Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone By J K Rowling (4.5/5)

I think there is very little point in me explaining anything about the concept of this book, as only someone living under a very oblivious rock, wearing ear plugs and buried somewhere closer to the centre of the Earth than the surface could be unaware of the world of Harry Potter. I recently sat down to re read the series and as this is the 8th time I have read this specific book I felt that it was slightly criminal that I'd never sat down to review it.

In the old days when only 5 Harry Potter books existed and before most fan fiction found itself to be shockingly inaccurate when compared to cannon, I regarded this book to be my least favourite of the five after reading them all. Thinking about this now I feel this was rather unfair and have tried to recall how I felt when I first finished the book, around the age of 14. My initial reaction at the time was that I had just read something special and found a new world to yearn for. Even when this book was my least favourite of the series the world building could not be faulted. Rowling had built up a new universe completely, with characters that leapt from the page and locations that not only could I see in my imagination, but hear and smell as well. The book is also filled with lots of subtle moments of humour, particularly at the beginning when the horror of the Dursleys is being described, trying to hide Harry from the wizarding community.

I always felt that this book had a certain juvenile quality to it, when compared to the others in the series, I think this was why I didn't appreciate it as much as I did them, but I should try and remember that it is from the perspective from a boy who has just turned 11 years old. It took me a while to realise that the easiest solution to stop this book from suffering in comparison is to simply stop comparing it! J K Rowling spent a long time trying to get this book published and got no appreciation for it for a long time. I can just imagine how the publishers who rejected it are feeling now. *beams*

This book introduces the reader into a world of wonder and magic from the perspective of a young boy who never knew it existed. His wonder is our wonder, his shock our shock. I have read hundreds of books in my lifetime and I have never found a series that gripped me as much as this one did. I still count it as my favourite series of all time, and nothing has beaten that yet. For a long time I was quite an obsessive Harry Potter fan, I cringed when the films were inaccurate and yet still collected the merchandise with a fervour that was slightly scary to my friends and family at the time, I'm sure. A few years ago when I was moving house and could only take a small bag of things my priorities were inevitably my laptop and my Harry Potter series. I don't think that this type of wonder will ever really leave me, and if anyone ever asks for a book recommendation then this is the first one that I give. I want to share the Harry Potter series with everyone and often make it a prerequisite for anyone requesting my friendship. *shifty eyes*

I know that I'm not the only person who felt their entire view on reading change because of this series, for this reason it will always be special to me and I will continue to recommend it to everyone and anyone that crosses my path.

Arrow By R J Anderson (4/5)

Once again R J Anderson has allowed us to visit the wonderful world that she created in the first of this series “Knife”. (Review of previous book in this series, Rebel.) In this book we are shown the battle for the Oakenwyld through the eyes of Rhosmari, a Faerie who has lived her entire life on the Green Isles as one of The Children of Rhys. The Faerie population of these Isles are pacifist by nature and have no desire to join a fight, but after the loss of their Stone of Naming they are unsettled and one of the Elders, Rhosmari's mother, is considering aggressive action to get the stone back. The thought of this scares Rhosmari so much that she decides to run away to the mainland and try and find Garan, the Faerie responsible for the removal of the stone from the Isles and Rhosmari's ex betrothed, and get it back.

I loved Rhosmari's attitude in this book, she was strong and yet completely naïve to the world outside of her personal experience. Even though she was very knowledgeable and a very accomplished scholar she had some preconceptions about herself and the world around her that were altered quite extremely throughout her journey. I loved her gentle, idealistic nature and found her a character that was very likeable, especially when she found solace in research. She meets many people on her journey and doesn't always know who to trust, even though she is wise it turns out she is easily manipulated because of her somewhat optimistic spirit. Her morality is tested quite a lot throughout the story as she interacts with people who handle situations differently than she would. She questions her own extreme views and has to accept that in certain situations deception and violence are unfortunately a necessary evil. The development of her character in this way was a fascinating read, I respected her because of her peaceful attitude and watching her morality shift and change because of the distressing situations she finds herself in really pulled me into the story to travel with her on her journey.

Another theme to this story that I found great was the concept of loyalty and betrayal. When you are setting out on a journey on your own how do you know who to trust? What does someone need to do to prove themselves to you? And even then can you ever really know what someone, or even what you yourself are really capable of? Rhosmari's trust is tested a lot in this story, people she thought to be friends turn out to be less than trustworthy and people who she naturally distrusts because of actions which she sees as immoral turn out to be the ones she can rely on the most.

I really enjoyed reading this book and read it very quickly over a couple of days. I had a rather over excited moment when Cardiff was visited in the story, as this is the place that I am currently moving to. : ) Like the previous books in this series I loved the world building and vast amount of characters. This book also had a plot that was like a snowball, once it started to roll it just grew and grew. There was never a slow moment, or a part that felt like it suffered for editing, it was all great reading.

At the end of the book I am treated to the news that not only is Anderson releasing another book in this story, “Swift” but also a story for older readers, “Ultraviolet” I can't wait for more on these. I have great faith in this author to give me a rich world I can fall into it, main characters that I invest so much hope into and villains that I can't bring myself to dislike no matter how deplorable their actions are. This is because whatever she writes she makes it feel real and tangible, everyone has a history and a story of their own. I can't wait for more.


Currently Reading: The Iron Witch By Karen Mahoney

Beauty By Robin McKinley (4/5)

This is the first book in a while that I have found myself falling into, I read it in less than two days, whilst moving house and interviewing for jobs in a new country. I didn't care, they could wait. It was only The Book that mattered. : ) This happens quite rarely for me these days, so when I find myself unable to put a book down I just let myself go with the flow.

