Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Title: Heart of Obsidian

Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Pages: 360
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Loved it!

Nalini's Psy/Changling series has reached the point where I love every book just because I get to spend time in that world again. Heart of Obsidian was awesome for that reason and because I finally got to find out more about Kaleb Krychek.

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

Title: One Step Too Far

Author: Tina Seskis
Publisher: Krik Parolles
Pages: Kindle ed
Rating: 3/5 Stars

It's always good to broaden ones horizons and One Step Too Far is definitely a departure from my normal choice of books. There's nothing supernatural or macabre about it and it's not YA, which is what I've been reading a lot of lately. One Step Too Far is one of those genre defying books that would be shelved in the fiction/literature section of the bookstore. At least, that's where I'd put it.

One Step Too Far presents itself as a mystery of sorts according to the description and in a way, that is accurate. Tina Seskis reveals the details of Emily's past, as well as the event that sent her existence into a tailspin and prompted her to leave her happy marriage/home, very slowly. In terms of keeping me interested and engaged, Seskis definitely succeeded. Although, I didn't relate to the characters' lives, I was fascinated by what could be so horrible that Emily felt she had to leave everything and start over.

I glanced at some other reviews to remind me of everything that happens in this book which is something I don't normally do. I like to write my reviews strictly from my own perspective, without any outside influence. That said, in this case, I was reminded of the moment when all of the drama crossed the line from "believable story of a woman's battles with a traumatic experience" and into "tv-movie of the week" territory.

Event #1: Caroline and her boyfriend being involved in an explosion. The night Caroline's life is finally about to come together after an entire lifetime of disappointment and struggle, she is at a restaurant with her boyfriend when an explosion out on the street literally ruins everything. She loses the baby she finally decides that she wants and her anger with her boyfriend for the way he doesn't pay all of his attention to her (and possibly the fact that I think he's gay) lead them to go their separate ways. She always miscarries her baby.

Event #2: Emily gets trashed/high at a club, goes home with a famous footballer who just happens to bear a strong resemblance to the husband that she still loves, gets high again, spends the night with him and wakes up next to his naked dead body. She proceeds to get arrested in connection to his death and because he's famous, her face is splashed all over the news, leading her husband to find her and bail her out of jail, thus reuniting them.

There's also the bizarre circumstances of Emily's new best friend Angel's life, but she's a side character and meant to be the antithesis of Emily's life 'before', so I didn't have as much of a problem with that.

The above events, however, didn't sit well with me. They just seemed so over the top and impossible to believe. Books create certain worlds, certain contexts and even though the story is up to the creative mind of the author, there are certain things that just feel wrong. The magic of Harry Potter, for example, would feel all kinds of wrong in if it was used to save the day in a John Grisham novel. The violence of the explosion as well as the sudden death of the footballer just felt wrong. Rather than simply being shocked and saddened by what happened, I was left shaking my head and thinking "no one's life is actually like this."

Seskis is a fine author. Her grasp of language and the elements of writing is good and there was nothing technical that took me out of the book - even when she would bounce between first and third person depending on whether the story was in the present or the past. Plot-wise, however, this book became a little too fantastical for me to really enjoy in terms of the story it presented. Caroline had been anorexic and/or an alcoholic for much of her life, she could have easily miscarried without the explosion outside of the restaurant. Emily was doing a LOT of drugs and not handling it well which could have very easily led to her arrest and subsequent discovery by her husband. I don't think that the death of a famous sports hero was necessary.

I did enjoy reading the book and I was satisfied with the explanation of why Emily ran as well as the actual ending of One Step Too Far, but I feel like Seskis either needs to work on balance or she needs to re-evaluate the type of story that she wants to tell to be truly successful.

Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Title: Tangle of Need

Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 422
Rating: 4/5

This is the eleventh book in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series and now that Hawke and Sienna are together, I'm reading them for the overall plot, rather than the central couple. Thankfully, Singh seems to be aware of this as Tangle of Need focuses as much on Hawke and Sienna as a newly mated pair as she does the burgeoning romance of Adria and Riaz.

There's nothing wrong with Adria and Riaz - both are enjoyable characters and the drama that keeps them apart is very realistic for their circumstances. With Hawke, Sienna had the knowledge that the girl who would have grown up to be his mate had died. Adria doesn't have that luxury as Riaz's mate is alive and well - even if she is happily married to someone else. Adria's not my favorite heroine and Riaz isn't my favorite hero, but I don't dislike them like I do Clay and Talia or Dev and Katya.

The resolution of Adria and Riaz's romance feels incomplete, but at the same time I have to commend Singh for doing something different with them. I remember that in book four of this series - Hostage to Pleasure - I was annoyed by the trite way that the mating bond fixed Dorian so that he was able to shift. It was such a predictable move that it soured me on that book and that couple, which was a shame because as a Changeling that couldn't shift, Dorian stood out. So, in order to refrain from being a total hypocrite, I'll leave it at that.

The real draw of Tangle of Need for me was the exposure to the Snow Dancer pack and all that it entails. I love the world that Singh has created and each book allows her to continue to focus on another aspect of it. In addition to the Snow Dancers and Dark River, we meet more of the Human Alliance and for the first time get to see what they're doing to combat the Psy mental invasion. I applaud Singh for finally highlighting something that I've thought all along - that it would suck to be a human in this Psy-Changeling world. Humans are basically at the mercy of these two powerful races, subject to their whims and their wars and yet completely ignored for the most part.

I love that Singh continued Hawke and Sienna's story, letting us experience their mating celebration as a way of furthering their romance as well as developing Adria and Riaz's involvement.

And Drew and Judd. I love any time Drew and Judd make appearances.

And last, but certainly not least, Kaleb. I have enjoyed him from the very first time he showed up and I'm getting excited for his book in the same way I was excited for Drew and Hawke's books.

