The Rogue Knight (Five Kingdoms #2) by Brandon Mull (Awesome)

The Rogue Knight is the second book in the Five Kingdoms Series, the first book being Sky Raiders.  I loved both books immensely.  Brandon Mull did it again.  He is an amazing author who I've enjoyed reading basically everything from.  My favorite series from him is the Beyonders series (link to information of the first in that series), closely followed by Fablehaven and Candy Shop War.  His books tend to have this strange characteristic of sounding absolutely terrible and goofy, at least until you start reading and engaging with the story.

I'll post a really tiny review I wrote of Sky Raiders before I move on. (For more information, follow the link to Sky Raider's Goodreads page)
Review:
While probably meant for twelve year old boys, I loved Sky Raiders. It was unique and awesome. I love Brandon Mull and everything he does (writing-wise anyway). He even got a lot of points for making the book's epigraph lyrics from the Killer's song Dustland Fairytale. It is full of great comebacks, irony, exciting plot points, cool characters, and a surprisingly large amount of slavery (possibly too much slavery).  I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend for you to as well.

Back to The Rogue Knight.  For this point on, there may be spoilers for the first book, sorry!

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows the Rogue Knight swinging at Cole and Mira with his sword.  Meanwhile, Cole attempts to defend Mira and himself with his Jumping Sword which is glowing.

Official Description:
Cole Randolph never meant to come to The Outskirts, but when his friends were kidnapped on Halloween he had to try and save them. Now he's trapped in a world that lies between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death.
Cole's search for his friends has led him to Elloweer, another of the five kingdoms that make up The Outskirts. He's accompanied by Mira, Twitch, and Jace, new friends he's met here in the Outskirts who each have their own important missions.
The group is following news that Mira's sister, Honor, could be in danger. However, Cole and Mira are soon the ones facing direct threat, and must resort to a fascinating new kind of magic to protect themselves. Their journey brings them across familiar faces, some more welcome than others, until their paths ultimately cross with the infamous man known throughout Elloweer as the Rogue Knight.
Will he turn out to be an unstoppable enemy, or a key ally?
Every move is filled with danger as Cole and his new friends try and outwit the High Knig, who will stop at nothing to regain what he has lost.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading The Rogue Knight.  I was constantly surprised by where the story was going and was completely caught off guard by one key plot twist.  This novel was beautifully written, creative, and even very funny at times.  It was a perfect sequel to Sky Raiders and picked up right where the last book left off.  It was a fast-paced and easy read for all ages.

I loved the characters in this series for the most part.  For example, I loved the returning characters (Mira, Cole, Jace, Twitch, etc.) even more during Rogue Knight but I found some of the new characters a little bit irritating.  (However, my annoyance with them might not have been entirely with them but with the altering of the previous characters' dynamics.)  Either way, there was plenty of character development that occurred during this book, as well as really amusing banter.  Who doesn't love a good comeback? or some excessive sarcasm?

I loved all of the plot lines of The Rogue Knight! Seemingly unconnected circumstances would slowly connect themselves as I was reading, conquering up a puzzle board that slowly pieced itself together.  Yet still a few pieces are missing.  Even more reason to continue the series as it comes out. (The following book is Crystal Keepers out this March.)

The Rogue Knight was a great installment in the Five Kingdoms series, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has read Sky Raiders, which I would, in turn, recommend to everyone.  Both were exciting reads with complex characters and lots of fun.

The Rogue Knight comes out November 18, 2014

Phrase:
Brady's Wilderness

*Note: This book was given to me by Aladdin through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Knightfall (The Chronicles of Benjamin Knight #1) by R. Jackson-Lawrence (Good)

*Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

I enjoyed reading Knightfall. It was a good book that was, without a doubt, exciting.  I was on the edge of my seat for a good portion of it.  I never knew what would happen next!

The Cover:

The Cover:
The cover shows Ben standing on the edge of a mountain with the ruins of a city behind him.