Beauty and The Beast is my favourite Disney film and one of my favourite films of all time. I don't care if it's meant to be for children, I fell in love with it when I was 6 and apparently it was a love that would last a lifetime. I still have the original VHS that I used to watch as a child and just got the DVD for Christmas.(*squeal*) I watched it three times in one week and feel no shame about this. Small town heroine yearns to escape, achieve more in life and have adventures? Me like. So, with this in mind it was with great trepidation that I picked this book off of the shelf. I'd been disappointed in a Beauty & The Beast novel before, (Beastly Review) Though I'd heard good things about Robin McKinley, I've been meaning to pick up something by her for ages, so when I saw this I couldn't resist. Also I really liked the simple cover, the white background with black and red detail is very striking.

Firstly in this story, I loved the main character of Beauty and the way that the story spent nearly half of the book developing her character and her relationship with her family before sending her to The Beast's castle. Far too often in some novels I've finished them thinking that the heroine had far too little personality, this was not the case with this book at all. Beauty was strong and independent, and I liked how she responded the best out of her family to their new labouring life in the country. You could feel a real sense of achievement when she was able to find a place in the new town and discover jobs that she could do well. The trials of her family and their personal journey from a life of indulgence to hard work and semi poverty was a great story on it's own, separate from Beauty's interactions with The Beast. This part of the story was written so well that even though The Beast doesn't enter the story for the first part of the novel, I was still gripped by what would happen to this family, and these characters that I had grown to like.

The characterisation in this story was very well done. Her sisters were very different from her and yet still different from one another. It would have been easy for the author to have made them semi villain like, and yet they were loving and caring, in spite of the differences that made them superior in Beauty's eyes. Grace's loyalty and dedication to a lost love was quite touching, and I felt it made her character feel deeper, I was really hoping that she would find happiness. Hope's desire to settle with someone who many would think beneath her, gave an interesting twist to her character. The life that her and Ger made together was quaint and lovely, I liked the way that she responded to married life, and thought that as a couple they were nice to read about.

I found that Beauty's exploration of the enchanted castle was written very well. It captured the elegance and grand scale of the place very well. It was so well described that I could practically see it, the tall towers piercing the sky, and the grounds stretching out in front of the large castle doors. Throughout all of the descriptions of this marvellous place I was gripped by Beauty's views on it, her wonder and fear, her strength and yet hesitance. It was all great reading.

The Beast's characterisation is the only part of the story that I'm a little unsure of. I liked that he was stiffly formal in some ways, his complete acceptance that he would look terrifying to Beauty and that this was something that just had to be dealt with, was an interesting point of view. I loved the way that the characters spoke to one another, particularly when dining together. However, outside of Beauty's perspective it was sometimes hard to see the depth of The Beast's love for her. His formality in this matter made him seem somewhat cold, and it's hard to think of a character as being in love if they don't show a certain kind of weakness and vulnerability. This was communicated very well sometimes, one being when Beauty fainted on him and her subsequent reaction and anger, and again when she managed to get Greatheart to approach him, even though the horse was determined to bolt. I would have liked to have seen more examples of the depth of his fragility, as these were some of my favourite parts of the book.

The development of Beauty's feelings however were done wonderfully. I thought it was a great idea that she didn't even realise that she cared about him until she found herself defending him against her family's judgement. I liked the gradual dependence she began to have on him, even though she was still afraid from time to time. The solitary lifestyle she suffered made the small time she spent with him the highlight of her day. There was a certain feel of Stockholm Syndrome about the whole thing in some ways. :S Her change of opinion towards The Beast was so gradual that it's hard to pin point when it actually changed, and in my experience this means it has been written well.

The whole story had a certain poetical style about it and the writing style was beautiful and yet didn't detract from the story at all. The world building was brilliant and allowed you to fall into the story in many different ways, all of the different environments described were so three dimensional that you want to wander around them, from the small town that the family finds themselves making a life in, to the enchanted forest and the castle beyond.

The book was a pleasure to read and the whole world was one that I was unwilling to leave when the story ended. I think that a bookish heroine like Beauty would enjoy to read it very much.

Enchanted Glass By Diana Wynne Jones (4/5)

“When Andrew Hope's magician grandfather dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson who spent much of his childhood there. Andrew has forgotten much of this, but he remembers the very strong- minded staff and the fact that his grandfather used to put the inedibly large vegetables on the roof of the shed, where they'd have vanished in the morning. He also remembers the very colourful stained-glass window in the kitchen door, which he knows it is important to protect.

Into this mix comes young Aidan Cain, who turns up from the orphanage asking for safety. Exactly who he is and why he's there is unclear, but a strong connection between the two very soon becomes apparent.

There is a mystery to be solved, and nothing is as it appears to be. But nobody can solve the mystery, until they find out exactly what it is!”

My initial response after putting down this book was that I may have just finished my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book yet and that I really wanted to read it again. I've always enjoyed her writing style and been amused by her work, but there has somehow been a barrier between me and the story, meaning that I couldn't connect with it as much as I would have liked to. This book was the closest I have come yet.

I really enjoyed the two main characters of Andrew and Aidan. I liked reading about Andrew because of the serious and practical ways he went about his business, and how this was directly contrasted by the rather old fashioned population in the town his Grandfather had lived in. Mr Stock and Mrs Stock were extremely entertaining characters, and the idea that they were loyal employees of the house, even though they never did what they were told and more often than not, directly made Andrew's life more inconvenient, was great to read. Aidan's curiosity and independent spirit made him a fun character to read the perspective of. I particularly enjoyed his exploration of the mysterious powers he had discovered and the subsequent dangers that he is exposed to. His repeated clashes with the various creatures in the community and the way he responds to each situation are great to read, one of my favourites being Rolf the Weredog. I particularly enjoyed the fact that most of the characters in the book were counterparts of Mr Brown's Folk, and that they responded to this rather comfortably and pro actively.

