Epic Review - The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Trilogy, Book 2) by Brandon Sanderson (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult/Young Adult
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Size: 816 pages
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Release Date: June 3, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0765356130
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Mistborn Trilogy
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I have read a number of books by Sanderson and loved them all.  I loved Warbreaker, Elantris, and the first Mistborn book.  I was excited to read more about Vin and Elend, and find out about the bigger disasters that happened after they took over the city.  This was a great book and a great addition to the series.

This book starts shortly after Mistborn ended.  Vin is spending time trying to keep Elend safe from assassins and Elend is trying to set up government in the city of Luthadel.  Unfortunately two armies have camped outside of Luthadel and they both want Luthadel for its Atium.  Elend is trying to figure out how to stave off envasion when he finds out about the threat of a third armed force.  Vin is pushing herself trying to guard the city full time when she runs into another mysterious Mistborn, to add to the mystery she thinks things are changing with the Mists and that Luthadel may be facing a danger much bigger than any invading armies.

This was a really wonderful book.  Sanderson has such a way with characters; they are all so lovable and human.  He balances out politics, action, and characterization so well.  I was really attached to the characters in this book...and there are a lot of them.  I never felt like it was hard to keep them all straight and I never found the magic system and politics too confusing.  It takes a great writer to craft a story this complex and still make it easy for the reader to follow.

This book was politics heavy, especially for the first two-thirds.  I am not a big fan of complex prolonged politics, so I didn't like this book quite as much as the first one.  That being said it is a testament to Sanderson's skill that I was still completely engaged in this story despite the fact that the first part focused almost solely on the politics surrounding Luthandel.  The end of the book races by twice as fast as the first part and is packed with battle and action.

This book touches on a lot of deep issues as well such as good vs evil, democracy vs. dictatorship, morality and ethics.  These are all well balanced with the other elements of the book.  Sanderson makes epic fantasy more personable and I love the fact that women play large roles in his books.  When I was younger I always got sick of epic fantasies that either ignored women or featured them in weak, less desirable roles.  This book is about Elend and Vin in equal parts and it is wonderful to see that.

We learn a lot more about the history of some of the different races and also a lot more about Allomancy.  The story ends in a great spot, tying up many of the issues presented early on while starting a big story for the third book.

Overall an absolutely excellent book.  Sanderson is just such a fabulous writer; his writing is complex, easy to read, engaging, creative and absolutely engrossing.  I am very excited to read the final book in the trilogy, The Hero of Ages, to see how it all plays out.  If you are a fan of epic fantasy this book is for you.

This book goes towards the following reading challenge:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

Review - Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestion (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Children's/Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 190 pages
Publisher: AmazonEncore
Release Date: November 2, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1935597285
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars



I actually got this for my Kindle some time ago.  It was one of those impulsive initial purchases I made right when I got my Kindle; for 0.99 cents it was a great deal.  This ended up being a fantastic book.  A great fairy tale for the middle grade or younger set that touches on issues of responsibility, greed, environment and friendship.  I enjoyed this book a lot.

Celia lives in her parents' house, a house which has been in the family for ages.  Celia's grandma is going to be moving in with them; Celia loves her grandma and the stories she tells about fairies in the woods behind the house.  Celia's dad is a toy maker with his own business.  Things start to take a turn for the worse when an evil president of a corporate toy company wants to buy out her dad's business and he refuses.  Then suddenly they are being forced out of their house because of a new highway being put in.  Somehow everything is tied together and Celia has to figure out how; she also finds that she made need assistance from the supposed fairies that live in the wood's behind her house to set things right.

This was a well-written book and was easy to read.  Celia is a lovable and realistic character; who tries her best but sometimes isn't as nice as she should be.  I loved how subtly the magic in this story was woven into a lot of real life problems.  I think kids will enjoy this because it really makes magic in everyday life seem possible.

I was most impressed with how McQuestion integrated a lot of important issues into such a simple fairy tale.  In the course of the story Celia learns about corporate greed, a bit about environmentalism, how to accept people for who they are, and how to look past the evil in people and try to bring out the good in them.  There were a lot of wordly and important issues addressed and they were addressed subtly enough that I think kids will learn from this but not realize they are learning from it :-)

Overall I really enjoyed this story.  It was well written, the characters were believable, and the story was magical.  A great story for all ages.  I recently saw this availably through the Amazon Vine program and I am happy that Amazon is bringing this story to print so that it will be more widely available.  I definitely recommend picking it up if you like fairy tales that deal with real world issues.  I think young girls will enjoy it a lot; It is magical, insightful, and intriguing.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

November 2010 - In Review

This month I read 23 books!  It was a wonderful month for reading; I gave a ton of books 5 stars and felt a bit guilty about that...but I just really loved a lot of the books I read this month :-) You can see details on what I read, what series I caught up on, my favorites, and reading challenges status below.

