Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Release Date: 22 February 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Author: Melissa Marr
Buy the Book: Amazon


The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.
The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My Thoughts: 

Melissa Marr is a writer with amazing talents and not one of her works has disappointed me and I have read everything by her that has been published so far. She has an exquisite way of using words that weave in to mesmerizing tales.

Darkest Mercy really surprised me, especially the ending! Wow. I initially thought that there would not a likeable ending but there is, I am not saying it is either happy or sad. All I am saying is that in a way it is sad but in a way a very happy ending.

The writing that Melissa Marr has done for this novel is just stunning to me. He characters are real and people can relate to their situations...somehow...just minus the faeries.

Melissa Marr still has not let me down with one of her works, she is simply amazing and I advise you all to read her books. The Wicked Lovely books seemed to improve as she wrote the series. They just got better and better so just try to image what she will be able to do when the rest of the books she has in her head are publish...okay that might be too much to imagine but you get my point.

To Read...or Not to Read?

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding whether or not I should read the House of Night series by PC and Kristin Cast. I own the first two books Marked and Tempted. I do not know whether or not to read them because I started Marked and I thought that it was terrible...the way it was written! URGH!
But I keep on wondering what if I read on and find that this series is addictive just like everyone says...but everyone also says that the series needs to end soon, but many people do not know that whilst they are wishing for it to end soon because it is being dragged out too much, they don't seem to know that this is a twelve books series and that is all that has been contracted so just imagine, this series could go on if the authors feel necessary.
Should I read them or not? What are your thought on these books?

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Release Date: 15 March 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen 

Age Group:Young Adult

Pages: 336

Author: Sara Bennett Wealer

Buy the Book: Amazon

 Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.

Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.

The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.  

As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life? 

Sara Bennett Wealer is a talented writer that is able to weave words in to such flowing sentences that then lead in to her writing a mesmerizing book that will have you hooked and will not let you go, still even after you have read the very last most beautiful word.

 This book has such great description that you will be captivated throughout the entire novel, her words draw you in and you wish that you could stay there forever but by the time you know it you have finished the novel and you are left scrambling for more.

 This story was told in a very original and interesting way. You get the two characters who are the rivals: Brooke and Kathryn. The chapters are told from a different perspective each time, it alternates between Kathryn and Brooke.

Learning more about a topic(music) that I already know about was great and I thought that this was such an original take on the whole “frenemy” thing. Putting music in to the twist as the middle world between the two different planets was great (if you read the book you will understand why I am putting this in to such strange terms).

Whenever I read from Brooke’s point of view I couldn’t help but think that she did feel sympathy towards Kathryn and about what she had done to her.

The story is absolutely amazing and you will really enjoy it I recommend it to all YA readers this book will shock you, make you sad and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Sara Bennett Wealer, you’re one talented writer and I think that Rival has been one of my favorite books to read in 2011.

Retro Demonology by Jana Oliver

Release Date: 17 December 2010
Publisher:  St. Martins Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Buy the Book:  Amazon

A Demon Trapper’s bonus story.
Before Riley Blackthorne can take on Grade Five demons, she has to trap her very first. Her debut solo trapping experience should be a breeze, just a harmless Grade One after all. But throw in some dippy hippies (whose peace signs and Patchouli really aren’t driving any demons away), one mischievous demon, and a run-in with the police, and Riley might not be able to pull it off...

 I have not read The Demon Trappers Daughter but once I found Retro Demonology on Kobo I decided to download it and read it and when I read I definitely fell for Jana Oliver’s writing.

Oliver’s writing is both wonderfully descriptive and quirky. I loved the main character, Riley. She was both strange and cool and wonderfully written. I think that this short little story is great because although I had not yet read the novel that this story originated from I was still able to understand and fully enjoy the story without worrying about anything and this was also a great way for people to find out if they would like to read the Demon Trappers Daughter.

I advise you to read this short story. It has a fun new take on demons and makes the hunting sound fun and exciting!