Official Description:
At the age of fifteen, genius Benjamin Knight had developed a technology that would change the world. But when the project is sabotaged, Ben wakes to find himself in a mysterious and unfamiliar land where an uneasy peace hangs in the balance.
Saved from near death by a band of traders, he joins them on their journey north as he struggles to understand the world he's in and how it happened. However, Ben soon realizes that everyone has their secrets and that no one is safe, especial when one man has the power to realize his ambitions.
Ben wants answers, but with war looming, he may not survive long enough to find them in the series that breaks the barrier between science fiction and fantasy!

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading Knightfall though it was very strange.  It was very exciting all the way through and also surprisingly complex.  My main issue with it was that it was a tad too gory, and I didn't think that some of the gore was necessary to continue the story, which it sometimes is.
I really was impressed by the characters that the author chose to fully develop.  They were motivated by their own emotions and experiences and differed greatly from each other.  Each character could have easily be identified by their actions without the need for labels since they were so unique. However, there were a few characters that were not picked to be developed, and their character suffered as a result.  It would have been impossible to emphasis all of these characters and still continue with the story, so I do not begrudge it too much.  However, I think that a fewer number of characters might have benefitted the story.
That said, the plot line was very exciting.  It moved from one event to another seamlessly and I was constantly caught off guard by how far Jackson-Lawrence was willing to go.  I consistently feared for the characters, and it was always justified!  No one was safe.  The reader's understanding of the universe Ben finds himself in would often suddenly change, usually accompanied by a few twists or turns.  I couldn't help but be on the edge of my seat.
My only real issues with Knightfall were the excessive gore and how exactly Ben crossed into this different world.  Having finished the book, I still didn't really have a good idea.  Maybe it will be covered in one of the two sequels, but I doubt it.  I think we are supposed to just chalk it up to a lab accident, but that doesn't really make any sense to me. (I know that last point is too picky, but it bothered me.)
All in all, I enjoyed reading Knightfall and would recommend it for someone looking for something to read.  It was definitely good enough for me to read the sequels, the first of which is Darkest Before Dawn.

Phrase:
The magical electricity

The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur (Awesome)

I LOVED The Unhappening of Genesis Lee!  It had an unique premise which was presented in a very plausible way.  It kept me guessing throughout the entire book, and even included some powerful messages about memories and human existence.  Very impressive.

The cover:

I'm not sure what I think about this cover.  It shows our main character, Gena (Genesis), dancing while possibly dissolving.  Stars dot the background.  After reading this book, the stars seem to have their own significance.  However, the cover does no suitably illustrate the tone/mood of this book.  This isn't what I would classify as a "dancing girl" book.  The cover just doesn't seem to properly merge with my idea of the book.

Official Description:

What would it feel like to never forget? Or to have a memory stolen?

Seventeen-year-old Genesis Lee has never forgotten anything.  As one of the Mementi-a small group of genetically enhanced humans-Gena remembers everything with the help of her Link bracelets, which preserve the perfectly.  But Links can be stolen, and six people have already lost their lives to a memory thief, including Gena's best friend.

Anyone could be next.  That's why Gena is less than pleased to meet a strange but charming boy named Kalan who claims not only that they have met before, but also that Gena knows who the thief is.

The problem is that Gena doesn't remember Kalan, she doesn't remember seeing the thief, and she doesn't know why she's forgetting things-or you much else she might forget.  As growing tensions between Mementi and ordinary humans drive the city of Havendale into chaos, Gena and Kalan team up to search for the thief. And as Gena loses more memories, they realize they have to solve the mystery fast...because Gena's life is unhappening around her.

My Review:

I enjoyed The Unhappening of Genesis Lee about ten times more than I expected to, which is saying something considering how interesting the description sounded to me.  However, it took a while to get into the story, I have to admit.  The first 10% (sorry, didn't have page numbers, just percents) of the story went really slowly since McArthur needed to set up the premise of the book so the reader would understand the basics.  After she introduced Kalan, however, everything sped up exponentially.  

