Review: Greta and the Goblin King

Title: Greta and the Goblin King
Author: Chloe Jacobs
Publication date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: library

Rating: 5 stars

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While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. 

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. 

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back..

My first thought when I was reading this book was: "This is.... a debut novel?!"

Because it was flipping fantastic.

 You know how sometimes you read a book and you just love it so much and you want everyone to read it and fall in love with it? That's how I felt about Greta and the Goblin King.

The characters:
Greta is officially my new favorite heroine. She is a badass and I loved her for it.

"She needed to remember this moment. Not the fear or the loneliness- although those feelings were strong enough to tear her apart inside- but the anger. That was something she could use, it would give her strength."

Four years in the harsh world of Mylena has turned Greta into a tough-as-nails bounty hunter who can go head to head with just about any goblin/fairy/gnome. Greta reminded me a lot of Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series in that she too was a wonderful mixture of strength and sarcasm. But, like Rose, Greta also had heart. She cared even when she didn't want to, when she knew better, and it was obvious that she was the type of person who would do anything and everything for the people she cared about.

Speaking of the people Greta cares about..... Isaac. The young goblin king.
Le swoooon.
In my mind, goblin is not synonymous with hot, but Chloe Jacobs has convinced me otherwise! Isaac and Greta have a fairly rocky history of lies and deception but their chemistry is off the charts. I loved that they kept pushing each others' buttons, challenging one another, and their occasional back-and-forth snark certainly doesn't hurt. ;)
There's hint at a possible love triangle in the next book, which brings me to my next point....

The human boys. These are kids and teenagers stranded in a foreign and dangerous land and, against all odds, they have managed to survive. Led by Wyatt (the potential other love interest), these boys have become a family. I loved them. From adorable little Jacob to tough, angry Ray to responsible golden boy Wyatt, I loved each and every one of them.

I'm not worried about there being a love triangle--in fact, I'm kind of looking forward to it (shocking words, I know!) because all three characters are so well-developed and none of them are present just for the sake of creating romantic conflict. I think this story has the potential for a really well-written love triangle, albeit possibly heart-wrenching because I love both boys very much.

The plot/setting:
This is YA fantasy done right. The world-building was great, the pacing was impeccable, and the adventure was riveting. The action starts pretty much from the very first page and keeps my attention for the rest of the book. Background information about the world of Mylena and how Greta got there was given as the book progressed in a way that didn't disrupt the flow of the story which was something I really appreciated.

Oh, and did anyone else realize see the influences of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale in this story?? I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a direct fairy tale retelling, but Chloe Jacobs definitely took some of the basic elements of the Hansel and Gretel tale and spun it into a completely unique and captivating story. When I realized the connection, it was like:

All in all:

Sigh. Guys. I really loved this book! I gobbled it up and I can't stop going back and re-reading bits of it over and over. I really need that second book. If you like fantasy, adventure, general epicness, and a seriously awesome heroine, then you really need to go pick this book up. 

Oh, and the romance was great too... you know.... if you're into that kind of thing.  ;)

Review: Shadow Bound

Shadow Bound (Unbound #2)

by Rachel Vincent

Published May 22, 2012 by Mira

"Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else.... 

The job? Recruit Ian Holt-or kill him. 

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister. 

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty...."
-goodreads

 “If you live in the dark long enough, you start to forget what light looks like.”

Rachel Vincent is one of those authors that really does get better with each novel she writes. I read somewhere that she found writing multiple POVS to be a difficulty for her. To deal with this, she decided to tackle this problem in her Unbound series, which alternates POVs which each chapter.

She also said she liked to use “old flames” when writing a romance because it was so much easier to pull backstory and rekindle the relationship, as opposed to constructing a brand new connection. As you might know, she did indeed use this old-flames-rekindling-their-fire technique in the first book, Blood Bound with Cam and Olivia.

So, apparently, to challenge herself, she changed tactics in Shadow Bound. And I’d have to say that it worked. REALLY worked.

I’d thought I loved Blood Bound, but Shadow Bound took my breath away. (No cheesiness intended).

“We haven’t met… I’m Kori Daniels. If you don’t get that gun out of my face, I’m gonna take it, then I’m gonna break your jaw so I can unhinge it and shove your pistol down your throat. That way the bullet goes through the long way.” 

