The Ruins of Ambrai (Exiles #1)- Melanie Rawn

How to begin with a summary of this book...

A millennium ago, Mageborns fled to a planet called Lenfell to escape persecution, but Lenfell was soon devastated by the Magewars. Magical factions battled against each other and unleashed horrific creatures called Wraithenbeasts. Centuries after the war, the world is recovering--the Mageborns are allowed to practice magic, but with severe constrictions and the tension between the classes has culminated in agonizing tension. The novel follows the story of three sisters, separated from each other as children, yet all powerful in their own right. They will fight against each other for power, all the while ignorant of the familial connection. In this female dominated society the men act as pawns to the strong-willed and petulant females, but the three sisters rise above the rest to assert positions of the highest authority.

Something like that. It was 900 pages and I only got through 3/4ths of it before giving up--cut me some slack.

Overall Merit: I am loathe to give up on a book, even when it's exorbitantly long like this one is, but in this case I couldn't bring myself to finish. I felt like I was reading a history textbook for the majority of the story and to be honest I didn't connect with any of the characters. The only reason I picked up this book was because it was highly recommended from several sources and I did like some of Rawn's other work, but this one was a disaster. I guess in theory it could have been a good story, but then again I have no idea, I didn't finish it. I mean this is especially saying something since my irritating paramour somehow roped me into reading the entire Fifty Shades trilogy (I'm debating whether I should post about those books or not even though they're not entirely relevant). Anyway, point being: I really did not like this book. It did have some merits, but I would not advise reading it. Score: 3

Characters: I hated all the characters. This was my biggest gripe with the book. Maybe it's because I am so not a feminist by any definition of the word (here comes the hate) anyway, but the women were obnoxious. The men weren't much better. I did not connect with a single character and even though the book kept switching perspective between primarily the three sisters Cailin, Sarra, and Glenin none of the perspectives were better than the others. Usually I can find at least one character to link with--I am currently reading Game of Thrones and I don't like all the characters, but at least some of them are palatable. Score- 2 (because there were actually characters)

Blush Factor: Sure there was awkward sex in this book in which it was considered kinky if the guy was on top. Best line ever: "'Damn Garon!' she raged weakly. 'Damn him to Geridon's Hell!' In that legendary location, men who were promiscuous, sexually importunate, or a bed sheet burden to the women who married them were condemned to the exquisite torment of a constant, total, eternally unrelieved erection." Essentially I've decided that Rawn is a man-hater, which I guess is cool, but come on she didn't cut them any slack. There was nothing romantic about anything in this book. Score- 0 I can't give a score to something that didn't exist. 

Plot: Convoluted and insane. I was being dragged from one place to another without a chance to catch my breath. This book was way too long and should have been divided into at least two novels--maybe it would have been less of a hassle to read that way. Anyway there were a million things going on at the same time and I had an extremely difficult time keeping all the plot threads straight in my head, which is why I gave up because it got to the point where I didn't even understand what was going on anymore. Score- 3

Structure: I don't have a problem with female dominated societies, in fact my favorite guilty pleasure books happen to be just that (check out the Black Jewels Trilogy if you have the time), but this was excessive. There was no love, no romance the men were literally treated either like chattel or they were ridiculed if they had any sort of status. I mean I understand this is sometimes common treatment for women in books, but it just felt so alien doing it to men and it didn't really add anything to the plot. I felt like Rawn had too many components in the book and if she had stuck to fewer oddities the story would have been more coherent and cohesive. Score- 3

Vervain Says: "I couldn't tell if this was Science-Fiction or Fantasy, I feel like that's a problem in and of itself. It's ok when there's genre crossover, but this one just confused me."

The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1)- Sandy Williams

McKenzie Lewis has an ability sought by both the Court Fae (variation spelling on 'fey' used in this book) and the Rebels: she can track fey based on the 'shadows' they leave behind. In the human world, McKenzie is trying to finish her English degree and get on with her life, but the fae have other plans for her. She has been working for the fae king for years and has been in love with his sword master, Kyol, for just as long. However, she is tracked down and kidnapped by the rebel fae who want to unseat the corrupt king and put one of their own on the throne. To do this, they need McKenzie's talents to find and gain control over the hidden portals in their world. McKenzie must decide who she can trust and whether or not her affections for Kyol can be replaced by the rugged rebel leader, Aren. Aren teaches her the forbidden fae language and opens her eyes to the corruption of the Court. The fighting begins to claim lives, both mortal and fae and McKenzie's decision could be the single thing that decides the outcome of the war.