I loved the complexities of all the characters in this book.  They seemed like real people with hopes dreams, and severe misconceptions.  There weren't really villains, but people who made mistakes.  I love that; it makes everything seem more real, in a way.  

Also, The Unhappening of Genesis Lee was DEEP! Are you the same person even without your memories? What exactly are the boundaries before the collateral damage becomes too great? And a lot more questions (which I'm not sharing because they are spoilers) are asked.  This book makes you question the definitions of things that you've for granted in the past.  

I was very impressed by Shallee McArthur's debut novel, and would highly recommend it to almost anyone.  It was fantastic and might even become one of the next "big books"!

The Unhappening of Genesis Lee comes out October 14, 2014.  

*Note: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss*

Phrase:

You don't remember, do you?

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (Great)

Here is a Mini Review of How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.
The cover:

I think the cover is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't get into that.  You're welcome.

My Review:

As a fifteen year old girl, I should probably stop reading books meant for ten-year-old boys, but today is not the day!

I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. I actually read (listened?) to the audiobook version, which was narrated by David Tennent whom I love from Doctor Who. To be honest, a good portion of my enjoyment can probably be traced to how Scottish the audiobook sounded. I loved the plot line and read/ listened to the entire book in a single day. It was a lighthearted story that made me, at least, happy. I liked it a lot and would heavily recommend it!

*Note: this review was not tampered with by the movie version in the slightest. It is purely my thoughts from the book and not the film*

Story Thieves by James Riley (Great)

I was sent a copy of Story Thieves in exchange for an honest review.  (Thanks, Aladdin!)

I read the description for Story Thieves  and thought that it sounded different and that it could be a good book.  That original thought pales in comparison to how great the book really was.  This book is classified as a 3-7 grade book, and those are most certainly the prime ages.  However, as a person in grade 10, I still really enjoyed reading it and didn't feel as if it talked down to the reader at all, which I consider to be a great feat.
The cover:

The cover:

The cover shows Bethany and Owen (or maybe Kyle?) jumping into/ out of a book.  In the background, the universe from the book Kiel Gnomenfoot is seen.

Official Description:

Life is boring when you love in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series.  Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real world's homework and chores.

But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happen - his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library.  It turns out Bethany's half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.

Bethany can't let anyone else learn her secret, so Owen makes her a deal: All she has to do is take him into a book in Owen's favorite Kiel Gnomenfoot series, and he'll never say a word.  Besides, visiting the book might help Bethany find her father...

...Or it might just destroy the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, reveal Bethany's secret to the entire world, and force Owen to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot's final (very final) adventure.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading Story Thieves! It was a fresh and different, in a good way.
The characters were all complex with varying and relatable motives for all their actions.  Even the fictional characters (the characters of the books within the book) were nicely developed and did not feel two demential at all.  I found myself relating more than I expected with both Owen and Bethany. Bethany was overly worried about consequences and yet enjoyed herself when the going got tough, which I feel quite a few people understand.  Also, Owen was so excited by the idea of jumping into books.  I don't know a single reader who doesn't wish to jump inside another world, and Owen learned he could!
The plot line was super engaging.  While the pace started off a little bit slow, once it started going, I loved it.  Parts of the book were told from from both Bethany and Owen's alternating perspectives and I was interested in both story lines.  (More often than not in books, one storyline is exciting while the other is just... there.)  Nearing the end, especially, the pace increased so much that Story Thieves was impossible to put down.
Another positive, in my opinion, was the whole book-within-a-book concept.  I love that.  The characters would be talking about how one of them wasn't real because he was "fictional", and the reader is on the sidelines thinking "But you are fictional, too!"  I think that whole situation is terribly ironic, whether you focus on it or not.  It's definitely a plus if you like that type of thing.
I would recommend Story Thieves to anyone who likes reading.  It was a good book, but I imagine it would be difficult to relate to if you don't enjoy books.  Also, I would recommend it more to the middle grade readers than older audiences.  While still enjoyable for all, it truly is aimed closer for the Lower/Middle School level of readers.

