Take a photo of a barcode or cover
samantha_randolph's Reviews (1.59k)
4.3 stars rounded up*
A dark and exciting read packed with emotion
After loving the first book in this series, I was a little nervous going into this sequel. I fell for the characters and the world so quickly before that I worried I might not feel as strongly as the series continues. Empire of Night negated all my concerns after the first page.
The story immediately pulls the reader back into the dark and complex world where Moria and Ashyn are struggling to find the taken children from Edgewood. With vivid, quick descriptions and a slow-burning, but fast, pace, Kelley Armstrong skillfully weaves a plot line that kept me up far, far past by bedtime. The tension growing from the mystery around the empire flows into both Ashyn and Moria’s romantic ventures, creating more than a few moments where I wanted to throw the book across the room in delicious frustration.
While the first book contained more physical horror, this book still seems darker as the sisters battle their lingering emotions from the earlier dangers and face new and unexpected conspiracies. However, Armstrong leaves plenty of room for comic relief with delightful wit interwoven in the dialogue. All together, the emotions in this story, from the sobs to the laughter, make the characters feel real and true.
Some of the mysteries of the story left me a bit confused as far as direction goes. The focus in the first part revolved around finding the children, but there are times throughout that make it is easy to forget the reason they are embarking on all the various quests. As more mysteries are added, the original one (the location of the children) seems to fall away a bit.
Likewise, as more relationships come into the mix, the central relationship between Moria and Ashyn isn’t as strong. The two start out the story a bit disconnected in their individual grief, and I felt like there was never a resolve to that. The two do have some meaningful scenes together, but for the majority of the book, their relationship doesn’t continue to develop or grow.
Empire of Night is a wickedly dark and entirely mesmerizing story. Moria and Ashyn embark on journeys full of danger, death, and romance that wrapped me in so well that it was nearly impossible to put the book down. Though there are a few areas that I wanted more from, there is no doubt that the book hangover from this one will last a long time.
Link to review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17910-empire-of-night-age-of-legends-2
A dark and exciting read packed with emotion
After loving the first book in this series, I was a little nervous going into this sequel. I fell for the characters and the world so quickly before that I worried I might not feel as strongly as the series continues. Empire of Night negated all my concerns after the first page.
The story immediately pulls the reader back into the dark and complex world where Moria and Ashyn are struggling to find the taken children from Edgewood. With vivid, quick descriptions and a slow-burning, but fast, pace, Kelley Armstrong skillfully weaves a plot line that kept me up far, far past by bedtime. The tension growing from the mystery around the empire flows into both Ashyn and Moria’s romantic ventures, creating more than a few moments where I wanted to throw the book across the room in delicious frustration.
While the first book contained more physical horror, this book still seems darker as the sisters battle their lingering emotions from the earlier dangers and face new and unexpected conspiracies. However, Armstrong leaves plenty of room for comic relief with delightful wit interwoven in the dialogue. All together, the emotions in this story, from the sobs to the laughter, make the characters feel real and true.
Some of the mysteries of the story left me a bit confused as far as direction goes. The focus in the first part revolved around finding the children, but there are times throughout that make it is easy to forget the reason they are embarking on all the various quests. As more mysteries are added, the original one (the location of the children) seems to fall away a bit.
Likewise, as more relationships come into the mix, the central relationship between Moria and Ashyn isn’t as strong. The two start out the story a bit disconnected in their individual grief, and I felt like there was never a resolve to that. The two do have some meaningful scenes together, but for the majority of the book, their relationship doesn’t continue to develop or grow.
Empire of Night is a wickedly dark and entirely mesmerizing story. Moria and Ashyn embark on journeys full of danger, death, and romance that wrapped me in so well that it was nearly impossible to put the book down. Though there are a few areas that I wanted more from, there is no doubt that the book hangover from this one will last a long time.
