Clockwork Prince - Review

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, # 2)

By: Cassandra Clare

Published: December 6th 2011 by Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry

502 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Steampunk, Angels, Vampires

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Ah….That was a sigh. I know you can’t hear it, but that’s what it was. I’ve needed this book. Yes, I’ve read books recently that I couldn’t put down, some because I had the opportunity to read without much interruption and some because they’ve just been that good, but I’ll say it again…I needed this book. Clockwork Prince has been one of those books that I absolutely HAD to know what was going to happen from the very beginning. Of course Clockwork Angel ended in such a way that piqued my curiosity and I was fully prepared to be enthralled, and I was, while at the same time fully prepared to be disappointed, which I was not.

Before beginning Clockwork Prince I was decidedly frustrated. The City of Fallen Angels left me very unsatisfied and all I could see from Clockwork Angel was repeating patterns of story arc and that was my perception and expectation with starting Clockwork Prince. It was also the exact reason why I didn’t rush to purchase it on the release date and even waited three months after receiving the book (at Christmas) to pick it up. However, my faith in Cassie Clare and her writing has been restored. And thank God for that! I feel, even though Cassandra Clare will probably never read this post, that I should apologize for my lack of faith as I had to do in my review of Maggie Stiefvater's Linger.

Yes there are similarities between the overall arc of The Mortal Instruments and what I’ve seen so far from The Infernal Devices, but it isn’t the same story as I might have once feared. Yes, Jace and Will bear a lot of resemblance in demeanor and history (Jace fearing that to love means to kill, Will fearing to be loved is to kill) despite the fact that they are essentially related. And Clary and Tessa both falling for the boy who treats them badly. Not to mention, it take three books each time to find resolution with the villain (and the romance). I have to admit, that is still one of my least favorite things about these books compared to some other series that have a new war to fight and a new villain to defeat with every book in the series.

But all of that can’t compete with the sheer frustration I felt every time I had to put this book down (which is a good thing, one of the best determinants in my opinion of a good book). I had to force myself to go to bed, to stop reading at work when breaks and lunches were over. This book got under my skin and it drove me crazy with wanting. There’s plenty of “moments”—you know the ones, the meadow scene in Twilight, when Edward leaves in New Moon, the bed and proposal scenes from Eclipse, when Rose and Dimitri kiss for the first time in Vampire Academy, the cabin scene from Shadow Kiss, the part where Rose asks ghost Mason if Dimitri is Stirgoi also in Shadow Kiss, where Elias tackles Gabry after she’s killed Daniel and covered in his blood in The Dead Tossed Waves, when Darcy proposes to Elizabeth the first time in Pride and Prejudice, Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne in Persuasion, I could keep going—that kept me wanting for more and more and more. Moments that make you scream “NO!!!!!!!!!” as well as moments that make you cry “YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” This is the book I’ve been missing.

Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Prince, 5 stars. Read it. I will probably be jumping on Clockwork Princess as soon as it releases instead of waiting this time...though there's still no release date for that at this point.

P.S. I highly suggest reading The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices series in order of their release dates. Meaning read in this order: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, Clockwork Angel, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Prince, City of Lost Souls, Clockwork Princess (assuming this comes out before the next one), and finally City of Heavenly Fire (currently set to release in March of 2014). The reason for this is that there are some small cross overs between The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices that can't be appropriately appreciated unless experienced as they were meant to be.

Have you read Clockwork Prince? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: February 2, 2015

Torment - Review

Torment (Fallen, # 2)

By: Lauren Kate

Published: September 28th 2010 by Delacorte Press

452 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Angels

Source: Borrowed from my friend, Paula

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Goodreads description--How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?

In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean – and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future . . . and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened . . . what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

I feel kind of bad with my last couple of ratings. Don't get me wrong, I rate each book as I genuinely feels it deserves to be rated according to my own tastes and opinions. But 3 stars is not a "bad" rating. According to my rating scale, 3 Stars means "pretty good, I liked it." That being said, I'm sure you can tell that I'm giving Torment 3 stars.

I don't really have much to say about the book, and I think more than anything that's the reason why I'm giving it 3 stars. Luce was kind of annoying throughout the book, always complaining about what Daniel wasn't telling her. I wanted to yell at her "What part about you exploding in the past are you missing? Too much information too fast has been your downfall more than once. Give the guy a break." The whining was just getting old. Yet, if I put myself in her shoes, I don't like being out of control myself, and you can't really be in control without knowledge.

Through the book, I worried that Luce and Daniel's relationship that's portrayed as a soul-mate, life-long love relationship was going to turn out to be...well...not. And don't worry, I won't give it away. But Luce steps up and makes some tough decisions--decisions that make me believe her to be more mature and true with her feelings than some other leading ladies I've read (Nora from the Hush, Hush series anyone?).