Story Thieves by James Riley comes out January 20, 2015.

Phrase:
Magic vs Science

Ode to the Queen by Kyleigh Castronaro (Awesome)

*Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Ode to the Queen was a really great book.  It is the first book in the Grace of Gods series, and it made me so excited to read the next installment!  Kyleigh Castronaro wrote a compelling novel that is impossible to put down.  I was intrigued by the idea of the book and thrilled with its execution.  It was a very brilliant book.

The cover:

The cover shows the main character, Savannah, and a hand reaching out to her.  The hand might be her inner goddess or, perhaps, a hand of one of Savannah's rival goddesses who are trying to pull her down.

Official Description:

Savannah has been kidnapped. By a man who claims he’s a Titan and she’s a Greek Goddess. It’s a little farfetched and she wishes it isn’t true but the evidence is piling up against her. Except, she doesn’t know who her Goddess is and no one will tell her. 

Instead, Charlotte is happy to make her life a living hell and the friends she does make turn to enemies. And then there’s Aidan: the arrogant and mysterious King of the Gods. Savannah finds herself drawn to him despite her best efforts not to get involved with another guy. She doesn’t need this kind of trouble when her life is already upside down; being a Goddess is hard enough. 
Driven by fate and a past she knows nothing about Savannah tries to navigate her new world as one of the Twelve Olympians. Is history going to repeat itself or will the New Olympians write their own myths?


My Review:
Ode to the Queen was a really great book.  It had all the components needed to make a great book: rivalries, the supernatural, a love story, and action.  While reading it, I found myself completely absorbed in the drama of Savannah's new life!  I was on the edge of my seat as the story developed and did things get intense!
I really liked the entire idea for this book.  It was new and different and exciting, and Ode to the Queen pulled it off with impressive style!
I adored the complexities of the characters as well.  For example, Aidan (God: Zeus) had multiple sides of himself that he would show at varying times.  It made him a complex character who had his own motives and thoughts completely independent from the main character's.
On the other hand, Savannah was not at all the type of person who I find like-able.  At the beginning of the novel, I strongly disliked her, in fact.  Surprisingly, even my dislike of Savannah didn't stop me from enjoying this book and even routing for her.  In fact, by the middle of the book, she had even convinced me to like her.  Whether that was a result of character development, kind of a Stockholm syndrome response to the first person narration, or a combination of both, I do not know, but I do know that it worked very well!
All in all, Ode to the Queen was a lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.  I would highly recommend it!  (Note: It falls more on the girl side of books than the boy side, but I'm sure both genders can enjoy reading it!)  I look forward to reading book two of the Grace of the Gods series and cannot wait to see how this story progresses!

Phrase:
Virgin goddess? Not anymore...

Legend series by Marie Lu (Awesome)

I'm going to do a mini series review of the Legend series by Marie Lu.  I loved the series and read the entire trilogy in about a week.  It was fantastic, and I loved it and think you will too!  (All of the reviews were from my thoughts as soon as I finished and were not at all influenced by the books afterwards.)

Legend:

The Cover:

The cover simply has the Republic's seal marking it.  The Legend it mentions is Day, of course.

Official Description:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. 

My Review:

All of the reviews I've seen of Legend rather supported the-best-book-I've-ever-read cause or the-worst-book-ever-why-on-earth-do-people-like-it side. 
That said, I've been waiting on hold in the library for Legend for about two months now. Well, before that I requested it from the library and got it almost immediately, only to find it was in Swedish instead of English... I had to return that one and get a readable copy, of course. There was so much excitement and disappointment is trying to read Legend. I was so excited when I got it and for good reason! Legend was fantastic! I loved the way the story was put together and the characters and basically everything! It was a great book. 
Of course as soon as I finished, I started the next challenge: finding book two. (Why my library has the first and the third, without the second, I have no idea.)