Link to review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17910-empire-of-night-age-of-legends-2
Enjoyable SciFi brimming with conflict
Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam pick up right where Elusion left off in this sequel, Etherworld. Just as they are in the first book, the descriptions in this story are fantastic. The dark side of the virtual simulation, Elusion, becomes nearly haunting as the reader discovers more of the mysteries behind the technology. The contrast between the bright, carefree, and addictive side of Elusion versus the Etherworld, full of grayness and trapped people, creates a human powered, technological monster that will leave readers on the edge of their seats with worry over the many characters battling this system.
The romance between Regan and Josh never overpowers the story but offers plenty of swoon-worthy moments. Their dynamic is realistic, enjoyable, and topped off with the perfect amount of teen awkwardness when it comes to being together in front of Regan’s father.
While Regan is an easy character to like, I did find it challenging to relate to her. She has moments of great strength, but her character often feels static. I was never fully invested in her, and that made the story go a bit slow at times. Some of the secondary characters’ motivations are also unclear, leaving a few unanswered questions by the end. However, for readers who are after the conflict between reality and virtual perfection, they will certainly get this in Etherworld.
Etherworld unites the harsh realities of an imperfect, but real life with the addictive and even harsher consequences of virtual reality. It will make readers question, discuss, and even argue with themselves where the line between good and evil falls. Though this book has some flaws, I enjoyed it overall, and I am glad to know how everything ended.
Posted at Young Adult Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17911-etherworld-elusion-2
Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam pick up right where Elusion left off in this sequel, Etherworld. Just as they are in the first book, the descriptions in this story are fantastic. The dark side of the virtual simulation, Elusion, becomes nearly haunting as the reader discovers more of the mysteries behind the technology. The contrast between the bright, carefree, and addictive side of Elusion versus the Etherworld, full of grayness and trapped people, creates a human powered, technological monster that will leave readers on the edge of their seats with worry over the many characters battling this system.
The romance between Regan and Josh never overpowers the story but offers plenty of swoon-worthy moments. Their dynamic is realistic, enjoyable, and topped off with the perfect amount of teen awkwardness when it comes to being together in front of Regan’s father.
While Regan is an easy character to like, I did find it challenging to relate to her. She has moments of great strength, but her character often feels static. I was never fully invested in her, and that made the story go a bit slow at times. Some of the secondary characters’ motivations are also unclear, leaving a few unanswered questions by the end. However, for readers who are after the conflict between reality and virtual perfection, they will certainly get this in Etherworld.
Etherworld unites the harsh realities of an imperfect, but real life with the addictive and even harsher consequences of virtual reality. It will make readers question, discuss, and even argue with themselves where the line between good and evil falls. Though this book has some flaws, I enjoyed it overall, and I am glad to know how everything ended.
Posted at Young Adult Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17911-etherworld-elusion-2
3.5 stars rounded up
Short and Sweet:
I wasn't in love with this book, but I really enjoyed the story and Hallie's journey in finding her voice.
To Elaborate...
Hallie used to love going on church trips, singing, and having fun. Everything changed after the Luke incident. Now, Hallie tries to stay as invisible as possible to avoid to constant teasing and bullying. While she is on a youth trip in the mountains, she gets separated from the group with Jonah, her ex-friend, and Rachel, the new girl who doesn't know what happened with Hallie yet. As they try to survive in the woods, they will have to depend on each other if they want to find a safe place again.
I was fortunate enough to get to attend an author signing for this book, and I'm so glad I did. I love books that are set near the area I'm from/finding authors who grew up here. This book captures one perspective of teen Appalachian culture perfectly, and I found so much of it relatable. Hallie starts off as a character who is so hurt, but also who has so much potential to be strong and brave. I loved how real her journey felt from trying to tell someone the truth to finding the strength to stand up for herself.
The religious component to this story is handled brilliantly. I absolutely love finding books that include characters who have some kind of religious component to their lifestyle, but that isn't the main part of the story in any way. It isn't preachy; it isn't exclusive. Hallie is on a church trip, but she, and her companions, all find themselves questioning and exploring what their beliefs even are (whether or not they have religious beliefs to begin with). They are teenagers who have been raised a certain way, and, like most teens, they aren't quite certain what they themselves believe, or they have recently found their own growing philosophy that may or may not be entirely different from what their parents taught them. Once again, the story feels so real and honest.
