I happened to pick up The False Prince at the bookstore, because I am a sucker for anything about princes and princesses. The book looked promising, so I decided to give it a shot.
Four orphan boys have been chosen by a nobleman to impersonate the long-lost son of the King and Queen, who have been murdered. Sage, protagonist and narrator of the book, is one of the boys chosen to compete for the crown.
I loved Sage’s quirky personality and wit, and the trouble he gets himself into when he refuses to be anybody but himself. Sage recognizes the dangers of playing such a dangerous game, but if he doesn’t play the game and win, it may cost him his life. He makes friends (and plenty of enemies) along the way, and I truly enjoyed his story, which became more and more complicated as I read on.
The book was funny and quick, and captured my attention until the last page. In the end, the story line was not as predictable as I’d thought it would be, which was a pleasant surprise. I will definitely be reading books 2 and 3.
I read this book with high expectations – not only because I am a fan of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, but also because I was interested to see what she could do with an interesting topic like alien invasion.
Our world has been taken over by “Souls,” aliens who inhabit human bodies. While the Souls believe they are ridding the world of human violence, the surviving humans think differently. To be controlled by someone (something) else is not a pleasant experience, which is why Melanie Stryder resists the soul which has taken residence in her body. However, along the way, Melanie and Wanderer form an unlikely bond. Wanda shares Melanie’s memories and emotions, and marvels at what it is like to be human.
The emotion of this book often brought tears to my eyes. Wanda’s discovery of jealousy, anger, joy, and most importantly, love, is extremely moving. The book poses a question which has not left my mind since I put it down: Perfection, or passion? To be honest, I liked the souls, because they were honest, loyal, kind, gentle, and peaceful. But the souls have taken away the freedoms which humans hold in such high esteem.
This quote says it all: “This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds – the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions…the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached.”
This book is different. It is by no means your typical romance – Melanie and Wanda are two different personalities who *SPOILER* fall in love with two different people.
Prodigy by Marie Lu, was, in my opinion, not as fantastic as Legend. I often feel this way about sequels, and I’m not really sure why. I was still completely in love with the characters, but the plot overall just wasn’t as fascinating as Book 1.
That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and eagerly anticipate the publication of Book 3, which will complete the trilogy.
Like many other dystopian novels I’ve read, the plot of the book was centered around the corrupt government, which has taken away many freedoms of the citizens. The government, called the “Republic,” appears to be almighty but is actually crumbling. Which begs the question, what must take its place?
Prodigy is about June and Day’s mission to take down the Republic by assassinating the new Elector. Anden, son of the late Elector, is not what they’d imagined him to be. Anden wants change just as much as they do, and June and Day begin to wonder whether they’re doing the right thing.
While I was caught up by the action and read the book in a matter of days, I believe I missed much of the June/Day dynamic from Book 1. The book ends with a major cliffhanger (of course) which nearly brought tears to my eyes…
Although I wasn’t as pleased with Prodigy as I was with Legend, I would still recommend this book to dystopian fans. June and Day are unique characters in a unique world.
First of all, I would like to (say? write?) that I like the Infernal Devices series better (gasp!) than the Mortal Instruments series. Why? I have listed my reasons below:
1. Tessa/Will/Jem > Clary/Jace
2. Tessa’s powers > Clary’s powers
3. Cassandra Clare did not decide to drag out the story. I think everything fit nicely in three books.
In Clockwork Princess, everything comes to a head when Tessa and the Shadowhunters must take out Mortmain and his automatons, the “Infernal Devices.” While battling her affections for Will though she is engaged to Jem, and worrying about Jem’s illness, Tessa still manages to be the humble yet fiercely brave girl we know her to be. The book ultimately leads readers to the secret behind Tessa’s powers and her past.
This conclusion to the trilogy was fabulous, and definitely met all of my expectations. The Tessa/Will/Jem love-triangle will certainly satisfy all readers, as well as the added romance of the novel (eek!) Every character (excluding the villain) captured my heart. I loved the addition of Cecily Herondale, Will’s sister, as well as the Lightwood brothers. What I enjoyed the most were the ties to the Mortal Instruments series.