Prodigy:

The Cover:

I'm not entirely sure what is on the cover... (If you have an idea, tell me in comments.)  But the prodigy mentioned is June.

Official Description:

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

My Review:

4.5 stars
Prodigy wasn't nearly as fantastic as Legend was, but it was still a good book. Quite a bit of the book felt like filler/ fluff. A good deal of the book was focused on Day/June's love story, which I didn't care nearly enough about, considering how much airtime it got. 
On the other hand, I really do care about the characters. While the storyline is a bit repetitive (the classic Book 1: terrible stuff is happening, Book 2: main character is the face of the rebellion, Book 3 (probably): they change the government system and the main characters love each other), I still enjoyed the story. Marie Lu had a slightly altered take on the story. Also, based on the very end of this book, she will most likely veer even further away from the classic YA Dystopian novel (Hunger Games, Delirium, Matched, etc.). 
I'm looking forward to read the next book because whether or not it's original, Marie Lu can WRITE!

*Update: This was also the book where June started to get on my nerves.

Champion:

The Cover:

I think the cover shows a rose on fire, just like Day's dream had in the beginning of the book.  The champion who is mentioned... Well, I don't know if anyone won.  Maybe it references the winner of the Republic/ Colonies war.

Official Description:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion? 
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion

My Review:

Champion was a wonderful book with a wonderful conclusion. It was on par with Legend while being better than Prodigy. I can't believe the series is over. I want more! To tell the truth, I can't even tell if I hated the ending of Champion or loved it... I am deeply satisfied either way though, so it doesn't really matter! A great, great book. I can understand why this series is so popular. Marie Lu is a truly talented author, and I hope she writes much more!

Series Phrase:

If you do that, you will have a revolution on your hands. 

Swarm by Alex South (Good)

*Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

I am usually up for a well-written zombie apocalypse novel and Swarm did not disappoint.  Some people don't read books about zombies simply because they believe the entire category to be overdone, but I do not believe that is the case.  In fact, the well-covered topic forces authors to do something original with the general premise.  Zombie novels are great because they are all so different and unique.   Alex South created his own niche in the zombie world.

The cover:

The cover:

There really isn't much to say about the cover.  It looks like zombies, which is exactly what it is.  The only comment I feel needs to be said is that Swarm isn't a comic book/ graphic novel.  It's a legit book.  For some reason, this cover makes it seem otherwise to me.  

Official Description:

John has a dead-end job, doesn't see enough of his friends, and struggles to find meaning in his life. These everyday concerns vanish on the night he’s jerked awake by screams. 
Frenzied figures roam the streets. A helpless onlooker, John tells himself that this isn't like the films. This is real life, with real people. 
He and his neighbours band together over a small supply of food. Tensions brew, and a difficult choice arises. Risk starvation, or attempt escape? Conflicted over the cause and scope of the apocalypse, the group struggles to work together. 
At first John clings to logic. The zombies do not drink or eat. Organic matter cannot sustain itself under these conditions, but things grow more complicated as the behaviour of the infected makes a drastic and inexplicable change.

My review:

In one word, I would describe this book as contemplative.  It focused less on the zombies and more of John's thoughts about the entire situation.  The entire book took on a bit of a philosophical tone, but it did not overwhelm the plot line of the story at all.  Alex South struck the perfect balance between being thoughtful and being exciting.  

My thoughts on the characters, however, were conflicting.  On one hand, I loved their relationships to each other.  Laura and John were in love and understood that their love was more of a reaction to their situation than a result of true compatibility   I thought that realization in particular was so rare to have in a novel.  Also, Mary and Tyler had a very realistic relationship to each other, and both of their characters offset the other to make them more complex and interesting, as a result. However, I did have an issue.  I was a bit unsatisfied by how much we knew about any of the characters.  Their backstories rather didn't exist or only appeared when convenient to the plot.  Even John, the main character, had an underdeveloped backstory.  It's understandable why that happened.  I can see that, perhaps, the point was that the zombie epidemic created a rift between the characters' past lives and current lives.  A life with zombies and one without.  But it caused me to have trouble imagining the characters throughout the first half of the book.  Eventually, all of their personalities became distinct and it wasn't an issue anymore, but I still wished I knew a little bit more about them.

