The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa @Jkagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic

Page Count: 480 pages

Publish Date: April 24, 2012

Book Type: Kindle galley from Netgalley, Signed Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Teen @HarlequinTeen

ISBN: 9780373210510

From Goodreads: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.        Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review: The cover model isn’t exactly how I pictured Allison Sekemoto to look, but I like how it’s essentially black and white with only the red accent. Plus, I read this book in two days--which for a 480 page book is pretty good for me. It was a pretty hard book to put down!

Julie Kagawa did something really smart here. She combined two of the most popular Young Adult genres: dystopian and vampires. This may seem like overkill, but it actually worked really well. I was starting to get sick of vampire books because they all seem to have a very similar Twilight-esque formula. This is why I absolutely adored the addition of the dystopian society.

The registered and unregistered humans in The Immortal Rules reminded me a lot of my favorite Young Adult vampire series, The Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine. This made me really excited and added an extra element of danger to the world Kagawa created. Kagawa is an amazing world builder and a master of character development. In all of her books, I can picture everything vividly. It makes the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the characters in The Immortal Rules. Allie was an excellent protagonist and pretty badass. Zeke was a complex character who made some very interesting choices. I want to get to know Kanin more because of his extremely rich history. I have a feeling we will get to know more about him in future books and that makes me so excited. The rabids in the book were pretty genuinely terrifying. I definitely wouldn’t want to face them.  

Overall, this is one of the best Young Adult vampire novels I have read in a long time. I’m impatiently waiting for the sequel!

Side note: The excerpt from the next Iron Fey novel was kind of awesome! 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen, NetGalley, and Julie Kagawa for this review copy. Also, a special thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for the signed copy and Immortal Rules hoodie I won on Twitter! 

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter Review

Title: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)

Author: Aimee Carter @aimee_carter

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal

Page Count: 296 pages

Publish Date: March 27, 2012

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210459

From Goodreads: KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.

BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE'LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Review: I am not quite as fond of this cover as I was of the first, but it is still fun. The tagline, “What if immortality isn’t forever?” is pretty intriguing. The tagline on The Goddess Test was “Become immortal or die trying,” so the contrast between Book 1 and Book 2 is pretty strong. In Book 1, everything was about becoming immortal and the journey there, while Book 2 seems to suggest that immortality might not be everything Kate had expected.

I loved how we got to know more of the characters throughout Goddess Interrupted. Persephone actually played a fairly large role which created some delicious tension between Henry and Kate. It was nice to be able to see the familial interactions between Kate, Persephone, and their mother as well.

Henry and Kate drove me nuts throughout much of the book, however, it didn’t detract from the story. There was tension between the two of them, but it was a good kind of tension. I’m telling you... sometimes I just wanted to shake them. If they would just talk about the issues they are having, half of the problems wouldn’t exist!  

The ending will leave you yearning for the next book in the series. Talk about an epic cliffhanger. Jeeze. Actually, there were a few moments throughout the book where I found my jaw dropping. Aimee Carter really stepped it up with the plot twists. 

Books based on Greek mythology get a big thumbs up from me!

Thanks to Aimee Carter, NetGalley, and Harlequin Teen for this e-galley!

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross Review

Title: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Page Count: 416 pages

Publish Date: May 22, 2012

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 978-0373210534

From Goodreads: In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

My Review: Love this cover! That necklace/collar is crazy looking. Imagine having that thing strapped to you. The colors are also amazing.

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Steel Corset last year and was excited to enter the wonderful steampunk world again in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. This time, the gang traveled to New York City to try to save their friend Jasper after he was arrested at the end of Book 1. Naturally, nothing goes as planned and Finley, Griffin, Jasper, Sam, and Emily find themselves in the middle of trouble.

One of my complaints from Book 1 was that I felt the characters weren’t developed enough. This all changed in this book and I got to know them much more. Finley and Jasper were the two characters that the readers will really get to know. Some new characters were also introduced and I hope we get to see a few of them again. Although mentioned quite a few times, Jack Dandy wasn’t in the book. Maybe he will be in the next one.

The relationships were fleshed out some--although Finley and Griffin still drive me crazy. Just make it work, you two crazy kids. I had wished there was more Sam and Emily, but the moments that were there were completely precious. 

While I was able to predict the answers to some of the mysteries, the very end was actually pretty surprising. I didn’t see that one coming--you’ll have to let me know if you do. Hopefully some of the consequences will play out in the next book.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar was packed with action and adventure. It was really exciting and I had a hard time putting the book down. 