Overall Merit: Let me start by saying, this is the perfect example of a misleading cover. I don't think McKenzie so much as touches a sword in the entire novel, in fact she spends most of her time getting injured and rescued by people who can actually use a weapon properly. This book did not gain points with me because to be honest, I didn't understand McKenzie's powers very well and from what I saw of them, they didn't seem very useful. The story was not that interesting or well thought out. Plus, it was totally predictable. I mean it wasn't an awful book or anything, but there wasn't even any good romance to make it better. Score- 6

Characters: I apologize in advance because this is going to turn into a rant about character names. McKenzie. What the bloody hell? If you must use a horrible spelling of the name, don't put random capitals in the  middle of it, it's distracting. What's wrong with Mckenzie, or Mackenzie? Personally, I prefer the vowel before the 'ck' it looks prettier and makes the name less irritating. McKenzie is a bad name in general, but Williams makes it worse with the pretentious spelling. I mean I've seen much worse names, but that's only because I can't pronounce them. To add to that, I didn't really like McKenzie very much, she didn't have much of a personality. Sure, she kept trying to escape from the Rebels and blah, blah, blah, but she didn't do all that much. She was a space filler, not a character. The two love interests weren't interesting either, Aren was ok, but Kyol was meh. I mean all the characters were just kind of flat. Score- 5

Blush Factor: I don't like love triangles at the best of times, however this one didn't bother me so much. Then again, that might have to do with the fact that the characters were all way too boring for me to care what happened to/with them. Aren was a bad boy, but not really and then Kyol was supposed to be a stoic, deadly swordsman, but again not really. McKenzie eventually chooses Aren, sorry to spoil it, but it was pretty predictable. Score- 6

Structure: This was actually a first person novel, which was somewhat surprising since that doesn't show up often in this genre. Nonetheless, the narrator (McKenzie) was not interesting enough to make me enjoy her perspective. It followed linear story structure and well there were virtually no plot twists. Then there was some weird stuff going on with humans who hunted faeries and I got confused. The weird relationship with technology didn't fly that well for me either. I wasn't convinced that the fae were actually fae, there wasn't anything very faerie-like about them at all. Williams did not ground her mythos well enough for the world. Also, what the hell are the weird electrical impulses that seem to run through fae skin? I was confused and not very pleased with the structure of this world. Score- 4

Plot: In one word: predictable. There wasn't much of a plot and the plot that was there wasn't interesting. I was pretty bored throughout the novel--thank Rhiannon it was short. Seriously though, nothing new happened here. McKenzie was kidnapped a bunch of times, there was a pathetic attempt at a battle at the end. Some sort of convoluted plot was concocted. Even the romantic tension fell flat. This book sort of had potential, but it definitely wasn't worth the money I spent buying it. Score- 4

Vervain says: "Human technology weakens fae magic."

Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1)- Jim Butcher

In the realm of Alera when people come of age they are bonded with a fury (an elemental spirit). However, fifteen year old Tavi never bonded with a fury and therefore is a bit of an outcast and an unlikely hero. When an agent of the First Lord named Alera runs into him in the middle of the storm, she brings with her a war in which Tavi will prove instrumental in making sure that the 'good guys' win.

Overall Merit: This story was meh. It got really good reviews on Goodreads.com, but to be honest I didn't like it that much. I didn't connect with any of the characters and while the technical writing was strong and cohesive, the story didn't really interest me that much. The plot was complex and well thought out, but for whatever reason I did not like this book. It wasn't bad, like I didn't put it aside for an extended period of time, I just didn't love the story or the characters. Score- 6

Characters: The two main characters, Amara and Tavi were fine I guess. They weren't caricatures or anything, but I couldn't relate to them at all and I didn't feel like I was given enough access to their emotions. I didn't feel their fear or anguish and there was no real tension for me. I mean I rooted for them if only because as a reader I was supposed to, not out of any sense of loyalty or attachment. Between the two, I definitely connected better with Tavi, he was a more convincing character and a bit more sympathetic, but Amara was really hard to link with on any level. For one thing, I didn't know enough about her past and what her story was, heck I couldn't even tell how old she was! She didn't have enough inner turmoil to make her interesting. In terms of antagonists, I felt like there were too many and that made it confusing, but on the other hand, none of them were very strong. Score- 6

Blush Factor: Essentially N/A. This was barely there and what was there isn't worth mentioning.

Structure: Structure was fine. Solid. I swear I did actually read this book, I just have very little to say about it. It switched between three or four perspectives, but mostly stuck to Tavi and Amara, easy to follow. The story was pretty much straightforward. There were a few too many side stories going on and I didn't exactly buy them. Also, I felt like the elemental magic has been done to death and while Butcher tried to make it a bit different, it wasn't different enough to carry the story. Score- 7

Plot: Again. Standard fantasy. There wasn't anything interesting done here. Like really there was nothing interesting done here. This was a fantasy book that didn't bend any boundaries or create anything new. Sure Butcher tried with some weird extra humanoid, but he didn't explain the Marat well enough to make it worthwhile. I really wanted this story to have some kick, to bring in something unique, but I swear he just took a list of fantasy elements, slapped them together into a book, and called it a day. Score-6

 Vervain Says: "The Marat are essentially human, I'm still trying to figure out what makes them different."