Overall, I enjoyed it. The storyline moved pretty quickly and I'm looking forward to reading Passion and the other books in this series in the future--it might be a while, I've got quite the stack of books waiting to be read. Check it out, Torment by Lauren Kate, 3 stars.

Have you read Torment? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: February 2, 2015

The Shack - Review

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity

By: William Paul Young

Published: July 1st 2007 by Windblown Media

252 pages

Genre: Adult, Christian Fiction, Spirituality, Inspirational

Source: Borrowed from my friend Kay

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Goodreads description--Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

Alright guys…*sigh*…here’s the low-down on The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. I have a friend, let’s call her Kay, who was recommended to read this book, and so she did, and she loved it. Kay does read, however, typically I wouldn’t say she’s an avid reader. But she was hooked on this book. Finished it in just a couple of days, I believe. So another mutual friend, let’s call her Amanda, decides she’s going to read it next. Now Amanda typically is a reader, well she was—though I don’t really understand how but she’s taken a bit of a break from reading on a regular basis. Anyway, Amanda reads it next and she’s hooked. She literally finishes it in two nights, staying up until 1:00 am the first night. So I’m stoked, right? If two of my friends have read this book and blown through it that quickly of course, I will love it and finish it within days too, right? WRONG!!!!

Honestly, I don’t know if I just rebel against books that have been talked up too much to me, or what, but I started The Shack totally expecting to finish it in two days max, and it took me over a month, perhaps close to two. I even took breaks in the middle of it to read other books. That being said, let me tell you what I thought about the content.

I think one reason I really struggled with the book is that I would get going at a good pace and something would come up or be said that I just flat didn’t agree with—mostly theological stuff and beliefs that I have about God. And that was really a turn off for me. I literally had to keep repeating to myself “it’s just fiction, it’s just fiction, it’s just fiction.” Also let me say for the record that there were more parts I agreed with than disagreed with. But over time I got to thinking that the purpose of this book, The Shack, isn’t so much to convert the reader into believing every aspect about God that it discusses. The purpose of this book is to challenge your thinking about God and your view of Him—specifically every aspect, characteristic, and manifestation of Him. And it did just that for me. I was challenged. Initially there were parts that I would reject as false immediately, and others that made me stop and think and eventually I agreed with.

That being said, I feel like while it wasn’t an “easy” read in the blow-through-it kind of way, it was a good read. And I definitely feel like I brought something away from the story with me that I can take and apply to my everyday life. And that I think is a success. While I can only give The Shack a maximum of 3 stars, I would recommend it to others. Specifically those who need a refresher or a second look at their view of God. At the same time, I’d have to give them the disclaimer that I don’t agree with everything this book says about God and that they should not take this book for the authority on God, but go to the Bible for that. The only real revelation that we have of our Creator, Protector, Comforter, Healer, Savior, Friend, Strong Tower, Prince of Peace, Light, Love, Son of Man, Son of God, Holy Spirit.

Last thing I’ll add to my review of The Shack, and maybe some will consider this a small thing, but there’s not a single reference in the Bible where a human being came before a manifestation of God (the Spirit Being, not including Jesus while He walked the earth in human flesh) where that human being did not fall on their face in front of their Maker out of sheer reverence for His Being. Just a slight pet peeve for this book.

Again, The Shack by Wm. Paul Young gets 3 Stars, worth checking out. Have you read The Shack? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: February 1, 2015

The Name of the Star - Review

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, # 1)

By: Maureen Johnson

Published: September 29th 2011 by Putnam Juvenile

372 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

The Name of the Star gets 4 Stars.

My first Maureen Johnson book experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect. My husband follows her on twitter (and I do as well now) and one day he says, “You should check out some of her books.” So that’s exactly what I did. The Name of the Star was her most recent release so I figured I would start with that. Can’t say I was disappointed.

The Name of the Star merges my favorite aspects of young adult fiction: romance, the supernatural, intrigue and mystery, and being hooked. The Name of the Star wasn’t one of those books that I couldn’t put down, yet at the same time, I was propelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I would have liked a little more action—or a little more detail on the action that did occur—in the romance department. Maybe this will be explored further later in the series. But if it’s not going to be explored further, then I feel like I’m left with many questions concerning the romances in this novel, specifically Jerome and Rory. However, just because that’s my favorite part of a book doesn’t mean that’s what the book is about. So maybe it was never the intent to delve into all the details that I personally crave, but that's okay.

On the supernatural, I guess that’s more of the focus for the book and considering I didn’t read the entire description on Amazon before I made my purchase and started reading, a nice surprise for me. The intrigue and the mystery…who is this copycat Jack the Ripper terrorizing this city, and what are we going to do about it?

