Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch

The Girl with the Iron Touch 

(Steampunk Chronicles #3)

by Kady Cross
Published May 28th 2013 

by Harlequin TEEN

Summary from Goodreads:

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken 

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

Thoughts:
Steampunk is a rather complex genre to write about since the author have to combined elements of science, technology and historical background to make it actually believable to the readers. Not many authors dare to write YA steampunk so when the first book of this series was published, I was so eager and excited to get my hands on it. 

What I love most about the series are the various characters and their individual quirks. Finley is super strong  but is suffering from dual personalities due to the effect's of her father's experiments. Griffin can control the Aether. Sam is also super strong while Emily is a genius with all things mechanical. There's also their American friend; Jasper who lost her Chinese girlfriend in the last book and Jack Dandy; a guy dealing with shady businesses who adored Finley.

I'm so delighted to find out that Emily (my favourite character from the series) is the main protagonist in this one. And as the gang raced through time to save her from the clutches of the evil and barely alive Machinist, it is clear to see that she is the one who always keeps the gang together. Without her, Sam and Finley are always at each other's throat while Griffin is troubled by his own visions in the Aether. Emily on the other hand faces a moral dilemma, when she meets an automaton who resembled a young girl known as 312.

The romantic relationships between the various characters are also at the forefront here. And it is indeed nice to read how the gang finally confront their feelings towards each other. Overall, I must say this book is a fitting conclusion to the series and Kady Cross has done a brilliant job in tying up everything together. However, I do hope there'll be more stories about Jasper or even Jack Dandy since they deserved their own happy endings.

Verdict: 4 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Review: Impostor

Impostor (Variants #1)
by Susanne Winnacker 

Published May 28th 2013

by Razorbill

ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Thoughts:

Impostor is ultimately about shapeshifters and teenage mutants who worked with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities (FEA). At the center of the story is Tessa; a shapeshifter who was abandoned by her own mother before joining the FEA. As her first mission, Tessa is tasked with finding a serial killer by impersonating one of the victim. 

It is interesting to see how Tessa cope by pretending to be someone else and although she struggled at first, Madison's family and friends welcome her with open arms. Tessa also finds herself unwittingly drawn to Devon who happens to be Madison's twin brother. I would have like it if their relationship is explored further but instead another fellow Variant; Alec is featured as her romantic interest. Alec was supposed to be involved with Kate who can read minds so it was annoying to read about him pining over Tessa in a not so subtle way every chance he got.

It also bothered me that Tessa sometimes get sidetracked from her mission and seemed to focused a lot of attention on the boys surrounding her. You would expect that a teen secret agent to be more in control of her emotions after all that years of training but Tessa's skills as a spy left a lot to be desired.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #30 : Kinslayer

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Kinslayer (The Lotus War #2)
by Jay Kristoff 

Hardcover, 464 pages

Expected publication: September 17th 2013
by Thomas Dunne Books

Summary from Goodreads:
A SHATTERED EMPIRE
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

Babble:
Although I had some issues with the first book, I'm eagerly anticipating for the second especially since I can't wait for Yukiko and her Buruu to kick some ass in this one! Hopefully there will be less use of redundant words in the story and more focus on the plotline.

Review: Towering

Towering
by Alex Flinn
Hardcover, 293 pages
Published May 14th 2013 

by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.

Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. 

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

Thoughts:

First of all, I'm beginning to think that there's a curse to all the books that I've been eagerly anticipating this year since most of them just fall into the 'meh' category. Towering was one of those. Now let me explain, I'm a big fan of Alex Flinn and so far I've already read 3 of her books not including this one. Her books are always funny, light and entertaining with a dose of whimsical magic here and there.

But Towering is just dark and confusing with an underlying plot of a girl's disappearance and a boy trying to overcome his mysterious past. The ending was so disappointing as there are too many questions left unresolved. And the characters are neither likeable nor funny which makes this book not as enjoyable as the rest of Alex Flinn's books. The previous book; Bewitching was such an exhilarating read that I found this one just pales in comparison.

Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Mini Reviews: Disappointing Dystopians

It has been rather a disappointing year for dystopian. These two books which focussed on gender roles in a futuristic world has an interesting idea but failed to impressed me in the end.


Swans and Klons
by Nora Olsen
Published May 14th 2013
by Bold Strokes Books
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

What does it take to survive in a world built on lies?

Sixteen-year-old Rubric loves her pampered life in the Academy dormitory. She’s dating Salmon Jo, a brilliant and unpredictable girl. In their all-female world, non-human slaves called Klons do all the work. But when Rubric and Salmon Jo break into the laboratory where human and Klon babies are grown in vats, they uncover a terrifying secret that tears their idyllic world apart.