The Fairy Godmother- Mercedes Lackey

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, everyone has a role to play, whether it be that of a normal peasant or noble, or something more important. This role is determined by a force called the Tradition. Once the Tradition decides that a person is useful or important, magic will culminate around said person and push them on a path toward their inevitable destiny. However, sometimes the logistics don't always work out correctly. Elena was supposed to be a "Cinderella" in her world. She has the evil stepmother and sisters to boot, but as luck would have it, the prince of her kingdom is eleven and not a viable candidate. So instead, she finds herself apprenticed to the fairy godmother of her kingdom and is poised to take over her position as soon as she learns how to control and use the magic that the Tradition has bestowed upon her.

Overall Merit: This was a fluffy book. It was fun to read and I did enjoy the world that Lackey created. This was my first Mercedes Lackey book so I don't know a whole lot about her writing style. To sum it up in one word: cute. The book was cutesy and headed for an inevitable happy ending, which I guess is to be expected in a world governed by fairytales. It wasn't anything so amazing, but I liked the concept of the world and it was a quick read. If you're looking for intense, well-written fantasy/characters/plot then this probably isn't your book, but I mean it was a very light read--'beachy' if you will (not that I know so much about beaches, Unseelie is sadly deficient)--so I finished it in a few hours. The main gripe I had was the romance. This romantic sequence pissed me off/confused me to the extreme. More on that in 'Blush Factor'. Score- 7

Characters: Not a whole lot of substance here. As I said, the characters weren't very well-written. I didn't get any real emotion from anyone and I didn't particularly care about Alexander or Elena. They weren't annoying characters, which always buys some points in my book, but they were flat. Elena was ho-hum not that interesting and her personality wasn't there. She never expressed any real emotion--same issue with Alexander. Sure, Lackey told me he was annoyed/wanted to throttle Elena, but she didn't show me his frustration. The other characters were basically sketches, thrown in to help the plot along, but they literally had no personality or were so stereotypical that they may as well have been stick figures. Score- 5

Blush Factor: *SPOILERS* Don't even get me started. This was one of the worst romances I have ever seen. First off, you knew that Elena and Alexander were going to get together as soon as she drags him away from his quest to 'punish' him. Then, he tries to sexually assault her, which I find is never conducive to any sort of kind feelings. After, when he becomes more civil, they start having freaky shared sex dreams and somehow along the lines end up falling in love. And finally, out of the blue he asks her if she's been having the same dreams as him and then when she says yes they go up to his rooms and have a weird variation of sex. What the Hell? Score- 3

Structure: I really did like the world, which is why I give some kudos to this book. I liked the pseudo fairytale setting and the magical rules of the world. Lackey gave good definition to her magic and the rules governing the world, which was amenable since so many writers neglect to do that. The story wove in and out of Elena's and Alexander's perspectives, which was standard, but I wished there had been more definition when the perspectives jumped. I got a line break and that was it, just a formatting issue, but still something to note. If you do decide to check out the book, do it for the world structure. Score- 8

Plot: I mean there was a plot, it wasn't a very good plot, but it was a plot all the same. I hated the ending, it was extremely rushed. It felt like Lackey was trying to avoid major conflict, realized that was impossible, and ended up putting it in at the end and sweeping it under the carpet as quickly as she could. The premise was decent, not super strong, but not awful either. Lackey could have done something much more interesting with the world. There really wasn't enough conflict. Elena mastered her magic in what felt like moments, Alexander was helped by fairies, and the final 'epic' battle was over in a few pages. No one died. Everyone lived happily ever after, even though the message that Lackey kept driving home in the book was that it didn't work like that. Score- 6

Vervain Says: "Fairy Godmothers are responsible for quest giving, testing heros, and keeping magic from running amok."

Warbreaker- Brandon Sanderson

This is the story of two princesses, Vivenna and Siri, one of whom is destined to marry the God King of Hallandren. It is also the story of a minor god who hates his job as one of the Returned, and another immortal who is trying to correct his mistakes made centuries ago. In their world, people who die under the right circumstances join the pantheon of the Returned, and live as gods for the rest of eternity. However, the gods need Breath to live, Breath, which is the source of Biochromatic power that every person possesses to a certain extent. A power that will prove to be the undoing of many and the fortune maker of few. Only through the collective efforts of Siri, Vivenna, Lightsong, Susebron the God King, and Vasher the Warbreaker will an inevitable war come to a less than devastating conclusion.

-I apologize for the vague and patchy synopsis. However, given the contents of the story I had little to work with. Here's an interview with Sanderson that might clarify things a bit.

