Tag Archives: YA

Deborah Cooke-Bio and Book List

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Deborah Cooke-Bio and Book List

DEBORAH COOKE-Biography and Book List

Today we begin our feature saluting the books and series from the amazing Deborah Cooke. June 2012 will see the release of Deborah’s third Dragon Diaries instalment BLAZING THE TRAIL.  Reminder:  Interview and Giveaway with Deborah Cooke on Wednesday May 23, 2012

DEBORAH COOKE (aka Claire Cross aka Claire Delacroix)

 

From the website: Deborah Cooke

Deborah Cooke has always been fascinated with dragons, although she has never understood why they have to be the bad guys. She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on medieval studies. She is an avid reader of medieval vernacular literature, fairy tales and fantasy novels, and has written over forty romance novels and novellas. She has also been published under the names Claire Cross and Claire Delacroix.

Deborah makes her home in Canada with her husband. When she isn’t writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for vintage patterns.

BOOK LIST /READING ORDER

DRAGON FIRE SERIES

KISS OF FIRE
KISS OF FURY
KISS OF FATE
WINTER KISS
HARMONIA’S KISS (eNovella)
WHISPER KISS
DARKFIRE KISS
FLASHFIRE
EMBER’S KISS (Oct 2012)

THE DRAGON DIARIES series (Young Adult)

FLYING BLIND
WINGING IT
BLAZING THE TRAIL (June 2012)

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CITY OF LOST SOULS (Mortal Instruments #5 YA) by Cassandra Clare-a new release review

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CITY OF LOST SOULS by Cassandra Clare

CITY OF LOST SOULS (Mortal Instruments #5 YA) by Cassandra Clare

CITY OF LOST SOULS is the latest release (May 2012) from Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series. In their continuing war against the demons and Jonathan Morgenstern, Clary and the Shadowhunters must now face a new enemy that was once a respected member of their own. With Jace missing and presumably under the control of Sebastian (aka Jonathan), Clary’s decision to go against orders will once again risk the lives of everyone she knows and loves.

Several weeks after the disappearance of Jace and Sebastian, Clary is frustrated when the Clave no longer place priority on Jace’s recovery. When the Clave clear Clary of any wrongdoing or involvement in the missing duo’s whereabouts, Clary decides it is time to cash in on the Seelie Queen’s promise. Knowing that this is probably one of the biggest mistakes of her life, Clary is once again thrown into a world of misconceptions and double talk. But it is a stunned Clary who will find both Jace and Sebastian trolling the halls of the Institute looking for a secret to uncover an ancient power.

Luke and his pack of werewolves, as well as  Isabelle, Simon, Alex and Magnus will have their hands full protecting the Shadowhunters and the others from Sebastian’s cruel and evil adventures. But when a severely injured Luke lay dying from his wounds, it is Clary who will make the decision, to disobey the orders in search of the young man she once knew. With the help of Magnus Bane, Clary is propelled into an ever-changing dimension on the other side of the world.

Alec’s relationship with Magnus begins to unravel as his jealousy and mortality shriek their reality with every passing day. But making a deal with Camille who is less than trustworthy will cause Alec more pain than he ever thought possible. Almost losing Magnus to the thrust of a blade will pale in comparison to losing the one person who has loved him unconditionally.

Jordan’s return into Maia’s life will push the couple closer, but his connection with the Praetor alliance will put them at risk. And now that the wolves have been brought in to hunt a rogue vampire on the lose Jordan will lose a friend before everything is over.

Simon’s relationship with Isabelle is fraught with the usual teenage misgivings. Simon’s feelings for Clary overshadow his growing desire for Isabelle, and although neither is willing to admit to their mutual attraction, it is Simon who is afraid to make the first move when it concerns his relationship with Izzy. Meanwhile it is the loss of his mother’s love that will push Simon further away from his family, until his sister Rebecca demands to know what it is that has caused the insane reaction of his mother.