All of that said, Alex South did a great job of distinguishing the characters' patterns of speech.  They didn't all sound the same.  They had different quirks on how they spoke, which added to the book.

I would recommend Swarm if you typically like zombie apocalypse books.  If you can't stand them, Swarm is probably not the book for you.  If you can, it is a entertaining, speculative read that you will most likely enjoy.  

Overall, I would give Swarm by Alex South a 4/5 rating.

*Note: This was the first book in a series.*

Phrase:  This is real life.  It can't be like the films.  

Misery by Stephen King (Amazing)

A week or two ago, I went into a used bookstore, and my dad bought me a copy of Misery because he had seen the movie and thought it was my kind of thing.  He was very, very right.  I found myself reading Misery from when I came home to 2:30am and then sleeping, only to begin reading again as soon as I awoke.  I had been looking forward to reading it since I brought it home, but I couldn't because I had this huge stack of library books that had "priority".  Anyways, I started reading it one night.  I planned to read a page or two to introduce myself to the characters and all that before I would officially begin reading it.  From my experience with Stephen King books (mainly The Shining and Pet Sematary), the first hundred pages or so go very slowly, so I figured it wouldn't make a difference.  I was wrong.  I ended up reading almost fifty pages before I forced myself away.  One thing you can say about this book is that it starts quickly, and without knowing it, you get sucked into this world.  This particular world that Stephen King makes is not supernatural in the least.  One hundred percent of it could have happened.  In a way, that makes the entire story more harrowing.
But I am getting ahead of myself.  Here are two versions of the cover; the one I read from and my favorite one.

The favorite:

The original:

The covers: 

The first cover is really neat.  It shows Paul's typewriter with the broken "n" key stranded in the snow.

The second cover shows Annie Wilkes's house in the middle of nowhere with the snow falling down, isolating those in the house from all others.

Description: 

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling writer.  After a crippling car crash, he is saved by Annie Wilkes, his number one fan.  Annie becomes his nurse and takes care of him in her house.  She asks for one thing from Paul in repayment for her services.  He must write a book for her, his best yet.  And if he doesn't... Let's just say that Annie has a huge temper, and no neighbors live close enough to hear his screams.  

Review: 

Misery was absolutely amazing.  Fantastic.  It completely occupied my thoughts for both of the days I was reading it, nonstop.  It had constant action and suspense.  It was absolutely impossible to put down.  The characters were super realistic in their own way.  I've never met a person like Annie Wilkes, but I could still see how she was thinking and understand her, even if it was in a twisted way. And Paul.  Paul was an amazingly complex character with so many different levels.  I felt pain for him, basically throughout the entire book.  

My only problem with the entire book was the segments of Paul's novel that were put in.  I couldn't quite get excited by the aspects of the book within the book.  But there were not many of those segments, and they did relate to what was happening between Paul and Annie. 

I loved Misery! However, I would both recommend it to everyone and to no one.  To clarify, I think it was such an amazing book that everyone who hasn't read it is missing out on a crucial part of life. And yet, it got pretty graphic and, basically, just not meant for delicate eyes and weak hearts.  I would feel terrible if I recommended Misery to someone and they couldn't sleep anymore, but it is such a good book!  You might be able to understand the issue here...

Either way, I was more involved with Misery than any other book I've read in a long time.  It wasn't awesome.  That word is too mundane to describe a book like Misery.  It was amazing, fantastic, heart-stopping.  It was so much more than awesome.  I highly, highly, highly, recomend Misery to all who can handle reading about a little misery.