Overall Merit: First off, the cover is gorgeous, but that's through no merit of the author. I think this book disappointed me more than it would someone else because the Mistborn Trilogy was just fantastic. For some reason, Sanderson was able to capture all of his literary prowess in those books, but fell far from the mark in this standalone novel. I do have to give credit where it's due and say that Sanderson is a genius at creating new worlds. The world in Warbreaker was intrinsically fascinating and thrilling, but the rest of the story, plot, characters, etc fell flat. Score- 7

Characters: Often times when there are a lot of perspectives going on at the same time, a reader will favor one perspective over the other perspectives. In fact, I've yet to find a multi-perspective book where this hasn't been the case for me. Then again, this is all relative because I found nearly all the characters to be annoying. Vivenna was bratty and spoiled and Sanderson kept talking about how she was 'so well controlled', but I never really saw it. Okay, I sort of did, but only through a really annoying plot device that he exploited far more than he should have. Vivenna and Siri, as royal princesses of Idris have the ability to change their hair color based on mood. Sanderson used this as a copout because instead of giving us other indicators as to how the girls were feeling it would just be like "her hair flared red", "her hair bleached", etc. Siri was also annoying because for such a 'rebellious' girl, she really didn't do anything all that rebellious. I don't know, Vin and Elend (Mistborn) were more real for me and I actually liked them as people. Score- 5

Blush Factor: This was a presence in the book, somewhat. I mean it's weird, Mistborn was uber chaste and then Sanderson spends a good deal of time talking about just how big Mercystar and Blushweaver's (two of the Returned) breasts are. Then there's the whole weird thing going on with Susebron and Siri (horrible name choice by the way). I don't know, I mean the Siri x Susebron thing wasn't bad, it was kind of sweet actually so kudos for that, but then he tried to do something with Vivenna and Vasher. The whole book was all over the place. This wasn't a terrible aspect, but neither was it that important. Solid, I guess. Score- 7

Structure: There were too many perspectives and I didn't enjoy reading most of them, in fact I kind of skimmed all the chapters that didn't involve Siri and Susebron--the only side story I found moderately entertaining. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that I didn't really care about most of the characters, but Susebron, the God King intrigued me and I actually somewhat wanted to find out what happened with him, even though I could care less about the rest of the story. Score- 6

Plot: Ok, this was really, really contrived. There were way too many things going on and I even though the book was very long, it wasn't nearly long enough to flesh out all the details Sanderson was trying to cram into 600 pages. To be honest, all I got was there was some kind of conspiracy with the God King and a war was on the horizon. There were about 20 different rebel factions and it was nigh impossible to keep track of. Things were going on with Vivenna and some other things with Lightsong. Like I said, the only chapters I actually liked reading were the ones with Siri and Susebron. Score- 5

Vervain says: "Read the Mistborn Trilogy, but avoid this book unless you're absolutely desperate to read something else by Sanderson."

Bloodring (Rogue Mage #1)- Faith Hunter

In a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Seraphim, neomages like Thorn are relegated to luxurious "prisons" called Enclaves. However, when Thorn came into her powers she realized that she could hear the thoughts of all the others in her New Orleans Enclave. Between going insane and living as a fugitive in the human world, she chose the latter and has lived in fear of discovery for the past ten years. However, her life of faux-normalcy is shattered when her ex-husband Lucas is kidnapped by dark forces, Thorn knows that it is not long before they come after her. Then there is the issue of the kylen (part human, part seraph), Thaddeus, who shows up at her doorstep and starts asking questions. She is strangely attracted to him in spite of the knowledge that any misstep will result in her being killed by the humans or shipped back to her Enclave--either way her death will be inevitable.

Overall Merit: I loved the premise behind the book so I forced myself to slog through it and it did get better by the end. However, for the most part it was remarkably slow and filled with unnecessary characters. I did like Thorn's powers, stone mages are not common, most authors opt for all-around powers or elemental magic, so Hunter's innovation was a plus. I really wanted to like this book and was so disappointed that I couldn't bring myself to enjoy reading it. Usually a 350-some-odd-page book will take me about 3-4 hours to read tops, so about a night or two worth of reading. This book dragged on for a good four days and often put me to sleep early. If I'm really into a book I will push through the exhaustion and read into the wee hours of the night. I could not do that with this book, even though I desperately wanted to. I mean the characters weren't bad or anything and the romance had potential, but the story dragged and there was not enough action by a long shot. Score- 6 (for premise)

Characters: Thorn was a solid character, I really did like her, but I felt like the others were not fleshed out enough, especially Thaddeus (Thadd). He showed up at random intervals during the story and Thorn seemed way more focused on her cheating ex-husband, Lucas. The other characters like Jacey and Rupert didn't do all that much and then there was the random kid, Ciana who showed up and didn't do much but serve as a bad plot device. The same things could have happened without her. Audric might be the only one who got any fleshing out other than Thorn and that was probably only because he shared a secret with her. Score- 4

Blush Factor- What blush factor? No really, it kept going on about how Thorn was "in heat", but nothing ever happened. Yes, she suffered with her intense sexual desire, but again nothing happened. There was no romance, no chemistry between any of the characters. If Hunter hadn't told me that Audric and Rupert were a couple there was no way in Hell I could have guessed it for myself. I was promised a nice romance sequence between Thorn and Thadd and I got nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Mushy-gushy fans, don't waste your time. Score- 2

