Invisible

Full Disclosure: I didn't realize this was the second book in the series when I decided to read and review it. So perhaps I might have missed a bit of relationship building (okay, I missed a lot) and some background information that it might have been handy to know (sure, I was confused a few times). But for all that, Invisible is a rollicking good story that kept me swept up and reading, figuring out what was going on and keeping me intrigued enough to want to know more.

Joy Malone is involved with a Scribe from The Twixt, the enchanted world humans know nothing about but co-exists alongside ours. Joy has the Sight, which is normally a condition that means blinding by the Twixt, but apparently she's done things in the past that have saved her and others and resulted in her relationship with Ink, the hunky, hot, not- human Scribe. She is also friends with his sister Inq, and on good terms with a giant frog-like Bailiwick known as Graus Claude. Joy has ignited the wrath of The Tide, and they have defied an Edict of Protection by sending a lethal Red Knight to kill her. While evading the Knight, Joy becomes involved with a) a side business with the Bailiwick which puts her at risk, b) the Cabana Boys and a Den of Iniquity, c) her brother's strange behavior, and d) a wizard. When Joy's best friend Monica gets hurt during one of Joy's encounters, Joy risks her life and her relationship with Ink.

I really enjoyed this story, even if I didn't understand all the references to the first book in the series. Still, the author does an excellent job of world and character building, even if Joy at times acts rashly and a bit immaturely. But she is always loyal and brave, and above all, determined. Biggest gripes? I don't need to know what each of the Bailiwick's hands is doing every time we see him, and Ink comes off as wooden way too often (even if he is just learning to experience human emotion). But I'm in! I'm on board for the next book in the series and feel certain the first book must be just as engaging as this one since we know that the second books in trilogies often suffer from slow plot and pacing. Fun story and well worth the read.

~taminator40

Thank the Flea!

I actually finished this book a couple of weeks ago and am just now clarifying my feelings on it. On one hand, I loved the interaction of the key characters I've grown to love, but on the other, there were a few things that bugged me so much I needed time to think whether or not I truly enjoyed it. So here's what I thought, and take it from the point of view of someone who truly loves Snyder's writing and stories.

The story picks up with Avry and Kerrick still in battle against evil in several forms, but mostly against Tohon. It doesn't take long for the pair to become separated again, however, and that's a problem in more than one way. Avry has to decide how she can best serve the battle and that means continuing on after she's searched for Kerrick; Kerrick, meanwhile, has the forest to thank for his healing but it's got a very large condition...he can no longer leave without severe consequences. By the time the two meet up again, there's been a shift in who is the most evil with the Skeleton King pretty much taking the crown for that dubious title. There's more travel, a friend or two is found, and there is torture and illness. It's not really a lot of fun, but it makes sense as far as the storyline goes.

I found the bits with the well-documented torture to be the hardest to read and almost stomach-turning at times. That's not a huge deal, however, because there is indeed a war going on. I suppose my biggest issue is with the ending, so read no further if you want to avoid spoilerage.

I just felt that too much was left hanging. Sure, the main two bad guys were taken down, but what about Cellina? Is she going to remain a threat or will she fade off into the sunset as was implied? I also didn't like not seeing the resolution to Kerrick's situation, even if Avry did explain it. I also felt deprived of the actual scene where Avry emerges from the Lily. In truth, most of the ending felt rushed and not well-tied up. Maybe there's another book coming? It's really hard to tell, though it *seemed* as though it was the final in the trilogy.

But there's still a lot to love, including the monkeys, the relationships, and the fighting. I simply love saying "Thank the Flea!" now, and overall, I suppose I'm satisfied. I'd actually give this one a 3.5, but my enjoyment of the series rounds it up to 4.

~taminator40

Damaged

Allegiant brings the Divergent trilogy to a close, and it's full of promise: Tris and Tobias are headed into the outside, toward a new life that they know nothing about. There had been so much action before, culminating in Tris's almost execution; I was glued to the pages while reading the first two books, and was so looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it's not a particularly thrilling ending to a great series.

Don't get me wrong; there are parts to Allegiant that are good, and even clever. I liked the back story given for Tris's mother; it made sense and gave new layers to what happened. There's some action, and it's generally well-written. The character development is solid, if irritating; there's way too much over-thinking and not enough just going with the flow of emotion. However, Allegiant is overly padded with loooooong segments of talking about what might be going on, what is going on, what will be going on, and almost all of it has to do with genetic damage. I have to admit that my eyes began to glaze on the topic after a while because really...who cares? I never did understand who started damaging the genes to begin with, and how the "repair" was taking place. All of it seemed so secondary to the characters and yet it was the main focus of the story. Meanwhile, things are going down back in Chicago that must be rectified immediately and yet it seems as though there's ambivalence about it. 

My biggest issue with Allegiant, after the overly long segments wherein little seems to happen other than Tris and Tobias fighting and talk of genetic damage, is the dual points of view. I understand why we needed them, but I swear a chapter would change, and with it the point of view, and I would not notice. I'd actually read a few pages into the next chapter before I'd think, "Oh, this is Tris talking now".  It's not good when your characters are so inter-changeable, and not in a good way. The voices were the same, and neither offered much in the way of excitement.