The only part of the book that felt slightly rushed and contrived to me was the love story between Andrew and Stashe. The two characters separately were great and their interactions were entertaining, but the change from impressed to besotted was too sudden for me. This may change upon re reading, but this was the only flaw in what I felt was a great book, with fabulous world building and realistic characters.

I also find the book itself absolutely beautiful, it's now one of my favourites. The colours and the text are just perfect. I was also lucky enough to find a signed copy of this wonderful book to add to my collection. *beams*

Currently Reading: The Princess Diaries 1 (Again!) : )

Author Event With Maggie Stiefvater *EEK!* (02/10/10)

Look! Look! That's me! That's me with Maggie Stiefvater! No really, it is! Okay, far too many exclamations but I was fairly happy to meet someone who writes such fabulous books. My love of Maggie's books can be seen in one of my reviews Here and another Here. Sadly the event part of the day I had been expecting was not to be, it was only a signing. Though on a plus side I got there early enough to shelter from the London rain under the doorway. *beams* Also I was fed a Skinny Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffin from Starbucks. Mmm Muffin. I love any excuse to go to London. It's big, it's loud and it's shiny, I like it a lot. I'm also in love with The Underground. Getting anywhere conveniently in a few minutes, I'm a fan. *grin*

I apologised profusely for bringing more books to a signing than was polite (*cough5cough*) Three of which were mine and two were a work colleagues. In my ambition to turn the entire world to geekdom I offered to take her books across the country for her. Maggie however, graciously said it was fine and a good sign, since that meant you liked her enough after the first book to keep reading. : ) She also commented to me how people kept apologising for the bad weather. She said it was expected of England, and it would make more sense to continue apologising if they were struck with a tropical heat wave that they had stolen from another country. She was as lovely as expected.

I then got to explore a bookshop for longer than was probably healthy. I found (and resisted!) a signed copy of The Gruffalo. *whimpers* and got bought the third book in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. *hugs* *daydreams about a signed Gruffalo book* If anybody wants me i'll be in the corner snuggling my signed Maggie books. : )

Kiss Me Deadly Anthology By Trisha Telep (3/5)

I was left feeling generally underwhelmed by this anthology, I'm fairly sure the only reason I was able to finish it was because it was a compilation of short stories and I didn't feel like it was too much to get through. A couple of the stories had redeeming features that made me like them, but not enough to save my opinion on the entire book. I enjoyed Telep's previous Anthology, The Eternal Kiss, a lot more than this one.

The Assassin's Apprentice By Michelle Zink (2.5/5)
I enjoyed the idea of a young girl trying to get revenge for her dead family and it being somebody else's responsibility to keep her safe. That said the love story was far too fast paced, unbelievable and felt very forced indeed. I suppose that's a hazard of having a lot of short stories revolve around love, authors are forced to rush. I just really didn't buy this one.

Errant By Diana Peterfreund (3.5/5)
An enjoyable story. I liked the growing bond between the two girls, and enjoyed the development of the character of Elise, as she realised that she had a natural born talent with the unicorn and a stubborn streak that would help her to acquire the strength to own her own land.

The Spirit Jar By Karen Mahoney (3/5)
I enjoyed the characterisation in this story, and I was very eager to read more about Moth, since I loved the last short story that I read that had included her. I feel that this story suffered from the short length of it, and some parts felt rushed. I enjoyed the fight between her and Adam quite a lot but felt like the conclusion to the story was a little bit lack lustre.

Lost By Justine Musk (2.5/5)
Something about this story didn't sit quite right with me. I liked the idea that Sasha had her own personal power to find, but I still felt that she was taken advantage of in this story and shouldn't have had to end it as she had. I don't think she was given enough to justify the decision she made in the end.

The Spy Who Never Grew Up By Sarah Rees Brennan (4/5)
I love Sarah's humour. She never fails to entertain me. I'm not really a fan of Peter Pan but I did love his characterisation in this story. The idea of his immaturity and fear of growing up extending into outfit selfishness I really enjoyed. The idea that the heroine of the story is the great-great-great grand daughter of Wendy was a fabulous concept, and I love that she has been pre warned against his tricks and comes out fighting with pepper spray. Also, Ninja Fairies *beams* No. Really. This is why I adore this author so.

Dungeons of Langeais By Becca Fitzpatrick (2.5/5)
This story kept me gripped, I enjoyed the pace and the style of it. Unfortunately it didn't seem to manage to make me care, and it seemed to be lacking a certain something. I did like the casual cruelty that the characters exposed one another to though.

Behind The Red Door By Caitlin Kittredge (3/5)
The setting to this story was rather elaborate and surprisingly detailed, considering it was a short story. I did actually really enjoy the “love” story in this short. She started out terrified by a ghost on a dare and then ends up slowly being taken in by him. Her descent and loss of control is quite scary to witness, as are the facts she manages to unearth about her beloved. Though the ending didn't pack as much of a punch as I would have liked it to.

