Review: Red Madrassa (Algardis #1) by Terah Edun

Name of book: Red Madrassa (Algardis #1)
Author: Terah Edun
Publication: November 8th 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Provided by the kind author...

A magical accident threw them together. But when Fate holds all the cards, it can be impossible to tell the difference between pure chance and Destiny... 

The Madrassa, a magical school for mage practitioners, is the stuff of legend. With selective entrance exams and quotas for only the most advanced of mage children, it's almost impossible to attend. 

When Allorna, a guardian trainee for the royal family, ends up on the doorstep of the citadel on the eve of the final day of a recruitment ceremony, she decides it must be fate.

She was sure she knew the path her life would take before she enrolled. But sometimes life has a way of throwing in magical curveballs and strange friends, just to see if you’ll trip up. 

Oh, and one of those friends is a mage accused of murder, another is a slightly psychotic dragon, the third a healer facing an existential crisis, and the last is a female storm-caller with more hidden secrets than a thief lord.

Do they all belong at the new school they call home?

This book is suitable for ages 12 and over. It is free of nudity, sexuality and only light cursing. The book is inclusive of LBGT and racial diversity.

-- My Rating --

-- My Thoughts --

     Fantasy is definitely my favorite genre. The imaginative places, the wonderful, out-of-the-world characters always peak my interest. And this book was no exception. By the way, the cover is absolutely GORGEOUS!

     A guardian, a dragon, a healer, a storm-caller, and a mage. Allorna, Vedaris, Sidimo, Sitara, and Maride are very different, but strange circumstances pull them all together into the enchanting, notorious Red Madrassa. With its different schools, and exotic assignments, these five become good friends. But the past is not so far behind, and it does not intend to leave them unharmed.

     First of all, I loved the concept of this book. The five characters are insanely different, all of them are unique in their own way, and they are very easy to relate to. Though, my favorite was Sitara, her quick wit and her ideas were believable, she would make a great best friend. Maride is also a very like-able characters, though his situations and ideas are far from normal. The plot is mainly about how the characters deal with going into such an exclusive school and their daily lessons. The lack of much action was fine by me.

     I appreciated the research the author has done on this book. The schools in the Madrassa were well thought-out. What I loved the most was the fact that the place was magical, other-worldly and Allorna even speaks some "Arabic", which I understood and appreciated. Loved the risks the author took with this book, and it was definitely worth my time. Red Madrassa is full of intrigue and interesting characters! Cannot wait to read book 2!

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Name of book: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication: March 27th 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: E-book Won

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars : Really Liked It...

-- My Thoughts --

     How come I didn't read this sooner? Why didn't someone drag me into a bookstore and made me buy this? Why? I am so devastated that I didn't read this before. But I am perfectly satisfied with this.

---

"It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you're munching a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head. Not," he added hastily, "that this has ever happened to me."

---

     Clary is just a normal 15-year-old girl. Well, until the day she sees a murder. A murder committed by three teenagers who have strange tattoos on their body, in the Pandemonium Club. And Clary doesn't even try to warn the police, when there is no body, how will you convince people that there was a murder? From that day, Clary's journey starts. A journey toward discovering the truth about herself, her abilities, and her family. 

---

Their eyes were vacant as they hurled themselves at the wolves, and the wolves met them head-on, claws tearing, teeth gouging and rending.

---

     I won't give more away, IF you have not already read The Mortal Instruments. Which I am pretty sure you have. The story starts with a bang A murder. Then a kidnapping. It's all action, magic, secrets, and runes. This book will not bore you. I started flipping pages frantically (digital pages, of course).
     This book is pure creativeness. And I think Cassandra Clare knew exactly where to write this book. The setting is perfect. The pace if flawless. The characters are love-able and multi-layered. But I have to say that between Jace and Simon, the two love interests, I will definitley choose Simon. Loyal, adorable, and in a band! I can't wait to read the second book.

---

Their lives burned as brightly as candle flames-and were as easy to snuff out.

---

Review: One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

Name of book: One Breath Away
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Publication: June 26th 2012 by Harlequin MIRA
Genre: Contemporary Thriller
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...

In her most emotionally charged novel to date, New York Timesbestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores the unspoken events that shape a community, the ties between parents and their children and how the fragile normalcy of our everyday life is so easily shattered. In the midst of a sudden spring snowstorm, an unknown man armed with a gun walks into an elementary school classroom. Outside the school, the town of Broken Branch watches and waits.

Officer Meg Barrett holds the responsibility for the town's children in her hands. Will Thwaite, reluctantly entrusted with the care of his two grandchildren by the daughter who left home years earlier, stands by helplessly and wonders if he has failed his child again. Trapped in her classroom, Evelyn Oliver watches for an opportunity to rescue the children in her care. And thirteen-year-old Augie Baker, already struggling with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has brought her to Broken Branch, will risk her own safety to protect her little brother.

As tension mounts with each passing minute, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars : Really liked it.

-- My Thoughts --

     I have not read anything by the author, but from the blogging world, I know that her books are popular. And I consider her as one of the authors that I will always be on the look out for.

     Holly, Augie, Will, Meg, and Mrs.Oliver's lives change drastically when a gunman enters the school, one cold day. Mrs. Oliver will do anything to keep her little students safe and sound from the gunman. Meg will go to extreme measures to do her duty and find out who the gunman in the local school is. Will will do anything to save his two grandchildren locked up in the school. Augie is afraid of the gunman, but she will do anything to save her brother from the fate of death. And Holly can't help but fear for the lives of her two children who are facing one crazed gunman miles away from her.