With the revelation of Sebastian’s true intentions, Clary knows she must risk her life to save Jace. But it is Simon who must face the wrath of the Angels in order to separate the connection between Jace and Sebastian. With only the Mark of Cain to offer as payment, Simon will learn what it is to be suddenly vulnerable in the war between good and evil. With the Angel Michael’s sword, Clary now knows that the one person she loves the most in the world, is the one person she must now find and destroy.

CITY OF LOST SOULS is a fast paced storyline that brings many closer together and tears some further apart. Betrayal by her brother is nothing knew, but to know he is truly evil will send Clary spiraling further into a world of hatred and revenge. A fragile love will be splintered, forcing a decision that will bring you to tears, but perhaps it is the actions of a 13year old girl who will give immortality a new name. And the love of a young woman for a Shadowhunter plagued by guilt and remorse will help break a blood connection so tight, that each other will feel the pain of a sword. City of Lost Souls is a wonderful addition to the Mortal Instrument series. Cassandra’s style of anxious love and angst filled heartache was tempered by the action of the storyline and the necessity of building a story. I am looking forward to the final book City of Heavenly Fire-where I am hoping everyone gets a HEA.

ORDER LINKS:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Books
B&N Nook
KOBO
The Book Depository

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS reading order
1. City of Bones
2. City of Ashes
3. City of Glass
4. City of Fallen Angels
5. City of Lost Souls
6. City of Heavenly Fire (2013)

reviewed by Sandy

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Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

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Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

 

Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to introduce YA Indie author Lisa Nowak.

 

 

You can find Lisa at the following:

LINKS:
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Amazon Kindle edition
B&N Nook edition

TRC: Hi Lisa and welcome to The Reading Café. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Lisa: I’m a YA author who writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are. I’m a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass.

TRC: You have posted (on your website) quite a bit of personal information about yourself and your love of racecars. How did your love of cars evolve?

Lisa: When I bought my first car (a ’72 Gremlin) my sense of independence led me to want to know how to work on it myself. Once I started learning the basics, I fell in love with cars and driving.

TRC: You are part of the INDELIBLES indie publishing website. How has your experience with the indie publishing affected your love of writing?

Lisa: Going indie empowered me as an author. When I was pursuing the traditional route, I was always scared, always waiting for someone else to tell me I was good enough. I’d put my dreams and goals into the hands of other people, so I had no control over them. Now I’m in charge of my own destiny and make my own decisions about every aspect of my publishing career. I love it.

TRC: What have been the challenges you have faced as an indie author?

Lisa: Mostly finding time to do everything I want and need to do. Marketing is the biggest issue. Like most indies, I have plenty of ideas about how to promote my book, but not enough time to implement them.

TRC: RUNNING WIDE OPEN, GETTING SIDEWAYS and now DRIVEN are all books you have released that focus on Cody Everett and the people in his life. Would you please tell us about the inspiration behind the series?

Lisa: My experience racing at Eugene Speedway introduced me to the stock car racing community, a group of loyal, passionate, family-oriented people, and I wanted to show the world what they were all about.

TRC: The references to the car makes and models, as well the movies and television shows of the late 80s and early 90s is very nostalgic, but can be somewhat confusing to those who have never experienced the history. Why have you focused the series timelines in 1989-1990?

Lisa: Three reasons. The first is that the landscape of Eugene, Oregon, the setting of the book, has changed quite a bit since I was racing there. The track doesn’t even exist anymore. I wanted to preserve a snapshot of that time and place. The second is that driving laws for teens are much more restrictive now than they were in 1990, and driving is a big part of my books. The third is that today’s technology, with cell phones and the internet, has open up all kinds of possibilities that teens didn’t have in the past. I wrote the original drafts of both Running Wide Open and Driven in the early ’90s, and rather than change the story to include all that new technology, I decided to keep it set in that time. Because these books work as crossover novels, and much of my audience is adult stock car racing fans, I haven’t found it to be an issue for most of them.
TRC: Would you please tell us about the premise behind your new release DRIVEN?(see our review below)

Lisa: Sixteen-year-old Jess wants to be a mechanic, but no one will take her seriously because she’s a girl. She’s never even considered having a boyfriend because she thinks no guy would look twice at her. When she lucks into the opportunity to work on a race car, she’s befriended by a boy who doesn’t mind the grease under her fingernails and drawn into the family-oriented speedway community. These new friendships make it increasingly difficult for her to keep her mom’s alcoholism and neglect a secret—something she must do at all costs to avoid getting stuck in a foster home.