In My Mailbox (2)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at: The Story Siren. You can find official information like how to participate, why it was started and other goodies about IMM on the IMM Page

 

Human 0.4 by Mike Lancaster Amazon | Goodreads

Entangled by Cat Clarke Amazon

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney Amazon | Goodreads

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Amazon | Goodreads

Reckless by Cornelia Funke Amazon | Goodreads  

Rival by Sarah Bennet Wealer Amazon

Siren by Tricia Rayburn Amazon | Goodreads

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong Amazon | Goodreads

The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block Amazon | Goodreads 

I would like to thank Amy for these next two books! She bought me these for my birthday! Thank you so much! Follow her blog Lady Reader's Bookstuff

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves Amazon | Goodreads 

Wings by Aprilynne Pike Amazon | Goodreads

What did you get this week? Leave your links in the comments and I will be sure to check out your IMM  posts.

 

 

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Release Date: March 9 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Buy the Book: Amazon

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

First off I find it greatly refreshing to be returning back to the world of Lucas and Bianca. Gray writes in such a way that the words seem almost effortless and flow so well from the page right through to your brain.

I feel that there was not enough tension between Bianca and Lucas anymore and that is sort of what made the story for me. I mean they were with Black Cross and Bianca was not supposed to be with them and there was always the feeling that they might get caught but still, this book was not as good as the first two for me.

I preferred the boarding school setting two where Balthazar was. I love his character and I cannot wait for his book to come out.

Claudia Gray is a great writer and I loved this series, but this book was not as enticing as the others. I read through to the end of the book because I knew I had to so that I could read Afterlife not because I liked the book which is a huge let down, I am hoping that Afterlife will be a whole lot better.

Guest Post by Kristi A.K.A The Story Siren

Thanks so much for inviting me to do a guest post!

Today I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite books, from my favorite genre: FANTASY! 

I love fantasy novels because they can transport you to a whole different world! Some of my favorite series are below! If you’re thinking about starting a new fantasy series, one of these would be a great place to start! 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 

I don’t think that these books really need an explanation! They still remain one of my favorites to this day! Although some of the story takes place in the “real” world of London, I love that we get to experience this whole other world of wizards and all the wonderful creatures and beings that live there! 

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

A high fantasy novel, Alagaesia is a whole other world of dragon riders and good vs. evil. And recently the fourth novel in the series was announced and the cover was revealed: Inheritance! I can’t wait to read this one! 

Faerie Wars Chronicles Herbie Brennann

This is one of my favorites series that I don’t feel like many people know about. It’s an older series (2003) but had a new title released in January! Which I only discovered when doing this post! It’s more aimed at middle grade readers, but I think YA readers that enjoy fantasy will really like it! 

The Seven Realms Cinda Williams Chima

Such an awesome series!!! I have not read Chima’s Heir series, although I’m sure I would love it, but The Seven Realms series is fantastic! It follows two characters Han Alister and Princess Raisa. The third novel is coming out this fall (September) and I can’t wait!

What are some of your favorite fantasy novels? 

Thank you Kristi!!!

You can view Kristi's blog over at The Story Siren

In My Mailbox (1)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at: The Story Siren. You can find official information like how to participate, why it was started and other goodies about IMM on the IMM Page 

.

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr: Amazon |  Goodreads

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton: Amazon | Goodreads

Retro Demonology by Jana Oliver: Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

 

Starcrossed by Josehpine Angelini: Amazon | Goodreads

What did you get this week? Leave a link in the comments to your IMM posts! :) 

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: 1 July 2008
Publisher: Atom Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Buy the Book: Amazon

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behavior earns her a trip to Lyle House, a center for disturbed teens.

At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behavior. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?

I thought this book was okay overall as it was a bit too slow moving for me and I thought that some parts were good and that the characters were well thought out. Armstrong’s writing is nice a descriptive and it creates a nice movie inside your head.

The book had a very interesting concept to it; mental illness could actually be some sort of powers. I thought this was very well done and very clever for a novel. I liked how the main character; Chloe saw many things as if it were a movie.

I am not too sure as to whether or not I will read the rest of the series. I most probably will. The only problem I really had was that some scenes, the writing was a bit dull and bland and so it reflected in the pace of the book.

Well, there is not ,much I can say about this book, but I will definitely read the sequels(or at least that is what my mind is telling me at the moment) But as I stated before I may not read them it depends on how I feel.

Armstrong is a good writer and I have a friend who has read some of her adult works and says that Kelley is just about his favorite author so maybe I will be able to find that I read her novels and enjoy them very much but we will just have to wait and see now wont we?