Hare Moon By Carrie Ryan (2.5/5)
Much like The Forest of Hands and Teeth this story had a great setting, a claustrophobic atmosphere and made you see it all so clearly. Though just like the mentioned novel it makes you care for characters and then strips them of every nice thing they could ever achieve or own. I don't know what she has against happiness, but I really do feel badly for any character she puts in her books, they are not going to be rewarded with a satisfying ending. : (

Familiar By Michelle Rowen (2.5/5)
I really liked the character of Brenda, I liked the fact that she was scared of failing so just didn't try and I enjoyed the world that was created in this short story. That being said the love story was predictable and uneventful and the “hero” of the piece was so generic *insert usual 'attractive' guy here* Brenda should have kept the little cute kitten and been happy with him. : )

Fearless By Rachel Vincent (2.5/5)
I enjoyed the style of the story and the character of Sabine. She refused to be weak and always came out fighting, which I admired. Though the scenes where she had to feed as a Mara were quite terrifying. O_o I liked Nash being the love interest, though I felt we were told that she loved him more than shown it. The mystery after that was quite uneventful, which is why this story got it's lower score.

Vermillion (2/5)
Eh. I thought the world that was set up was very interesting and I would have liked to have explored it further, though I wasn't given the chance. I generally found Velvet and Nick uninteresting and I disliked the fact that the Character of Amie was only put in there to be hated, also her vendetta didn't actually make any sense to me. It was as if we were supposed to accept it because she was clearly “a hysterical woman” Whatever.

The Hounds of Ulster By Maggie Stiefvater (4/5)
I really enjoyed this story. I love it when Maggie writes about Irish Folk music, because you can tell she really knows her stuff. I found the fragile friendship between Bryant and Sullivan quite endearing and I felt sorry for Bryant when Sullivan began to be seduced by the faerie world. Nobody likes to be left alone. I also adore stories that take what you know and turn it upside down, forcing you to re envision everything you thought you knew about the story. Maggie's story does this and more. The twist at the end is enough to drop your jaw and it made me feel a little ashamed for my assumption. The mark of a good writer. Go Maggie! : )

Many Happy Returns By Daniel Waters (3.5/5)
A well written little story that follows the story of a father waiting to see if the daughter he loves will return from the dead, as some teens do. Not in a terrifying Zombie way, more in a resigned to a less than full life way. I felt for Cal as he was waiting to see if he would ever get to see his daughter again and I really felt for Jake. The effective Zombie Boyfriend waiting to see if his beloved would join him and abandoned by his superstitious parents. Quite a sad little tale, with enough hope to make it not truly upsetting.

So, I'd say there were a couple of stories that were definitely worth reading, but they couldn't really save the entire anthology in my opinion. I am probably extremely biased since both Maggie Stiefvater and Sarah Rees Brennan are favourite writers of mine, but theirs were the stories that stood out to me the most.

Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare (3.5/5)

Once again I find myself in two minds over a novel. It may be me, I don't know. There were some parts to this that I liked, I enjoyed the character of Tessa and how sensible she was in every situation she found herself in. I enjoyed her entry to the story and her time imprisoned by The Dark Sisters and I found her relationship with her brother and it's development well worth reading. I would love to go into more detail on this little fact, but I'd like to keep this review spoiler free.

Even though I found this story quite entertaining, it just didn't grip me like The Mortal Instruments series. I wanted it to, I wanted to love it even more, Demons in Victorian London? Men with hats and canes? Corsets? I wanted to swoon, I really did! I mean, just look at the cover! I believe I can recall being told something at some point about not judging a book by... Yeah, but look at the pretty! Everything about it just works. It screams that I should love it and hug it and buy it nice little bookends and other things that it will love. But something just fell short of the mark. I think setting it in the same universe as TMI was both a plus and a minus for this story. A good feature was the opportunity to get to know more about the fascinating world of Shadowhunters. A down side though was that it felt all too similar to what most people had already read in Cassandra Clare's other series.

Another disappointing fact was how little I found myself caring for the characters. They were entertaining and some were quite endearing, but if I'm not clutching the book and gasping then I just don't care enough. I liked the characters well enough, mostly, I just didn't seem to have any connection or passion with this book. I found this rather distressing, since this was one of my most eagerly awaited reads of the year. The only character that I really found engaging was Will. Not only was he rude and sarcastic, but he was hideously inappropriate, especially when the era he is living in is noted. I find Jem to be quite lovely, but bland, no personality whatsoever, besides from being “Oh So Nice”. Will was awful, not even just cheeky, he behaved despicably and I really quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately even he became a little too much after a while and I really wanted him to just shut up and give poor Tessa a little bit of a break. I can't really understand how people can even really be passionately supporting “Teams” that consist of either Will or Jem. I don't see where they are getting their encouragement from, at least not yet. I have hope for some great developments amongst the relationships, I just felt that I am yet to witness them.

I realise now that I'm sounding like I really didn't enjoy this book at all, I did! It was quite a fun read, I just feel it paled in comparison a little bit when you've read Clare's original series. This does sadden me, as I expected The Infernal Devices to be even more impressive. (*coughdemonsinvictorianlondoncough*) But sadly I was left a little under whelmed.

I have hope for the next book though. I do love Clare's writing and I feel like she can turn this around for me. I may feel differently about this book after reading it again. Alas! I shall cross my fingers that I enjoy the next book in The Infernal Devices series as much as I have previously adored The Mortal Instruments Series

Currently Reading: Kiss Me Deadly (Anthology)

Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins (3.5/5) *Spoilers*

This book was one of my most eagerly anticipated novels of the year, and I don't mean that lightly! Ever since I first read The Hunger Games this world and Katniss's life have been a part of my consciousness. A lot of fans of these books found themselves categorising themselves into either Team Peeta or Team Gale. I wasn't among the people who found the need to do this. I didn't mind who Katniss ended up with in the end of the trilogy, as long as it was written in a way that I found believable. So with this in mind I eagerly tore into the book the day it arrived and read it in large chunks whenever I had the time. It turned out I “had the time” whilst I was riding in a car, avoiding sleep at 2:30am and walking around shopping with friends (Read Walking is not advised to amateurs, it can result in collisions with other shoppers, poles, doors, etc. You have been warned) I also read in a restaurant, when I should have been focusing on the menu, or on the conversational skills of my friends. Alas! I did not do either of these things, I balanced the book on my knee and soldiered on.