Their friends won’t believe them, and their teachers won’t help them. The Doctors who rule Society want to silence Rubric and Salmon Jo. The two girls must flee for their lives. As they face the unthinkable, the only thing they have left to believe in is their love for each other.

Thoughts:
Swans and Klons appeared to be such a promising book with its unique take on a dystopian world where all the inhabitants are female and humans live alongside with clones. At first, I was really drawn to the story but my interest quickly faded as there are so many aspects of the futuristic world that I did not understand and the use of made up words such thicko, veruckt and even shatzie just seemed out of place. And I've already guessed the supposed mystery uncovered by our two heroines from the beginning so the twists are so not surprising.


Verdict: 2 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Taken (Taken #1)

by Erin Bowman
Hardcover, 360 pages
Published April 16th 2013
by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Thoughts:
Taken is a huge disappointment for me. Normally, I would welcome a male point of view since YA is so overwhelmed with female protagonist. Indeed the mystery of the disappearance of males in Claysoot is solved much earlier than I anticipated so what happened after that just did not excite me at all. It seemed as if Gray is always running from one place to the next just so he get to the bottom of things.

Verdict: 1 star.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #29: Dissonance

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.


Dissonance (Dissonance #1)

by Erica O'Rourke
Expected publication: October 1st 2013
by Simon and Schuster BFYR

Summary from Goodreads:

Delancy Sullivan has always known there's more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del's job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony. 

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del's not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange connecting them and it's not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane. But Del's decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

Babble:
How does one actually travels from one parallel universe to the other? Don't you need some kind of portal for that? This sounds like a mix of Pivot Point and the Unravelling.

Review: School Spirits

School Spirits (School Spirits #1)
by Rachel Hawkins
Published May 14th 2013 

by Disney-Hyperion

ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 

Thoughts:
I am a big, big fan of Rachel Hawkin's previous Hex Hall books and was delighted when she decided to feature the formidable Brannick clan as the main characters in her new series. The Brannicks were supposed to be this family consisting mostly of female members whom are feared by the paranormal community because of their hunting skills.

However, I am so sorry to say that eventhough I do find myself liking Izzy who is the main protagonist in this book, the story is just not up to the mark. The first time Izzy was introduced in the Hex Hall series, she's a mere 12 year old who can definitely kick ass. Now she's a confused teen with an abnormal upbringing who is forced to enrolled in a high school to help her mother solved a haunting. With her older sister; Finley disappearing after a mission gone wrong, the Brannicks are only reduced to Izzy and her mother; Aislinn.

I'm missing the funny, sarcastic undertone that Sophie has. Izzy is a more serious person since she's being trained to be a Prodigium hunter since she was born. Most of the time I'm wishing that Sophie will make an appearance in this book but sadly she was only mentioned in the beginning. There are certainly light hearted moments with the bewitched warlock; Torin who becomes a mentor of sorts to Izzy and also her motley group of friends who called themselves the PMS short for the Paranormal Management Society. The ending felt kind of rushed and truthfully I think how the mystery was unravelled left me a bit confused. I'm really hoping that the next book will be a lot more exciting and that we get to find out about Torin's background.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 

Blog Tour (Review & Quote): Submerged by Nicole Sobon

Submerged (Outbreak #1)
by Nicole Sobon
Paperback, 384 pages
Published February 14th 2013

Summary from Goodreads: 

After a mysterious virus makes its way into the United States, the government demands that states seal themselves off from one another and do their best to protect their surviving residents. When the state of Florida is bordered off from the surrounding states, Taylen Fincher, a seventeen-year-old girl with a yearning for her former life finds herself wondering how much of what they’ve been told is true.

When Troum took control of the state, he told the residents that the other states had fallen to the virus and that he wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to them. But Taylen doesn’t believe it. She insists that there is still life outside of the state, and she is going to do whatever it takes to prove it… but her actions will cost her more than she ever expected.

Troum kidnaps Taylen’s sister, Penelope, in hopes of coaxing her into behaving – into being a submissive resident, much like the others. But Taylen isn’t one to give in that easily.

Eager to rescue her sister, Taylen will set out on an adventure that’ll force her to open her heart to the unexpected and to uncover secrets that will change everything.