Tangle of Need isn't one of my favorite Psy-Changeling books, but it was by no means a disappointment. Any fan of the series will enjoy this book for the continued exposure to the Psy-Changeling world and the continuation of the plot that Singh's been spinning since book one. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

September Secret Reader Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper
Pages: Kindle edition
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Tahereh Mafi should be commended for writing the most first person of first person books that I've read. Mafi puts her readers inside of Juliette's head so completely that some sentences and paragraphs are little more than run on stream of conscious thoughts - that are occasionally crossed out in the same way all of us have tried to cross out or brush aside an errant thought that we don't want to be having. Shatter Me feels like a brilliantly poetic journal, containing some of the most beautiful descriptions, similes and metaphors that I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Juliette will remind some readers of Rogue from X-men, in that she can kill people with her touch. It's that deadly power that, after years of torment and neglect in a rapidly decaying, dystopian society, catches the attention of the government. The Reestablishment seizes Juliette and holds her prisoner for three years, a year of which is spent in isolation in an insane asylum.

Until one day, Juliette isn't so alone anymore.

A boy joins her in her cell and she's beautifully aware of him in all of the ways that a seventeen year old girl would be aware of a super hot seventeen year old boy.

The plot of Shatter Me is a standard one as far as dystopian novels go - Juliette is special, she has something that the Reestablishment wants and they intend to get it at all costs. She's tempted with promises of luxury and power, but her heart is pure and she rejects it along with Adam - the one boy who can touch her and has always loved her and oh so conveniently gets thrown into a cell with her in the insane asylum.

The plush apartment that is her cell also doesn't have surveillance equipment in the bathroom. Also convenient.

I don't point these things out to mock or detract from Shatter Me, but to highlight what this story is really about and that is Juliette coming into her own after a lifetime of trying to be invisible. Mafi, while inventive with her futuristic dystopia, isn't reinventing the wheel here and she knows it. She makes the wise choice to stay entrenched in Juliette's experience, dolling out details of her world when it matters, rather than in long-winded exposition at the beginning of the book.

To me, the real story picked up about half way through when Juliette and Adam break out of the evil Warner's clutches and escape the Reestablishment's army. They find Adam's brother James and make plans to run off together - until a former soldier, Kenji, shows up on Adam's supposedly top secret door step suffering from a beating and bullet wounds. The timetable on their plans is shortened significantly and they barely get out of the apartment in one piece.

During the chase that follows, Juliette is forced to get over herself, basically, if she wants to survive and by the end, she realizes she wants to do more than survive - for the first time she wants to live.

A downside to Mafi's style is that our view of the world is limited to only what Juliette thinks, sees, hears and feels - even more so than other first person narratives. As a reader, I was thrust into this story without a hint as to what was happening and while I wouldn't call that a bad thing necessarily, in the case of Shatter Me I was left feeling that if you scraped away the fancy prose, the actual story was rather shallow. Typical, I guess, of so many other YA novels where the quiet, overlooked girl with the tortured past grows up and comes into her own.

I don't want to sound like I'm knocking it, because that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm stoked to continue the series and see what happens. Mafi totally surprised me with where our characters ended up and as such I'm not so sure that I know exactly what kind of story she's preparing to tell. That's a very good thing.

I do have to wonder how much more compelling Shatter Me could have been if Mafi had taken a little of the creativity she used in composing her beautiful prose and put it into the plot of her story.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 392
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Read for August Secret Reader

Welp. I devoured that one.

Can I have more, please?

Pushing the Limits is not my typical read - no supernatural, no fantasy or scifi, no mystery or action - but that didn't stop me from eagerly turning pages until the very end. Katie McGarry didn't reinvent the wheel in terms of setting or plot, but her characters, Echo and Noah in particular, wouldn't let me go.

The plot of Pushing the Limits follows tragic good-girl-with-a-mysterious-past Echo and tragic bad-boy-with-a-violent-past Noah as they're forced together by their mutual guidance counselor and find love and healing across social lines. While the details of Echo's memory loss and scars, as well as what happened to Noah's parents intrigued me, the parts I enjoyed the most were the sessions with Mrs. Collins, the guidance counselor, and the one-on-one time Noah and Echo shared.

I always appreciate authors who write characters - especially teenagers - that are real. McGarry's teenagers drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex, but all in the way that teens do. Echo isn't suddenly a bad girl because she gets drunk at a party and Noah isn't irredeemable because he smokes weed.

I give McGarry kudos for writing a bad boy that actually deserved his reputation. Noah's not a saint. While he might have been on the fast track to All-American Golden Boy status, his parent's death changed everything. He does become (justifiably) violent, he does have a temper, he does sleep with any girl he happens to be interested in, he does smoke weed, he does have tattoos, he swears a lot and he's got very little interest in school and preparing for a future that he doesn't think that he'll have.

As he and Echo get to know each other, he's not perfect and doesn't say the right thing all of the time, but he listens to her in a way that her friends and hideous wannabe boyfriend won't. McGarry doesn't have Noah change for his good-girl, but rather return to the person he used to be.

As a former member of the popular in-crowd, Echo is essentially crippled by her new outsider status - not to mention the scars on her arms that she can't remember getting. I had a much harder time relating to Echo than Noah, but I am not as petrified of authority as she is. The opening chapter, where Echo, her father and her step-mother are in a group therapy session with Mrs. Collins made me cringe. I couldn't understand how Echo could let her father dictate her life like he did. Then I saw how the same things happened with her friends, her ex-boyfriend Luke, basically everyone she encountered, and I realized that what Echo really needed was a backbone.

Noah helps her find it - or rather, he helps her find the girl that she used to be as well.

Romance novels always claim to feature two people who need each other for whatever reason, but Pushing the Limits really delivers. Noah's I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude clashes with Echo's need to please and as they spend more time together, they balance each other out and it's wonderful to read.

The end doesn't tie everything up in a nice, neat bow, with all wrongs being righted and all amends being made. Echo gets the answers she's been searching for about the night she got her scars, but her reunion with her mother is far from satisfying. I personally thought she was far too forgiving with her father and step-mother, but I have a cold, dead heart. ;P Noah doesn't achieve his exact goal, but he manages to find a solution that's far more realistic for his situation. Despite that vague summary, I was completely satisfied with the way things were wrapped up.

If I were to have any criticisms it would be that some of the dialogue felt wrong - more than once I had a "teenagers don't talk like that" reaction. Some of the characters were so extreme - Grace, Echo's father - in their refusal to accept or listen to Echo that I almost had to put the book down. Both of these "complaints" are minor, however, and I am anxious to read more of McGarry's writing. 

Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Emblaze
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 415
Rating: 4/5 Stars

I finished this book nearly two months ago and while the major reason for my tardiness in reviewing is simply my amazing ability to procrastinate, it actually has a lot to do with my very mixed feelings about Emblaze. 