With this little insight to my reading habits I hope, dear reader, that you can begin to understand how melancholy I became when I realised I was a little disappointed at the end of the book. Collins writing style was still wonderful and addictive, and I still found it very difficult to put the book down, as I discussed above, but something seemed to be missing. The entire book was building up to the destruction of The Capitol, and yet when it happened it seemed to be over in an instant. The entire mood of the book was one of sadness, grief and missed chances. I understand in a book about a doomed futuristic society this is to be expected, but Katniss spent a lot of the book being mentally unstable, and it is quite difficult to follow a story from the perspective of such a person. I just wanted to reach in there and help her, but obviously the fact that she is a fictional character prevented this. : ) The third book in this trilogy read more like a sequence of events than the other two, the first two books had me reeling and this one affected me less. So much time is spent describing misery and violence and the quality dialogue and emotional depth between the main characters seems to have been lost.

This is the part of the the review which will contain spoilers, there wasn't really a way I could write one without any. The entire ending was a little bit off for me, once an author starts killing about 80% of the characters I tend to lose interest, I don't know why it's just something that happens with me, when the shock of sudden character death wears off I start to regard new deaths with the equivalent of a shrug of my shoulders. This isn't to say that it didn't make me very sad for Katniss, but I wasn't as affected as a reader as much as I could have been. The ending, as portrayed in the epilogue, just seemed like a little bit of a depressing 'sigh' in my opinion. Katniss ended up with Peeta, this wasn't a problem, as I had already stated I didn't really have a preference, but she still didn't really get a happily ever after. It seemed that they became a couple because there were no other options, which is not really a healthy reason for a relationship. He had spent pretty much the whole book thinking she was an evil murdering monster, and she concluded that he had changed into a rude, arrogant evil meanie who would never love her. This changed pretty much just before the epilogue where they seemed to shrug and decide to end up together, though accept that they would never be truly happy. If an ending is sad then I accept that it is sad, disappointing happy endings are another matter, they leave me feeling blue. Basically the two of them end up having only each other and a drunk Haymitch. Katniss never sees her oldest friend Gale again and her mother can't bear to see her very often. Um, Yay? They won the war! The rebels won! It was a triumph! Shouldn't someone get a little happiness? Please? Do it for me? I didn't like how much Katniss was taken advantage of in this novel either, she seemed to lose her strength that she displayed in previous books, and that was what I loved about her. She was used as a pawn, I am aware that this is often the result of individuals who enter to fight in wars, but she was our Katniss and I missed her spirit a little in this story. So much of the action and plot development happened away from her, and without her being aware because she was injured or vulnerable and I feel the book may have suffered for it.

I also didn't think Katniss's abandonment of her oldest friend Gale was particularly justified. I understand that he could have been responsible for creating the bomb that killed her little sister. A death that I didn't think was necessary, since most of Katniss's reason for living was her sister, Prim was the reason Katniss was in The Hunger Games in the first place, so killing her off at this point seemed needlessly cruel. Surely Katniss could have tried a little empathy and thought about how much it was destroying Gale too. He had been a little bit callous in this novel sure, but he had always promised Katniss he would take care of her family and he had failed, he liked Prim so this had to have hurt him as well. As a result she decides to cut him out. I know that it would have been a lot to get over, and maybe you wouldn't, maybe that bitterness would always be there, but you owe it to yourself to try, Katniss had lost a lot of people in her life, she didn't need to lose one more. The resolution of the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale was quite unsatisfying to me and much of it seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought, I feel it could have been handled better. Then to add to Katniss's misery her mother decides to keep her distance as well, again Prim's death was traumatic to those who loved her, but she still has one daughter left, her only family, this should drive them closer together not further apart.

So all in all, this book was brilliantly written and I really couldn't put it down, Suzanne Collins is still a great writer and I will definitely read anything else she does, I was just really disappointed that nobody could get a happily ever after, not even a slight one. At the end of a trilogy I like to be left with just a little slither of hope, especially if the characters achieve what they set out to achieve, but this one seemed to fall short of that mark. Any happiness Katniss and Peeta were given seemed to have a sting in the tail and wasn't actually happiness. I settled on giving it 3.5/5. I really wanted to give it a 4 because it was very well written, I just don't think it quite made the mark because of how disappointed I was for the poor characters. I do understand that war is cruel, this book points out broken people can get and how most people are just pawns being moved for someone else's benefit, but I still would have liked a little bit of hope to take from the epilogue of the book.

Currently Reading: Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare

Beastly By Alex Flinn (3/5)

I read this book rather quickly, whilst on holiday, which to me classifies it as an 'easy read'. I am in two minds about it however. I am an eternal fan of Beauty & The Beast, and yes I'm referring to the Disney film. I was raised on it, my entire morality was pretty much shaped as a result of this film, so I was quite curious how this modern adaptation would fare. I was especially tempted by the fact that it was from The Beast's point of view. The book started out with Kyle, who was simply an arse. He was extremely realistic in this way, his bullying was quite subtle and cruel, his self confidence a result of a lifetime of being treated as if he was elite. His character was three dimensional in this way and it made him seem more than your typical 'bully', especially in a book set in a high school environment. The loss of his looks, his 'friends', his girlfriend, his status all made his character develop in a way that was entertaining to read, and the plot continued at a nice pace, it didn't seem to drag at any point. For me the greatest turning point in his personality was when he realised that the people who were working for him, and who his previous self would have sneered at, were actually the closest friends he had ever had. The relationship between him and his live in staff was, to me, rather sweet and endearing. I can't really fault the development of his character in this area, and my only criticism was that the two years went by too fast, and I would have enjoyed to experience more of his life during this time. I feel like the successful development of Kyle's personality and his relationship with his new friends carried the novel for me, as I found other sections a little unrealistic or unexplained.

