Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Look at me, I am on a roll with 3 posts in one month? More posts than I have done all year! Maybe because it's the summer and I have less to do so that means MORE READING! This is what I've felt like so far this summer:

Okay, maybe I can't quit! But it's a better hobby than some other things! Okay now onto Cinder:

Cinder is about a girl living in a futuristic world, where Cinder is a cyborg living with her stepmother and two step sisters as their maid. Sound familiar? Yep, a futuristic Cinderella. The cool thing about this series is that Ms. Meyer took different fairy tales and rewrote them and incorporated more futuristic things as well as real life problems that fairy tale characters don't often face. Cinder is being used as a maid and fixer-upper around the house by her stepmother and stepsisters, during a time where the "plague" is taking over New Beijing. Cinder meets Prince Kai one day when he comes to get his android fixed. Soon after, she starts her adventure trying to find the cure and this mysterious "princess selene" who can stop the Lunar Queen Levana from taking over Earth. 

The thing that I liked the most about this book is how ferocious Cinder is.  She is a great leading lady and really fights for her family and those that she loves, including her android Iko.  Queen Levana is also one of the best villians that Ms. Meyer could have made for this novel.  She is vain, obsessed with power (and herself) and willing to risk it all to make sure that Princess Selene is never seen or heard from again. This is witnessed in the stories of her burning down Princess Selene's nursery when she was just a small child. While as soon as Princess Selene was mentioned, I knew how that part was going to turn out, the story was not as predictable as I thought it would be.  The plot moves along nicely, and doesn't get slow at any points.  One thing about all of the Lunar Chronicles is that Ms. Meyer does a wonderful job leaving you wanting more and more for the next book. It was excruciating to have to wait a whole year for Scarlet to come out after reading Cinder. 

Great book! Go out and buy it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. 

(Copyright Marissa Meyer, 2014)

Quick Review:

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Pages: 390 (hardcover)

Recommended for: Young adults, both boys and girls because it has some action in it as well!

City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments #4)

City of Fallen Angels is number 4 in the Mortal Instruments series. Let me tell you, when I was starting this book, I thought wow, everyone is getting along! The war is over, everyone is alive and well and Clary and Jace finally get to be together without thinking they are brother and sister... Boy was I wrong.

So it is true that in this book the war is over and Clary is back at home training to become a real shadowhunter like her hunk of a boyfriend Jace.  Everything is fine and dandy, and Clary's mom and Luke are planning their wedding! Too good to be true right? Absolutely. All of the sudden, shadowhunters are turning up dead everywhere. Nobody can figure out who is murdering all these innocent people, and why they are only targeting shadowhunters. Poor Simon has also told his mother that he is a vampire when she finds vials of blood in his room, and he gets kicked out of his house. Clary can't ask him for help because he's clearly dealing with some of his own issues. The story feels like something you've read before, because it follows the same basic plot line as the previous books. I was kind of hoping that Ms. Clare would leave Jace and Clary to be, but of course they have their own trials and tribulations in this book again. Alec and Mangus develop together as a couple, and new demons are introduced and take on a big role in the book. The ending did catch me off guard as much as it could..

Overall, this book was not terrible. I think that as someone who hates to leave a series unfinished, it was not unbearable to read. I just wanted something a little different, maybe the characters to develop more and Clary to become less whiny. But hey, you can't have everything.

Here's the book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

                                          © Margaret K. McElderry Books, Cassandra Clare

Quick Review:
Title: City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments Book #4)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 424 (paperback)
Recommended: Young adult girls, 14-17 (or 22!)

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments Book #3)

City of Glass is the fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  I'm telling you, although these books are for young adults (I still consider myself a young adult, I'm only 22) they really suck me in! I couldn't put them down!

City of Glass picks up where City of Ashes leaves off, much like City of Ashes did with City of Bones.   I love that in these books, certain things do get tied up at the end, but there is always that burning question or problem that still is left unanswered or unsolved for the next book to pick up. That's the sign of a great author, someone who really won't let you put their series down and keeps you coming back for more and more.  Oh and of course, as I'm sure you know.. Don't continue reading if you haven't read City of Ashes, or if you're okay with spoiler alerts read on! 

This book is great. I didn't know what to expect once Simon became a vampire, but I really like that he is semi-normal and can walk in the sun, every since he fed off Jace. Clary is now still trying to save her mother's life and to do so, she has to travel to the City of Glass, the home of all Shadowhunters.  Clary enters the city without permission (which is against the law) and is met by worse and worse news.  Jace doesn't want her in the City and Simon was thrown in prison by the Inquisitor because they are skeptical of a vampire that can walk in the sun (uh yeah, I'd be too!). Clary must find the friend of her mother's to help save her mother's life before it is too late.  Valentine is on his way to destroy all Shadowhunters and allow demons to rule the world.  Clary must convince Shadowhunters to fight along side of their eternal enemies, werewolves, vampires and fairies to help stop Valentine and the demons he is planning to bring into the world. Luckily, Clary finds out she has a magical power that can aid the "good" side in the fight and she has to decide how she can use it to help.  

Definitely a must read! Find it on Amazon here and Barnes & Noble here. 

© Margaret K. McElderry Books, Cassandra Clare

Quick Review:
Title: City of Glass (Mortal Instruments Book #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 576 (paperback)
Recommended: Young adult girls, 14-17 (or 22!)

City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2)

City of Ashes is the second book in the Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. Don't read this post before you've read City of Bones, unless of course you're okay with Spoiler Alerts!