TRC: The storyline POV (Point of view) in DRIVEN is now the female lead Jess Deland. Is there a reason you are now focusing on this particular point of view? Will the next installment in the series continue to focus on Jess?

Lisa: I never intended the whole series to be about Cody, and in fact, I liked the idea of showing him from an outside point of view. As a woman who loves cars, I wanted to write about a young girl who shares that trait. The next book Redline, continues with Jess as the protagonist. The last book in the series, tentatively titled Never Surrender, alternates between Jess’ and Cody’s viewpoints.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the next book in the series? Do you have a working title or premise?
Lisa: Redline is already written and off with my editor. I expect to release it around Thanksgiving. It’s hard to say too much about it without giving spoilers for Driven, but it takes up where Driven leaves off, following Jess as she attempts to enjoy life as a normal teenager for the first time. And then her past catches up with her, leading to a devastating event.

TRC: Are the characters or experiences based on anyone you know or the events in your life?

Lisa: Not so much. A few of the minor characters share traits with people I used to race with, but the main characters are all straight out of my imagination. That said, there’s a little bit of myself in all of them. Like Jess, I’m stubborn and driven, and like Cody, my emotional nature makes life more difficult than I’d like it to be. I also poke fun at my own quirks, such as my extreme Christmas spirit and my habit of listening to the same CD over and over again in the car because I’m too lazy to change it.

TRC: You offer classes and guidelines (about writing) to new authors. What would you consider the most important thing to remember when writing a book or series?

Lisa: These days, most of my writing advice is geared toward indie publishing, rather than actual craft, but if I had to come up with a single piece of advice for new authors, it would be what one of my racing mentors once told me: you just gotta keep on keepin’ on.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information between friends, family and each other. With whom do you bounce your ideas?

Lisa: My husband, my critique group partners, my writing friends, sometimes even my landscaping customers (landscaping is my day job).

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Lisa: Now that Driven is out, I’m taking a little break to promote it and keep my landscaping customers happy. Later in summer, when my business slows down, I’ll either tackle revisions to Redline or I’ll make some changes to another book I’m working on, Dead Heat, and run it by my editor. Dead Heat is shorter and has a paranormal aspect, plus I have a unique marketing opportunity for it, so I’m considering publishing it next. It’s a gritty story about this kid, Alex, who’s a machine whisperer (he can figure out what’s wrong with any broken machine just by touching it). His meth addict dad beats him and exploits his ability. When his mentor, Cole, dies he gets a glimpse of just how bad things are for Alex, and what his future holds, so he hangs around as a ghost, risking his own chance at eternal peace to protect him.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Lisa: Perhaps an animated gif of a dancing hamster.

 

TRC: *snort*..I bet you didn’t think we would post the pic of the animated hamster 🙂

 

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
I hate having to choose only one. It makes all the other foods feel bad. But probably Mexican or pizza.

Favorite Dessert
Anything with chocolate

Favorite TV Show
Seriously? Just one again? Can I cheat? Leverage, House, Grey’s Anatomy

Favorite Movie
What if I throw you for a loop and say something obscure like Regarding Henry or Stand by Me?

Last Movie you Saw
Bridesmaids

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark

Favorite Song
Ugh. My brain just doesn’t work this way. It depends what mood I’m in. How about if I just tell you the song that was one of the inspirations for Driven? Car Crazy Cutie by the Beach Boys.

Thank you Lisa for taking the time to answer our questions. The Reading Café wishes you all the best with your writing career.

 

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DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

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DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

DRIVEN (Full Throttle series)  is the third book and May 2012 new release from Lisa Nowak’s Young Adult series. DRIVEN focuses on Jess Deland, a shy 16 year girl trying to keep up appearances in a world full of betrayal and shame. Knowing your mother is a drunk and thinking your father never wanted you forces Jess to put all of her time and effort into her studies and re-building cars. But when she meets Teri-Sue Cline and Cody Everett at the local speedway, she doesn’t know how her life is about to change.