I was really interested in Kori’s character from book 1, and I was delighted when I learned that this book was centering around her. But after suffering the consequences of what she let happen in Blood Bound, Kori is no longer the same woman. She’s still tough as ever, maybe even more so in this book, but at the same time, she’s much more vulnerable and broken—a side that she tries to keep hidden from everyone.. The things she suffered in the Tower basement were awful. Horrible. Inhuman. The fact that she emerged defiant as ever, still ready to spit fire at anyone challenging her, had me so impressed, so in awe of her strength.

And then we meet Ian Holt…

Excuse me for a moment while I swoon at the gloriousness that is Ian Holt.

*Ahem* OK. Back to business. Ian goes to the Tower syndicate with only one goal in mind: kill Kori’s sister. But then he meets Kori and suddenly, things aren’t so simple anymore.

I absolutely LOVED Ian’s character. He might even be one of my favorite male characters that Rachel Vincent has created! He’s funny and tough and caring and protective and sweet and just SUCH a nice guy. And incredibly swoon-worthy. Really. I’m quite jealous of Kori right now…

“I want you. I want only you. I want all of you. But I'll take whatever you're ready to give.”

His and Kori’s relationship actually only happened over a pretty darn short period of time, but their connection is very believable, and their chemistry undeniable. They complemented the other SO well, I can’t even describe it! (Kudos to you, Rachel Vincent).

In this book, we also get to learn more about Jake Tower and his syndicate—which, I think is safe to say, is even eviler than the Cavazos syndicate. Yeah. That’s saying something. Turns out the Tower syndicate Is full of deceit and secret agendas and just all sorts of general evilness.

My advice if you were ever faced with the choice to join the Tower or Cavazos syndicate: take Ruben Cavazos’s offer!

Considering how Blood Bound ended, Vincent, of course, had to have Cam and Liv make an appearance in this book! I loved that despite this book not being about them anymore, Vincent still gives us an answer as to what happened to them.

As always, the world-building is absolutely incredible. The power of blood and names in this urban fantasy is astounding and the implications of using them to hold power over someone are downright frightening. Vincent is so thorough in the little details of this world that she’s created, covering every base, making everything all the more believable.  Rachel Vincent has beautifully crafted a world where champagne and parties and luxury mask the stark ugliness of the Skilled world.

Rating: 5 stars

I have no complaints about this novel—except for the fact that the ending has left me craving the 3^rd (and *squeak* final) book in the series! I almost wish that it would continue Kori and Ian’s story because I loved them that much. But here's the cover reveal/synopsis of Oath Bound!

Darn you, 2013, for being so far away!

Review: Touch of Power

Touch of Power (Healer #1)
by Maria V. Snyder

Published December 20th 2011 by Mira

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

-goodreads

Rating: 5 stars!
Review:

Oh holy MOLEY. 

I expected this book to be good, and I certainly hoped that I would really like it.... but believe me, I did not expect to LOVE this book as much as I do! 

Just.... ahhh! I don't even know where to begin! 
It. Was. Brilliant. The concept of this novel, the healers, the magicians, and 11 types of magic were so original! I loved learning about the different types of magic and their respective abilities and I can't wait for the next book to learn more! The world-building was impeccable and I could visualize each setting perfectly. ALSO, oh my goodness, Maria V. Snyder is a master at pacing the story! The plot takes place over months, and not once was I bored! In my opinion, Snyder knew exactly when to give the reader a sequence of scenes and when to say that X passage of time had passed.

And I don't know about other people, but I adored the Death/Peace lilies. Maybe it's a girl thing.... Anyways, if you don't know, these lilies are man-sized lilies that can literally grab  and "eat" you (if it's a Death lily). I can't really explain why I loved this aspect of the book so much, but I thought it was very creative and just plain cool! I kind of wish they were real....

