Well, that was phenomenal. One of the most wonderful wrap-ups to a trilogy that I have ever encountered. It had all the love and heartbreak, drama and intrigue, and self-discovery that one would expect, with exactly the right mix of conclusion and beginning of the future. The "discovery" itself, a re-visitation of the time honored concerns of pure bloodlines and fear of the new/unknown mixed with quests for power from many angles, was done with superb skill. It did not present the idea as something new, which would have been presumptuous, but deftly handles the subject in a way that avoids the tiresomeness the subject can sometimes acquire. The magic, the lore, the science, the religion/faith, the history, the love written here...the exploration and development of each of these themes was perfect. I have loved each of these three books and really could not have asked for anything more with this last one. I believe this set will hold a top place in my favorites for quite some time.

This book just wasn't as much as I thought it would be. I give the author very high marks for setting and atmosphere - her language fit the story and really did a lot for the plot and the characters. But overall there was just something missing for me and I'm not sure what it was. I thought the approach was interesting - a secretive club, petrified and high-handed old men that think they know best (which is uncomfortably similar to who is actually "ruling" things in the world now - satire on purpose, perhaps?), a lack of knowledge about ones own race/species, and some very interesting rules/parameters that aren't popularly used (i.e. - the Exchange needing permission). I did really enjoy also some of the vocabulary she created, like the Exchange and the title phrase, the Quick. I think, on the whole, the characters were a bit too flat - they fit their roles and followed the rules they were, literarily speaking, supposed to, and didn't really digress outside of that. Maybe that's what was missing - everything seemed to follow an expected pattern. So while the language and ideas were there, they were missing some kind of BANG moment. My favorite character development happened with James and C Paige at the beginning. And I did enjoy reading Liza, I think she was by far the most interesting and unique. All in all, not a huge fan of this addition to the vampire lore, but it wasn't an un-enjoyable read either.

This was a wonderful summer read. I really enjoy Kearsley's writing...she is able to really mix a good love story, interesting plots and mature writing in a way that shouldn't be that hard but is surprisingly rare. This was no exception. I missed some of the magical realism that play larger roles in her other books (personal preference), but I had fun with the characters, drama and love in this story. It's probably not her best piece, but I completely enjoyed it. The inclusion of the seance scenes gave it that little bit of mysticism, along with the parallels between past and present. The love story was predictable, but sweet. And I really enjoyed the Bryan/Rupert relationship. I felt the Den/father storyline was a bit awkward and contrived, but thought the young girl guilt (as the cause/reason for an event that was in fact beyond their control) from Celia, mirrored later by Poppy, was nicely done.

To be honest up front, this follow-up was not quite as good as the first. However, Garden Spells would be hard to match, so keeping that in mind, I think this was an admirable sequel. I was not a huge fan of the con-man story line, but loved the candy business and of course the Violet/Charlie story and the Bay/Josh story. Plus, Evanelle. I think my favorite thing about these books are the Waverly gifts - what they are and how they fit into everyone's lives. I particularly love Bey and Evanelle's gifts...not as pretty, but I like the quirkiness. The magical realism aspect is well handled and just fun. I enjoyed a little bit of the insight we got into Lorelai and what her life/gift had been like. And of course, the best part: the apple tree. This was a very fun, light read that was exactly what I was looking for it to be.

This is one of the most intense books I have ever read. I REALLY appreciate the way the author created a splintered story/writing style that reflects the shattered face of the protagonist. However, something about it just didn't connect with me on a certain, necessary, level. Sadly, I couldn't get as invested as I wanted to. That does not change that fact that the book was HEAVY and the author's exploration of Sean's present and past, the workings of his mind, were fantastically done. I think this really hits it's mark in one major way - the "why" of things. All we ever want, as survivors or outsiders or witnesses, is to know that why behind people's actions. And really there may not be one. Even the person themselves could not say why, as Sean cannot here. And I think that speaks volumes. The explanation we always seek may not just be hidden, it may not be anywhere at all. This is demonstrated again with the side story of Carrie and Lance, their decision to make Trace Italian real, and the disastrous results. Why they did that, that answer the parents are looking for, the reason Sean is called to court, it may not exist. And that, more than anything, it what makes this book so special, so piercing. I really do recommend this book highly - it deeply and truthfully explores a subject that I think many people would benefit from experiencing. But it is not an easy read, so I caution future readers as well.