Thoughts:
Submerged is certainly a dystopian that you can really sink your teeth into. From the get go, we are introduced to Taylen; the rebellious teen who is always sneaking off to the outside compound of the sealed Sector walls. In Taylen's world, the state of Florida is shut off from the outside and residents are divided into different Sectors known as Family, Widowed and Homeless and
all teens are required to enlist in the guard or the clinic by their seventeenth birthday.

I love the fact that the author wasted no time at all in developing the story and we dive into action right at the beginning. Taylen is a strong female character who has the courage to stand for what she believes in. It is also interesting to see her character's development through out the story as her actions unwittingly sparked a change in the controlled society that she lives in. When Taylen are forced to flee her Sector, she uncovered an earth shattering truth about her own world and get s to meet a mysterious guy called Grate. Eventhough Lex is introduced earlier on as Taylen's supposedly childhood friend/love interest who joined Troum's guard, it is easy to see how she gets atttracted to Grate. Taylen felt betrayed by Lex loyalty to his superiors while Grate seemed much more reckless and carefree.

With it's intense, gripping action, unique plot and amazing world building, Submerged is certainly a dystopian series to look out for. I really can't wait for the next book!

Life was supposed to be a journey, one which allowed us to find ourselves- who we were, the person that we wanted to become. 

Waiting on Wednesday #28: Hero

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hero (Woodcutter Sisters #2)
by Alethea Kontis
Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: October 1st 2013
by Harcourt Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" 

Babble:
I love Enchanted mostly because of its endearing cast of characters which features the colourful Woodcutter family. So when I found out there's going to be a sequel to the book, I literally jumped for joy. Saturday being the rough and tumble tomboy of the family is one of my favourite sibling not just because of her tough exterior but also for her wry humour.

Waiting on Wednesday #27: Of Beast and Beauty

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Of Beast and Beauty
by Stacey Jay 

Expected publication: July 23rd 2013 

by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Babble:
I don't know why but the blurb makes the book sounds so tragic and sad but I still want to read it. There's something so appealing about forbidden romance and star crossed lovers doomed for their romance. And since this comes from Stacey Jay; the writer behind the Juliet Immortal series so I'm hoping for some heartfelt moments as well.

Book of the Month: April

Book of the Month is a monthly event, hosted by Book Whales. This is done to highlight one of the books we have read in the previous month.

So my book of the month is (cue drum roll please..)

The Rising

by Kelley Armstrong
My review

I love this series and the third book actually deserves 5 stars if not for some issues I had with the ending.

Review: The Rising

The Rising (Darkness Rising #3)
by Kelley Armstrong 

Published April 2nd 2013

by HarperCollins

Summary from Goodreads:

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Thoughts:
The Rising is one of those books that you literally cannot put down once you started to read it. It has all the elements that I look for in a YA fantasy; heart-stomping action, a strong heroine, secondary characters that are not one-dimensional and romance that is believable and swoon worthy. This book is a certainly a wild roller coaster ride from the start to the end. The plotline is so unpredictable that you can't really expect what's going to happen next.

As one by one of the original gang from Salmon Creek gets captured by the secret organization that created them, Maya and her remaining friends are desperate to find help and get to the bottom of things. Fans of the Darkest Powers will be thrilled to know that Chloe and her supernatural friends also make an appearance in this book. And as the two different group joined forces to fight against the St. Clouds, you can expect some major action scenes. Maya also get reunited with her long lost twin brother. On the romance side, I'm so glad that Maya finally come to her senses and pick the right guy in the end.

I was hoping for a different solution with the St. Clouds but the way that the author ended the series might just make way for a continuation of the story featuring characters from both the Darkest Powers and the Darkness Rising series. I'm really hoping that will happened in the near future.

Verdict: 4 stars.
In my Books in a Series and Fantasy Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #26: Spring Awakening

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Spring Awakening (Summerset Abbey #3)
by T.J. Brown 

Expected publication: August 6th 2013 

by Gallery Books 

Summary from Goodreads:

The thrilling conclusion to the evocative Summerset Abbey series featuring two sisters and their maid as they navigate an uncertain world in the midst of World War I.Aristocratic and free-spirited sisters Rowena and Victoria, as well as their maid and dear friend Prudence navigate the uncertain social and political climate of WWI-era England in the dramatic conclusion to the sweeping saga about the women of Summerset. Vividly evoking both time and place with authentic dialogue and richly detailed settings, this beautifully written novel explores the conflict between tradition and modernity as these women struggle to determine what to expect from their futures…

Babble:
Being a diehard fan of Downtown Abbey, I was so excited to get my hands on the first book of this series. The first book was a pleasant surprise and I'm actually reading the second book right now. This is certainly not for everybody but for those who love historical fiction then this just might be for you.