Mini Reviews: Wanderlost by Jen Malone and Soldier by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe. Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story. But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is - she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

My Rating: 2.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: I haven’t had the opportunity to travel much so I love it when books incorporate traveling abroad. It’s too bad then that Jen Malone’s Wanderlost didn’t do such a great job of making me feel as if I was in Europe since it involved more telling than showing. Also, the chance for Aubree to go on a trip to Europe began with the laughable premise of her perfect older sister being arrested for literally no reason. If you’re in the mood to read something that will make you want to book a trip ASAP, I’d recommend Kirsten Hubbard’s Wanderlove instead.

Wanderlost was released in May 2016 by HarperTeen. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Harpercollins) via Edelweiss. 

..................................................................................................

From Goodreads: When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side. As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises. 

My Rating: 3 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Considering that the series feature dragons, the books in Julie Kagawa’s Talon series have yet to wow me – and Soldier was no exception. Yes, it advanced the overarching plot and confirmed my suspicions about Ember and Dante’s heritage, but it still focused a little too much on the love triangle for my liking. As well, the reveal about Garret’s family felt very rushed. With two more books planned for this series, I don’t think I’m going to continue on with it. 

Talon was released by Harlequin Teen in April 2016.

Review: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her - Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day ... or start an all-out war?

My Rating: 3.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: More action-packed and less-focused on romance, Julie Kagawa’s Rogue is a much stronger novel than its predecessor, Talon. What I really liked about Rogue though was that I no longer had to suffer through Ember exploring what it means to be a human.

While Garret was pretty much relegated to the background and Ember remained as impulsive as ever, I came to like Riley in Rogue because we’re given his backstory and get to see him be a bit more vulnerable. I also liked having Dante’s perspective in Rogue because we can contrast his view of Talon with Ember’s, and get a better picture of what’s going on than either twin.

With Rogue’s cliffhanger ending, I’m looking forward to reading Soldier and seeing what Talon’s plans are for the future. 

Rogue was released in April 2015 by Harlequin Teen. 

Comments About the Cover: I like its simplicity, but I don’t think that it’s as pretty as Talon’s cover. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) for free via NetGalley.

Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser. Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George. Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

My Rating: 3 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Not having had much time to read lately and feeling stressed from the massive pile of assignments I have due over the course of this month, I decided to read Julie Kagawa's Talon because it promised dragons and a forbidden romance. Unfortunately, Talon didn’t turn out as I expected because the dragons in the story were generally masquerading as humans. 

Although I originally had no problems with Ember and her brother, Dante, pretending to be humans in order to learn how to blend in, I eventually got bored of reading about Ember surfing, making friends, checking out guys at the beach, and drinking smoothies. You’d barely know Ember was a dragon if it wasn’t for her occasional whiny thought about not being able to fly or her freedom being restricted by Talon.

Speaking of Talon, Kagawa hardly tells you anything about it as an organization other than that it’s bad. The conflict with the Order of St. George is also overly simplified because you’re only told that Talon and the Order have been fighting each other for generations because humans hate dragons. There was just so little worldbuilding in this novel!

The romance was problematic too because there was a love triangle, with Ember being attracted to both Garret, a member of the Order of St. George, and Riley, a rogue dragon. While I don’t particularly care who Ember ends up with, I thought it should have been very obvious to her that Garret wasn’t just an average guy spending his summer on the beach. I also thought that Garret fell quite quickly for Ember, especially considering that he always suspected that she was most likely a dragon.

Talon was released by Harlequin Teen in October 2014. 

Comments About the Cover: It’s simple, but so visually appealing!

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey - ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. 

My Rating: 2.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Back when I reviewed Julie Kagawa’s The Iron King, I was told by a number of people that I should continue on with the series because it gets better. Perhaps the later books do, but that was not my experience with the sequel, The Iron Daughter. 

I can’t quite remember if I found Meghan annoying in The Iron King, but I really wanted to punch her after reading The Iron Daughter. It just felt like she was either sobbing or obsessing about Ash throughout the entire book. 

I’m still puzzled as to why people have fussed so much over the romance, which continues to feel very forced to me. It’s pretty clear that Ash isn’t over Ariella, but if Meghan’s fine with that, well, there’s another reason that I find her pathetic.

Seriously, if it wasn’t for Puck, Grimalkin (who always seems to conveniently appear to bail Meghan and her friends out of trouble), and Ironhorse, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to finish The Iron Daughter. The question now remains: To read The Iron Queen or not? 

The Iron Daughter was released in August 2010 by Harlequin Teen. 

Comments About the Cover: It's not amazing or anything, but I like it better than The Iron King's.

Review: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions - her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost - the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa picks up where The Eternity Cure ends, with Allie, Kanin and Jackal determined to stop Sarren before he reaches Eden. Allie in particular desperately wants to kill Sarren for torturing Zeke.