The story is great and Shirvington does her usual amazing work at spinning a tale full of emotion and mythology as well as a healthy dose of ass-kicking action. Violet must once again risk life and limb to protect her fellow Grigori - as well as the entire human population, basically - in a race against Phoenix who wants to get his mother, Lilith, out of hell. This time, however, it's a lot more personal as her best friend Steph becomes a pawn in the game.

Shirvington took us to Jordan in Entice and this time around we get to check out Greece. I definitely enjoyed Greece more than Jordan - maybe because I was imagining beautiful mediterranean waters instead of miles and miles of sand and rock. There's apparently a Hellmouth in Greece - to use BtVS terms - and the Grigori want to keep it closed at all costs.

Which of course means, it opens.

I wouldn't have it any other way, of course.

New characters of note in this book - Josephine and her ninja-like bodyguards. Josephine is from the Assembly and she's super annoying, but impossible to truly hate because she IS one of the good guys.

Even if she really doesn't seem to like our heroine all that much.

Josephine is also dangerous and Violet has to be supremely on guard around her lest the secret of her evolving abilities gets out.

Irin, the Keeper, is a really shady, gross new bad guy who runs the island on which the Hellmouth exists. He has an agreement with Grigori in that if he keeps the local exile populace under control, they will stay away. I liked him because, well, I always like shady, gross characters who muddy up the waters.

Violet's dad makes an incredible nuisance of himself, finally deciding to actually parent his daughter. I'm sure that Shirvington wants to paint him in a sympathetic light, but I went from apathy to outright dislike when it comes to him.

I felt the same way about Buffy's mother Joyce, to be honest. Parents who only care to parent when their children are a problem.

Last but not least, we get to meet Violet's mother, Evelyn, risen from the mouth of hell along with Lilith. Violet's antagonistic attitude toward her surprised me, but Evelyn came across as pretty abrasive, so she can hold her own. As a reader I know more about Evelyn than Violet does, so I suppose I should cut her a little slack.

A little.

Basically, the story is great, like I said. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns. My lack of enthusiasm in reviewing comes down to the issue I've made no secret about since book one and that's my dislike of Lincoln.

I still really, really dislike Lincoln.

I still see the way he loves Violet as a weakness - not the fact that he does love her, but in the way Shirvington has him express it. I'd dealt with his and Violet's nauseating relationship because I thought that the story was going to be a true triangle with Phoenix.

After reading this book, I'm no longer sure of that and I find it really disappointing.

What makes it worse is the fact that Phoenix gets his own POV chapter in Embrace and it's paragraph after paragraph of his true motivations and feelings for Violet - loving her, thinking of how she could have been the one to give him a place to belong, a family, made life worth living for him, etc. And there's SO much Violet doesn't know. So much truth she doesn't even have an inkling of when it comes to Phoenix. It's the stuff star-crossed lovers are made of, not this contrived nonsense between Violet and Lincoln.

But that said, all signs seem to be pointing toward Violet and Lincoln being the couple to root for which just confuses the hell out of me. I've never seen an author approach character or relationships like this. Phoenix and Violet get the character development while Lincoln is on the sidelines, typically brooding and unhappy.

It's just weird and not in a good way.

I intend to keep reading the series because three books in I'm invested in more than just the romance and I really do enjoy the characters - literally all of them except Lincoln - but I'm going to do my best to disengage from the romance.

I need to lower my expectations and hopes and just look forward to Phoenix on his own.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 448
Rating: 5/5 Stars

I was incredibly excited to get an ARC of The Eternity Cure and I’d resolved to read/review it before it was released.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?

My procrastination had nothing to do with the book, however, because as soon as I got around to firing up my Kindle and started reading, I didn’t stop. As with The Immortal Rules, Kagawa crafted a story that was unique and engaging and really kept me turning pages.

Er, pushing the arrow button.

After leaving Eden at the end of book #1, Allie sets off to find her sire, Kanin. She’s drawn to him because of their shared bloodline and even sees through his eyes in the night as she sleeps. She knows that he’s in trouble – captured by Psycho Vamp Sarren – and she’s determined to find him.

She feels she owes him that much.

Truth be told, I think Allie’s just looking for a new family. As much as she tried to be a detached Fringer during the first seventeen years of her life, and then a detached vampire, Allison can’t help but want people, family, a connection. She had a facsimile of that with Zeke and the group of humans that she helped get to Eden in the first book, but that was always a pipe dream, tarnished by the fact that she constantly had to choke down her Hunger and keep her true self secret.

Perhaps Kanin is a second chance at a family that she’ll never have to give up.

Having read two of Kagawa’s books, I feel I can say with some authority that she really likes to take her time with her plots. In any other book, finding Kanin would have been the introduction and the real plot would have started when she did exactly that. Under Kagawa’s guidance, however, The Eternity Cure stays focused on what it’s really about – Allison’s journey. Despite the fact that she’s constantly moving, Allison is not at the whim of her plot, her plot unfolds around her as she goes. As such, the book is half over when Allison and Jackal (what an unexpected and surprisingly enjoyable development) are reunited with their sire.

Zeke also makes another appearance and I found that I enjoyed him much more in The Eternity Cure than I did in The Immortal Rules. He seems more adult in this book and the connection that he and Allie share feels more genuine and organic. By the time I got to the end, I found that I really cared about Zeke and wanted him to stay around.

As much as Allie drives the plot of The Eternity Cure, it moves a lot faster than The Immortal Rules. I was immensely glad of that as I really didn’t need to have a play-by-play of Allie and Jackal’s trek from DC to New Covington.

There were a couple of plot contrivances that I would have liked to see handled differently. Zeke’s miraculous healing abilities could have been set up better – or at all. I don’t think it would have given away anything if Kagawa had mentioned the medical experiments that he’d volunteered for in Eden prior to his Lazarus-like return near the end. The fact that Sarren stayed in New Covington after his desperate escape from the Vampire Towers was…convenient.

Also, I really hate that Allison refers to Sarren as Psycho Vamp. There’s something really pedestrian about that.

Those are minor, but in light of how much I loved this book and how skilled Kagawa is as an author, that’s the best I can do.

