Review of Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
To Be Released: February 15, 2011
4.5 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: “First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.
Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.
Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.”
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton is a very dark and surprising book. I loved how it was detailed with the world Ellie and Will share and I love how the author seems to switch light when talking about the trivial world (aka the world we all live in). When the author describes the trivial world it reminds me of light and bubble gum which is really hard to achieve. When the author describes the other world (The Grim) I not only feel darkness but it is almost as if it surrounds you and the only light is Ellie and Will.
I gave Angelfire 4.5 smirks because it is a book that explores a whole new world and shows the true lightness to the true darkness. I really enjoyed reading Angelfire not just because it has a gorgeous cover but because it made me root for Ellie and for Will and even for Nathaniel. I find it very rare for a book to make me feel what the characters are feeling and this book does that in spades.
Review of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Published: August 31, 2010
6 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own
.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare was like The Mortal Instrument Series books, magnificent. Personally, I hate historical books no matter what genre they might be but, Clockwork Angel I loved. I was transported back to the Victorian Era of Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike and I loved every minute I read the book.
Cassandra Clare has this unique way of writing a story that entraps readers in the snarky, bluntness of her characters. All the characters in Clockwork Angel are incredibly entertaining in their own way and I absolutely LOVED that we as readers got to see Magnus Bane! Magnus is just the most fabulous warlock out there. Like with most books I love I usually make a list of things about the book that I loved because otherwise I would go on and on and on, paragraph after paragraph with praise, but sometimes that can be overkill.
Things I loved about Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare:
The Dark Sisters, creepy vibe
The deception, mystery, and thrill of the story
The fact that the story will continue onto a next installment
Will’s snarky, witty personality that does not fit with the Era, but makes him uniquely desirable all the same
Henry’s obliviousness concerning all things except his inventions
Jessamine’s disdain for everything
Tessa’s strong will and conviction
Church
Tessa’s unique, undiscovered talent
Description of London in the Victorian Era
The Clockwork Angel
Everything about Jem
And the alluring cover art
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare makes you want to re-read the City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. It really pulls readers into the history of everything of the Shadow World was back in that era. I wasn’t sure if I would be too keen on the historical aspect of this book, but the historical aspect I thought was really done well and only adds to the flow of the story. I gave 6 smirks to Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare because it is a book that makes you feel what the characters feel, and makes you feel like you are right alongside with them discovering not only themselves, but the mysteries of the world around them.
Review of Once In A Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
To Be Released: December 28, 2010
4 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: “Celeste hangs with the popular crowd at Legend's Run High and is being wooed by Nash Hunter, the football quarterback, but doesn't really feel that she belongs. She only comes in contact with the new and enigmatic student, Brandon Maddox, when she passes him in classes, the hallway, and at lunch, but she suspects there is something different about him other than that he is a Westsider and comes from the wrong side of town.
On a dare, Celeste and her friends go to a psychic's shop for a reading. When it is Celeste's turn for a fortune, the psychic grabs Celeste's hands and warns, "Beware of a kiss under the full moon." Celeste and her friends laugh and mock the fortune teller. But on her way home from their outing, Celeste is blinded by a blizzard.
Disoriented, she finds herself deep in the woods bordering town. She is overcome by snowfall and unable to see anything. Above her hovers the glow of a full moon. Just then, she sees beady eyes staring back through the falling flakes. She finds herself in the midst of a pack of hungry wolves. The wolves begin to howl. She can't outrun them, and the shortest tree branch is out of reach. They slowly approach her. At the last moment, a stranger pulls her from the hungry pack. He grabs a branch and fights the pack of wolves until they retreat. In the scuffle the stranger is bitten. It is Brandon Maddox.
Celeste is enamored by her hero and can't get him out of her mind. Where Nash is a hero on the field and court, Brandon is a hero in reality. Celeste steals away from her friends to find Brandon, and they meet on a hilltop near his home. A cloudy sky lingers above them, and Celeste realizes she has fallen in love with a Westsider. But in the next few moments, Celeste will face an even bigger challenge than falling for a guy from the wrong side of town. As the two lean in to kiss, the clouds pass, exposing the glow of a full moon. Brandon feels strange and pulls away. Something is about to change-him.”
Once In A Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber is a fantastically charming read that will leave you with a smile on your face. Once In A Full Moon has great characters who are high school-ish, smart alecks with a burning desire to cause drama in every way they can. I gave 4 smirks to Once In A Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber because it is a fast read that will have you laughing and rooting for supernatural.