Structure: I loved the idea of the post-apocalpytic society ruled by Seraphs. It was lovely that the world nearly ended after a series of horrific plagues. And people getting branded for cursing? Beautiful. Eternal winter/mini ice age? Gorgeous. So where was the story to go along with this imaginative new world? I'm still looking for it, I'm afraid. One of the main problems is that there were a zillion things going on at the same time. There was the thread with Lucas and the one with Ciana and then there was something going on with a weird amethyst at the same time. For a moderately short book, way too much. I got lost and confused, I mean that might have had something to do with the fact that I was skimming, but I skim a lot of books and still manage to keep up with the plot. Score- 5

Plot: This was so promising. I read the back of the book and got excited. I do give Hunter credit for doing her research, as most of the factual basis, including the names of the Seraphim, were spot on. The story though was lacking at a fundamental level. She stretched it in too many directions instead of focusing on one main plot line. I wanted to follow Thorn on her adventures, and potential budding romance with Thadd, instead I was reading about things I didn't care about. It's nice that the people have a picnic on a day that the sun chooses to shine, but how the Hell does that relate to the story? If she had focused her plot and honed in on the important details, it would have been a much more solid novel. Score- 4

 Vervain says: "Neomages have a special glow about them so Thorn has to use amulets to dampen her glow and blend into the human world."





In summation: I was disappointed.

Demons at Deadnight (Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1)- A&E Kirk

Aurora has always seen demons, but it didn't become  a real problem until recently when she moved back to Gossamer Falls. Now her sightings have grown more frequent and far more lethal--something nasty definitely wants her dead. And why do the demons keep calling her 'Nex'?
In walk her old childhood friends: The Hex Boys. They are secretive and notorious for their destructive capabilities. However, they are the only ones strong enough to protect her from the demons. Aurora and the Hex Boys will have to work together to figure out why she is being targeted before it's too late.

Overall Merit: I don't understand why young adult authors always feel the need to harp on how unattractive the female protagonist thinks she is. I mean I get that it's a device to help the reader identify with the character, but I find it annoying. If you must comment, do it once, not a million times. Also, who decided that tall on a girl was unattractive? I've read a lot of books recently where the girl complains, "Oh, I'm so tall, that must mean I'm awkward and ugly." Umm no? Sorry, back to the important stuff. Anyway, so this book was meh, for lack of a better word. I didn't hate it, but the protagonist was annoying and Kirk( A&E are two separate people, but I'm going to refer to them collectively) tried to make the Hex Boys funny, but more often than not I found myself cringing instead of laughing. The plot was not as focused as it could have been and I felt like the characters didn't pick up on things that should have been obvious. Not horrible, but not great either. Score- 7

Check out the trailer:

Characters: Like I said before, Aurora was annoying. She was awkward and whiny and not a character I enjoyed following very much. The Hex Boys were funny at times and I did like them to a certain extent, but sometimes their personalities blended and I had a difficult time telling them apart--that's the danger of having a lot of characters with a similar function. Also, I didn't buy a lot of the drama it was too overblown and some of the boys came off as caricatures more than characters. As a rule of thumb if there are a lot of supporting characters you have to commit to making them just as real and unique as the protagonists or risk confusing the reader. Also, one character who irritated me to high Heaven was Gloria (you'll meet her if you read this book), she was an obnoxious little twit and I thought Kirk would have done better to eliminate her. One thing I did like was that the families were in the picture and Kirk did a good job with this (you know blackmailing siblings, "I'll tell mom", all that good stuff). Score- 6

Blush Factor: This was again nothing that interesting, I did appreciate that it wasn't the wham-bam instantaneous romance that usually happens in YA, but I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Ayden and Aurora. Sure he was hot, but all the Hex Boys were so that didn't do all that much for me. It was a slow build up and well I don't know if I could even consider romance a legitimate part of this book. Score-7

Structure: Nothing new here. Aurora's perspective throughout with a few side glimpses into the antagonists. The main issue here was that there wasn't a clearly defined villain, which bothered me. I wanted to know exactly who was out to get Aurora, not just a vague idea. Also, there was a group called the Divinicus, but I didn't understand the underlying structure and hierarchy, which is always a problem. Writers tend to forget that while they know everything about their world, a reader does not. Score- 7

Plot: There was a plot, but it was patchy and not well connected. I felt like there were a lot of little things going on at the same time, but the underlying thread to link them together was frayed. Again, there wasn't any major innovation here and to be honest the story was hum drum predictable and somewhat cliched. Also, I'm going out on a limb and saying that it sounded suspiciously like the anime Pretear. Score- 5

In summation: I'm going to suggest that you don't bother with this book, unless you're like me, and need an inexpensive ebook, and have WAY too much time on your hands.

Vervain says: "The Divinicus Nex is supposedly a person with the power to sense and locate demons. Aurora is the first female Divinicus."