City of Ashes picks up right where City of Bones left off.  Clary's mom is still in a magic-induced coma, she still knows about the Shadowhunters and knows even more now about demons, werewolves and fairies than she ever wanted to know. Clary is torn between leaving this new Shadowhunter world behind and returning to her normal life with her best friend Simon, or becoming a full fledged Shadowhunter with the help of Jace, the guy she just found out is her brother but she still just can't seem to shake him from her mind.  Clary needs to help her mother get better and get out of her magic induced coma, and the only way to do so is to track down her evil father Valentine.  All of the sudden, downworlder children are dying everywhere and being drained of their blood. Clary sets out to see if Valentine is behind this, and if he is, why does he need their blood? After realizing that the mortal instruments have been stolen and that Valentine is in fact behind all of these murders, Clary needs the help of Jace to take down their father. However, Jace was raised by Valentine and has personal connections and fond memories of Valentine, while all Clary knows about her father is that he left her mother and never came back for them.  

I liked the sequel because it was just as good, if not better than the first book.  While the first book seemed to have a lot of loose ends, the second book ties up some of them and creates it's own loose ends leaving you wanting the third book immediately.  Luckily, I started these books after they were all out and didn't have to wait for the next one to come out after finishing the previous books. We all know it's the worst when you have to wait extra time for the sequel to be released.  

Take away from this post: Keep reading the Mortal Instruments Series... You won't regret it.

                                             © Margaret K. McElderry Books, Cassandra Clare


Quick Review: 
Title: City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments Book #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 464 (Paperback)
Recommended: For young adult girls, 14-17 years old.

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments Book #1)

So it's been awhile since I posted, but I'm going to keep posting, even if nobody is reading, but for myself so I can keep track of my books I've read and what I thought about them.. 

So.. City of Bones.. Here we go...

I started reading City of Bones and when I was half way through I saw a preview for the movie that was coming out. So naturally I started picturing Lilly Collins as Clary.  Now she is actually close to what I originally pictured for Clary, but the guy who plays Jace? Not at ALL what I pictured Jace to look like. But that's besides the point. Especially because I haven't seen the movie yet, and don't want to until I finish the whole series and it comes out on Redbox so I can only rent it for $1.  I know I'm probably going to hate it since it will most likely be nothing like the book.. (Why do they always do that?)

So.. City of Bones.. This was a great book. Starts off with Clary seeing this beautiful people (Jace and Isabelle) go into a club and disappear. They all have strange tattoos and Clary's friend Simon, can't see the people with the tattoos.  Clary follows the people and gets herself into trouble and then ends up back at the Institute, where Jace and Isabelle are living. Clary feels herself drawn to Jace because he is so beautiful, but he acts snobbish and stuck up.  It's a typical story of girl meets boy, girl has a crush on boy, boy has crush on girl but acts like a jerk. A story most teenage girls can relate to. Then come the demons... Clary is introduced to the "Shadowhunter" world.  A dangerous world full of demons and angels and murders that disappear in an instant. Clary must enter this world to help save her mother who is attacked and taken by demons.  It's up to Clary to learn how to be a Shadowhunter from Jace and the Lightwoods to save her mother from whatever force has taken her.  

This is a great book. It's riveting and really captures your attention from the very beginning. It doesn't take long for the book to get rolling and I really enjoyed it.  

Here is the book on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble..

© Margaret K. McElderry Books, Cassandra Clare

Quick Review:

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare

Pages: 512 (paperback)

Recommended for: Young adult girls 14-17 years old

Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2)

Well hello again. I'm writing this post quickly before I go to class (grad school classes suckk), so it may not be too well written. But still, bear with me....

Here goes nothing...

So Torn, also by Amanda Hocking of course since she wrote the Trylle series. Awesome number 2 to this series. Sometimes sequels to books are ehh but this one is wonderful because it helps tie up some loose ends from the first books but still leaves you wanting more from the third book. Torn picks up with Wendy in Trylle trying to become the best princess she can be. However, she is really starting to resent her mother for giving her up and making her a changeling but also she is starting to despise her role in Trylle as the princess. She decides to go home and try to live as a regular human. Yeah right, nice try Wendy.  Not even 5 minutes after she is home she is alone and is then attacked by the Vittra who take her home with them.  At the Vittra palace Wendy meets Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she starts to share a growing attraction. While imprisoned at the Vittra palace, Wendy learns more astounding secrets of her life and must make some pretty crazy decisions. Wendy spends the second half of the book trying to decide if she should listen to her heart and do what's best for her or listen to her mother and the Trylle and do what's best for the Kingdom.  While in "princess training" Wendy must also learn how to master her magical powers and also marry a powerful royal to help her rule the Trylle when she becomes Queen.

The book is very well named, I must say. Wendy is "torn" between so many different things, love and duty, who to listen to, who to believe, who to love, it's amazing. Either way she loses something she loves. Who does she decide to love? Finn, her bodyguard who is strictly off limits? Loki, the Vittra prince who she should hate, but just can't? Or Tove, the best match a royal can have in the Trylle kingdom, but he comes with an impossible mother-in-law? In Torn, Wendy must face many dilemmas and she must choose, not only what's best for her, but what's best for her kingdom too.

Great book! Definitely a good continuation of Wendy's story from Switched.

Want to own it? Here it is on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Quick Review:
Title: Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2)
Author: Amanda Hocking

Pages: 324 (paperback) including the "bonus" story

Recommended for: Young adult girls, with some reservations about the language and content. Probably ages 14+