Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her (barnesandnoble.com).



Rachel Hawkins has got it goin' on! This is her debut novel and what a way to start! I ate this book up and am hungry for more!

From the very beginning I liked the MC, Sophie. She starts the book out by doing something nice for someone, only to have it backfire. Poor girl. Then she has to go to a run-down reform school for other "gifted" teenagers. I love Sophie's sense of humor and I really love that she would rather be friends with a vampire because the vampire is a good person than chose to be apart of the "In" crowd just to be cool.

I really like Archer's character but I kept wanting to suddenly find out that he was dating Elodie for some other reason than he liked her. I was in the same boat as Sophie on that one.

Cal...sigh. How can I like a character that was hardly in the book? Well, I keep thinking he is going to play a major role in the future. I think he might be the one chosen for Sophie to marry (remember the arranged marriage convo?). Am I crazy? Maybe. But, I definitely think he is at the school to protect Sophie. I can't wait to see what comes of that!

Speaking of what's to come...What's going to happen with Archer? What about the ending? The ending is crazy good.

The writing is really great, each chapter's end makes you beg for more, the mystery keeps things interesting and Sophie's personality and love intrigues make the book memorable. Can't wait to read the next book in the series, Demonglass!

Overall:5/5



Fabulous cover also!

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

So far, I've managed to survive. You would think after being kidnapped as a child, imprisoned in my teens and released to become a poison taster, I would have endured enough. But no. The discovery of my magical abilities—powers forbidden in Ixia—has resulted in an execution order. My only chance is to flee to Sitia, my long-lost birthplace.

But Sitia is unfamiliar. I'm treated like an enemy—even by my own brother. Plus I can't control my powers. I want to learn about my magic, but there isn't time. A rogue magician has emerged and I'm targeted as his next victim.

Will my magical abilities save me…or be my downfall (barnesandnoble.com)?

I must say that I was a little disappointed with this one. This is the second book in the Study trilogy. It is still a good book but not nearly as good as Poison Study.

In this book Yelena is in Sitia. One majorly bad thing, for me at least, is that Valek is missing for most of the book. When he shows up it gets a lot better. New characters are introduced, one being Cahil. I think that he is supposed to be "into" Yelena but I am just not felling it. The interactions between them are not all that great.

Yelena also meets her family in this story but I felt like those interactions were weak as well. I didn't really like the character development of her brother either. Shouldn't we have spent more time getting to know him? They are in the same place for most of the story but he is hardly mentioned.

I don't really like where Yelena's character development has gone. She was locked in a dungeon and tortured for years in the first book. Now all of the sudden she is saving the world, over and over again? I am just glad that Snyder didn't make her a master magician right away (maybe in the future she will). That would be laying it on a little thick. Maybe by the third book Yelena will be Queen of both world's? I will have to read on to find out...

All-in-all this is a sequel and definitely worth reading if you liked Poison Study but don't expect it to be as good as Poison Study.

Almost a four! But overall: 3/5

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have a room in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...(barnesandnoble.com)

This book is enthralling! I was hooked from start to finish and could not put it down! My favorite things about the book are: the time setting, the world created, Valek, Yelena, Ari and Janco.

The time setting is awesome. I love when a book is set when there is no electricity. Don't ask me why, I just do. The world that Snyder created is really cool. I get really excited when a book starts out with a map that the author created, like this book did. I don't think I could ever be creative enough to create an entire world and a map to go along with it.

Valek is hot. Throughout the book Valek is such a great male character. Sigh. He is stoic, smart, a fighting machine. I really love how he loves Yelena. Yelena's character is so strong and smart I can't help but loving her too. She has gone through so much and I really like how she fesses up to what she's done and doesn't rat anyone out. She want's to take care of things on her own. My favorite thing about her is that she wants to learn and she's hardworking.

Ari and Janco are the brother you have always wanted! They teach Yelena so much and protect her and are there for her when she needs them.

This book is truly great.

Overall: 5/5

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

First in the new Weather Warden series...

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life...

Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast... (Barnesandnoble.com)


I really like Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series so I thought I would check out her Weather Warden series. Let me just say that it is even better than the Morganville Vampire series!

This book came out in 2003 so I am definitely behind on reading this series. I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the writing style, the characters and the plot was really great too.

What I loved about this book: Bad A weather warden Jo who is powerful and can create and manipulate storms, hot (not talking about the temperature) weather wardens/djinns (genies), and a very interesting story that I couldn't predict at all.

What I didn't like was the ending. I don't want to give anything away but I am a little disappointed that the series is called Weather Warden and we will be mostly reading about djinns after this book. I think I am disappointed because I loved reading about Jo the weather warden. I think I will definitely enjoy the rest of the series but the ending made me a little sad.
As far as boys go, I like David but I really like Lewis. Lewis is really sweet and is the most powerful weather warden. I hope there is more in store for him in the next books.

After reading the first book of the series I am not really sure how the rest of the series is going to turn out and I really like that! I read an excerpt of Heat Stroke on Rachel Caine's web site, the sequel to Ill Wind and I am already sucked in. I can't wait to get it from the library.

Overall: 4/5

The Reckoning by Kelly Armstrong

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.

But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.

As far away from normal as it gets (Barnesandnoble.com).

Can I just say I can't believe this is the last one! I didn't realize it was the last book in the trilogy because I thought it was a series, not a trilogy. I want more! This book was the best of all three of the books.

In this one, Chloe gets much better with her powers and gets into more trouble. Her and her pack of friends are on the run and but they can really handle themselves. I feel really bad for Simon because he likes Chloe so much but she doesn't like him. Chloe and Derek get closer. I think this is the first time that I have read a book and thought the main character was with the wrong boy. But, I think that is because Derek creeped me out so much in the first book and Simon is so sweet.

I liked the whole werewolf thing, though. I am kind of excited to get into Armstrong's other series, Otherworld so that I can read more about her werewolves. It starts with Bitten.

This trilogy has an exciting world to dive into, with magic, werewolves, necromancers, adventure and a little love.

The only disappointment is the way it ended. It can't be over, can it? No, I want another book! The ending is driving me crazy. I want more answers, more story. Armstrong has a lot of other books that I am ready to get into.

Overall: 4/5

The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends — a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch — and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying (Barnesandnoble.com).

This is the second book in the Darkest Powers trilogy. I love trilogies because it doesn't feel like the series is going on...and on...and on. But at the same time it's better than a stand alone book because there is more room to expand on the story and fall in love with the characters.

In this book Chloe is finding out more about her newly discovered powers and she is getting to know Derek. In the first book of the trilogy, Derek is scary and we don't like him. In this book, we find out that Derek is really protective, even though he gets on Chloe case a lot.

This book was not as good as the first book of the series or the the last but we do find out a lot of good stuff. It was a good read but I the ending wasn't a cliff-hanger that makes you want to read the next one. That is good and bad. I hate when I read a book in a series and there is a serious cliff-hanger ending that have to wait a year to find out what happens. So, it was nice end without that pain. BUT, I already had the third book in the series so I would have actually liked to read a cliff-hanger ending in this case. Just my luck.

I really like this trilogy but compared to other books it wasn't my favorite. I do love the characters, though. The characters are some of the best I have read.

Overall: 3/5

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing.

Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry (alexandrabracken.com).

I really enjoyed reading this book! My favorite things from the book: The magic, the creative world created, and North. North is just awesome. He's a great knight-in-shining amour. I really liked the plot, even if it wasn't super complex. I couldn't guess some of the plot, which I like. Who likes a completely predictable plot? This is a really creative story, very much worthy of checking out.

Alexandra Bracken is a debut author and I am anxious for another book (sequel or not), although I don't think there's one in the works. Brightly Woven has an opening for a sequel but her web site says there's no sequel on the way. I hope this book gets popular enough so that there will demand for one. There are questions that I want answered and I would love to follow Sydelle's story some more.

Overall: 4/5