Since The Forever Song begins with Allie and her blood family tracking Sarren, I thought it started off kind of slowly. The pacing also seemed slow because rather than allowing herself to think about Zeke, Allie closed herself off to all emotions. She does eventually emerge from her emotional stupor, much to the disappointment of Jackal who thought his blood sister was going to be swayed to the dark side and become more like him.

In The Eternity Cure, Jackal quickly became one my favourite characters from The Blood of Eden series. After reading this book though, I’d say that he’s actually my favourite character of the series because while he remains amusing and cocky, he has also developed some affection for his sister and sire, and thereby has probably grown the most as a character over the course of the trilogy.

Whereas the beginning of The Forever Song was slow, I found the ending a bit rushed. It took Allie and the others too long to catch up to Sarren, and the final battle wasn’t as drawn out or as bloody as I would have liked it to be. I did think, however, that Kagawa did a nice job of providing closure with all the characters.

The Forever Song will be released tomorrow by Harlequin Teen!

Comments About the Cover: The covers for this series don't really match, but I like this one the best because purple is my favourite colour. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) for free via NetGalley.

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. 

My Rating: 3.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Having read Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series, I recently decided that it was time to give her other series a try. Over the past couple of years, I’d seen great reviews about The Iron Fey series – and I finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about. While I didn’t find the first book, The Iron King, to be amazing; I did think it was a solid read.

A huge reason why I enjoyed The Iron King was because of the worldbuilding. I really liked the idea of the faerie realm’s existence being dependent upon human imagination, and seeing the rise of the iron fey and the deterioration of the faerie realm as a result of humans dreaming about science and technology instead.

There was just something lacking with the characters, however. For example, although I found Meghan to be very determined in her quest to get her brother back, I still felt a bit disconnected from her for some reason.

I also didn’t care much about the romance because Ash was cold and kind of a jerk. As well, it seemed that he fell for Meghan because she reminded him of his dead girlfriend, which I find a bit creepy. But, I’m not on Team Puck either because he came off as friend material to me. 

The Iron King was released by Harlequin Teen in February 2010.  

Comments About the Cover: It’s okay; I like the foreground and the font.

Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning - New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Although I enjoyed Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules last year, it took me quite a while to get into the story because I found the first half kind of slow, especially when Allie was on the run by herself. Thankfully, it didn’t take that long for things to become interesting in The Eternity Cure.

While I continued to like both Allie and Kanin in The Eternity Cure, I also found myself viewing Zeke more favourably. I think it’s because he stopped seeming like such a goody-goody in this book.

Another character for whom my feelings changed was Jackal. Before beginning The Eternity Cure, I vaguely remembered him as the villain from the previous book. After having Allie spend so much time with him in this novel, I definitely consider him a memorable character now due to his sarcastic, witty banter.

I also liked how instead of just hearing about the vampire hierarchy and politics, we finally get to see it in action. When Allie goes into the Inner City to rescue Kanin, her experience illuminates how different the life of those living in the Fringe is compared to that of the vampires and their pets. I’m hoping we get to see the same in the next novel, using the free humans of Eden as the measure of comparison.

The Eternity Cure was released by Harlequin Teen in April 2013.  

Comments About the Cover: I’m not sure how this cover relates to the story. It also doesn’t match the cover of The Immortal Rules. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) for free via NetGalley.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked - and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what - and who - is worth dying for.

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Having never read The Iron Fey series, I was pretty excited to hear that Julie Kagawa would be coming out with a brand new series – this time revolving around vampires – for two reasons: 1) I’d finally get a chance to read her writing without feeling the pressure to get caught up with the entire series and 2) I like vampires better than faeries.

In The Immortal Rules, Kagawa lets readers meet Allie, a girl who chooses to become a vampire as she lies dying and subsequently struggles to hold onto her humanity. I found the first part of the novel to be kind of slow since it basically chronicles Allie’s transformation and her learning what it means to be a vampire from Kanin, her sire. However, it does allow the reader to learn about the mythology behind Kagawa’s vampires and rabids and get an accurate picture of just how bleak life for humans is. Not only do humans face the threat of vampires, raiders and rabids, but it’s a time of scarcity and illiteracy as well because books are banned and food is strictly rationed.

As a character, I admired Allie because she’s so scrappy. I also really liked that Allie doesn’t have blinders on when it comes to her relationships. She’s very aware that as an immortal and a predator, there are fundamental differences between her and the humans she interacts with. This is why I enjoyed the romance – there’s attraction and a simultaneous desire to drain Zeke (who I thought had less personality than Darren) dry.

As much as I liked Allie though, my two favourite characters were Kanin and Sarren. I feel as if there’s still a lot more to be learned about Kanin, and I liked Sarren because he’s a little psycho. Who doesn’t enjoy unpredictable characters?

A great start to Kagawa’s newest series, The Immortal Rules was released by Harlequin Teen in April 2012.

Comments About the Cover: It’s easy to tell that The Immortal Rules involves vampires. It’s kind of sad though that the publisher chose to use a Caucasian model rather than an Asian one. 

In exchange for an honest review, this ARC was received from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) for free via NetGalley.