I caught up on the following series:
Thursday Next: Book 2, Lost in a Good Book and Book 3, The Well of Lost Plots , by Jasper Fforde
Frost: Book 2, Forever Frost by Kailin Gow
Jaz Parks: Book 7, Bitten in Two by Jennifer Rardin
The Iron Fey: Book 3, The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Blue Bloods: Book 5, Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz
Sandman Slim: Book 2, Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey

I started the following series:
Jolie Wilkins: Book 1, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory
The Iron Seas: Book 1, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
The Dark Brethern: Book 1, Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara
The Invisible Order: Book 1, Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley
Bone: Book 1, Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith
The Disillusionist Trilogy: Book 1, Mind Games by Carolyn Crane 

I finished the following series:
None!

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:
Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Book 2) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (5/5 stars)
The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next, Book 3) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks, Book 7) by Jennifer Rardin (5/5 stars)
Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order, Book 1) by Paul Crilley (5/5 stars)
The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, Book 3) by Julie Kagawa (5/5 stars)
Out from Boneville (Bone, Book 1) by Jeff Smith (5/5 stars)
Kill the Dead (Sandman Slim, Book 2) by Richard Kadrey (5/5 stars)

Books that disappointed me this month were:
Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods, Book 5) by Melissa De La Cruz(3/5 stars)
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (2.5 stars)

Here are the stats on the reading challenges I am participating in:
- Summer Romance Challenge: Complete!
- Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Debut Author Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Young Adult Reading Challenge: Complete!
- Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge: Complete!
- GLBT Reading Challenge: 6/8 read
- 100+ Book Reading Challenge: 233 read
- 1st in a Series Challenge: Complete!
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List: Complete!

The full list of books that I read this month are shown below. 
1.   Flush by Carl Hiaasen (4/5 stars)
2.   Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Book 2) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
3.   Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins, Book 1) by H.P. Mallory (4.5/5 stars)
4.   The Witches' Kitchen by Allen Williams (4/5 stars)
5.   The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins (4/5 stars)
6.   Dracula, My Love by Syrie James (4/5 stars)
7.   Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (5/5 stars)
8.   The Autumn Castle by Kim Wilkins (4/5 stars)
9.   Between a Roc and a Hard Place by Danny Birt and Richard Svensson (4/5 stars)
10. Forever Frost (Bitter Frost, Book 2) by Kailin Gow (3/5 stars)
11. The Iron Duke (The Iron Seas, Book 1) by Meljean Brook (4.5/5 stars)
12. Night's Cold Kiss (The Dark Brethern, Book 1) by Tracey O'Hara (3.5/5 stars)
13. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (4/5 stars)
14. The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next, Book 3) by Jasper Fforde (5/5 stars)
15. Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks, Book 7) by Jennifer Rardin (5/5 stars)
16. Death's Sweet Embrace (Dark Brethren, Book 2) by Tracey O'Hara (4/5 stars)
17. Rise of the Darklings (The Invisible Order, Book 1) by Paul Crilley (5/5 stars)
18. The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, Book 3) by Julie Kagawa (5/5 stars)
19. Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods, Book 5) by Melissa De La Cruz (3/5 stars)
20. Out from Boneville (Bone, Book 1) by Jeff Smith (5/5 stars)
21. Mind Games (The Disillusionist Trilogy, Book 1) by Carolyn Crane (4/5 stars)
22. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (2.5 stars)
23. Kill the Dead (Sandman Slim, Book 2) by Richard Kadrey (5/5 stars)

Waiting on Wednesday - 12/1

Okay "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week my waiting on wednesday book is The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson.  This is the final book in the Signs of the Zodiac series and I can't wait to see how the remainder of the series plays out.

The Neon Graveyard (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 6) by Vicki Pettersson

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Eos

Release Date:May 31st, 2011

ISBN: 978-0061456794

Thank You Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to all of you who entered my Thank You Giveaway :-)

The winner of the Middle Grade Pack was Brooke!

The winner of the YA Pack was Karla!

The winners were drawn with Random.org.  Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving :-)  The winners have been contacted via e-mail and have 48 hours to respond.

Review - Kill the Dead (Sandman Slim, Book 2) by Richard Kadrey (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror
Size: 448 pages
Publisher: Eos
Release Date: October 5th, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061714313
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Sandman Slim series
Source: Bought from Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars


This is the second book in the Sandman Slim series; you wouldn't have to read the first book to read this one, but the first one gives a lot of great background and is a wonderful book so I would recommend reading it.  I actually listened to this on audio book; the audio book was exceedingly well done.