We all know that Will Herondale is Jace Herondale’s ancestor, but Clare definitely surprises readers with (SPOILER ALERT) a certain Silent Brother. I also enjoyed learning about the invention of Portals and the magic behind Tessa’s clockwork angel necklace (which, by the way, happens to be another link to the Mortal Instruments series).
In all, I think Clare did a marvelous job tying up the loose ends of the Infernal Devices series. Like always, I found it extremely difficult to put this book down.
*Tessa, by the way, makes an appearance in City of Glass – third book of the Mortal Instruments series.
I also happened to watch a live Q&A with Cassandra Clare herself on YouTube. You can find it here – she answers readers’ questions and gives further insight into Clockwork Princess and the Mortal Instruments movie.
Also check out Cassandra Clare’s website for more info about her books. Read her bio, frequently asked questions, and her advice for writers. 🙂
I’ll begin by saying I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Game of Thrones. It’s thrilling and intriguing and the plot is intricate.
There are so many characters it’s difficult to keep count. However, each one is unique and memorable.
Game of Thrones is a story about a kingdom which is slowly falling apart. Winter is coming…and it could last for years, bringing not only bitter cold weather but also death. As Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell in the north, discovers secrets and scandals surrounding his friend King Robert, everything begins to fall apart. His family is in danger, threatened by the Lannisters, but Lord Stark must serve as the King’s Hand to attempt to keep the peace.
The story is narrated by each of the characters in turn, which keeps the reader on their toes. I flipped ahead just to see if my favorite characters were alright, because just when things got interesting the author would switch perspectives. But let me warn you…George Martin spares his characters nothing. And perhaps that’s why the book is so, so captivating.
The subplots, each somehow connected, moved the story forward. Martin develops each character by giving him/her back-story and personality.
Read the book. Read it, read it, read it.
I’ve got four more books to go…and if this first book is anything to judge the rest of the series by, I just know it’s going to get even better.
This book was recommended to me, so I decided to give it a shot. Sometimes, my favorite books are books I would not have normally chosen to read myself.
Ship Breaker was a good book, but it did not make my list of favorites. I liked the futuristic setting, and the plot, which was very original. The book is unlike the other dystopian novels I’ve read, as there is no controlling government and rebels hoping to break free. Just the opposite, actually. The world is in disrepair, and there is a very large gap between the rich and the poor. Nailer is a ship breaker, a boy who strips grounded ships of their copper wiring to earn his living. He has never been fortunate, with few loyal friends and an abusive and unpredictable father.
Competition is fierce because resources are scarce. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
However, when Nailer discovers a beautiful beached ship and a rich “swank” girl, he realizes his luck might have changed. Nailer embarks on an adventure to return Nita to her father, but the pair is chased by both Nailer’s father and the people who wish to kidnap Nita. Although the action moved quickly and there was plenty of high-seas adventure, I still found myself slightly uninterested and unconvinced by the characters.
I would like to read the sequel, The Drowned Cities, to see how Nailer’s story ends. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I probably would not read it again.
This was a fantastic dystopian fiction novel. Author Ally Condie presents the reader with a very intriguing situation, which makes it quite difficult to put the book down. This is what I love about dystopian novels: the authors dare to ask the “What if…?” questions that plague us all.
Cassia, a teenage girl who lives within the confines of the Society, is ready to be Matched. After their 17th birthday, Citizens of the Society are “matched” with other citizens based on their personalities and genes. There is absolutely no free will or choice in the Society – the Society chooses your wardrobe, what you eat, where you work, who you will marry. When you will die.
Cassia has nothing against the Society at first. She believes, as does nearly everyone else, that the elimination of choice is a good thing. The Society keeps things under control. The Society can fix any problem.
