking up a lot of the book . . . why can't it just be easy and not take up most of the story? A new character who they think is a faerie goes to their school . . . but as interesting as it was at first, the mystery was dragging on and I got tired of it. 

But there is an interesting plot twist near the end of this book . . .

My Rating: 2 stars

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess REVIEW

Summary:

Ileni is losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: Her status as the renegade sorcerers' most powerful rising star. Her purpose in life. The boy she loves. Her home.

Exiled to teach sorcery to the assassins hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two tutors died within weeks of each other. As Ileni unravels the mystery surrounding their deaths, she'll uncover secrets that have been kept for decades--and she'll find an unexpected ally and dangerous new love.

But even he may not be able to protect her. Not when she's willing to risk EVERYTHING.

My Thoughts:

This book was very interesting, although the beginning was a little boring.

Not only are there surprising plot twists about who the enemy is, but also a surprising cliffhanger.

But the love story seemed as if it was forced into the book . . .

There were also some things that weren't explained at all or weren't explained very well--like why Ileni is losing her magic and how people steal other people's magic as they are dying.

But over all, this book was pretty good.

My Rating: 3 stars

The author's website is here.

Spells by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Wings series: Book Two

Summary:

Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she reuses to turn her back on her human life--and especially her boyfriend, David--to return to the faerie world.

But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable.

She is forced to make a choice--a choice that could break her heart.

My Thoughts:

One of my greatest disappointments about this book was the very few pages where Laurel is in Avalon. She spends her summer there, yet it isn't even one-third of the book. 

Also, the weird love triangle. Laurel seems to hate Tamani at times, but she actually seems to like him.

Faeries live for 200 years, so how will she feel when David dies?

Her memory seems to be wiped so that she could grow up with humans. She used to really enjoy being with Tamani and other people in Avalon, but she doesn't remember any of it.

She doesn't actually make a choice at all in the book.

A human shows up who knows about trolls and hunts them.

Over all, this book was very disappointing.

My Rating: 1 star

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane REVIEW

Summary:

It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with relatives in the country and expecting a tedious vacation. Instead, he finds himself in the midst of a shocking murder mystery when two local men die from symptoms resembling the plague. When it becomes clear they have not died from natural causes, Holmes begins to investigate--and uncovers a diabolical plot. So begins his first battle of wits against a brilliantly sinister villain of viciously malign intent.

My Thoughts:

This book was well written and good, but it wasn't as good as my sister told me.

The cause of death of the local people seems to be from bees that normally live in Africa (I think). 

The villain hates Great Britain for some reason.

 There is a substance that the bees react violently to--and he plans for the bees to kill the military people by putting the substance on the military uniforms.

Sherlock tries to stop him. He stops him, but the man gets away.

Like I said, this book was good but not amazing.

My Rating: 3 stars

Wings by Aprilynne Pike REVIEW

Wings series: Book One

Summary:

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

"Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings."

My Thoughts:

I don't really know what to say about this book.

It was well written.

The story was interesting.

But for some reason, I didn't like this book a lot.

And I don't know why.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't wonderful.

My Rating: 3 stars

The author's website is here.