Stark (Sandman Slim) is whiling away his time drinking, doing miscellaneous work for the Golden Vigil, and wishing he could kill Mason (the evil man who sent him to hell for eleven years).  Then he gets a message that Lucifer (Satan) is in town and wants to meet.  Ends up Lucifer needs a body guard while he is in town working on his new movie Morningstar and he wants it to be Stark.  As if this wasn't odd enough Stark is called in by the Golden Vigil to consult on a mysterious and violent death.  Stark also kind of notices, in between his drunken hazes, that people have been disappearing at a higher rate than normal.  Next thing you know revnants (zombies) are roaming the streets and the whole world is on the brink of apocalypse...again.  All Stark has to back him up is a mysterious belt buckle, some Hellion hoodoo, some kick-butt weapons, and a bit of half-angelic boost.

This was seriously a very awesome book.  I was excited to read it after how much I liked Sandman Slim and I am so happy I did.  Stark is tough and not afraid to get hurt; he is an excellent anti-hero who always impresses with his harshness, yet is somehow still a kind of moral hero of sorts.  Oh yeah and he is hilarious, the humor in this book is dark but I was laughing out loud a number of times during this book.  The shear awesomeness and funess (is that a word?) of the whole thing was just exhilarating.  This book is very violent, but in a fun way...

You learn a lot more about Stark and his world in this book.  You learn more about his family and more about his history.  You get a chance to understand him better and how his human and angelic sides work (or don't work) together.  We get some great new characters; one of my favorites was Brigitte.  Brigitte is a porn-star/actress with an awesome secret, some serious attitude, and of course some serious sexiness.  I also loved that we got to spend so much time with Lucifer and get to understand him better too.  There are some shocking revelations in this book that will keep readers guessing as well.

The action scenes and pacing are spectacular, I listened to this on audio book and it was hard to stop.  I just wanted to keep listening.  Kadrey is just an excellent writer and I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.  This story wrapped up well, but definitely has some issues to deal with still in future installments.  For some reason this book reminded me a lot of The Crow movie; it has that same anti-hero thing going on, is ultra-violent, and action packed.  This book reads like a movie and it would be great if they made it into one some time.

Overall an absolutely stellar read and an excellent addition to this series.  These are definitely adult reads (lots of violence and some sex).  If you haven't read these books you should give them a try especially if you are a fan of the anti-hero/superhero type of things, love urban fantasy, or love action.  Fans of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, Remy Chandler by Thomas Sniegoski, Spellbent by Lucy Snyder, and Felix Castor by Mike Carey should find lots to love in this book.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

2011- Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge

I am signing up for another reading challenge: the 2011 Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Chick City. This is one I will have no problem making; I read so much Urban Fantasy!  I am excited to be part of the challenge.  Read below or follow the image below to sign up and get more information on this challenge.

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWENTY FOUR (24) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2011 (24 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

• At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to add your reviews.