Jess knows how to keep secrets. For years her mother’s drinking has forced the young girl into being the parent. But when Teri-Sue Cline, a beautiful, young amateur racecar driver offers Jess a position with her pit-crew, she jumps at the opportunity to earn more money-and the fact that she will be working on racecars makes it the best job (ever).

Cody Everett is a fellow amateur racecar driver. But living in the shadow of the infamous racecar driver and uncle-Horatio “Race” Everett, places Cody in the unenviable position to try and prove worthy. Cody’s love and worry for his uncle is well placed, following the previous year’s harrowing accident that almost killed the man. But when he sideswipes Teri-Sue’s car on the track, he finds himself the target of a very emotional and pretty 16 year old mechanic. And now his prime motivation will be to meet and get to know-Jess Deland.

Jess is determined to keep her distance. Hoping no one will discover her family secrets, Jess has few friends and is determined to push Cody away. Teri-Sue’s family has welcomed Jess with open arms, and she is reluctant to accept any favors or gifts. And Teri-Sues younger brother Rhett tugs at Jess’s heart. An easy-going young boy of 10, Rhett’s desire is to have contact with his absentee mother. But a horrific accident has placed the Cline’s family at odds with each other, and Jess seems to be the only person who is able to break through Rhett’s façade. And Jess soon learns that appearances are not always what they seem. She is not the only person to keep secrets buried. Cody’s demons ride him hard and it will be a 16 year old girl who will help tame and wipe away the tears of a young man.

Life for Jess is about to change. As her relationship with Cody grows, the relationship with her mother pushes further apart. But finding herself alone and homeless will force Jess to test the limits of her abilities. Keeping secrets and fearing the authorities will take her from the people that she has grown to love, Jess begins to risk her health and her happiness in an effort to keep the others from discovering the truth. But it will be the love of her new family that will help discover the real-truth about her past.

DRIVEN is a fictional young adult storyline. Written in first person POV from the heroine’s perspective, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery into first love and the feeling of betrayal by a parent. The character of Jess was, at first, a little difficult to like with her misplaced anger at Cody Everett, but looking beyond the obvious, Jess is a wounded child hiding a multitude of pain and shame. Anger is an emotion she knows only too well. Driven is a sweet story about accepting who you are and asking for help when the going gets tough.

To Order:
AMAZON Kindle LINK: Driven
B&N NOOK LINK: Driven

READING ORDER
1. Running Wide Open
2. Getting Sideways
3. Driven

reviewed by Sandy

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Insurgent by Veronica Roth – a Review

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Insurgent by Veronica Roth – a Review

“Insurgent” by Veronica Roth is the second book in her Divergent Trilogy.  I loved the first book in this series Divergent, and expected this book to be good, but was totally surprised to find Insurgent to be even better.  Kudos to Veronica Roth, who takes us right from the start on a non stop journey that does not end with this book.  In Insurgent, Roth seamlessly brings us into the action right away, as if you were still reading Dviergent, and it flows beautifully. 

To give you a refresher, this story takes place in Chicago in the future.  There are five factions, which each person is born into.  Abnegation: being selfless. Amity: peace and love. Candor: honesty. Dauntless: courage. Erudite: knowledge. Each of these factions consists of different professions, different clothes, and different lifestyles. Abnegation is the political arm of all the factions, as they are considered selfless, and less likely to be corrupted by power. Dauntless protects the borders of the city.  Erudite, being intelligent, wants the power of Abnegation and this will be a major focus of this story later in the book.  Our heroine Tris, and hero Tobias (or Four) have escaped from their faction, Dauntless, after stopping an Erudite created simulation that brainwashed the Dauntless to kill the Abnegation faction.