This sequel really solidified my love for steampunk and I cannot wait for the next book to come out! I’ll be glad for the trip back to London, even though I enjoyed them crossing the pond for a bit.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kady Cross and Harlequin Teen for this review copy!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 361 pages

Publish Date: October 25, 2011

Book Type: ARC provided for review

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210367

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

My Review: Once again, I just love how these covers all fit together. I also love how the blue swirls match Ash’s eyes. Very nice. “Soulless, Banished, but Never Forgotten.”

I struggled a bit through The Iron Queen. I had just praised Meghan on my review of The Iron Daughter and that was probably the kiss of death for me. The way she was treating Puck really annoyed me and I thought it took a long time for the action to start. The sappy love story was really played up and, unfortunately, that is not what I enjoy about this series. 

Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about starting The Iron Knight. I did end up enjoying it more than I had anticipated. I loved the interactions between Ash and Puck. I’m also glad that we got a little more insight into their characters. Grim will always be my favorite character in The Iron Fey series. He’s the best. It was nice to have the opportunity to see things through Ash’s eyes.

I always love the way Julie Kagawa paints a picture with her words. I can always picture everything that she is describing. That’s key to a good fantasy/paranormal novel. If I couldn’t picture the world these characters are living in, I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy these books nearly as much as I do.

Also, it wouldn’t be a Julie Kagawa book if there weren’t some twists and turns when you least expect them. The Iron Knight did not disappoint in that department.

If you’ve read the rest of the series, this one is definitely a must read. If you haven’t started the series yet, you probably should.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for this review copy!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 359 pages

Publish Date: August 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210138

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Review: “Love & Betrayal. A Faery World Gone Mad.” Once again, I love these covers. The font, the swirls. Awesome.

I really admire how Megan follows through with her word. She has a pretty good moral compass and she will do something if she thinks that it is right...even if she doesn’t necessarily want to do it. She’s also coming into her powers, which is always fun to read.

I thought that the character development in The Iron Daughter was done very well. Meghan, Ash and Puck became more fleshed out, but so did some of the minor characters. I don’t want to talk about them too much because it will get spoiler-y, but some of the minor characters are my favorites!

I also think that I liked the story line in The Iron Daughter even more than in The Iron King. The action seemed to be stepped up a notch since Meghan was already aware of the Faery world.

I wish the romantic aspect of the book had been a little bit more developed. I like to know why things are happening, not just that they are. Sure, Ash, is troubled and pretty and a good fighter, but why does Meghan love him so much? I need to know! But, this is such a minor complaint that it doesn’t even really matter too much.

Also, I have noticed that these books are pretty hard to review without spoilers. Alas, I’m really excited to start The Iron Queen and make my way to The Iron Knight. 

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite?

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Fairies

Page Count: 363 pages

Publish Date: February 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210084

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. 

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. 

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. 

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My Review (I’m trying not to give any spoilers here): This cover has half of a face, but I don’t even care. I love, love, love the use of the font here and how the swirls continue throughout the cover. Plus, every cover in the series looks great together. They will be awesome sitting on my bookshelf once I acquire The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight (non-ARC version). “The Iron King is a must read!”... well, I would have to agree Gena Showalter. “Iron, ice, a love doomed from the start.” Why did I wait so long to start these books?! I actually think these books would make amazing movies. I’m only about 2/3 of the way through the second, but they seem to have a very cinematic value to them.

There are some amazing characters in The Iron King. I knew from the start that I would like Robbie. He’s a little bit of a prankster, but I could tell right away that he truly cared for Meghan. Speaking of Meghan, she is a really good main character. I thought the way that she handled some of the tough situations that came her way was really realistic. She has a very natural narrative voice. Another favorite character of mine is Grimalkin. This is saying a lot because, much like Robbie/Puck, I DO NOT LIKE CATS. I’m allergic and they creep me out, but Grim is amazing. He is calculating, but totally comes through in a pinch. 

The action and adventure scenes in The Iron King were awesome. I loved all of the fighting and chase scenes. Julie Kagawa has a true way with words. I could absolutely picture everything from this fantasy world that she was describing. 

I loved how some of the fairy/faery aspects from The Sookie Stackhouse books could be found in The Iron King as well. Maybe this is true for all fae books? I’m not that familiar with them. You guys, I think I finally found a book review I’m super passionate about again! It hasn’t been over a year or anything since I’ve been this passionate. *insert heavy sarcasm* This is why this review sort of just seems to be me yelling incoherently. Sorry.   

