Mel & Em Reviews

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Exiled Queen

By Cinda Williams Chima

586 Pages

Published by Hyperion Books

★★★★

By Em

I just adore these books! They are everything I love! Perfect modern fantasy. (See my The False Prince review to fully grasp my old fantasy hatred!) They have fun plots, interesting characters, and constant twists and turns that keep making you wonder what in the world is going to happen to the characters next! The books has a perfect balance of action and politics, that doesn't bore you, or overwhelm you!

Haunted by his family's death, Han Alister, along with his close friend Fire Dancer, are on their way to Mystwerk Academy at Oden's Ford. Han is ready to train as a magician, though not quite ready to become the Clan's hired help against the other wizards. On their way to the school, they face all sorts of unique challenges, and meet up with some old friends, who will join them on their journey. While at the school, Han faces even more problems. Micah Bayar, his long time magical adversary also happens to be attending the same school, and Han is approached by a mysterious tutor who refuses to meet him in person, but only in the dream world of Aediion, which few magicians think really exists.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna is also traveling on the long journey to Oden's Ford, under the alias Rebecca Morley, to train, not as a magician, but as a soldier at Wien House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. Traveling with her close friend Amon Byrne and his group of soldiers, Raisa is ready for a school where she doesn't have to worry about arranged marriages, just her studies. But, as with Han, trouble just seems to follow her. Suddenly, she's seeing gang leaders who she thought was dead and Micah and his sister Fiona, who are the only people who know her true identity at the academy. The problems for these two are far from over.

Now in general, I think these are great fantasy novels. They aren't to far out there, and they aren't to safe. They create a nice balance that makes them down-right fun to read.I thoroughly enjoyed Raisa as a character in this book far more than in the other one, because now she is more focused on training and other people, than, like in the other one, suitors and getting married. Han's experiences are interesting as well. (Spoilers?) Besides facing problems with his friends, he is also challenged with tutoring from Crow, a teacher who down-right hates him, and a headmistress who basically recruits him for the wizard army! And I thought high school was going to be hard!

I love the way all of the school going's takes place. You have Han, who is in the same school as Micah, who no questionably hates him. You have Raisa, posing as Rebecca Morley, who knows Han under her alias, and is hiding from Micah, who she is supposed to be married to. And yet, it takes all of them an incredibly long time to figure out any of them are at the school! It's like those movies where on person is searching for another person, and the minute the person searching walks through a door, the person he's searching for walks into the room he just left! Somehow they are always evading each other, which I, for some reason, like!

As I've said in my review of the first book in this series, I love the writer's style. It feels real. Not to bright and colorful, as some books make the world seem. Some days there are blue skies, but some days are down right miserable. The world itself seems real to. I love a good elf or dragon every now and then, but some stories just don't need them, and this is definitely one of them. And I'm still craving a chance to get back to the Renaissance Fair. No joke! That was a total blast! Hands down; an amazing author. She left me with a nice cliff-hanger, so I'm excited to read just what happens next!

No comments:

MEL

My name is Mel and I will be a freshman in September. One very important fact you need to know about me is that I LOVE to read! You can find me reading just about anywhere. I’ll read in the car, on the bus, in my free time, at breakfast, even in front of the TV during commercials. Reading is awesome!

I enjoy many genres. Fantasy, romance, action, and mystery are my favorites. I love fast-paced stories with many surprises, twists, and turns. I hate books whose endings are completely predictable. They have to catch me in the beginning and keep me hooked until the end.

Besides reading and writing, I do enjoy additional activities. I love to play soccer. It is my favorite sport. I love the feeling of scoring a goal or setting one up. I hope to be the midfielder on the high school team next year. Also, when I grow up I plan to choose a career in photography. I enjoy taking the picture as well as editing it later. I would like to have a job as a wedding photographer in particular.

I really hope you find my reviews helpful and well written. Keep reading because you never know when you’ll come across an amazing book!

Mel's Boookshelf

Lies
By Michael Grant
Lies (Gone, #3)

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse that ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder--much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing --not even a smear of blood--to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhuunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother. And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Fallen

By Lauren Kate

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the minute she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the on bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to with Luce-and goes out of his way to make that very clear-she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret... even if it kills her.

Partials
By Dan Wells

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials-engineered organic beings identical to humans-has decimated the world's population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity's time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friends pregnancy, she's determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question-one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

Shiver
By Maggie Stiefvater

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf-her wolf-watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human-and Grace must fight to keep him-even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

(Hi, Em here! Now, I put Shiver on Mel's shelf because I keep telling her to read it, as does her cousin, but she refuses to read it because her cousin refuses to read Harry Potter. So, since Emma has control of the website (laughs evilly!) I put it on her shelf because she simply must read it. It's like the only romance novel I like.)

EM

Hey everyone, my name's Emma. I would like to say I'm an expert on all sorts of sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure books, but sadly, I'm no expert. But, I do love those books and that is usually the area I stick with, occasionally breaking those borders to explore different types of books. But if you're interested in that kind of stuff, you'll definitely want to take a look at some of the books on my shelf. I try and keep updated on popular (and unpopular) young adult books that fit these categories. Feel free to leave any suggestions for books that you'd think I'd like, and I'll totally take a look at them.

Beyond that, I'm a volleyball player. I read and play volleyball. That's my life. Lots of volleyball... In my seven years playing, I've learned a few things, especially that the smell of a player's knee pad can get your brother to do anything! (it is just that bad!) And I dabble in the art of writing, nothing very good, by it's fun anyways.

The one thing to expect from my reviews; wit and sarcasm. But I'm very serious when I need to be... Well, not really, but I hope the reviews are helpful!

<3 Em

Em's Bookshelf

The Mark of Athena

By Rick Riordan

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy-after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera-it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly the Argo II, she can't help blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find-and close-the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard that Argo II, if you dare...

Ashen Winter
By Mike Mullin

It's been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone super volcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex's relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It's also been six months of waiting for Alex's parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey to Iowa to find and bring back Alex's parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Blood Red Road
By Moira Young

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, and unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Numbers
By Rachel Ward

Ever since she was a child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem's world is about to explode!

The Crimson Crown
By Cinda Williams Chima

A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed--Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love. Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells sems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa anaMarianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells' inner turmoil, Raisa's best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds himself it impossible to ignore his feeling for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last come to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.

The Maze Runner
by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprisingly yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.