Speaking of those skills, like The Immortal Rules, The Eternity Cure just feels solid. There’s this intangible difference between a green author’s debut and an author who has really honed her craft and Kagawa’s definitely honed. I love that and it deserves to be addressed.  Details are richer, plot unfolds more smoothly and the world is vibrant and alive. Awesome.

Now, I have to wait for the next book and after the plot twist at the end, I feel that it’s going to be a very, very long wait.

Sigh.

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel’s Kiss (Guilt Hunter #2)

Author: Nalini Singh

Publisher: Gollancz

Pages: 323

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Archangel's Kiss had been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time when a March Challenge to dig into my TBR pile finally prompted me to read it. I feel bad only giving the book three stars as Nalini Singh is one of my favorite authors, but three stars equals "I liked it" and that is the truth. I liked this book. Archangel's Kiss was a quick, engaging read that I definitely enjoyed, but it by no means knocked me off of my feet.

I read Archangel's Blood three years ago, so I had a hard time remembering all of the details of that book. They came back to me as I read and I was reminded why I'd made sure to pick up Archangel's Kiss and the next book in the series, Archangel's Consort. Nalini Singh creates characters and worlds that are vivid and engaging - very, very close to the world we currently live in, but different in subtle ways that really matter. Even if I didn't like Raphael, Elena, Illium and Dimitri, I'd be tempted to read Nalini's books just for the world building.

Archangel's Kiss picks up almost right where we left off in the previous book - newly minted angel Elena has woken up in Raphael's home, far from her native New York and the Guild Hunters she considers family. Given that Elena and Raphael are almost dysfunctionally (in the best way possible) in love with each other, Elena's new surroundings aren't as much of a problem as one might think.

What is a problem is the fact that the angel community is not happy with Elena's transformation and she might just be too weak from her injuries to stay alive. Raphael's Seven - his band of loyal angels/vampires - have a major problem with their boss making himself vulnerable because of Elena. They see her as a weakness that Raphael's enemies will exploit and make no secret of the fact that they don't trust/respect her - which is a testament to how deep their resentment goes considering Raphael's less than forgiving nature at having his decisions questioned. The lone exception, of course, is Illium, which is more dangerous than noble as I'm pretty sure the blue-winged angel is in love with Elena.

That won't end well.

Raphael and Elena's burgeoning relationship is framed by two distinct threats - a ball hosted by the oldest (and arguably most detached from reality) Archangel Lijuan and a power play by an unknown enemy to bring about a war among the Archangels. Raphael is adamant that Elena regain her strength quickly - if she doesn't, it could mean death for both of them.

As with the Psy-Changeling series, family - and more specifically children - are at the heart of everything. Protecting one's own is the motivation for nearly every character in both series and that's very apparent here where an otherwise acceptable series of political maneuverings becomes a matter of life and death when an angel child is attacked. The attack brings memories to the surface for nearly every character and as a result we learn a lot more about Elena - what caused the rift between her and her father, as well as her sisters/mother's deaths - and Raphael's past.

For all of the build up to Who's Trying to Star A War and What is Lijuan Up To, the actual denouement happened fairly quickly. That's not a complaint, really, as Nalini's books have always been more about the relationships of her characters than the plot, but it's worth noting.

I'm still having issues with the wings. I just keep thinking about how awkward it would be to cart the damn things around. I did enjoy how Nalini explained the way the angels adapted their clothes to fit around the giant extra appendages protruding from their backs. I commend her for making the wings a very real, very permanent part of the angels. While it may have been more to my tastes if the angels were somehow able to "put their wings away" when not in use, I also think it would have been something of a cop-out to do so.

Oh, since this is a romance novel, I will also say that the sex is pretty damn hot - wings and all. I expect nothing less from Nalini.

So, there it is. A review of a book that I definitely liked, but can't really gush over. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Hopefully it won't take me another three years.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 485

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The first time I read the description of The Immortal Rules I knew that I wanted to read it. When I finally got around to doing so I discovered that not only did the book live up to its description, it was also the most surprising story I’ve read in a long time – vampire or otherwise. Throughout Allison’s story, Kagawa kept me on my toes, never doing what I expected.

The story starts in The Fringe, the area on the outskirts of the vampire city of New Covington, with unregistered Fringer Allison scrambling daily for survival. Allison’s pretty amazing – strong, determined, fiercely independent. Even though she considers herself part of a family unit of fellow unregisters, she keeps herself separate because she doesn’t trust that anything in her world can last.

In a way, she’s right.

My first big surprise came when Allison became a vampire about a fourth of the way into the book and I realized how wrong I was about what I thought I was reading. After a Rabid attack that leaves her on the brink of death, Allison is given a choice by a seemingly benevolent vampire named Kanin: live or die. Allison chooses life, despite her anti-vampire convictions, and I totally love her for it.

I love that she chooses life. I’ve read so many different novels that focus on characters that are willing to sacrifice themselves for a principle that it’s refreshing to find someone who wants to live, despite the ramifications.

The next segment of the book focuses on Allison’s introduction to vampire life. Kanin becomes more than her sire, he’s also her mentor, training her to survive in her new circumstances. Again, I thought I knew where the book was going and again, Kagawa pulled the rug out from under me. Suddenly, Kanin and Allison get separated and she finds herself outside of New Covington.

Alone.

The third part of the book, and I guess I’d say what the story is really about, focuses on Allison joining a group of humans searching for a place they call Eden – not quite the biblical paradise, but a safe haven from vampires, an island city run completely by humans.

Among the group of humans is a boy that brings an added complication to Allison’s already precarious position of being a wolf amidst the lambs – love. I’d been expecting a romantic entanglement, but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. I liked that The Immortal Rules was about Allison’s journey exclusively. I should have trusted, Kagawa, however, because while Allison did fall for Zeke, the romance never took over the narrative. Her feelings for him became just another aspect of her struggle as a vampire so close to her humanity. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated that.

As you can probably gather, I think the plot of The Immortal Rules is excellent. The world building is equally impressive. Kagawa creates a rich and vivid dystopia with a backstory that’s simple enough to be utterly believable. A plague erupts that threatens humans and vampires alike and in the search for a cure, Rabids are created – mindless, deformed vampire-like creatures that prey on literally anything living – essentially destroying the world as we know it. There are a lot of dystopias going around these days and Kagawa’s isn’t necessarily the most original, but it doesn’t matter. Originality doesn’t count when it comes in a convoluted package. As I said, Kagawa keeps it simple and it pays off in spades.