Now begins Insurgent, with Tris unable to cope with guilt of killing her friend, even though he would have killed her, as he was under the simulation to kill.  It was kill or be killed for Tris.   They with other survivors come to Amity for sanctuary, only to be forced to leave, as the Erudites & Dauntless traitors are coming after them, especially for all those that are Divergents.  We know from the first book, that Tris and Tobias are Divergents, as are others whom we meet in this book.  We get to meet the factionless, whom are more then anyone expected, and they are run by Tobias’s mother.  The Factionless are the key to defeating the Erudites, as their members were those tossed away by all the other factions, and their numbers are now bigger then the other factions. They will team with the loyal Dauntless to fight this war of survival.

Jeanine Matthews is still the villain in this book, but Roth brings in so many new characters….friends, enemies, family, and betrayers.  Though at times you might get confused who is on whose side, Roth does a good job giving us a better insight into these really good characters.  We learn so much more about these characters, such as Peter, Christina, Caleb, Tori, Uriah and so much more.

Tris is a great heroine, as she is tough, vulnerable, strong and still has her own flaws, but you are on her side all the way through,especially when she willingly offers her life to save others.  Tobias is perfect for her, as he is truly a leader, who I expect to come on his own, when this is over.  They love each other, but they know that now is not the time, as they have a war to fight.   But we do get to watch them discover more about each other, even to the misunderstandings.  Very well done.

Insurgent was very exciting from start to finish; total action, suspense and so tense at times.   This book totally blew me away, as I could not put this book down, nor could you even attempt to skip anything in fear you would miss the many revelations.   This has to be one of the best second books of a series that I have ever read. Totally awesome.   The plot, the constant surprises, the betrayals, and twists, and though this has some romantic undertones with Tris and Tobias, it is not a romance story.  It is considered YA dystopian, but it is not YA only, as this book is all adult; with the violence, the intensity, the danger, not to mention the complexity.

The wild ending was a cliffhanger, and most of you know I hate cliffhangers.  But this was done so very well by Roth, totally amazing, and you will be thinking of this for the next year….until the third and final book comes out.  Bravo to Veronica Roth for her ability to create this world and write such a fascinating story that will not let you go.  If you have not read this series, I urge you to buy Divergent and Insurgent now, since if I have to rate this book,.. I give it 5 stars.

Review by Barb

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DIE FOR ME (YA) Revenant #1 by Amy Plum

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DIE FOR ME (YA) Revenant #1 by Amy Plum

DIE FOR ME (YA) by Amy Plum

DIE FOR ME is the first book in Amy Plum’s YA Revenant Trilogy. With the May 2012 release of Until I Die, I had the chance to read the premiere story. Set against the backdrop of modern day Paris, France, Die For Me can easily cross several genres including paranormal and urban fantasy.

Following the death of their parents, Kate and Georgia Mercier made the decision to return to their father’s birthplace in Paris France. Every summer the girls had vacationed at their grandparents home in Europe so the lifestyle and ambiance would be relatively familiar and easily accepted. But Kate’s depression worsened as the summer wore on and with the new school year approaching, something or someone would have to change.

Vincent is a revenant-an immortal who was once human. Revenants are re-animated humans who feel the need to sacrifice themselves continuously to save the lives of others. In his nearly 90 years, Vincent has only loved once, but he is drawn to Kate like a moth to fire. She is young, beautiful and alone. And on the occasions he has had the chance to talk, he has made a fool of himself. But there is something about Kate that he needs, he wants and he knows that falling in love with a human would place everyone in danger.

We are introduced to Vincent’s fellow revenant’s-the twins Charlotte and Charles, Ambrose, Jules, Jean-Baptiste and Gaspard. As part of their re-animation, the revenants must go into a once monthly ‘hibernation’ to refuel, but it is during this down time that their bodies are susceptible to attack and death-their mind and body will separate and the spirit becomes Volant-with the ability to leave and communicate with the others.And each time they ‘die’, their body must be recovered before medical science and the authorities take possession. As the relationship between Vincent and Kate develops, so does their ability to communicate during Vincent’s times of dormancy. Seemingly rare between a human and a revenant, so too is their ability to share one body, but Kate and Vincent are connected at a higher level than most.