And now... on to the CHARACTERS.
I have to say, the characters just MADE the story. I mean, the adventure and magic elements were fantastic. But what really added that little oomph that usually pushes a book from 4 to 5 stars were the characters. 
Avry, the rare healer of the story, is one of the strongest and most brilliant protagonists I've seen in a long time! She's very selfless, risking her own safety countless times to save others, but that doesn't mean she makes stupid decisions. On the contrary, actually. She has a great analytic mind and picks up on great survival cues that I, as the reader, didn't even catch until she pointed them out! She's courageous and fearless and kind and just all sorts of amazing. Oh, plus she's very sarcastic, which I loved! Seriously, I'm sure you'll love her. 
As for the ragtag band of "rogues" mentioned in the blurb, I was initially worried that with 5 of them (Kerrick, Belen, Flea, Quain, and Loren) I wouldn't be able to keep them all straight. But never fear because Snyder is just that awesome and makes each one fairly distinct and memorable! 
(I even remembered how each one of them looked like, even though she only really described them once!)
 I loved how each of them came together to be this little "family" and have joke around despite their daunting mission. Avry's interaction with them was also fun to read--like they got another addition to the gang.
Kerrick is the undisputed leader of the group, as well as the love interest, and.... I don't know... I started off not really liking him because he was not exactly very nice... but then, I don't really know when exactly, but he totally grew on me! It was just one of those things where the culmination of the events of the book made me like him, as opposed to a single event. 
I kind of wish there could have been some more romance, though. At the end, I was all for the Avry-Kerrick pairing, but I wouldn't have minded some more Moments for me to swoon at his finery.   
As for the villain, Tohon, I think he was written wonderfully. A charming megalomaniac. 

All in all, this book was just wonderful all around! Love love LOVED it! I cannot wait for that sequel!!! 
Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down! Trust me, this book was one addictive read; I started it one morning and pretty much spent the rest of that day reading! I finished the very next day and raced to my computer because I was just so excited to gush about this book! 

Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5)
By Ally Carter

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.


Rating: 5/5
Review: 

 Mind. Is. Blown.
Goodness gracious is it ever! Ally Carter has totally stepped it up with this book and raised the bar. I mean, the previous four books were great, starting off pretty light and fluffy, although the last two books showed signs of getting more serious and nitty-gritty, this book definitely raised it to a whole new level!


Cammie is no longer the naive and innocent spy girl who would sneak out to go on dates. She wakes up on the other side of the world with mysterious wounds all over her body, a total makeover, and absolutely no memory of what happened. She eventually returns to the Gallagher Academy, but she's not the same girl. There's a definite sense of paranoia as she tries to figure out what happened to her over the summer. At times, as the reader, I couldn't even be sure if she was in her right mind! 


At the same time, it was great seeing Bex, Macey, Liz, and especially Zach around the new her. MINI SPOILER: At the beginning, I know it looks like there might be a little something going on with Zach and Bex.... but fear not! It's not what you think! 


While Cammie's roommates are understandably upset and angry at her for leaving, they went all out to protect her once she returned. Carter does such a great job creating this wonderful sisterhood and family. 


And ZACH! *Sigh* if you've seen my book boyfriend post about him, you know that I am crazy about Zachary Goode! I absolutely loved how this book showed you a different side of Zach--one where he's not the one with all the secrets, where he's kept in the dark just like everyone else. Oh, you can definitely tell he does NOT like being in the dark, but this totally shows off his sweet side where Cammie's concerned. 


When the truth really did come out, I was... oh my. Flabbergasted. Shocked. Mind-blown. My heart really went out to Cammie for all the things she endured that summer and believe me, there was a certain someone I really really wanted to beat up.... Oh my lord, this book was absolutely hearwrenching! Like I said, on a COMPLETELY different level from all the previous ones. I was sucked in from page 1 and literally could not put it down until I was done! And now... I must endure more agonizing wait time as Ally Carter writes up the 6th (and final?!) book! 


(And does anyone else think there might be a little somethin'-somethin' happening between Abby and Townsend in the next book??? Or is it just me? Because I could totally see that happening, especially after this book!)

Series Review: Strange Angels

Strange Angels, Betrayals, Jealousy, Defiance, Reckoning
by Lili St. Crow

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 

This is my first time reviewing a series as a whole, rather than each book individually. My reason for doing so it because, well, in this case, it's rather hard to simply review one book at a time; each book provides the perfect segway into the next and  the entire storyline and everything is just much easier to review and talk about once I finished the entire series. I'll try not to spoil too much for those who haven't read/finished the entire series, but beware because I probably will have to disclose some spoilery info....

So, quick summary time: this series is about a girl named Dru, who, for a long time now, has been moving from place to place with her dad. And what do they do when the get to these new towns? They exterminate otherworldly pests pretty much. Whether it's a bad case of voodoo or hex, they show up and take care of it. But all changes one day when Dru's father doesn't come home one night..... Oh, don't worry, he does return, but just as a zombie. Yeah, that's right, people can be turned into zombies. From that moment, Dru's pretty much on her own--and to top it off, she find out she's not completely human either! She's actually part-supernatural, half of one of the creatures she and her father spent years hunting. 