     School shootings are becoming horribly common these days. Whether it's a bullied student or a crazed father or a reckless teacher. Heather Gudenkauf realistically describes how one event can change the lives of her five main characters. Heather's writing is simple, serene, and believable. She made five different voices for her five characters so well, that even if the chapter didn't start with their names, I would have definitely known which one was telling the story. Their voices were THAT unique.

     This book reminded me of Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes (a huge statement!). But, while Jodi Picoult explores the aftermath of such an incident, Heather Gudenkauf focuses on the instincts kicking in while IN the situation. They are both very different, but beautifully unique authors. Definitely reading more from Heather! This was an imaginative plot-driven story, and I will definitely recommend it to anyone willing to read!

Review: The Great Succession Crisis by Laurel A. Rockefeller

Name of book: The Great Succession Crisis (Peers of Beinan Trilogy #1)
Author: Laurel A. Rockefeller
Publication: August 3rd 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Provided by the kind author

Great Succession Crisis is a science-grounded work of fiction set in another galaxy. Drawing upon Earth history and anthropology, planet Beinan is a complete world with its own units of time and distances,cultures, religions, and constitutional monarchy.

Great succession Crisis is the story of a young princess, Anlei, daughter of Beinan’s sovereign Queen Isabelle who faces a personal and political crisis when the Great Council of Beinan refuses to overturn an ancient law rooted in the clan warfare of their distant past. This law states that no woman may pass the crown to her daughter, only to a son.

After the Great Council refuses the royal petition to change the law, Anlei finds herself a political pawn in a chess game of competing noble houses with nothing less than her virtue, her life, and the future of planet Beinan at stake in a political thriller that will have you guessing right through the final chapter.

-- My Rating --

3.5/5 Oscars

-- My Thoughts --

     I am having a very hard time to express my feelings for this book. Since they are so confusing, I appreciated some parts, but didn't know the point of some other parts. So bear with me (as long as you can...)

     I am not doing a summery of this, since all the plot is about one little twist, and if I, voluntary or involuntary, write that twist down, it will ruin the whole experience of reading the book. I appreciate the uniqueness of this book. It is pretty obvious, that one of the things Laurel Rockefeller is very good at, is the world-building. The world is not the Earth we know, it has many similarities but many differences, too. Loved the fact that the author took careful note of every little detail in the book, even the way the years are measured, the way length and weight are measured, the religions on the planet, and many other aspects. This part of the book was perfect.

     What I had a little problem with is the characters. Okay, so Anlei, our main character is not much of a smart-ass. She is just a typical princess, but her humbleness and kindness blew the love interest away. Corann is definitely the all-too-typical, still-swoon-worthy male lead whose love confessions will leave you gaping. Unfortunately  the other characters were not developed very much and i felt like they were lacking "character" or "charisma".

     The pace was a little rushed sometimes, but otherwise, it fit the story. The ending wrapped things up well, but left some room for future material, too. This book was not what I expected. On some bases, it was good and on some other bases, not so good. But I don't regret reading this, and I might give the second book in the series a try.

Review: The Sword of Armageddon by Temple Mathews

Name of book: The Sword of Armageddon (The New Kid Series #3)
Author: Temple Mathews
Publication: TeenLibris (first published November 6th 2012)
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...

Things have never been darker for 16-year-old Will Hunter. The girl he loves has been taken from him, he's been betrayed by his newfound half-sister, and he has only hours to find a cure to the poison coursing through his veins. He's in no shape to stop the Dark Lord from finding and using the Sword of Armageddon-but if he can't, he's not the only one who will die. 

The third book in the New Kid series takes Will and friends from a demon-infested island in the Puget Sound to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, where Will's struggle against the Dark Lord ends in a confrontation that will determine the fate of all mankind.

-- My Rating --

-- My Thoughts --

    WOW! The first and the second book in this series blew me away, and this one was no different. I absolutely love the way Temple Mathews writes his characters. They breath out of the page, like they are standing next to me, whispering the words into my ears. They are as realistic as they can be.

Better read the New Kid (my review) and the Rising (my review) first.

     Will and Natalie have been through so much, isn't it finally the time to relax and settle down? Oh, no. The Dark Lord has a much, much more evil plan, including ending the human race as we know it. And while fighting seems like the only way to survive, will their unconditional love help Natalie and Will survive the inevitable  Even if it means facing their darkest fears? In the final installment, they both have to answer the question: What is the price of love? And are they willing to pay it?

     Abso-freaking-lutely loved this book! This series is definitely my favorite one ever, right next to Lauren Kate's Fallen series (that's a HUGE statement, people). I was so joyful that I get to see what happens to Nat and Will, but when the book finished, I got all clingy and started begging the author to continue the series. I CANNOT bear to part with such amazing cast of characters, from the ever-protective Will to the lovely sisters, Nat and Em, to the weird, adorable Rudy.

     Temple Mathews definitely knows how to capture readers. From the first page, I was sucked right in. This book is a exotic, unique page-turner! The plot is flawless and it will never bore you. The villains are villainous and venomous. The setting and the pace fit perfectly. You WILL NOT find any excuses to delay reading this, it's begging to be read, so do it, now. Or you are passing a great opportunity to be enchanted!