The one problem I did have with this novel was that the love story felt a little forced. I did like that it felt forced from Kyle/ Adrian's side, since he is aware that he only has a very slim chance of breaking the curse and would throw his whole self in no matter who was on the other side. Linda however, I found a little 'meh'. She did nothing for me, she had very little personality, and what she did have was general and uneventful. I think the story lacked her point of view, we have no idea why she decided to fall for 'Adrian', except for the fact that she is deep enough to look beyond appearances. To me love is a lot more complicated than that, and a number of factors result in someone falling in love, I think I would have liked to have seen some of those factors in this story. I would have liked Linda to have been more three dimensional, to maybe have more of an attitude when she is imprisoned against her will. She just seemed to be an after thought of a character. I also didn't enjoy the fact that during her separation from Adrian the explanation for her lack of contact was losing an address and being unable to find him. This seemed like a little bit simple for me, and I didn't like the damsel in distress aspect to her character either. The one part of her story I did enjoy was her relationship with her father. Having him give her away as an attempt to escape a jail sentence and continue to use drugs was a very smart idea of the author. It was a realistic way to write a type of parent who would willingly sacrifice their child. Using the justification of a drug addict was a clever method, in my opinion. Another part of the story I was dissatisfied with was the character of Kendra, I found her to lack depth and some parts of her personality were entirely unexplored. On top of that at times she seemed to stretch almost to the point of becoming a cliché. I enjoyed her at the beginning of the book but towards the end she became more unrealistic and a little dull.

In general I enjoyed the book, but only because the development of the main character was enough to compensate for the flaws found elsewhere. I enjoyed sharing Kyle's story and it was a good job that this part was written so well, or else I may have lost interest.

A Conspiracy of Kings By Megan Whalen Turner (4/5)

This story follows the path of Sophos, the young heir to the throne of Sounis. Though, like in the previous books, his path crosses that of other familiar characters. It was very refreshing to experience this young boy grow into a strong man. His character development was well written and subtle. He changes a lot though this story and as it is described step by step none of it seems unrealistic or sudden. The gradual shaping of him into a figure of authority that was able to lead his nation was very entertaining to read. He is a very likeable individual that has the support of the reader right from the beginning.

The relationships between all of the characters are all linked beautifully, and even though the situation of all 3 countries is completely different than it was at the start of the first book, every little plot twist was written so well that it all just felt natural. It was impressive how the author could inter link all of the previous main characters lives and not have it feel forced or incongruous.

The plot once again follows the countries through various wars and demonstrates how a specific leader defends their country against attack, both externally and internally. I liked reading how Sophos was basically forced into the position of leader and had to fight to assume the position how he wished to, rather than to be a puppet of someone who felt he could be manipulated. This character's alteration from young vulnerable heir to strong leader was brilliant. My favourite part was when he lived as a slave, and found himself in a content position amongst a group of slaves. It was a completely different situation for him to find himself in, and yet he managed to find a sense of belonging amongst them. His personality developed as a result, and he found strength whilst being treated like the lowest form of being. The increase of his strength and courage made this book a very good read. I did miss Gen's POV being the primary one, but I really did find myself taking to Sophos as a character.

The King of Attolia By Megan Whalen Turner (4/5)

Another fabulous book in this series, and my favourite so far. One of the best aspects of this story was how out of his depth Eugenides actually was. I liked seeing him like this, since he usually always has the upper hand, his attendants definitely made life for him rather difficult. Whether it was complicating matters for him in his bed chamber, his wardrobe or with his meals they made things pretty unpleasant and each time Gen's response entertained me. I enjoyed reading about his interactions in court and how even though people were trying to get the better of him, he always managed to stay one step ahead, whether we were aware of it in the story or not. He always seems to know everyone's motivations whilst feigning indifference or ignorance, and that makes him a very clever opponent.

The development of the relationship between the King and Queen in this novel was great to read, and whether it was people hating Gen's claim over the queen or the court being shocked by the little insights they were given, I happily absorbed it all. My favourite moments of these characters interactions were when they were both taken to beyond their limit, such as both characters response to Gen becoming injured; Gen whining and the Queen fainting was spectacular. I also enjoyed the subtle indications Eugenides gave about how he could influence the Queen more than people gave him credit for, such as during the events after his incident, with Teleus and Aris.

The introduction of the character of Costis was a nice new breath of life. I loved his honour and loyalty and how these sometimes led him to do stupid things, such as his actions at the start of the novel that lead to his relationship with the King. I think the development of his character is a wonderful part of the book. His opinions slowly change when he is exposed to new information and influenced subtly without being aware of it. He was a likeable, reliable character who not only made mistakes, but worked very hard to fix them as well.

My favourite part of the series is still the character of Eugenides though. Whether he is lying, cheating, stealing, complaining, whining, being snarky or being melodramatic I find him wonderful to read. He just lights up the page, his comments make me laugh and the way he deliberately baits people into response has me avidly reading for more. He is such a fabulously written character and I don't think I could ever get sick of him.