My one gripe for the story is that there is a bit of insta-love. You can judge for yourselves how you feel about that aspect of the story.

Have you started this series yet? If not, why? ;) Let me know what you think in the comments!

IMM (7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is awesome for sure.
The first video is my for real mailbox. I did leave some books out because I just bought a ton, but maybe I'll add them into a slower week. The second video features 3 extra books that I went on rants about. I have a laughing fit and here are a few things you can expect in the outtakes video:
1) Cheeseburger of pain
2) Butterfly book covers
3) Gymnastics in one of the Jurassic Park movies
Intrigued yet?





For Review:
The Grind Show by Philip Tucker (6/5/11) TransientMe
Prelude to a Hero by Jamie Buckley (5/27/11) On the Fly Publications


From Netgalley:
Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson (9/6/11) Milkweed Editions
Legacy by Cayla Kluver (6/28/11) Harlequin Teen


Won:
Timeless by Alexandra Monir (1/11/11) Delacourt Press--from Rachel @ Fiktshun
Forgot to mention in the video, but it's SIGNED!
SWAG from Rachel @ Fiktshun


Thanks so much everyone! What did you get in your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments :)

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross Review

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Page Count: 336 pages/493 KB

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210336

ASIN: B004XDYXAI

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

My Review: I adore this cover. 1) Her dress is gorgeous. 2) I love the steel corset showing. 3) I love the steampunk attributes in the background. 4) The font was an excellent choice. I just wish the blurb wasn’t there. The cover would have been perfect without it.

This is a good debut steampunk novel. I really think it would be a good introduction into the steampunk world if you are unfamiliar with it. The only other steampunk I have read was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare and I could definitely see some similarities throughout. I wonder if that happens with all steampunk novels since they are heavily based on machinery.

Since this is a first in a series, it was a good lead in. It didn’t blow me away, but kept me interested enough to want to read the second. I’m anxious to read the prequel that I have waiting for my on my Kindle because I have a feeling it will explain a few things that I was curious about during the novel. I enjoyed the characters in this book; however, I wish we would have gotten to know them even more. I wanted more back story.

Some of my favorite parts were the explanations of the steampunk aspects of the world Kady Cross created. The organites (or “little beasties”) were fascinating. They basically regenerated cells in a body and could heal wounds at a quicker pace than normal. Very useful. The Girl in the Steel Corset wasn’t my favorite book of the year, but it has me interested enough to want to read the sequel!   

Thanks to NetGalley, Kady Cross and Harlequin Teen for this review copy!

Have you read The Girl in the Steel Corset yet? What did you think? Also, if you could leave me some more steampunk suggestions in the comments, that would be fabulous!  

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter Review

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter @aimee_carter

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal

Page Count: 304 pages

Book Type: e-galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210268

ASIN: B004U73CRW

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads:  It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

My Review: I love the writing on this cover. It goes perfectly with the whole Greek mythology theme. I love the use of the sigmas for the “e’s.” What I am not too wild about is the blurb from Cassandra Clare. I’m sure it will attract readers, but I don’t generally like blurbs on the front cover. I would rather them be on the back cover so they do not interfere with the image. The tagline, “Become immortal or die trying”  is interesting. Would you rather risk your life immediately for a chance at becoming immortal or just live a normal life knowing you will die eventually? The idea of immortality is intriguing--imagine all of the things you could learn, the places you could see and, most importantly, the books you could read! On the other side, imagine all of the people you know and love eventually dying and you surviving over and over again. It’s something to think about.

I’m pretty sure this is the first book dealing with Greek mythology that I have read. If I have read one before, it is escaping me right now. The Goddess Test has me wanting to read more! I’m glad I requested this galley because it has opened me up to a whole new genre of books. I have read some complaints about the book not following Greek mythology specifically; however, I didn’t find that to be intrusive. This is a work of fiction, so I feel that some liberties can be taken. That’s all I’m going to say about that one. 

Kate and her mom have an amazing relationship. This relationship is really the driving force of the book. Nearly every decision Kate makes revolves around her mother and their bond. 

Even though I figured out a few of the secrets in the book, it still kept me guessing. I loved the setting of the novel and Carter described everything vividly. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel by Aimee Carter! I will definitely be checking out the sequel. I am also excited for the dystopian novel Carter is working on.

Would you risk your life for a chance at immortality? Are you looking forward to The Goddess Test? Let me know in the comments! 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen for this e-galley!