I did struggle with the pacing of the story at times. I generally like a little quicker pacing, and I felt like some areas of the story drag a bit. This is a personal thing, but I also typically like it when I can tell what kind of role a character will play in the story (friend, love interest, villain, etc), and I had a hard time figuring out where Jonah and Rachel were supposed to fall in the first half. I wasn't sure if it was going to fall into some kind of love triangle (it didn't!) or what. I can definitely see others not being bothered by this though.
Overall, I really liked this one, even though there were some flaws for me. I thought the ending wrapped everything up wonderfully and truthfully. I can't wait to see more from this author.
Short and Sweet:
I wasn't in love with this book, but I really enjoyed the story and Hallie's journey in finding her voice.
To Elaborate...
Hallie used to love going on church trips, singing, and having fun. Everything changed after the Luke incident. Now, Hallie tries to stay as invisible as possible to avoid to constant teasing and bullying. While she is on a youth trip in the mountains, she gets separated from the group with Jonah, her ex-friend, and Rachel, the new girl who doesn't know what happened with Hallie yet. As they try to survive in the woods, they will have to depend on each other if they want to find a safe place again.
I was fortunate enough to get to attend an author signing for this book, and I'm so glad I did. I love books that are set near the area I'm from/finding authors who grew up here. This book captures one perspective of teen Appalachian culture perfectly, and I found so much of it relatable. Hallie starts off as a character who is so hurt, but also who has so much potential to be strong and brave. I loved how real her journey felt from trying to tell someone the truth to finding the strength to stand up for herself.
The religious component to this story is handled brilliantly. I absolutely love finding books that include characters who have some kind of religious component to their lifestyle, but that isn't the main part of the story in any way. It isn't preachy; it isn't exclusive. Hallie is on a church trip, but she, and her companions, all find themselves questioning and exploring what their beliefs even are (whether or not they have religious beliefs to begin with). They are teenagers who have been raised a certain way, and, like most teens, they aren't quite certain what they themselves believe, or they have recently found their own growing philosophy that may or may not be entirely different from what their parents taught them. Once again, the story feels so real and honest.
I did struggle with the pacing of the story at times. I generally like a little quicker pacing, and I felt like some areas of the story drag a bit. This is a personal thing, but I also typically like it when I can tell what kind of role a character will play in the story (friend, love interest, villain, etc), and I had a hard time figuring out where Jonah and Rachel were supposed to fall in the first half. I wasn't sure if it was going to fall into some kind of love triangle (it didn't!) or what. I can definitely see others not being bothered by this though.
Overall, I really liked this one, even though there were some flaws for me. I thought the ending wrapped everything up wonderfully and truthfully. I can't wait to see more from this author.
Crossing Into Brooklyn ventures into a smorgasbord of important discussions from gender issues to socio-economic prejudices to highly dysfunctional families. The author, Mary Ann McGuigan, does a remarkable job of presenting realistic situations of societal issues that demand attention in an open, inclusive manner that never overwhelms the reader. Morgan’s journey is not one all have experienced, but her story and the stories of the characters around her are certainly relatable for many and eye opening for others.
This book is riddled with unlikable characters, all of which are tremendously frustrating but also brilliantly realistic. Readers who thirst for stories that contain all the grit, messiness, angst, and hope of humanity should pick this one up immediately. I often found myself wanting to pound my fist down on the table in anger at the characters, but the story provokes the anger and even annoyance in the best possible manner to cause the reader to reflect on why those emotions surface and to encourage the reader to take a closer look at the situation.
The plot drags a little in areas, but the descriptions of Brooklyn life and the characters are usually worth the slower pace. The ending is not for those looking for a happily-ever-after, but it does contain the perfect mixture of good and bad that life often leaves people with in real life. Some areas, particularly the romance, left me feeling a little dissatisfied, but once again, I couldn’t ask for a more true to life story line.