I could go on and on about The Immortal Rules, digging into intricate plot details and the relationships between characters, but it would be a better use of your time to just go read it. Seriously. If you enjoy dystopias, vampires, romance, family, the struggle we all face to be the best version of ourselves no matter the circumstances and old fashioned good vs. evil, The Immortal Rules has it all.

In one book.

So go read it. I’m going to get back to my advance copy of The Eternity Cure.

Be jealous.

Entice by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Entice
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 438
Rating: 4/5 Stars


For me, reading Entice was a little bit like reading New Moon in that it had a lot of a character I had no real interest in (Lincoln/Jacob), but it was good and important in terms of story. More on that later…

Entice picks up shortly after Embrace ends, with Violet and Lincoln working together as partners and trying to repair the damage done to their relationship in the previous book. Shirvington wastes no time in getting the plot moving as the very first chapter introduces a dark force from Lincoln’s past that immediately begins to chip away at the fragile trust between he and Violet.

In addition to the drama with Lincoln, Violet’s world is further rent askew by the arrival of new Grigori – two trainers and three newbies like herself. They’re there for training – Violet has eschewed attending the Grigori Academy in her quest to have as normal a life as possible – but almost immediately they are faced with a larger Angel problem that Violet is sure ties back to Phoenix.

She’s right.

Chaos and heartache ensue and not everyone makes it out alive.

There’s a lot happening in this book. I tend to cringe at the introduction of new characters – especially an entire cadre of them – but Shirvington does a good job of balancing their influence and importance with the story she’s telling. I enjoyed the Grigori-in-Training, especially Spence who proved to be just as good a friend to Violet as Steph.

Moment of appreciation for Steph here – she’s truly the best friend ever and I cannot applaud Shirvington enough for allowing her to be in on the God Squad, as Steph calls it. I’d hate to see Violet try to maintain a friendship with someone who was constantly being pushed to the side and not understand why.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Spence’s leap-before-you-look mentality as it made a nice counterpoint to Violet’s sometimes paralyzing overanalyzing. Did it get her into trouble? Sure, but it also saved the day and I think that’s what’s important.

Nyla and Rudyard were interesting (and admittedly a bit nauseating to this non-traditional romantic). I appreciated the example they became for Lincoln and Violet as they struggled with their unrequited love for each other. While what happens to Nyla and Rudyard is tragic, I can’t say I’m going to miss them.

In Entice Shirvington takes her already dense mythology to another level, bringing in references to biblical places and themes. I had an ARC copy of this and there’s no description on the back so when the entire company took off for Jordan I was more than a little surprised. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it initially (it felt contrived for some reason, overreaching maybe), but by the time the adventures in the Middle East came to an end, I decided that I had enjoyed it. I suspected the reveal about Violet’s rank in terms of the Grigori hierarchy and it was delightful to have it confirmed.

Also, kudos to Shirvington’s use of Judas. I really enjoy that type of historical twist.

Now, onto the triangle – which isn't so much of a triangle in this book as a couple with a third wheel. Phoenix makes three appearances here. Three. To say that that wasn’t enough is an understatement of epic proportions. While I’m fully aware of the fact that the way he messes with Violet’s head is not nice (also an understatement, I know) I find him so much more interesting and dynamic than Lincoln.

Lincoln and Violet – sigh. I tried to like them more because actively disliking characters/couples in novels is exhausting – especially when said characters/couples play such vital roles in the narrative. I just can’t with Lincoln. As a character, I find him boring, as I tend to do with all good characters. And that’s what Lincoln is. He’s good. He’s the type of Grigori that steadfastly believes in the Grigori rules and code and that all Angels need to be Returned – there is no grey area with him.

I also think he’s weak and hypocritical – demanding nothing but strength and honesty from Violet while lying to her and keeping secrets – and I hate the way that makes Violet feel. I really hate the way she beats herself up over what happened with Phoenix, not in terms of her own self-worth, but in terms of how it affects Lincoln. I don’t doubt for a second that Violet and Lincoln love each other. What I have a problem with is that their love doesn’t make them stronger – it’s too rife with jealousy, doubt and unspoken truths – it makes them both weak.

I lay all of the blame for that at Lincoln’s feet. He’s the older one, he’s the one with experience in the Grigori world and instead of being a rock, a true partner for Violet, he’s a whiney ball of feels and I just…ugh. I find that so unattractive, unappealing, unromantic and every other un you can think of.

Also, for the love of all that’s holy, why doesn’t Lincoln TELL Violet anything?

Cripes. Okay. I’ll stop because I could really write a novel about the many, many ways I dislike Lincoln and his relationship with Violet. I’ll just leave you with this – I sincerely hope that in the next novel Violet and Lincoln really do put their romantic feelings for each other on the backburner as they know that they should. I just want them to follow through on that mutual decision for about five minutes instead of immediately waffling.

I want more Phoenix in the next novel, too, okay? Thanks. ;)

Ranting about Lincoln aside, I enjoyed Entice just as much as Embrace. All of the other characters, especially Violet, are just as intriguing as they were in the first book. I’m particularly thrilled with what happens with Magda because I SUSPECTED IT ALL ALONG! HAHA! The lower rating is simply because I missed Phoenix and wanted more of him. I’m so very much looking forward to Emblaze.

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Title: Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 397 (Kindle Edition)
Rating: 5/5 Stars


Alright, time for my full review.

I. Loved. This. Book.

When it comes to fiction, I’m not typically an angel person. The whole concept of the wings drives me batty. How does a character DO anything with huge wings attached to their shoulder blades?
How do they sleep? How do they wear clothes? How do they walk through narrow doorways?

Anyway, suffice it to say, I get stuck in my own silly headspace when it comes to angel stories and it made me hesitant to read Embrace – despite the absolutely gorgeous cover.

Wow. Let’s take a moment to appreciate that.

Obviously, I got over my hesitation and I’m so glad that I did.

Like I said in my mini-review, I loved Violet. Even though she fell into the cliché of the girl hopelessly in love with her best friend, I loved her right from the start. Her strength and badass attitude was one cultivated over time and it made her completely relatable. I loved that her relationship with her father was strained, but in the most loving way possible. She didn’t have a lot of friends, but it wasn’t because she was unlikable, she just happened to be the type of person who didn’t have a lot of friends, but the one she does have – Steph – is awesome.

