Title: The Reader
Author: Traci Chee Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Publication date: September 13, 2016 Pages: 445 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure Summary from Goodreads: Once there was, and one day there will be. This is the beginning of every story. Sefia lives her life on the run. After her father is viciously murdered, she flees to the forest with her aunt Nin, the only person left she can trust. They survive in the wilderness together, hunting and stealing what they need, forever looking over their shoulders for new threats. But when Nin is kidnapped, Sefia is suddenly on her own, with no way to know who’s taken Nin or where she is. Her only clue is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father left behind, something she comes to realize is a book. Though reading is unheard of in Sefia’s world, she slowly learns, unearthing the book’s closely guarded secrets, which may be the key to Nin’s disappearance and discovering what really happened the day her father was killed. With no time to lose, and the unexpected help of swashbuckling pirates and an enigmatic stranger, Sefia sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue her aunt, using the book as her guide. In the end, she discovers what the book had been trying to tell her all along: Nothing is as it seems, and the end of her story is only the beginning.
One hope for my reading list this year: find new stories (ones that don't sound familiar). The Reader fulfilled this hope when it provided a unique idea with fun characters and a suspenseful plot. While the plot moved more slowly than I anticipated, this was a rich journey full of mystery, and characters that you’d hope to befriend on your own adventure.
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Title: Heir To The Sky Author: Amanda Sun Published by: Harlequin Teen Publication date: April 26, 2016 Pages: 304 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family, by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman, and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft. When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself. You guys, writing is hard! Especially when writing a YA book and coming up with an original theme with original characters in a saturated market. This has been my mindset lately, and I’ve been less inclined to try new authors or stories because…writing’s hard! It was with this reluctance and sense of duty that I picked up Heir To The Sky. Monsters, mechanical islands, girls falling from the sky – there’s potential here. It’s a sweet story. I thought the romance was sweet, and the hero was sweet, and Kali just wants to save her people. And I thought it was sweet that the book seems to be a stand-alone. Nothings graphic and it’s very clean. If you’re looking for sweetness, and a quick fantasy read with little depth, pick this one up.
The Falconer Series
Author: Elizabeth May Books: The Falconer The Vanishing Throne The Fallen Kingdom (Ex. Pub June 2017) Published by: Chronicle Books LLC Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Steampunk, Romance Amazon Summary for The Falconer Edinburgh, 1844. Beautiful Aileana Kameron only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. In fact, she's spent the year since her mother died developing her ability to sense the presence of Sithichean, a faery race bent on slaughtering humans. She has a secret mission: to destroy the faery who murdered her mother. But when she learns she's a Falconer, the last in a line of female warriors and the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity, her quest for revenge gets a whole lot more complicated. The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller blends romance and action with steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
I’m minutes from finishing The Vanishing Throne, and I’m still reeling from Elizabeth May’s cliffhanger! It’s her thing. I was hoping this book wouldn’t end as abruptly as the first; it was only slightly better. Despite May’s less-than-appealing method for ending stories, she writes a really fun series.
Aileana is to fae as Buffy is to vampires—she slays them with super human strength and speed. And like Buffy, Aileana is inconspicuous in her role. A select few know of her gift while she attempts to protect humans from being consumed by faeries. Aileana is fueled by revenge for her mother’s death, but also by love for her friends. She feels responsible for the lives of all mankind, and carries the weight of their protection on her shoulders. But she’s not alone. Kiaran is Aileana’s trainer and partner against the fae, but he’s also an extremely powerful one himself with lots of secrets.
Title: The Siren
Author: Kiera Cass Published by: HarperTeen Publication date: January 26, 2016 Pages: 336 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Love is a risk worth taking. Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to. Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.
The newly republished Siren by Kiera Cass does not have the strength of her Selection series. I was not drawn in by Kahlen, and I wasn’t convinced of her and Akinli’s love.
Title: The Shadow Hour
Author: Melissa Grey Published by: Delacorte Press Publication date: July 12, 2016 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Everything in Echo’s life changed in a blinding flash when she learned the startling truth: she is the firebird, the creature of light that is said to bring peace. The firebird has come into the world, but it has not come alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and Echo can feel a great and terrible darkness rising in the distance. Cosmic forces threaten to tear the world apart. Echo has already lost her home, her family, and her boyfriend. Now, as the firebird, her path is filled with even greater dangers than the ones she’s already overcome. She knows the Dragon Prince will not fall without a fight. Echo must decide: can she wield the power of her true nature—or will it prove too strong for her, and burn what’s left of her world to the ground? Welcome to the shadow hour.
Like many second installments to trilogies, the middle book is often plagued with less plot and an adjustment to character circumstances. The Shadow Hour is no different - following Echo as she adjusts to being the firebird and navigates relational changes with her friends. I wasn't bored, but I like character studies, and we get to know these characters better and watch them change and try to make sense of themselves. While Shadow Hour sets up the third book for an ultimate showdown with Echo as the powerful firebird, I like that Echo's character from the first book is not lost. Sure, she struggles with some self doubt, but Echo is the same wise-cracking, intelligent, word-loving (she knows words, and really does have the best words) thief.
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Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
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