My books will be listed below as I read them:
1.    Tempest's Legacy (Jane True, Book 3)by Nicole Peeler
2.    Vesper (Deviant's, Book 1) by Jeff Sampson
3.    Double Cross (Disillusionists Trilogy, Book 2) by Carolyn Crane
4.    Horror, Humor, and Heroes Volume II: New Faces of Fantasy edited by Jim Bernheimer
5.    Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
6.    Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock, Book 3) by Faith Hunter
7.    Teeth: Vampire Tales Edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
8.    Black Wings (Madeline Black, Book 1) by Christina Henry
9.    Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2) by J.R. Ward
10.  Shadowfever (Fever, Book 5) by Karen Marie Moning
11.  Pale Demon (The Hollows, Book 9) by Kim Harrison
12.  Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy, Book 1) by Mira Grant
13.  A Hard Day's Knight (Nightside, Book 11) by Simon R. Green
14.  Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward
15.  Monster Hunters International (MHI, Book 1) by Larry Correia
16.  Nightshade (Jillian Conrad, Book 1) by Michelle Rowen
17.  Legends: The Enchanted by Nick Percival
18.  Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
19.  Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom, Book 1) by Devon Monk
20.  Magic in the Blood (Allie Beckstrom, Book 2) by Devon Monk
21.  Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom, Book 3) by Devon Monk
22.  Magic on the Storm (Allie Beckstrom, Book 4) by Devon Monk
23.  A Hundred Words for Hate (Remy Chandler, Book 4) by Thomas E. Sniegoski
24.  Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom, Book 5) by Devon Monk
25.  The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver
26.  Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4) by J.R. Ward
27.  Toil and Trouble (Jolie Wilkins, Book 2) by HP Mallory
28.  Late Eclipses (October Daye, Book 4) by Seanan McGuire
29.   A Tale of Two Goblins (Dulcie O'Neil, Book 2) by HP Mallory
30.  The Neon Graveyard (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 6) by Vicki Pettersson
31.  Unshapely Things (Connor Grey, Book 1) by Mark Del Franco
32.  Hard Day's Knight (Black Knight Chronicles, Book 1) by John G. Hartness
33.  The Devil You Know (Felix Castor, Book 1) by Mike Carey
34.  Red Glove (The Curse Workers, Book 2) by Holly Black
35.  Magic on the Hunt (Allie Beckstrom, Book 4)  by Devon Monk
36.  Head Games (Locke and Key, Book 2) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
37.  Hellsing, Vol. 10 by Kohta Hirano
38.  Wolfsbane (The Witches War, Book 2)  by Andrea Cremer
39.  Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin, Book 4) by Jennifer Estep
40.  Vicious Circle (Persephone Almedi, Book 1) by Linda Robertson
41.  Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
42.  The Deadliest Bite (Jaz Parks, Book 8 ) by Jennifer Rardin
43.  Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2) by Linda Robertson
44.  Vicious Circle (Felix Castor, Book 2) by Mike Carey
45.  The Crown of Shadows (Locke and Key, Book 3) by Joe Hill
46.  Baltimore: The Plague Ships by various authors
47.  Fatal Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 3) by Linda Robertson
48.  Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward
49.  Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Moon Called Volume 1 by Patricia Briggs , David Lawrence, Amelia Woo
50.  Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5) by Ilona Andrews
51.  Supernatural Noir edited by Ellen Datlow
52.  The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen, Book 1) by Amanda Stevens
53.  Dracula: The Company of Monsters (Vol 1) by Kurt Busiek, Daryl Gregory, Scott Godlewski
54.  Deadline (Newsflesh, Book 2) by Mira Grant
55.  Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1) by Kevin Hearne
56.  Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward
57.  Hexed (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2) by Kevin Hearne
58.  Arcane Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 4) by Linda Robertson
59.  Creepy Presents: Berni Wrightson by Bruce Jones, Nicola Cuti, Bernie Wrightson, Howard Chaykin (5/5 stars)
60.  Keys to the Kingdom (Locke and Key, Book 4) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
61.  Bloodlust (Jillian Conrad, Book 2) by Michelle Rowen
62.  Hammered (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 3) by Kevin Hearne
63.  Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville, Book 9) by Carrie Vaughn
64.  Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost
65.  Knight's Curse by Karen Duvall
66.  Married with Zombies (Living with the Dead, Book 1) by Jesse Petersen
67.  Animal Farm (Fables, Book 2) by Bill Willingham
69.  Eye of the Tempest (Jane True, Book 4) by Nicole Peeler
70.  The Hair Wreath and Other Stories by Halli Villegas
71.  One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost
72.  Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
73.  Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, Book 1) by Jennifer Estep
74.  Black Night (Madeline Black, Book 2) by Christina Henry
75.  After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
76.  At Grave's End (Night Huntress, Book 3) by Jeaniene Frost
77.  Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) by Jeaniene Frost
78.  Blood Rights (House of Comarre, Book 1) by Kristen Painter
79.  Flip this Zombie (Living with the Dead, Book 2) by Jesse Petersen
80.  Downpour (Greywalker, Book 6) by Kat Richardson
81.  This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) by Jeaniene Frost
82.  Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean
83.  The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegen
84.  One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress, Book 6) by Jeaniene Frost
85.  Blood (The Mercian Trilogy, Book 1) by K.J. Wignall
86.  Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow
87.  Aloha From Hell (Sandman Slim, Book 3) by Richard Kadrey
88.  Z: Zombie Stories edited by Kelly Link
89.  First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost
90.  Soul Thief (The Demon Trappers, Book 2) by Jana Oliver
91.  One Salt Sea (October Daye, Book 5) by Seanan McGuire
92.  The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, Book 4) by Julie Kagawa
93.  Monster Hunter Vendetta (MHI, Book 2) by Larry Correia
94.  Ghost Story (Dresden Files, Book 13) by Jim Butcher
95.  My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
96.  Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things (Courtney Crumrin, Book 1) by Ted Naifeh
97.  Eat, Slay, Love (Living with the Dead, Book 3) by Jesse Petersen
98.  Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
99.  Flesh and Blood (House of Comarre, Book 2) by Kristen Painter
100. Sweet Venom (Medusa Girls, Book 1) by Tera Lynn Childs
101. Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom, Book 7) by Devon Monk
102. Skyfall (The Troll Hunters, Book 1) by Michael Dahl
103. The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan, Book 1) by Kelly Gay
104. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
105. The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark
106. Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, Book 2) by Jennifer Estep