Everything changes when Cassia sees a different face flash before her eyes – a boy who is not her Match (best friend Xander), but a boy named Ky Markham. As Cassia struggles to decide which path is right for her, she faces for the first time real decisions and real consequences.
I loved both Xander and Ky, and as the reader I am sympathetic to Cassia’s plight. I can’t wait to read Book 2, Crossed, as I am eager to finish Cassia’s story.
The characters were fabulous, the plot was detailed and engaging, and the conflict exciting. I have great respect for Rick Riordan, who skillfully writes about characters from a previous series while keeping these new books different and original.
Although I also loved the first two books in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Mark of Athena is my favorite because the Greek demigods and the Roman demigods have finally come together. While I love Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase because of the Percy Jackson series, I also have a love for Riordan’s new characters, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank.
The seven demigods have united to complete the Prophecy of Seven, to embark on a quest putting an end to Gaea’s plans. However, things do not exactly go as intended (when have they ever??), and the quest takes on new severity. Narrated by Annabeth, Leo, Percy and Piper, the book is fast-paced and exciting. The stakes are higher than ever, as help from the gods is scarce because the gods are torn between their Greek and Roman identities.
I love the mythology, and enjoy learning about the Greeks and Romans through these books.
My only complaint…I must now wait another year for the release of The House of Hades.
It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.
A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.
Along for the Ride was such a beautiful, moving novel, about relationships, identity, and second chances. I think what makes this book so incredibly difficult to put down is that it feels so real. Something I love about Sarah Dessen’s books is her ability to create such relatable characters. I discover bits and pieces of my own personality in Dessen’s characters, and recognize the conflicts and challenges of my own life within the pages of her books.
And I think we’d all like to know how we can solve our own problems and face our own challenges, which is why it is so satisfying to see a conflict resolved in a book with a happy ending. Because we think, that could be me.
Anyway, I love Auden because she is a character that has been forced to grow up too fast, and as the reader, it was exciting for me to see Auden embark on her “quest” to reclaim her childhood. By doing so, Auden must learn to take chances. She realizes that she has to be open-minded and willing to try and fail. For a character like Auden, who is unaccustomed to failure, picking herself up and “getting back on the bike” after a fall is definitely a challenge.
The minor characters of the novel, including Auden’s parents, her stepmother Heidi, her new friends (Maggie and Eli), and especially baby Thisbe, are representative of the other themes of the novel. Auden’s mom, for instance, is judgemental of people who are unlike herself. Auden’s dad is a quitter, and tends to give up when the going gets tough. Auden’s recognition of these qualities in herself is part of what causes her to want to change.
People can change. And people can always surprise you, because you do not have to be “either/or.”
The romance, of course, is probably the number 1 reason I fell in love with this book. The romance between Auden and Eli isn’t cheesy, and it isn’t sudden, either. Their friendship and what they are able to share with each other is what’s important. They bond because both are unable to sleep at night, a result of the internal conflicts that are nagging them. I love the way they communicate, and I love the way Eli is so patient and understanding.
Second chances are liberating. Second chances allow you to forget the past, forget the failure, and move on.
“So you believe in second chances now,” he said, clarifying.
“I believe,” I said, “in however many you might need to get it right.”
Son of Neptune was even BETTER than the Lost Hero, which I did not think was possible. I hold Rick Riordan in very high esteem, because his second series containing some of the same characters is just as amazing as the first Percy Jackson series.
I loved that both Jason Grace and Percy Jackson, the most powerful of each camp, lost their memories and switched places. I loved Jason’s characters, as well as Piper and Leo, but reading about Percy and his adventures and new friends brought back the magic of the older Percy Jackson series.
I couldn’t put the book down! The action and excitement of a new quest kept me turning pages, but the action was never too overwhelming.
Percy is an awesome character. He’s brave, and loyal, and downright awesome because he’s a son of Poseidon – or Neptune, rather. But Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang gave him a run with his money! Both new characters, with secrets of their own to hide, were intriguing and different. Their powers were fun to read about.
The cliffhanger ending killed me. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