I know a lot of people are upset over the BIG twist, and rightfully so; I do feel let down by how Roth chose to end her story. It just seemed pointless, even if it was in character for the most part. I think I could have lived with it had I felt it was a necessary sacrifice to the overall story but it just felt wrong on so many levels. Instead of being left with a feeling of completion or understanding, I'm just left empty. Sadly, this ending has soured me for the series and definitely made me unexcited about the upcoming motion picture. I'm just left feeling...damaged.

~taminator40

Weird and Wild

Fuse picks up right after Pure left off; Partridge has escaped the Dome and has met up with his sister, Pressia; both have watched their mother and brother die because of Partridge's father. Both are fighting attraction to their respective "friends", Lyda and Bradwell, and unsure what their next step will be. Bradwell has a black box, named Fignan, which is surprisingly human and may hold the key to defeating those in the Dome; El Capitan, with Helmud still on his back, is determined to help Pressia and Bradwell as they attempt to decipher a complex code left behind by Arthur Walrond, one of the Seven; Partridge must decide whether he should leave his love Lyda behind outside the Dome in order to stop the slaughter of Invalids. Once Invalid children begin to disappear and then reappear as Pures, the race to find the formula that will prevent cell degeneration is front and center. in exploding spiders, a wild car ride, an abandoned amusement park, brain surgery, and an air ship, and you pretty much have Fuse.

Of course there's so much going on it would be hard to recap it all here, and I won't even attempt to do so. The chapters move among the different points of view, and while the action is almost constant (in one form or another), it's the characters' depth that truly steals the show here. By the time the last page is read, no one is emotionally where they were at the beginning, and some are so changed it's hard to tell who they once were. I fell in love with El Capitan especially--the devotion to his brother (however enforced) is so deep and his feelings for Pressia are so real that I could forget any physical issues he may have.

Once again, I marvel at the world Ms. Baggott has created; the intricate details make this so much more than just a run-of-the-mill post-apocalyptic story. It's layered and imaginative; it's dark and resourceful. I'm a willing victim who finds herself absolutely enthralled with these books and is so eager to find out how all this is going to play out in the third book. Bring it on!

~taminator40

Reached brings us to the end of Cassia's issues with the Society and her potential Matches, Ky and Xander. Now a member of the Rising, Cassia works undercover as a Trader while she waits to see if the Pilot will come to power. She knows both Ky and Xander are taking risks for the Rising so they cannot be together, but when a Plague epidemic strikes, she knows the time has come. Problem is, those who unleashed the Plague did not anticipation it mutating and placing those they love in great danger. This is where the trio become reunited and a race against time for the cure begins.

While Reached does not give on the edge of your seat excitement, it does move everything along to its ultimate conclusion well. There are lots of scenes where Cassia must interact with those she's either known in the past or has feelings for, and lots of mysteries are explained, though some take a while to get there. What I liked most is that Cassia's feelings for her family were never left out, nor did she put her feelings for Ky ahead of those for family. It's nice to see a heroine acknowledging her longing for her grandfather and the debt she owes to those who have gone before. There are some coincidences in the book, such as the identity of Lei, which probably stretched my imagination more than they should have, and a few times I felt as though some action was thrown in simply to pad the story. I did feel Indie got shortchanged, and I would have liked to have read more about upcoming changes to the communities and if the Otherlands existed. Perhaps that will all be answered in another book or two.

My biggest gripe with Reached, which I found interesting and intriguing overall, was the Pilot himself. He just was. That's it--I did not feel much about him one way or the other. What was the big attraction? How did he personally come into power? He seemed threatening at times and just bewildered at others. Though I could see him as figurehead for the Rising, I was ultimately let down by everything about him, including how he came to know about our trio. I really didn't understand why those three made an impact on him out of thousands, and I felt he treated them shabbily in expecting so much.

Reached isn't without its issues, but it definitely is deep on meaning and relationships, and those components alone kept me involved in the story. I felt Reached was a big improvement over Crossed, and I liked the ultimate resolution. I loved the idea that Cassia could have been part of something she didn't know about for so long, and I loved that these three relied mostly on brains rather than luck. A good solid ending to the trilogy.

~taminator40

Not That The Demon's Surrender is Bad...

...Not that The Demon's Surrender is bad, or poorly written, or even boring. It's just that, as the final book in the trilogy that had focused on the Ryves brothers, it would have been nice to have somehow felt more of what those two were experiencing, rather than having the decidedly overwhelmed Sin as a narrator. Which also doesn't mean that I disliked Sin, or even that I didn't like her narration. It just seemed an unnecessary perspective for a finale that had Sin as a peripheral character in the previous two books.