Phrase:

so vivid!

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (Awesome)

I'm going to do a group mini review for The Infernal Devices series.  I loved the series so much!  To be fair, I started the series off with an incorrect idea of what it was about.  For some reason, I thought the series was basically just Magnus's backstory.  I was terribly wrong, but I loved the series all the more for its unexpected plot line!
(The reviews were all written right after I read whichever book I'm mentioning. )

CLOCKWORK ANGEL:

The cover:

To tell the truth, I'm not sure which character is on the cover.  I am about 90% sure that it's Will Herondale, but it could be a completely different character.  Above the series title, Tessa's clockwork angel flies.  

Official Description:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

My review:

I really liked Clockwork Angel.  It was such a great book.  I had forgotten how much I loved Cassandra Clare's writing.  She is truly a fantastic author.

I read the first five books in the Mortal Instruments series before I read Clockwork Angel. I would NOT suggest this to readers. Read Clockwork Angel, at least, right after City of Glass and before continuing the series. My ordering of the books caused me to be about 99% certain that I know what Will's hiding. It kind of built a sense of dramatic irony around it, instead of curiosity, which is what I am sure was intended. 

(*Note: You can actually read them in whatever order.  I still suggest the above ordering, but it turned out that I was wrong about Will's secret...)
All of this doesn't even mention how GREAT the book was. I had high hopes because Cassandra Clare is an amazingly talented writer, but I was afraid that working with different characters might not go as well. This was not the case, by any means! The storyline was completely engaging and exciting. The characters were very well written and the plot complex. All in all, a fantastic book! I am going to find (and read) the sequel as soon as I can!

CLOCKWORK PRINCE:

The cover:

This cover also shows whom I believe to be Will starting with a torch.

Official Description:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My Review:

I don't think I've been as frustrated by any other book more than I was with this book. It made me want to let loose a grutal scream as many as twenty times throughout the book. (Some of those times, it actually happened.)
However, unlike the normal frustrating books, Clockwork Prince tackled the problems in the correct ways. A character would do something and the effects would be terrible, but I could find no fault with how they handled the situation. 
I LOVED this book. Thinking back on it, while the book was super fast-paced and plot driven, there was not very much that happened in regard to the villain of the story. This, surprisingly, had no effect what-so-ever on the way I enjoyed the book. 
I had a slight issue with Tessa at one point. She would be making some commentary on some event, and I could only think of one thing, "Please, please do not make this a love triangle." Then, as the book progressed it morphed more into, "She's going to make this a love triangle, isn't she?" And then, finally, "She went and make this a huge love triangle." For me, anyway, love triangles just make unnessary tension, an unneeded hatred between the guys, and disappointment in about half the readers at the end of the series. 
Besides the love triangle, I loved watching all of the character's relationships evolve and shift. They are all fully developed characters with their own habits and personalities. Together, you could never know how they would behave. 
A lot of Clockwork Prince simply tugged at my heart strings. As Will's secret was slowly revealed, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken for him. 
All in all, Clockwork Prince was a worthy sequel to Clockwork Angel, and I can't wait to read Clockwork Princess. (In fact, I couldn't and went ahead and started reading it!)

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS:

The cover:

It shows Tessa, like she always is, reading a book.  The bridge (significant with Jem!) is in the background, and she wears her clockwork angel necklace.

Official Description:

Tessa Gray should be happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

My Review:

I imagined this series's end many times. None of them came even close to the majesty of this book. Clockwork Prince was easily the best book in the Infernal devices series, which really says something when you think of all the other great books included.

Cassandra Clare easily solved the issue of the love triangle with such elegance that I believe that all writers should take heed of.  

In a show of how much I loved all of the characters, I had to fight tears while reading the epilogue.  Thinking about epilogues, Clockwork Princess had one of the only truly good and necessary epilogues that I've ever read.  It was perfect.  This book was perfect.  This series was perfect.

Series-long Phrase:  Demon Pox!