Insatiable- Meg Cabot

Meena Harper is sick of hearing about vampires (I think everyone in the world is sick of hearing about vampires), but this doesn't stop her bosses from forcing her to work on a project that incorporates the supernatural beings into her television show. However, Meena has a supernatural talent herself that seems to always get her into trouble: Meena can see when someone is going to die. So when she meets Lucien Antonescu, she can't understand why she can't see his demise--maybe because he's already dead. Meena and Lucien fall in love, a dangerous action seeing that he is being hunted by holy knights from the Vatican. Soon it will be up to Meena to decide where her loyalties lie and if love is enough to make her choose a new fate.

Overall Merit: I was actually so excited when I thought I found a book that was going to go against the stereotypes of a vampire romance novel, even the trailer suggested that this was the case. However, while it started off with the heroine renouncing the whole vampire love story nonsense, she ended up falling right into the hum drum cliche that Twilight started. I was desperately hoping for something a bit more snarky and satirical. Meena had the potential to turn this into a satirical biting novel, just by the nature of her character, but she was too busy swooning over Lucien and his "hotness" to channel that snark power. Also, making a vampire turn into a dragon does not count as original. It counts as weird and unnecessary, especially when it seems like it's being used as an excuse for a horrible metaphor. Score- 6

Check out the trailer:

Characters: I liked Meena, I really did. Or at least I thought I did. I thought she was going to do something epic with her death discerning powers, but she didn't. This element seemed extraneous and I wondered why Cabot even bothered putting it into the story. Sure, it gave Meena something to morally struggle with, but the moral struggle shouldn't be over something that takes away from the story. There was definitely humor brought mostly by Alaric Wulf (my favorite character in the novel). I mean he was pretty hilarious: a socially awkward, comic book collecting vampire hunter--doesn't get much better than that. Alaric was the saving grace of this book because he actually made me laugh. However, I had a real *bang head on desk* moment when he fell in love with Meena. I love geeky guys, but when they fall in love with the wrong person it upsets me. Lucien was a cliched vampire prince who could read minds. Cough Edward Cullen Cough. Do I need to elaborate? Score- 8 (because I loved Alaric)

Blush Factor: Yes, there is sex. This is a vampire romance novel, not written by a Mormon, of course there's casual sex. Keep young adolescents away from this book because the smut is pretty blatant. Nothing new happened here, you knew from page 20 that Meena and Lucien were going to get it on, and get it on they did--after one date. Score- 4

Structure: If you couldn't tell, this was mainly third person from Meena's perspective, with glimpses of Lucien and Alaric sprinkled throughout. Nothing new happened here, the technical writing was effective and clean. Score-8

Plot: Cliche. If I had to say it in one word it would be cliche. It was advertised as a parody or a satire, but what I got was a standard love triangle vampire story. This book was pretty much what Twilight would have been if Bella weren't such a block of tofu. The supporting characters saved it a little bit as some of their antics were mildly amusing, but overall this book made me very sad about the future of fantasy. Score-5

In summation: If you want the perfect example of a lovable and epic geek then read this book or at least skim the parts with Alaric.

Vervain says: "Meena's visions of the future aren't definite, she has the capacity to change them. However, this doesn't make the power any more useful as a plot device."

A Fistful of Sky (LaZelle #1)- Nina Kiriki Hoffman

In the LaZelle family, each of the members goes through a brutal "transition" and if they survive they awaken with powerful magic. The magic varies for everyone based somewhat on personality type and the rest on chance. However, it is also known that "late-bloomers" tend to end up with a  less desirable gift: the gift of curses. This wouldn't be an issue, but it is also true that if the magic goes unused for too long, it will inevitably consume the wielder. Gypsum LaZelle is nineteen years old and completely "magic-less" in contrast to her powerful siblings and therefore resigned to a mundane existence. Then, one day when her family is out of town she becomes gravely ill and wakes up with a new gift--one that will make her wish she had remained normal.

Overal Merit: I LOVED the concept of this book, so much so that when I found it on goodreads.com, I bought it for my e-reader so I could start immediately. I actually could not tear myself away from it and finished it in about three hours. Gypsum is a great character and her siblings are awesome. However, per usual, I had my gripes. What started out as a fantastic predicament took a turn for the weird. I have no issue with weird, in fact, I adore weird, but this was too weird. The ending also threw me and I wasn't satisfied when it came to a close. The end is bizarre, but that's ok. If you want a new take on magic, read it anyway. Score- 8.5

Characters: Gypsum was fascinating and probably the only heavy female character I've seen who wasn't languishing in self-pity about her weight. She was so real and human that for all her flaws she was still lovable. The supporting characters didn't disappoint either and I loved how it was near impossible to define the antagonist. Strong personalities all around for Gypsum's siblings and her "curse child", Altria. Some of the concepts Hoffman tackled within personalities were heavy usages of Jungian archetypes so if that doesn't sit well with you, you have been warned. Score-9

Blush Factor: This was disappointing as it promised to be present, but wasn't really there. Hoffman teased with a potential relationship, but it fizzled out into nothing of interest. This was probably the weakest point of the novel and Hoffman would have done well to exclude it completely. Score- 4