Like every paranormal storyline, there is always the dark side. The numa-are a species of revenant who have chosen the bad side of life while human and now face eternity fighting a war against the good. But it will be Kate and her sister Georgia that will become pawns in the numa’s hunt to discover the current location of the revenant household and take out the lives of everyone close.

Die for Me is an interesting storyline. The characters make light of their re-animation, liking themselves to zombies without the grotesque bodies, but the premise of a self-sacrificing being who feels the need to die over and over to save others has its’ moments. Like all YA storylines, there is denial about love and need, as well as the risk of hurting someone you love, but I must give kudos to Plum, for she writes a story that shows respect for the adults as well as the young. Look for my review of UNTIL I DIE in May.

AMAZON Kindle: $2.05 Die For Me
KOBO: $1.99 Die For Me
B&N NOOK: $1.99 Die For Me

Reviewed by Sandy

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BLACK DAWN (Morganville Vampires #12 YA) by Rachel Caine-a new release review

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BLACK DAWN (Morganville Vampires YA) by Rachel Caine

Black Dawn is the 12th book in the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine. It picks up right where Last Breath left off. Morganville is in total chaos after the battle with the Draug. The one enemy that the vampires have tried to evade for centuries. Most of the Morganville inhabitants have been evacuated due to the danger lurking, literally, everywhere in Morganville. The ones still in town are trying valiantly to come up with a way to defeat, and ultimately kill, the Draug. The fact that the Draug are “water-like” creatures makes that daunting task a slippery slope. Michael and Eve are struggling to rebuild their relationship and their trust in each other after Michael’s rescue from the Draug in Last Breath. Let’s just say that after his rescue from the Draug, his vampire nature rose to the top!!! But, first, they have to try and defeat the Draug.

Claire, of course, is enlisted to help Myrnin (resident whacky, brilliant vampire scientist) to try and come up with something to help save them all. Amelie, the Founder, has been infected by the master Draug, Magnus, and is slowly slipping away. While she is being protected by Oliver, her 2nd in command (and enemy some days), others plot to take over Morganville as soon as Amelie is “gone”. Myrnin and Claire come up with ways to kill some of the Draug, and soon, they, along with Shane and Michael and Eve, set out to the water treatment plant to cut off the Draug’s access to Morganville’s water supply. Once they reach the plant, they split up to complete their separate tasks. Then, mayhem ensues. Shane is captured by the Draug and held captive. Claire, very unwillingly, is taken back to Founder’s Square (the vampires strong hold). She rallies her posse once again and goes back to rescue Shane. Enlisted to help are Richard Morrell (the mayor), Hannah Moses (chief of police) and Monica Morrell (resident mean girl). Mayhem ensues during the rescue, but everyone makes it out alive. This time……………

Then, things get really dicey!! I can’t tell you (without giving too much away) if they kill the Draug or not, but I can tell you that Shane is the one who astounds everyone. Not Myrnin. Not genius Claire. But plain ol’ Shane!! Then, things really get kicking! A lot of known characters show up in this book, who haven’t really been around a lot lately. And, O.M.G.!!! There are things that happen at the end that totally surprised me!! I totally didn’t see a couple of things coming, and, in my opinion, those things can only enhance the Morganville experience. There will be new foes, new alliances, and to quote a line in the book, “New rules, children. Brand new rules. Remember that”.

This book was written from several character’s perspectives. And, to be honest, I would have to stop and think sometimes whose point of view I was reading from. That said, it was another great book by Rachel Caine. I so love it when a book is a page turner, and this one was. I love it when I get so vested in the story that I don’t realize I can’t turn the pages fast enough until it sneaks up on me!! I wish that I could say more about what happens in the book, but, like I said earlier, I don’t want to give too much away. Thankfully, the 13th installment, Bitter Blood, comes out in November 2012, so I won’t have to wait too long!! I can’t bear to be away from Myrnin too long!!

Well done, once again, Rachel!!!!

Reviewed by Vickie

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CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS by Cassandra Clare-a review

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CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS by Cassandra Clare

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS (YA)  by Cassandra Clare

May 2012 Cassandra Clare will release CITY OF LOST SOULS (the 5th book in The Mortal Instruments Young Adult series). We offer a review of CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS (book #4).  