Perfect for readers who seek very realistic young adult novels, Crossing Into Brooklyn will break hearts with human heaviness but leave just the right amount of hope to keep going. Though the story has its flaws, I am overjoyed to read this excellent example of how to use unlikable characters to their fullest and best extent.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17948-crossing-into-brooklyn
This book is riddled with unlikable characters, all of which are tremendously frustrating but also brilliantly realistic. Readers who thirst for stories that contain all the grit, messiness, angst, and hope of humanity should pick this one up immediately. I often found myself wanting to pound my fist down on the table in anger at the characters, but the story provokes the anger and even annoyance in the best possible manner to cause the reader to reflect on why those emotions surface and to encourage the reader to take a closer look at the situation.
The plot drags a little in areas, but the descriptions of Brooklyn life and the characters are usually worth the slower pace. The ending is not for those looking for a happily-ever-after, but it does contain the perfect mixture of good and bad that life often leaves people with in real life. Some areas, particularly the romance, left me feeling a little dissatisfied, but once again, I couldn’t ask for a more true to life story line.
Perfect for readers who seek very realistic young adult novels, Crossing Into Brooklyn will break hearts with human heaviness but leave just the right amount of hope to keep going. Though the story has its flaws, I am overjoyed to read this excellent example of how to use unlikable characters to their fullest and best extent.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/17948-crossing-into-brooklyn
3.5 stars rounded up
Short and Sweet:
Though the story line was predictable, I really enjoyed the writing and characters in this story.
To Elaborate...
Lady Rosemarie loves the people she partially rules over. She can't wait until her 18th birthday, only a month away, when she can take full ownership of her title, even if that also means entering the convent as her parents' promised her for. When a family friend and duke arrives, he tells Rose about a clause that will allow her a different choice than nunnery: if she weds before her 18th birthday, she may get out of her parents' promise without dishonoring them. The duke comes with three knights for her to potentially choose from, but as schemes start arising, one of the knights may be trying to win power instead of her heart.
From the beginning, it was pretty clear where the story was going to go. The primary love interest and the villain were all very clear. However, the writing still made things interesting and enjoyable. Rose's character was lovely, and I enjoyed seeing how she believed in her people and wanted to do her best for them.
I originally thought the three competing knights might be a little over the top, but I loved how real the situation felt. Rose didn't fall for any of them immediately, and the awkwardness of the situation was evident for all, even a little funny in parts. Rose always thought she was doing this for her people, and that showed really well. It reminded me a bit of the The Princess Diaries 2 movie in that aspect.
With the rich writing and enjoyable characters, AN UNCERTAIN CHOICE turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The story has its flaws, but I'm definitely glad I read it. Fans of royal love stories and kick butt female rulers have a strong chance of finding a good read with Jody Hedlund's lovely book.
3.5 Hearts!
Short and Sweet:
Though the story line was predictable, I really enjoyed the writing and characters in this story.
To Elaborate...
Lady Rosemarie loves the people she partially rules over. She can't wait until her 18th birthday, only a month away, when she can take full ownership of her title, even if that also means entering the convent as her parents' promised her for. When a family friend and duke arrives, he tells Rose about a clause that will allow her a different choice than nunnery: if she weds before her 18th birthday, she may get out of her parents' promise without dishonoring them. The duke comes with three knights for her to potentially choose from, but as schemes start arising, one of the knights may be trying to win power instead of her heart.
From the beginning, it was pretty clear where the story was going to go. The primary love interest and the villain were all very clear. However, the writing still made things interesting and enjoyable. Rose's character was lovely, and I enjoyed seeing how she believed in her people and wanted to do her best for them.
I originally thought the three competing knights might be a little over the top, but I loved how real the situation felt. Rose didn't fall for any of them immediately, and the awkwardness of the situation was evident for all, even a little funny in parts. Rose always thought she was doing this for her people, and that showed really well. It reminded me a bit of the The Princess Diaries 2 movie in that aspect.
With the rich writing and enjoyable characters, AN UNCERTAIN CHOICE turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The story has its flaws, but I'm definitely glad I read it. Fans of royal love stories and kick butt female rulers have a strong chance of finding a good read with Jody Hedlund's lovely book.
3.5 Hearts!