Structure: The structure was fairly linear and told from Gypsum's perspective. I followed it easily and had no complaints. Nothing innovative was done here. One major gripe I had was that Hoffman brushed on the subject of creatures from alternate worlds, but she never went into any detail, which left me somewhat confused. Also, she didn't define the limits on Gypsum's power, which also annoyed me because I wanted more definition as to what she actually could and could not do. The score would have been higher if Hoffman did a better job of covering her bases in terms of technicalities. Score- 5

Plot: I was completely enthralled by the plot until I got to the ending, which was a bit too forced and philosophical for my taste. I'll not say more than that because of spoilers. The concept was phenomenal and a refreshing addition to the world of magic-weilders. In spite of the flaws, I was able to suspend my disbelief more than usual because of the great cast of characters. Score-7

In summation: if you are looking for something with an excellent plot and great characters and are willing to turn a blind eye to some technical issues and a strange ending, then go for it.

Vervain says: "Gypsum is a crystalline stone that symbolizes stability in the midst of chaotic change as well as growth and improvement."

The Wizard's Ward- Deborah Hale

Maura's world of Umbria was ravaged by Hanish invaders and the only hope of restoring Umbrian power is to find and awaken the mythical "Waiting King". However, the only one who can do this is the "Destined Queen". Maura's guardian, the wizard Langbard informs her on her birthday that she is said "Destined Queen" and she must venture to the magical grove where her husband awaits. That afternoon, Maura finds herself in the woods gathering some magical herbs when she rescues a young outlaw named Rath from some Hanish soldiers. She brings him back with her to Langbard's cottage and the wizard decides that Rath will accompany him and Maura to Maura's Aunt who is in possession of the map that will lead them to the grove of the "Waiting King". Am I the only one who could see what was coming as soon as I read the synopsis on the back of the book?

Overall Merit: I mean, it wasn't a bad book. Then again, neither was it a good book. For all the interesting premise, the story fell rather flat. Not to mention, if I can guess the ending by reading the synopsis on the back it is not a good sign. Same goes for the characters. They weren't bad characters, but I didn't find myself caring about them all that much. By the end of the book I got pretty bored because I knew exactly what was going to happen. Not really worth your time. Score- 6

Characters: They were non-descript. I for one did not take Rath very seriously as an outlaw, he was far too civilized for that and there was not enough inner turmoil over his identity. There should have been more of a struggle between his desire to be good for Maura and his instinct to behave like a thoughtless boor. Maura was ok, she annoyed me a bit at points, but there was nothing so horrendous about her character that made me want to stop reading. I think that Hale tried to make her a plucky, strong female heroine, but the attempt fell flat. Maura was too goody-goody for that. Score- 6

Blush Factor: This aspect of the book irked me. There was all this really horrible attempt at romantic repression where it got to the point where I was just like "either be with her or don't just make up your mind!" Obviously Rath and Maura end up together (if that was a spoiler I'm really not all that sorry). However, the thing that bothered me the most was the gratuitous sex scene at the very end of the book. It really did not fit at all and it made me question the morals of the characters. I'm not a prude by any means and if sex is appropriate then go for it, but going off the basic tone and cultural structure of the book it didn't work. Score- 4

Structure: It was linear and third person from Maura's point of view. Nothing interesting was done here, but it wasn't convoluted or confusing. Score- 5

Plot: This could have been interesting, but it seems like Hale came up with an initial premise and never really did any development beyond that. The stakes weren't high enough, meaning I never felt like the characters were in imminent danger. A good story beats the character over the head with a mallet until they are ready to collapse. Neither Maura nor Rath faced any such predicament. It was far too easy for them to get to the grove and the Hanish threat that was introduced from the beginning wasn't used to its full potential by a long shot. Score- 4

In summation, I strongly advise avoiding this book unless you are given an important puzzle and the only way to solve it is hidden somewhere in the pages of this rubbish.

Vervain says: "There are two types of magic used in this world: mortcraft and vitcraft. Mortcraft calls upon dark powers whereas vitcraft is a nature based form of magic. 

Sword of Fire and Sea- Erin Hoffman

When Vidarian's great-grandfather married a fire priestess, he swore an alliance with the High Temple of Kara'zu (headquarters of the fire priestesses). This agreement is called into play, when the high priestess Endera summons Vidarian to honor his family legacy and escort a promising young priestess named Ariadel to a different temple in the south. Since Ariadel was caught by the Vkortha, a group of rogue magic users, she has been in constant danger of capture. Vidarian's job is to see her safely to the new temple where she can seek refuge from the Vkortha. At least in theory, this is what the story is supposed to be about. 


Overall Merit: I found that the story I was promised fell flat and well I'm amazed I forced myself to finish the book. It wasn't that the writing was inherently bad, it was just the storytelling ability wasn't there and neither was the character development. I don't quite know why I even bothered to finish it, maybe so that I could give an accurate review to the imaginary people who are reading this blog. Anyway, please don't read this book unless your only other option is Twilight, then by all means go ahead. Score- 4 (this is mainly because I really liked the cover...) 