Currently Reading: A Conspiracy of Kings By Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia By Megan Whalen Turner (4/5) *Explicit Spoilers*

I have decided that the only way I can write this review clearly is to include explicit spoilers, which I haven't actually done yet, or at least I don't think I have! *ponders*

I have found this rather fabulous summary that Sarah Rees Brennan (Of The Demon's Lexicon Series) posted earlier this year, before I had read the books it confused me, after reading them I find it hysterical. : )

“GEN: There goes the Queen of Attolia, that hateful hellbeast. Hi Attolia, I'm in your kingdom stealing your miracle stone.
ATTOLIA: I poisoned my fiance you know. Why do you think it is a good idea to cross me?
GEN: I broke into your bedroom just to leave earrings by your bed. Mocking earrings.
ATTOLIA: I have hatched a cunning plan to catch you. And now I'm going to cut off your hand.
GEN: No, you're not, I am the hero of the story, and a master thief. There's no way - ow. OW.
ATTOLIA: Told you.
GEN: I am off to plot my revenge. It will involve kidnapping you and taking you away in a boat and threatening your life.
ATTOLIA: Well, crap.
GEN: Or... we could get married.
ATTOLIA: Wut?
GEN: I love you! DID YOU LIKE MY EARRINGS. PLEASE SAY YES.
ATTOLIA: I cut off your hand.
VILLAIN: I have rescued you, Attolia. Are you not GRATEFUL?
ATTOLIA: So grateful! He is short and younger than me and missing a hand and crazy. By the way, do you like my new earrings?
VILLAIN: Very fetching!
ATTOLIA: They're a sign I'm going to doublecross you and marry Gen.
GEN: I'm so happy, my brilliantly deceitful love. As a wedding present to ourselves, shall I defeat all the troublesome nobles in your country by means of trickery, fashion, and brilliant swordplay?
ATTOLIA: Assuredly you may, my husband. Come visit me through our secret passageways and we'll do pillowplotting.
EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD: But... she cut off your hand.
GEN AND ATTOLIA: Every relationship has problems. Don't be a hater.”

Full Sarah Post Here People should read it as it's fabulous, as is everything she writes.

So, so. Urm. Eh? These were pretty much my first opinions when I put down the book. I adored it, first thing I did was text people to explain the insane wonderment I was feeling in response to the love story that is revealed near the end of the book.

Firstly, The Thief teases the queen by leaving her gifts at her bedside, to prove that there is nowhere he can't break into and nothing he can't take. Of course this plan all falls apart into a big fire ball of doom when he is caught. *insert evil laugh here* Once again our poor hero Gen finds himself incarcerated, mistreated and underfed. *pats his head* What we then find out is, this is not the worst situation our wonderful hero can find himself in. When he is dragged to what is essentially a torture chamber, we still believe in his ability to escape any danger and charm himself out of any situation. Then his hand is cut off. O_o To him this is a fate worse than death, he wishes he'd have been killed. His hands are an essential part of his craft, and his grief over losing his hand is incredibly well written and it is very interesting to read about how he learns to cope and adapts his life to suit his new limitation.

It is at this point that the queen begins to regret what she's done. Possibly my favourite metaphor ever written was mentioned here, where she thinks back to a tantrum she had as a child and broke one of her favourite belongings. This was just perfect and I felt I could understand how the Queen's feelings may begin to change. Especially since Gen is well known to be a little easy on the eyes. Plus he's sarcastic and snarky and the ladies *coughmecough* always love this in fiction. : ) The queen begins to lose sleep and dwell on what she has done, and this is written very clearly and subtly throughout the novel. I was happy with it's development. The development of Gen's feelings for the Queen however were quite an extreme shock! As far as I was aware he hated her, wanted revenge, and wanted her to suffer at his hands. My opinion on the situation is pretty much the same as the Queen's was, 'Huh? What? How? What?!' I believed as she did that it must have just been an elaborate trick to make his revenge on her all the sweeter. Apparently he is sincere though, I guess I have trouble with sincerity, especially when it seems without appropriate motivation.

So I guess it just goes to show you, if you want somebody to fall in love with you all you have to do is incarcerate them, feed them very little, beat them up when they anger you and then tie them up and chop off their dominant hand. A couple of years obsessing over getting their revenge on you will result in a marriage proposal that you literally can't refuse. Well, can't refuse without being drowned anyway. : ) Their love may be sudden, but the angst, the verbal banter and the outright death threats make it a very interesting love to read about! I can't wait to read more of them, it's probably a little cruel that I hope they argue lots. Hehe.

Other than the love story the novel pretty much functions as it's predecessor did. It follows a sequence of events, in this case a war. The war strategies were very well thought out and I liked the way they all intertwined. Good attention was given to the individual parts of the four nations mentioned and what their roles were in various attacks. The background characters were as entertaining as before, but sadly shadowed by Gen and the Attolian Queen. They were so detailed and so passionate that they practically leapt off the page and began to bicker in front of your face. I will be picking up the next book to read as soon as I finish this review! … *reads*


Currently Reading: The King of Attolia By Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief By Megan Whalen Turner (4/5)

A fabulous book containing wonderful characterisation enfolded in world building so deep you feel like you are there. Considering this first book is pretty much just a journey it is never dull and I finished it within a day. It reminded me of fairy tales I used to read as a child and I can completely understand why it was awarded with the Newbery Honor award. It is so rich in detail and yet it isn't overwhelming or so complex it detracts from the plot. It isn't really a book where you race to the finish line but one you can savour comfortably and read for hours without realising that any time has passed at all, each page can be enjoyed individually, which is unique to me. I usually only enjoy books when I am racing towards the conclusion. This book was a pleasant switch from my usual habits. I found that it read like I was watching a film, the visuals were brilliant and the pace was measured. It would make a great movie I'm sure!