This was a fun summer read - nothing too heavy or intense. I think it was good for what it was and I enjoyed the magical realism aspect, the special plant that makes the perfume, the promotion of women in famous industries and positions, etc. Very creative (though a bit terrifying - way too much power in one family's hands to make choices like that...and way too much assumption that the people on the other end will verbally respect things - I am surprised there weren't more people like Zoe over time, but maybe I'm just naive).But it just seemed a little rough around the edges. The characters made the transitions and growth that was expected, but I didn't feel it. It seemed like the only thing that made their growth realistic is the fact that it is expected in a story like this. But their thoughts and actions just didn't seem like that were always reflective of each other and of the supposed growth. The "reveal" at the end, what made the flowers grow again, it was just too...easy. Maybe it's the field I work in or my personal preferences/beliefs about children, but the physical representation a child is of "love," as assumed here, just didn't seem right to me. I understand that flowers are passed down through generations of Lenore women, which you can't get without children, but it seemed too forced for me. Like - "immediately upon deciding you are in love you must make a child with it or it isn't real enough to sustain the family flower." The Mya/Lucia interaction seemed like a nicely subtle take on the prodigal son parable. And the switch at the end to actually fulfill the role the other thought she should be in was an interesting twist. I respect that. I also think it's worth pointing out that no matter how shafted Mya felt (or was really, at times) she killed a person (more or less) and I really was unhappy with how glossed over that was and how many people were willing to just overlook/cover it up. That whole part rang false for me and I think a different outcome for her, just not death, would really have been better for the story. All in all, I would be getting into things and then something small would happen to throw me off or sour the moment (either a scene or a thought that didn't fit right) and I'd take a couple steps back in my engrossment in the book. That dance happened over and over - thus the 3 stars. But it was still a good light read - I don't regret it.

Well, that was unexpected. I have never been as much of a werewolf person as I am a vampire person, but this book was something else entirely. I feel like that distinction doesn't even really belong here. The best description I think I can give is that this book is American Gods (Neil Gaiman) for the occult. The search for meaning, the philosophical explorations and, at base, the brooding, was the real gem here. The story was good - there was lots of sex, violence, intrigue - but that wasn't the real story. I feel like what the author really touched on here was the werewolf as a metaphor, at the extreme, for a takeover by the basest parts of the human experience. And how those parts of us get rationalized. And maybe even, in the most romantic light, how a searing love can redeem those parts. Yes, this book has vampires and werewolves, but that's not what it really was...and Jake's voice gave a perfect narration to the more subtle journey the reader took. This was a book for writers and philosophers - the people that seek the soul of things. Beautifully crafted. And really, for an author who looks like he does [see inside jacket cover for reference] I think it would have been a crime for him to write about anything else.

This was a lovely read - and one that I had trouble categorizing. I wavered between historical fiction and magical realism, but went with historical fiction since the magic was what you made it, but didn't HAVE to be there. I has fun with this one. It moved at a great pace and the intersecting characters' lives and stories were intertwined smoothly and believably. And some of the characters, separate from their connections to each other, were fascinating - The Uzanne and Anna Maria Plomgren specifically, but also Ms. Sparrow. The connections to real history, and an exciting time period in history at that, were seamlessly developed. Also, I have very little knowledge or experience with Swedish history, during this time period or any, and this book definitely made me want to find out more (from a somewhat more historically realistic source). I respect the author's ability to do that. She also brought in some very interesting smaller historical pieces, like the women's use of fans for communication, that I was vaguely aware of, and made them something so magical that I was disappointed in not knowing more about the topic before. Finally, I loved loved loved the role of the Octavo. I think the art of cartomancy is fascinating and really enjoy reading books that include it. I felt that her research of the cards and their meaning was very thorough and made a fantastic centerpiece for a story like this - creating a structure that holds the story up and brings it all together cleanly and very enjoyably.

Well this was a lovely book. Such a great retelling of a universally known story. Neverland - where everyone knows Pan is the hero and Hook is the villain who always gets what is coming to him. But here, this is a story of redemption. Of a man burdened by fear and anger whose sacrifice saves a world where children dream of and escape to, but who is able to finally rise above his own petty childishness when he finds a reason to grow up. And the story of the women who helps save him, and in doing so, herself, from the horrible memories of the past. A girl who didn't fear Hook as a girl comes back to save him as a woman. Such an imaginative recreation of characters from Hook to Stella (Wendy) to the Indians, mermaids and fairies who need the Neverland to be safe and thus humor all Pan's foibles. And really, this is a wonderful exploration of what it means to stay forever a child: the thoughtless cruelty, the blazing emotions, the lack of understanding, but underneath all that, the innocence to be all those things. This is the story of why we must grow up...because we must learn to control what these children cannot. Great retelling.

I quite enjoy this particular genre - the retelling of history, with all the research we have (and it is impressive, how much we know, considering how long ago these events took place), mixed with fabrications of the author's own imagination to fill in the blanks. I particularly like when, as she does here, the book ends with a small section of what we truly know, what records have told us, and how she pieced that information together to make the story. Fascinating. In any case, this book was very well written. Gruadh was a great female lead, one showing strength and fortitude, but still a women. Her pride and willfulness, that the author wrote as lifelong traits, seemed exactly what one would expect from a leading lady in old Celtic tradition (though I think that perhaps she may not actually have been quite that outspoken, realistically). The picture painted of Macbeth was very interesting to read. All I previously knew was based on Shakespeare's version, which is obviously fictionalized, and apparently very different than the "truth," as we know it from when records we have. I really liked this more historically accurate painting of him - and of his time reigning over a peaceful Scotland (rare, in the history that country). All in all, a very thorough exploration of Celtic culture and tradition, particularly regarding the belief in magic, herbs, "sight," etc. - Mother Enya and Catriona were beautiful characters. This was a nice historical interpretation and I respect the passion for the Lady Gruadh that the author has - you can really feel it in the writing.