From there, she, along with the help of Graves and Christophe (who are also not exactly human...) escapes perilous dangers and creatures who want her dead, and finds her way to the Schola, a place for half-vampires and wulfen. (Spoiler!) Dru is a svetocha--a female half-vampire (note: half-vampires aka djampir and svetocha are good, full suckers= super duper bad!) and it just so happens that svetochas are extremely rare because they've been hunted religiously by full vampires because there's something in their natural make up that's toxic to full-on suckers. 

      Now, you'd think everything would be just peachy right? WRONG. All the suckers, especially the King, Sergej, himself wants her dead. To top it off, there are traitors and backstabbers within the Schola itself who are willing to give Dru up to be killed.

      Oh, and, of course, there is something of a love triangle involving her, Christophe (a super powerful, but rogue djampir) and Graves (a human-turned-loup-garou) 

DO NOT THINK TWILIGHT! Yes, okay, I know there's a vampire-werewolf love triangle, but believe me, Strange Angels could not be more different than Twilight. For one, this series is so freaking kicka$$ it's actually kinda ridiculous! Dru Anderson is, by far, one of the toughest heroines I've ever met! That girl knows her stuff when it comes to hexing, wards, guns, and survival. Again and again, Dru's world is turned upside down as she learns more about her own role in the supernatural world, all the while dealing with doubt, betrayal, confusion, unknown family history, and a little anger at the fact that she's part sucker. Yet despite all of the things thrown her way, she is tough as nails, and always picks herself back up. Even if she doesn't want to do it, she does because she knows people are depending on her. 

The love triangle was..... just all-around really great! For the first time, as I was reading, I had absolutely no clue just who Dru was going to end up with! I was a total Team Graves person myself, but good God, there were so many times I thought to myself: "Dang it! She's totally gonna end up with Christophe!" because she would talk about how, with Graves, she felt safer, whereas Christophe was pure danger and electricity, and of course, in YA novels, the girl always picks the dangerous bad boy! But surprisingly, the series ending that Lili St. Crow wrote was..... kinda highly refreshing. Without giving anything away, the ending totally wasn't what I was expecting, yet at the same time, I felt like it was the best possible ending for the series. And.... it does set it up for a follow-up book or spin-off..... FINGERS CROSSED! 

Another thing, though, is that, while there is definitely a romantic element to this series, it doesn't dominate the plot line. It was there, but it wasn't like Dru's biggest dilemma and mindset was "oh, which guy will I choose???" Puh-leaze, she's too busy trying to stay alive for that kind of thinking.

 As for the plot itself, I really liked it, but again, the plot is more of an overarching kind of thing, that in order to have the complete storyline, you really have to read the whole series. Though, that being said, I also felt like the books could've been, I don't know, a little shorter maybe? It's just that after finishing each book, I realized not much actually happened. I mean, yes, there were super intense moments, but that was basically the climax of the book; it was just one (maybe 2) moment(s). 

Also, another thing that was a little... annoying, to me personally, was this sense of a "gap" between conversations in the book. Literally, Dru will be talking to someone and then, bam! For the next couple of paragraphs, you're either reading the rather long thoughts running through her head, or reliving some of her past memories. It kind of got on my nerves because there would just be this huge gap in the conversations, and sometimes, I'd have to go back and re-read the last part of the dialogue! 

Another reason why this book wasn't a gull 5 stars was because I felt like St. Crow never really explained everything about the "Real World." Seriously, just what the heck is the "aspect" or the "Other" or Dru's personal special senses??? Don't get me wrong, I like it when the author doesn't bombard you with information at the very beginning, telling you all this background info at once, but the thing is, when the series ended, she still hadn't actually explained it!!! Also, WHAT THE HECK IS DRU SHORT FOR?!?! Sigh, either St. Crow wants to leave us in the dark about some things, or expects us to fill in the blanks for ourselves, or she is just (again, fingers crossed) is planning for a spin-off/follow-up novel. But either way, this little fact frustrated me quite a bit!

BUT all in all, I think this series was freaking fantastic! My personal favorites out of all the books would probably be book #1, 2, and 5. Strong beginning and strong finish. It's not your typical run-of-the-mill YA supernatural series. In some ways, it's a little mature because St. Crow tells it like it is---she doesn't romanticize the situation or descriptions, and I liked how it made the storyline more real. Also, just warning you, there is kind of a lot of cursing in these books, so, probably not the best choice for young kids. But seriously, this series is pretty darn amazing, and I highly recommend it.