The character of Gen was a brilliant one. He is snarky, sneaky and capable of causing much swooning amongst ladies, when he has bathed that is. : ) I loved reading a book from his perspective. I have a great weakness for cheeky heroes with slight attitude problems. I will seek help about this soon I am sure *lies blatantly* I never ever tired of his character, and whether he was conning people out of their belongings, picking pockets, insulting soldiers or disrespecting royalty, I greedily devoured every word. The revelation of his character towards the end of the book just made me love him more. He is so gloriously described and flushed out that I feel as though I've met him. *loves*

The other four characters that accompany/drag Gen on his travels are all written wonderfully. Their characters are described and developed with great skill. I feel like I got to know each of them in detail. They were so realistic and I almost felt as though I was riding a horse along side of them. (Though I would have fallen off often and embarrassed myself horribly more than once, Hehe)

I can't wait to fall into this world again in the next book. I can picture myself already, climbing a tree and making myself comfortable or sitting in a big arm chair with a huge mug beside me. I think I'm going to enjoy this series a lot and it's a refreshing change from the type of books I usually read. This may be the first book I've been able to fall into because of the world it provided. Rather than falling into a book which altered this world, like urban fantasy. I'm glad I have began on this journey.

Currently Reading: The Queen of Attolia By Megan Whalen Turner

Devil's Kiss By Sarwat Chadda (4/5)

The first few pages took me a while to get into, but once I did I just flew through pretty much the entire book in a couple of days. The plot hits a point and the pace increases so much it's almost impossible to put the book down comfortably. I really enjoyed reading about Billi, and I loved her strength, both emotionally and physically. I found her a really interesting character to follow. She is grumpy, wants more from life and can fight with weapons. That to me is an interesting heroine.

Billi's relationship with her dad is a very unique one and makes for some great reading. There is an interesting line between loyalty and obligation, and how familial affection can get lost in that balance. The relationship for Billi that offers support in this story is with Kay. The way she felt that he had abandoned her without a second thought was great reading for an “Angst Fan” like myself. It conveys the emotion involved in missing someone terribly and still being upset with them that they had to leave in the first place. Their roller-coaster friendship will keep you rolling until the very end. Plus the fact that he couldn't always help himself from reading her thoughts kept the scenes very fresh!

My favourite part of the story was the mythology. I am a geek, I should hope after this many reviews and fangirling recaps that much should be obvious. : ) I just ate it up, I wanted more of it. When it comes to the perspective of Satan being a fallen angel, I cannot get enough. I loved the various categories of 'Angels' in this novel. The good the bad and the very bad. I think Angels have been given a good reputation for far too long, people choose to forget that Satan himself is a fallen angel. They hear the term “God's Warriors” and still don't see the terrifying result of an angels wrath. This was the best mythology of Angels that I have come across in a while and I enjoyed it a lot.

I also enjoyed the fact that all of this happened on the dark streets of London. The fact that the mystery and history was focused around an area that so many people presume to know was very well done. I like dark, gritty writing set in an environment that I can imagine and that is exactly what this book provided.

The only negative to the book I can think of is that it seemed to lack a certain depth in some areas, it didn't actually have that many characters outside of the main circle, and those who were in the circle weren't flushed out very much. This is easily overlooked however when the characters who were discussed were described brilliantly and their relationships were written with enough complications to feel realistic and tangible.

I don't want to spoil the ending in case people come across this who haven't read the book but, Oh my goodness! Sarwat clearly has no mercy, my heart! It hurts! I cried and I read and I cried some more. The writing was so good that I was sobbing my little heart out. I know that I'm relating to a character when I can feel their pain as if it is my own. Good job. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. I just hope it's more gentle on my heartstrings than this one was, I doubt it somehow. : )

Read about my brief meeting with Sarwat Chadda HERE

Currently Reading: The Thief By Megan Whalen Turner

The Changeover By Margaret Mahy (3.5/5)

I really enjoyed the love story in this book, I liked how it felt natural and sensible. Laura was a very responsible young lady and I liked reading about her. I admired the way she approached her own increasing feelings towards the character of Sorry and the manner in which she treated his advances. Her strength and her inner power made her a person I could respect. She wasn't a damsel who needed to be saved, she had her own abilities and plans and knew that she could save her baby brother. The relationship between Laura and her brother was truly touching, she cared for him a lot, and it was interesting to note how much she saw herself in the mother role since her father had left the family. Even though she had a very loving mother in Kate, they were more like an equal family unit, than one parent and two children.

I enjoyed that the adults in this book had their own roles to play also. Laura's journey to see her mother as an individual as well as a parent was written well, in my opinion. It can be a hard moment to realise that your parents are merely human. I liked the closure that Laura got at the end of the novel in regards to her mother and her father.

Now I get on to my favourite part of the story, Sorry. : ) I guess snarky, cute, sarcastic, diva males will always be a weak spot of mine in fiction. I can't help it, it's a flaw I suppose. He was so much fun to read about, and his over confidence masking a troubled past and an inner weakness was wonderful. I loved it. I beamed every time he expressed an attitude problem, I smiled whenever he said just the wrong thing to Laura to annoy her. As far as couples go I like this one together, I think they balance each other out and can give each other so much. I just wish she was a little older so I could have read about their happily ever after!

That said I did find the book a little simplistic in places, but it is quite a few years old, and I often find that in fiction written in that period. I would have liked more humour and maybe more background characters to flesh the story out a little. I guess I've been reading too many books recently with ensemble casts, so without them I'm not quite sure how to handle the tale.