Characters: Were there even characters in this story? No, not really. They were caricatures if anything. I mean I've read flat characters before, but usually there's at least one person who saves the day, even if they're in a supporting role. This book gave me nothing to work with. There was no drive to do anything, the characters simply accepted the roles they were given because either "the goddesses said so" or they had some innate intuition that it was "their destiny". If characters don't have a legitimate reason for going on a quest or fighting against a force then the readers don't care if they do it or not. In fact, I cared so little about these characters that they could have been brutally murdered and I wouldn't have done more than shrug. Also, I couldn't even figure out who the antagonist was supposed to be. The Vkortha were pathetic and played a minimal role, somehow the Imperial Army showed up in the last fifty pages, and then the high priestess suddenly became quasi evil. It didn't make sense at all. Oh, one thing I had a MAJOR issue with was the fact that the chaos goddess comes in and says "Correctamundo" and "See ya later alligator". Even in a realistic fiction book no one says that, but she's a goddess--a chaos goddess nonetheless. Score- 2 


Blush Factor- This was also miserable, but that should be self explanatory because if the characters have nothing to say for themselves, then they certainly can't have interesting relationships with each other. From essentially the first page you knew there was going to be something between Vidarian and Ariadel, which is fine. However, there was no build up. One minute they were simply companions on a journey and the next they were cuddling and kissing. There was no transition and when the romantic bit came about I actually had to go back and reread the section because I thought I had missed something. The romance is misplaced and unrealistic and if anything it detracted from the already pathetic story. Score-2 


Structure- Another thing I had an issue with. The transitions were abominable in this novel, it kept jumping over hours, and even days at a time, leaving the reader confused and disoriented. It's like, "I don't care if you put a little wave icon in between sections every time you shift; I still have no idea what's going on!" Otherwise, the story was traditionally linear and only told from one perspective. Score- 3 


Plot- The plot had potential to be good. I did like the magical hierarchy in the world and I thought that if done correctly the story would have been enjoyable. However, the entire thing was completely botched. The story was trite and it didn't flow at all. There were too many elements going on at the same time. If Hoffman had simply taken out one or two of the irrelevant plot tangents and focused on the main story thread it would have been much more successful. Score- 5 (for potential) 


In summation: Do not read this book unless you somehow find yourself in a Saw movie and you have no other option. 

Mystic and Rider- Sharon Shinn

Senneth is a powerful mystic traveling with a servant boy, Serramarra (Lady) Kirra a fellow mystic and healer, Kirra's loyal servant, and two of the King's Riders. The king has sent them on a mission to travel the country and report back to him on any dissent among the houses. As they travel, they notice a war is brewing, a war over magic. Mystics are tolerated differently throughout the land, but some houses are kinder than others. Now, the house of Gisseltess is making their view quite clear as mystics are continually turning up dead and priestesses of the Pale Mother have swollen in number. It will be up to Senneth and the others to see themselves back through a country filled with animosity and intrigue in order to return safely to the capital.

Overall Merit: The strongest points in the book were the characters. For any fans of the the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce, Senneth was a very near match to Alanna. As far as plot was concerned, there wasn't enough, but the characters were superstars and that was what kept the pages turning for me. If you are ok with character driven literature then definitely read this. Score- 9

Characters: As I said earlier, this book was largely plot driven, I loved the protagonists, mainly Senneth and Kirra, and even though the plot was lacking I kept reading because I wanted to see what happened to them. The antagonists were not as strong as I would have liked. Coralinda Gisseltess wasn't nearly as evil as she could have been and I thought that was a major weak point in the novel. You will very likely fall in love with the protagonists and root for them, but I felt like sometimes they were able to get out of trouble too easily. Score- 8

Blush Factor: This was there, but at barely more than a whisper. Tayse and Senneth's romance was not all it could have been by any means, not to mention it came out of nowhere and the build up wasn't believable in my opinion. As far as the other characters are concerned, there is nothing at all, maybe a few minor flirtations here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. I thought that Shinn should have either gone full out for Tayse and Senneth or just not included it at all. Score- 6

Structure: This was linear and third person nothing new here as far as structure. It was easy to follow and the story moved along in a traditional fashion. Score-8

Plot: This was where I had my largest overall issue. There was essentially very little plot, this wouldn't have bothered me quite as much but there was potential for plot that Shinn completely ignored. The characters were never in nearly enough danger, and there was never anything at stake. I think she should have made it more difficult for the group to pass through "mystic-hating" regions and there definitely should have been some hardcore kidnapping involved. The plot was weak and underdeveloped and without the characters I probably would have stopped reading halfway through. Score-5

In spite of the flaws, the characters were pretty amazing and for that reason, if nothing else, I do suggest picking up this book if you have the time.