Like most books, I went into this one essentially blind – I didn’t even read the description – and as such I had no idea that there would be a triangle. Although, considering this is a paranormal YA novel, a love triangle is basically par for the course.

I liked Lincoln when the story began. I thought he was a good friend to Violet and as physical descriptions go, his wasn’t anything to sneeze at. I was all set for Violet to gradually make him aware of her feelings for him and for him to gradually reveal the fact that he pretty much loved her all along.

Then Phoenix happened.

Dude.

Like I said, I don’t normally get invested in triangles to the point where I have a strong opinion as to who gets the girl. I read The Hunger Games not caring one iota whether Katniss ended up with Peeta or Gale. Embrace, however, was a completely different story. As soon as it was clear that Phoenix was going to play a major role in this story, my mind was made up and nothing that happened during the course of the story swayed my opinion. Phoenix is a glorious bad boy right down to the dark hair and smoldering good looks and that is so my type. His connection with Violet is visceral and utterly delicious.

My affinity for Phoenix probably colored my view of Lincoln as well. As soon as the truth about Violet’s Grigori nature came out, Lincoln read as more cowardly, more petulant and his jealousy toward Phoenix wasn’t attractive in the slightest.

Phoenix’s jealously wasn’t all that attractive either, but it works better with his character. Considering the fact that Lincoln appears to be the good boy, I guess I felt that jealousy should be above him.
Unfair? Eh, maybe, but I don’t care. ;)

I just wrote my review for Divergent, so forgive me for making a comparison here because the two stories are nothing alike, but in terms of plot Embrace wasn’t as tight. While Jessica Shirvington clearly did a lot of research and mythology building to support her story, there were big exposition moments that, while fascinating and engaging, really felt like story time. There were also a couple of places where I felt like Violet arrived at a decision without cluing the reader into the decision making process – when she decided to be with Phoenix, for example. Violet talks about having made a choice, but I have no idea when or how it happened.

Those were my only quibbles, however, and as you can see from my five star rating, they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story. The plot itself – fallen angels, light vs. dark, Grigori and the whole concept of Embracing – I enjoyed immensely and I look forward to diving into Entice, the next book in the series.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 487
Rating: 5/5 Stars


I went into Divergent as unspoiled and unaware as possible considering the insane level of hype surrounding the book. I was not disappointed.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? With nearly 30,000 reviews on goodreads alone, I doubt I’ll come up with anything new, but I’ll give it a shot.

In Divergent, Veronica Roth has created a vivid dystopian world that is so different, so other, that it’s nearly impossible to see it as a future version of our own. Rather than calling that a detriment, I find it a testament to the event or events that led society to embrace the five factions in their effort to survive.

I loved the specificity and militant way each faction followed their own rules – the specific color choices for each faction, the way Abnegation took the stairs, rather than the elevators and stayed to stack chairs after an event, the way Dauntless always, always leapt onto and off of moving trains to get around and used tattoos and piercings to mark their accomplishments.

I also found it interesting that the remnants of the old world were allowed to survive – the old Ferris wheel and the ruined buildings outside of each faction’s home base. I frequently found myself wondering why no one had cleaned that up and if it was an indication of how recent the divide into factions actually was.
Also, is Chicago the only center of population that survived whatever apocalyptic event led to this future world? You’d think that with the virtual reality tech that Dauntless uses for their tests, they’d be able to communicate with other parts of the country…

So many questions that I hope will be answered as the series continues.

Our heroine, Beatrice Prior grew up in the Abnegation faction – the faction I’m pretty sure would be the last one I’d show an aptitude for – and the story begins on the eve of her aptitude test to see which faction she truly belongs to and will call home for the rest of her life. Choosing a faction is the single most important decision a person makes in Beatrice’s world and she goes into it appropriately nervous.

Bucking expectations, Beatrice follows her heart right into the world of the Dauntless, but this is not a case of never looking back. The story takes place during the rigorous Initiation process, where Beatrice – now Tris – is forced to face her fears and go up against her friends in a fierce competition to stay in her chosen faction.

And of course, that’s only the beginning of the story. ;)

The world of the Dauntless was an interesting one, defined by this strange juxtaposition of freedom and strict rules. Whenever Tris was out after dark or wandering alone within the Dauntless compound, I always found myself anxious for her safety because I kept thinking she was breaking rules, but she wasn’t. Apparently, I’m so indoctrinated to expect stringent rules with harsh consequences in dystopian fiction that I just expected it everywhere. It took me quite a while to get used to the fact that Tris wasn’t going to be thrown out on her ass for taking a walk through the Pit without an escort.

Or that kissing Four wouldn’t get her killed.

I really appreciated the way Roth handled Tris and explored her dueling, divergent nature – especially the way the random acts of insanity/bravery that the Dauntless perform on a regular basis exhilarated and excited her. Tris approached each challenge with a healthy dose of apprehension and delicious anticipation. She also had just enough Abnegation in her to keep her from being little more than a blunt instrument like some of her fellow Initiates.

There was a little bit of the “I’m so plain, why would he be interested in me” going on with Tris, but considering her background in Abnegation, I understood that. She wasn’t crippled by it, nor did she let it define her.

Speaking of the other Initiates, they ran the gamut. I liked them all – even the antagonists because they provided such great challenges for Tris. I really liked her close friends and was pretty heartbroken over what happens to basically all of them.

Apparently, Four is HUGELY popular and I can see why. I enjoyed him a lot in terms of a romantic foil and a character on his own. It was fascinating to watch him transform in Tris’s eyes from an enigmatic and mysterious presence to an ally and finally a love interest. I also loved that while he was special, he wasn’t Divergent like Tris. The coincidence of who he was and what faction he belonged to before the story began was enough of an aha! moment for me.

Plus, it let to that awesome confrontation between him and Tris at the end of the story.

Divergent succeeded from a technical standpoint as well. In fact, it really just succeeded all over the place. Everything about it was compelling. The heroes, villains and supporting players all stood on their own and fit into the ensemble beautifully. Roth’s writing kept me turning pages relentlessly until I got to the end, which is always the mark of a good story. I will definitely be reading Insurgent – in fact I already have a copy of it, but I’m holding off so that I don’t have to wait quite as long for the next one.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Title: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)

Author: Kresley Cole

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 Stars

One of my very good friends was super excited to read this book and did NOT like it, so I approached it with trepidation. I’m pleased to report that despite a few minor annoyances, Poison Princess did not disappoint.