The basic plot remains the same: the Goblin Market is in danger from the magicians, and the Ryves brothers are still struggling with the fact that Nick is actually a demon seemingly incapable of human emotion. Given that Sin is narrating, we learn a lot about her responsibilities and her abilities, and the fact that she feels entitled to run the Market after Merris leaves. But there is the stumbling block of Mae, a "tourist" who has shown herself equally capable of running the Market, and Jamie, Mae's brother who is a magician. Both sides know the ultimate showdown is coming between them and the one who captures the Pearl necklace will be the one in charge of the Market. But will new romances also survive? What will happen to Sin's younger brother and sister? Will Nick ever escape his demon past?

Like I said, I liked this novel but felt that it was padded out with Sin's dramas. I loved Nick's sense of humor and the bond between the brothers, and I felt what happened to Alan was a good twist. I've never been a Mae fan but I did enjoy how she stepped up to the plate and actually made things happen; I also appreciated the action sequences, particularly the one with Sin on the magician's boat. I would just have liked there to have been more focus on the brothers since that was how the series began. It's not bad by any means...it just left me feeling like the heart of the story was missing.

~taminator40

Not Just Another Angel Story

Unearthly *could* have been just another entry in the rampant paranormal young adult genre...good angels (blah, blah, blah)...bad angels (blah, blah, blah)...impossible love story (yada yada yada). But almost from the get-go, I felt something was different; it felt more, well, real, than in a lot of the books similar in description. Though we know almost immediately that Clara is of angel blood, that she's pretty and fast, etc., we also learn that she's insecure, worried about her "purpose", and feels left out in her new school. Still, she's determined to follow the vision of her purpose and somehow rescue super hunky Christian...though from what or even how, she doesn't have a clue.

For much of the novel, Unearthly follows Clara as she slowly learns more about being of angel blood, though not from her mother (which becomes a source of irritation), and her quest to find out what she's supposed to do. The fact that she ends up with orange hair adds to her ordinariness; the fact that she's often tongue-tied and even a bit clumsy makes her endearing. And yes, I admit I loved that she had good banter with her best friend's brother, and I hoped that somehow, those two would find their way to one another.


While there really aren't major surprises in Unearthly, I found myself quickly turning the pages and reading past my bedtime in order to get through so I could satisfy my curiosity. I really wish I could pinpoint precisely what it is that had me so intrigued about this story; I think it's mostly that Clara, despite her unearthliness, is very real and easy to relate to. It's a thoroughly engaging story that manages to mix the paranormal with the everyday with neither going off the deep end. I'm hooked.
 
~taminator40

Mockingjay!

Well, I'm back! Actually, I've been reading and reviewing, but mostly for HNS in the past month. This is the first book (purchased through Amazon) that I've been able to post a review on my blog for in a while, and it's a doozy! I'm noticing the polarizing reviews over on the big A; amazing how some people get so bent when a book/trilogy doesn't end precisely as they'd planned for it to. Don't these people realize THEY don't own the characters, no matter how much they love them? Guess not, judging from some of  the poor reviews Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins has received (though I am pleased that it's not been totally panned, unlike Breaking Dawn). Anyway, FWIW, I'm posting my own review below.

It took me nearly a week to read Mockingjay. Not that it's an overly long book, or so dull I couldn't stay with it, but because I wanted to luxuriate inside its pages for as long as possible. And once I did finish, I felt an overwhelming sadness to leave Katniss and her world behind, though much satisfaction at how it all played out. Maybe it wasn't precisely as I'd pictured, but it certainly felt right after fighting alongside Katniss through two Hunger Games and the start of a revolution.







Just to sum up Mockingjay's major points: We pick up the story as Katniss has awoken in District 13, lifted out of the arena by Haymitch and Co., leaving Peeta behind to face the devastation wrought when the arena exploded. Katniss, frail in both body and spirit, must come to terms with her unwilling abandonment of Peeta and the new life she must face as the symbol of the fight against the Capitol. Known as the Mockingjay, she now has the power to rouse the other Districts, yet she continually finds herself at odds with those around here and always aware of how Peeta must be suffering because of her deeds. Along the way, Katniss must also come to terms with her feelings for Gale and the loss of lives that can be laid at her feet. It's almost more than she can handle.






I loved every page of Mockingjay, though this Katniss is somewhat removed from her earlier incarnations. However, I found that in itself realistic: just how much can a teenager be expected to endure before she shuts down or cracks? Katniss is still, at heart, the Katniss we've known and loved, yet she walks a thin line between doing what's right and knowingly placing herself and others in danger. And when it comes down to it, she's still no good at following rules or even listening to authority.






It's exceedingly hard for an author to end a beloved series in the way everyone hoped because we all have our visions for how we'd like to see it end. However, Ms. Collins takes us into unexpected territory with Katniss; we see a softer, fragile girl who once again rises to the occasion against all odds. I confess to shedding a few tears when the major loss came to Katniss, though other losses were almost as devastating. My most minor quibble is the amount of time Katniss spends unconscious and recovering, but I can forgive the author that because I came away with a feeling of resolution that felt...well, just felt right. Along the way, I came across moving scenes that made my heart wrench and fevered chases that made it race, and I ultimately feel as though Katniss and her world were done justice. Highly, highly recommended for those with an open mind to all possibilities.

~taminator40