Aside from the many questions I have concerning Rory and Jerome and why they like each other and how they actually feel about each other beyond surface emotions, how about I found it odd that once Rory finds out about the supernatural “stuff”—no spoilers—going on in London and what she has to do with them, we don’t hear a peep out of Jazza who has appeared to be pretty much inseparable from Rory up until this point. And why does Jazza never confront Rory about this absence? Or has she even noticed? The both of them seemed very inquisitive when Boo initially moved into their room as the third roommate, yet, this same inquisitiveness goes out the window so it seems when it comes to Rory’s mysterious absences from meals and such. I don’t know. Not a huge deal, but something that struck me as odd and inconsistent.

Other than that, and what’s that to complain about really?, a solid read. I’ll be checking out some more of Maureen Johnson’s existing books and looking forward to any future publications in the Shades of London series. Check it out for yourself. The Name of the Star – 4 Stars definitely worth it.

Have you read The Name of the Star? What did you think? Let me know!

Update: February 1, 2015

The Scorpio Races - Review

The Scorpio Races

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Published: October 18th 2011 by Scholastic Press

409 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

4 Stars for The Scorpio Races.

I think I initially assumed that The Scorpio Races would be part of a series because series just seem to be the way of the writing world these days--or at least the majority of the books I read. It’s rare that I seek out a stand-alone book, though there’s absolutely no reason not to. And it’s even more rare for the authors I’m familiar with to produce stand-alone books. And I guess I’m still not 100% sure that The Scorpio Races is a stand-alone book. But I haven’t seen anything to suggest it is a series and it ends in such a way that making it into a series feels like trying too hard.

It needs to be said that I’m about half way through this book called The Shack by WM Paul Young, and that has been slow going for sure. When I feel like it’s taking too long for me to get through a book, I tend to stress out just a little. I feel the need to be productive and to have something to show for it. So every now and then I find myself having to take a break from a book that’s not a fast read for me in order to blow through something else quickly. Having said that, I started The Scorpio Races on Saturday and finished it today (Monday) on my lunch break.

Even though I read this book quickly, I can see where some might find it slowly paced and not a fast read at all. I was completely intrigued by the idea of water horses and the idea propelled me forward even when the love story was barely even a thought. (Usually, it’s the love story that propels me through a fiction book, because that’s my favorite part.) I think Maggie Stiefvater struck to the heart of my own childhood fantasies—and possibly every other little girls’—of owning my own horse one day. The passion and knowledge with which she writes about these beautiful and magnificent creatures is that of someone who grew up around them and carries a tremendous love and passion for them as well. Well written indeed if she did not actually grow up around horses. I thought the story was well thought out, multi-layered, and enthralling. As I said above, some might think the story is slow to get started, but personally, I think it was perfectly timed. Everything happened exactly when it needed to. And something that I've come to associate with Maggie Stiefvater's writing that I really enjoy is the way the story is told through multiple narrators, but always the one who has the most interesting story or perspective to tell--not just swapping narrators just to swap or just to keep the story moving and the reader frustrated.

I like when the location of a tale has its own traditions and festivals and celebrations. And Thisby definitely offered that. And even more than that, I like when a story is new and this idea of water horses is something that I’ve never heard of before. Granted, I haven’t spent much time researching ancient folklore, myths, etc. But I have read many books with a supernatural aspect and have yet to run across anything remotely similar to this idea of water horses. Kudos for originality.

The character of Puck reminds me somewhat of Katniss from The Hunger Games in this desperate need that she has to hold her family together and to provide for them in any way possible, even if it means entering this dangerous and potentially life threatening situation. Puck isn’t necessarily as survival savvy as Katniss, but she’s not quite having to hunt for food for her family either—though I suppose if she doesn’t win the Scorpio Race this year she’ll have to resort to that (not saying whether she does or doesn’t win—keeping it spoiler free). But both characters (Puck and Sean) have their talents and are well-versed in anything related to their talents. Sean Kendrick is perhaps one my favorite heroes in a book that I’ve read recently. He’s silent and brooding--which I love in a fictional hero--but extremely open at the same time. He’s not afraid of being vulnerable when it comes to his love for Corr, as well as the other horses, and is fairly open with Puck the entire time. Even Corr and Dove--the two main horses--have great personalities and are characters that you come to love. They are strong characters in a strong book.

*Side note: I like how their full names are used. I think it’s a unique little tid-bit that makes the characters more real and alive. How Puck uses "Sean Kendrick" the majority of the time. And how Sean says "Kate Connolly" or "Puck Connolly" a large portion of the time too. Really stinking cute in my opinion—but not cheesy cute.

Both Puck and Sean have immensely noble reasons for trying to win the Scorpio Race, but there can only be one winner. Who will it be? You’ll have to check it out to see for yourself.

Have you read The Scoprio Races? What did you think? Let me know!

*Updated: February 1, 2015