City of Fallen Angels is the 4th instalment in Cassandra Clare’s –The Mortal Instruments YA series. Continuing the adventures of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec, Cassandra begins this story a few weeks after the demise of Clary’s father and brother, Valentine and Sebastian, and the 3rd book -The City of Glass.

Clary Fray and Jace Herondale/Lightwood/Wayland are in love-fated to be together forever, but something continues to hold Jace back. Throughout this series, Jace has been plagued with self-doubt in regards to his ability to protect and defend those he loves, especially Clary. As Nephilium (children descended from the mating of humans and angels) the Shadowhunters seek out evil and protect the humans, but Jace has doubts. He is forever exposing Clary to a world of demons, vampires and fey-all of whom, want to know-the daughter of Valentine, one of the strongest ex-Shadowhunters known and a monster without equal. Clary is not without her own powers as she is capable of designing protective runes-one’s that seem to hold much power over those who would otherwise try to injure or kill the Shadowhunters.

If you are a fan of the Mortal Instrument series, you are well aware of the continuing struggle between good and evil, love and hate, Clary and Jace. This novel begins with the disappearance of several one-time members of Valentine’s ‘Circle’ and their bodies are turning up in different territories of New York. Werewolves, vampires, fey and Nephilium are all being blamed by each other for the ritual murders, but when the bodies of new-born babies, possessing demon-like features are discovered, the investigation is turned towards Valentine. These babies are eerily reminiscent of the experiments that Clary’s father had performed on his own children-resulting in Clary’s demonic-like brother Sebastian.

Clary’s mother Jocelyn is about to marry Luke, the alpha-male for the local werewolf pack, but something isn’t right. A visit from the Queen of the Fey warns Clary about her choices in love and life, and she is concerned when her beloved Jace begins to withdraw his affections and seems trapped in a world of angst and self-recrimination. When Clary’s best friend Simon (a reluctant day-walking vampire) disappears from the pre-wedding party, she goes looking for her life-long pal. But Simon has a few problems of his own-he has been dating 2 supernatural beings-Isabelle Lightwood and Maia, the young female werewolf, from Luke’s pack. Clary, presuming Simon has fallen victim to his dual life with the two women, goes hunting but finds herself trapped and threatened by love of her life, Jace. Waking up, Clary discovers she has been brought to a rooftop garden, in a building under construction and she is soon to be the pawn in a game of life and death.

An ancient vampiress and ‘old’ girlfriend of the Warlock-Magnus Bane has surfaced, and is looking to regain control of the vampires in New York. But when Camille is fingered in the deaths of the Shadowhunters and the babies, she is taken into custody, but not before, she tries to enlist Simon, in her plans to fight Raphael, the interim leader of the vampires. Camille’s disappearance and the subsequent re-appearance of a more deadly, ancient threat, have the Shadowhunters on guard. But when the Demon-Lillith gains control over Jace, Clary becomes a weapon with which Lillith uses to manipulate both Simon and Jace in her game to resurrect Clary’s brother, Sebastian. Simon’s power as a day-walking vampire and Jace’s connection to Sebastian through his resurrection in City of Glass, are the catalysts used to bring the former demon –child, back to life.

Cassandra Clare’s YA writing styles are similar to most YA authors. The teen angst between the major characters, as well as the negligent parental guidance, is always a factor in writing these storylines. I like The Mortal Instrument series, but as many of you know, I am not a big fan of the ‘whoa is me’ –young adult stylings. It is enough that I lived through it in my teen years, as well as with my own children, but my anxiety level seems to skyrocket, when ever I read about the crushes and love-lives of these fantasy characters. I want to take every one of these young adults and put them in a room together for counseling. Sadly, if that were the case, there would be no need to continue any of these series. I am enjoying this series. I want to see these characters happy, but at the present, everyone is heading for depression. I look forward to Cassandra’s next instalment in this series….”City of Lost Souls” in May 2012 and “City of Heavenly Fire” in September 2014….if –I can hold out that long.

Reviewed by Sandy

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