I haven’t read any of Kresley Cole’s other novels, but I went into this book well aware of her status as a published and popular author and her experience and skill as a writer was evident from the first page. Cole created a very vivid and lush world – both before and after the Flash – for her hero and heroine. Her characters are fully realized and real, with strengths and weaknesses that help and hinder them along the way.

Evie is an interesting heroine in that she embodies a lot of qualities – ultra feminine, shallow, materialistic and prejudice – that I wouldn’t normally gravitate toward, but Cole doesn’t turn her into a caricature. I understand her prejudices against Jackson and the other Cajuns when they suddenly transfer to her ultra-posh high school – she’s not looking to hate them, but they come with violent and scary reputations that they promptly proceed to live up to.

Evie is aware of how shallow and vain she can be, not to mention the fact that she thoroughly enjoys the creature comforts of her life at Haven House, but she’s constantly at war with a feeling that she should be striving for more. What I might normally find grating or annoying becomes understandable in light of the fact that she’s just returned from 2-3 months in an insane asylum, questioning her sanity. At the beginning of the story, Evie is craving normalcy and I applaud Cole for not making her apologize for that.

After the Flash, as Evie’s psychic/supernatural abilities continue to flourish, she balks against what she feels is her destiny. This is another thing that I would normally be annoyed with, but again, the way Cole handles Evie’s character, everything makes sense. While she’s not interested in joining in on the battle of the Major Arcana, she’s also driven by a need to know who and what she is and willingly runs toward the battle in the name of the people she loves.

Jackson Deveaux is a pretty typical bad boy, although I loved the added details of the scars on his knuckles from the fights that he’s been in and the fact that he has earned his reputation. He’s not some misunderstood hero with a heart of gold who gained his reputation by fighting for the underdog. He’s got a temper, he’s violent, he’s rude and crass, and as much as he’s drawn to Evie – and vice versa – he really doesn’t like her much. That mutual antagonism provided the perfect breeding ground for a slow-building, passionate romance.

After the Flash, Jackson rises to the occasion and the survival instincts that got him into trouble in civilized Louisiana society serve him and Evie well. Poison Princess is about so much more than the romance between this good girl/bad boy duo, but it progresses steadily throughout the novel so that by the end I could tell that while they still drive each other – and me – a little crazy, they’re no longer denying the connection they share.

The one problem that I have with Jackson Deveaux – other than his love of Ducati’s – is that Cole writes his dialogue almost phonetically. It’s really annoying and pulled me out of the story a lot. I finally just stopped paying attention to the bad grammar, ‘doan’s’ instead of don’t, and the oddly placed ‘me’s’ and you’s’. I assume Cole chose to write him this way to add color to her narrative and while I enjoyed the French Cajun that got thrown in from time to time, I could have done without the phonetically written speech patterns. It’s just not necessary and comes across as pretentious. I get that Jackson is ‘other’, but Cole could have made the same point strictly by utilizing the French Cajun. Aside from a California surfer boy – who’s biggest offense is uttering ‘dude’ too many times – who shows up toward the end of the book, Jackson was the only character who didn’t speak perfect English. This served to set him exaggerate how unlike the other characters he is – and not in a good way. Evie’s reluctance to share who and what she’s starting to think she is already puts Jackson squarely in the ‘outsider’ column. Cole’s choice to have him speak the way he does just made it worse.

Poison Princess begins nine months after the Flash and puts Evie in an immediately dangerous position. Whenever the story lagged – and as much as I enjoyed it overall, the post-Flash/pre-Jackson period dragged on too long – the promise of finding out how Evie ends up in danger kept me turning pages.

Cole doles out her information about Evie’s destiny judiciously and hits that sweet spot where just when the questions were about to drive me crazy, she put a few puzzle pieces in to keep my curiosity sated.

Poison Princess is very definitely the first in a series. While Cole gives us answers, the book does not end in a place of peace and calm – everyone’s fate is in question as well as Evie and Jackson’s relationship. Overall, the story had a rich plot, fully fleshed out characters, a marvelous and horrifying dystopic world and enough intrigue to reel me in and leave me excited for the next installment. 

The Demon Catchers of Milan

Title: The Demon Catchers of Milan
Author: Kat Beyer
Publisher: EdgmontUSA
Pages: 288
Rating 3/5 Stars


I want to start this review by saying that I enjoyed The Demon Catchers of Milan and I intend on reading the sequel. I liked the world that Kat Beyer created. Her love of Italy and the level of research she did to present Milan as accurately as possible was clear from the first page. I'm no expert on exorcisms, but Beyer's research there seemed equally thorough.

The Demon Catchers of Milan is a plot driven story, rather than character driven. It seems that Kat Beyer had an idea about a family of demon catchers, generations steeped in tradition who provide an age-old service, and created characters to fit that idea after the fact. As a result, the book lacks depth. The characters - while likable and relatable - aren't interesting or unique. The main character, Mia, is an average sixteen/seventeen year old girl. That's both good and bad. On the one hand, I was glad that I didn't have to suffer through an entire first person narrative that was riddled with crippling self-doubt or overwrought teen angst.

On the other, Mia is SO average - everything about her, from her circumstances to her family to her outlook on life is average to the point of being boring. Rather than calling attention to the extraordinary circumstances she finds herself in, Mia's averageness just makes her dull. Within the realm of demon catching she's apparently special and particularly astute, but that idea is only hinted at in this book.

Another problem is that Beyer doesn't let a chapter go by before diving into the action of the story. I appreciate that we hit the ground running, but Beyer is in such a hurry to get to Italy that I have no idea who Mia is or what she was like before the demon possession that prompts her trip to Milan. I know only the bare minimum about her family and I'm allowed only a glimpse of her personal interactions with them before Mia is whisked away to Italy.

Originally, I gave The Demon Catchers of Milan four stars because I really did have a pleasant experience while reading it. Upon writing the review, however, I have to amend that rating to three stars. The book just needs more of something and even will all of my talk above I'm not sure that it's only character depth that is lacking.

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 368
Rating: 5/5

I purposefully made myself wait a little bit to review Crewel because I wanted to write a real review - not just a bunch of semi-coherent fangirl squeeing.

I think I might be ready now.

Crewel's premise immediately caught my eye due to its reference - at least in my mind - to the Fates or Moirai who control destiny in Greek (and subsequently just about every culture ever) mythology. The idea of women being called to weave time and matter in a present day setting fascinated me. I was very eager to see how Gennifer Albin would put that idea to paper. The result is The Matrix meets The Hunger Games with shades of the premise of The Handmaid's Tale (or at least what I think of as the premise as I've never read the book), complete with a relatable heroine, moral dilemmas between one's duty to self vs. society, an incredibly vivid post-apocalyptic dystopia and, oh yes, a rather delightful little love triangle that's more scalene than equilateral.

Although, Crewel is book one in a trilogy, so there's time for that to change.

The story begins with Adelice Lewys being called by The Guild to serve as a Spinster, a double edged sword that gives women in a strict patriarchal society the illusion of freedom and power. Adelice isn't interested in that illusion, however, which is why she was purposefully trying to fail at the testing that weeds out the Eligibles from the regular girls. She fails at failing, however, and the Guild comes, resulting in a mad dash escape attempt by her parents that leaves her father dead, her sister captive and her mother MIA.

The beginning is one of only two minuscule quibbles I have with this amazing book. I think Adelice as a character and Arras as a country would have benefited from a couple of chapters of further exploration before we are thrust into the action of the story. Adelice in particular is somewhat illusive as a character for the first few chapters and as much as I fell in love with her fairly quickly, I really didn’t know who she was as a person before being taken from her family by the Guild.

But truthfully, that concern was barely a blip on my radar while reading.

En route to the Coventry where Adelice will presumably spend the rest of her life, she meets the first player in the love triangle, Erik – although she doesn’t learn his name until later. She’s thrown in a cell for the first few days as punishment for her attempted escape and as she’s finally released she meets the second player in the triangle, Josten. It’s really amusing to watch Adelice interact with boys for the first time because she’s never had experience with them before. I appreciate that Albin doesn’t write Adelice as a tongue-tied idiot around members of the opposite sex. Her awkwardness is quickly outweighed by her curiosity and yet she never comes across as desperate or boy-crazy.

God bless Ms. Albin for this.

I don’t want to go too deep into plot details/spoilers from here on out, but suffice it to say that Adelice’s skill and her sharp tongue/quick wit put her at odds with her fellow Eligibles, the head Spinster and the face of the Guild, Mr. Cormac Patton. Her only allies come on the form of Enora, her mentor, Loricel, the Creweler, Erik and Josten. As the story progresses we follow Adelice as she navigates the world of the Coventry and the Guild, trying to keep one step ahead of the people who want to keep her squarely under her thumb. She learns that she’s not just any Eligible and that the Guild has really big plans for her.

Well, as big as they can ever be for a woman in Arras.

Before I gush about a few specific reasons why I enjoyed Crewel so much, I’m going to explain my one other quibble – the exposition. There are a couple of chapters where Adelice and Loricel are talking and through an extensive game of twenty-questions we learn a lot about how Arras was formed and its relationship to the Earth we know. We learn what the weave is – in a deliberately vague sense – and the purpose of a Creweler in keeping it functioning. These are heavy info dump chapters and as a reader, I was very aware of their purpose. It wasn’t bad so much as noticeable because throughout the rest of the novel Albin doles out the exposition quite artfully as events are unfolding.

Then again, Loricel is a very old, very wise woman who has taken it upon herself to teach Adelice about her future as a Spinster, so in that sense the chapters function exactly as they’re supposed to within the narrative. So, take that as you will.

No, onto some specifics that I loved…

Adelice Lewys. I love her. LOVE HER. I’ve read the two biggest YA series that have come out in recent years and the biggest problems I had with both of them came down to the heroines. I couldn’t fully relate to them because I couldn’t wrap my brain around their attitudes regarding their own self-worth. Adelice was a breath of fresh air for me – much like Katy in Obsidian – because while she didn’t think she was the most beautiful creature on the planet, she wasn’t crippled by constant thoughts of how plain and ordinary she was. Like most girls, Adelice felt that she lacked in certain areas, but when Erik and Jost showed an interest in her, she didn’t doubt that she could be a desirable creature to either of them.

She doubted her sanity in pursuing either of them, but that’s a whole different issue. ;p

Part of Adelice’s journey deals with how her actions affect her family and friends. While she is very concerned as to how the Guild can use her loved ones against her, she works toward goals that spell freedom for everybody – including herself – rather than contemplating grand schemes that leave her dead like some kind of martyr. Adelice doesn’t mask cowardice behind self-sacrificing delusions of grandeur.

Lastly, Adelice acts. She doesn’t wait for things to happen to her, she makes them happen. She doesn’t let her fear make her afraid of trying to create her own destiny.

Now the boys…Josten and Erik. I have to admit, I love them both. I have my preference as to who ends up with Adelice, but both characters are compelling. I was especially impressed with Josten’s past – there’s a twist in it that not something I’ve come across before. Erik is all charm and smoothness, navigating and circumventing the system from a place of prominence, while Josten is rougher around the edges, fighting his battle from the ground up.

Both boys are made of win and again, I appreciate the fact that Erik and Josten don’t fall into the traditional good boy/bad boy roles. They each play both sides of the spectrum and as such are fully rounded characters.

I could go on waxing poetic about this book for pages and pages. I could go on about the fascinating world of Arras and how I would leap at the opportunity to read an actual history book of the region so that I could learn how the society became so sharply divided upon gender lines. Adelice briefly mentions her grandmother telling her about a time when children weren’t segregated by gender and there were no Purity Protocols to follow and I’d love to read about the politics involved in that change. I could go on about the concept of Arras and the idea of certain women being able to alter the very fabric of its existence. I could talk about the evils of the Guild and how their quest to map Spinsters calls into mind the idea of genetic mapping and designer babies. There are just so many fascinating concepts within Crewel that I just can’t say enough good things about it.

Crewel is one that will stick with you for a long time after you’ve finished reading it and if you’re anything like me, you will be counting down the days until the next book is available.

I. Cannot. Wait.