Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Going on Vacation

I'm going on vacation for a month so I probably won't be posting anything until the end of August. Until then, have a great summer and happy blogging.

Wolf Island

By: Darren Shan

As usual, Darren Shan’s latest installment blew me away with the layer upon layer of action, suspense and the dramatic scenes. The woven in humor adds a really nice touch to the already great piece of work and breaks the tense atmosphere a bit. The writing is very fast-paced and leaves you with a pounding heart and a thirst for more. I can’t wait for the next book that comes out in October.

The clock is ticking for Grubbs Grady as the mysterious shadow gains more power with the increasing amount of demons joining its side. He and a small group of friends desperately search for answers which leads them to the Lambs, who specialize in studying and killing werewolves. From there, they learn something that if used wisely could aid the Disciples in their quest in destroying demons, if not, bye-bye humanity.

Sons of Destiny

By: Darren Shan

Darren Shan did a good job on wrapping this series up but the way he did it also made me full of questions. It is interesting though that once I finished book 9, I was thinking that an ending of this series could be that Darren dies and *cough* *cough* again. I thought this because I didn’t want *cough* *cough* to die and leave Darren alone. Funny that my thoughts became reality. What I didn’t expect and didn’t like is Darren changing the past because then all he had sacrificed and been through was all in vain other than saving his life and putting another child to defeat the Vampaneze Lord.

The time has come for the two hunters, Darren and Vancha, to face the Vampaneze Lord and his protector. Before that happens thought, Darren must confront his sister, Annie, and tell her the truth after eighteen years of believing he was head because Annie’s son, Darius, needs help. After Darius’s safety gets settled, Darren learns that Cirque du Freak is in trouble and believes that it is the Lord of the Vampaneze’s doing. Sure enough, it is and the time has come to decide who the Lord of the Shadows is going to be. When the victor is revealed, Mr. Tiny, who has been watching, tell the two a shocking truth that makes all of what they had done a sick game and in vain.

Monday, July 27, 2009

If I Stay

By: Gayle Forman

This book is a beautiful piece of work, combing past memories of how Mia’s life was before the accident and how easily a life can be ruined with the present. It almost made me cry as friends and family visited Mia and told her their feelings about her choice in staying or leaving. I really like the cover because it is symbolic by showing that even if everything that matters to you is gone there still is hope to survive.

Mia is a seventeen year old girl and has been faced with many tough choices with her career and her boyfriend but soon, all of those choices don’t matter anymore. On one snow-day with the whole family taking the day off, they decide to visit some friends and relax. Their plans are soon disrupted when they get involved in a deadly car accident where both parents perish instantly and leave Mia and her younger brother in critical condition. Understanding that it is her fight and choice, Mia is faced with the dilemma of joining her family on the other side or staying.

River Secrets

By: Shannon Hale

River Secrets started off with a slow beginning and it lacked action and dramatic scenes until the end which made the beginning and middle a bit boring. It wasn’t that catching or attractive but the suspense made me keep reading. I’m thinking that it needs more excitement even though the main character is supposed to be invisible and stealthy which means avoiding melee with his enemies. Overall, it was a good read and I really liked it.

Bayern has won the war against its neighboring nation, Tira, and the two nations have accomplished an uneasy peace until the Tiran assembly gathers to decide whether to go to war again or made peace. Before the meeting, the ambassadors of each country will go to the enemies city and a group of soldiers are sent to escort each ambassador to their destination. Unexpectedly chosen, Razo, who is a horrible swordman, is part of the elite group sent to protect their ambassador to Tira. As they depart to Tira, it is Razo that discovers the first dead body and it is he who must figure out who is the mastermind of the burnt bodies before Tira decides to wage war against Bayern again.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Lord of the Shadows

By: Darren Shan

Immediately eye-catching. It beings with a big BANG! and kept it like that until the very end. Like many of Darren Shan’s books, it was fast-paced and filled with dramatic and action scenes that spiced the book up. It is getting more intense and sometimes desperate as the hunters try and kill the Lord of the Vampaneze. There wasn’t too much suspense but there was some shocking surprises that made me think “No way!”

After traveling with the Cirque du Freak for two years, Darren believes it is time to resume the hunt for the Lord of the Vampaneze when he learns that the next stop will be home. Darren Shan is finally going home after eighteen years abroad. Once he arrives, he notices that it is not the safe place it used to be. Now, there are scores to be settled and old enemies are waiting to draw some blood. The final showdown has begun.

Death's Shadow

By: Darren Shan

Disgusting and vivid. The thought of all the blood, guts, flesh and bones that were spilled in this book was amazing and terrifying at the tame time. It amazes me at how cruel demons can be and how evil evil can actually be. There were many twists and turns with action scenes woven together. It was very fast-paced that I had the pages turning at a breath-taking rate and I couldn’t stop.

After the demon apocalypse has come and gone, new hope emerges as Bec, a girl who has been trapped in a cave for many centuries, is finally freed from her prison and as powerful as ever. After a werewolf attack, the Disciples are wondering if there is another force working against humanity. Beranabus, Grubbs and Kernal find out that there is yet they don’t know what it is although they know it is plotting to destroy humanity. The race to save humankind has begun again though this time the foes are smarter and stronger.

The Lost Queen

By: Frewin Jones

Great book. It began nicely but then the quality started to decline a bit with the lack of action though it did pick up near the end of part two. The flashback to Tania’s earlier mortal lives were an interesting add on to the story. I actually didn’t expect Tania to find her mother so late into the story but I guess it had to be or the book would be a bit too perfect. Once the action scenes came to lie in the story, I couldn’t stop reading because it got so interesting. I really like the sparkling and bright cover, though Tania looks way different from the book.

Tania was an ordinary girl, living her life in the Mortal Realm but then she got swept away into a different world where she learns that she is a Faerie princess. Now she has returned to the Mortal Realm after defeating the evil Gabriel Drake in search for her long lost mother, Queen Titania. Her return isn’t a smooth one. Tania and her parents have had an argument about her disappearance and there are sinister forces rising to power in Faeries. Gabriel Drake is haunting Tania’s mind and the two worlds are about to clash together.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Demon Apocalypse

By: Darren Shan

Intense and dramatic from beginning to the end, this book will have your eyes focused on its words no matter what. The twists abd turns take you from human annihilation to a desperate chance to save them. It was fast-paced and filled with action. What I thought that could be added to make the story more intense is to have short and choppy sentences like before. During the first three books, Shan used short and choppy sentences and it made the stories more intense but from the fourth book onward no more choppy sentences.

Grubbs Grady is stuck on a plane with doomed passengers, three familiars, a woman who he used to trust, and a demon master determined to get revenge on him. It is the end of Grubbs Grady, or at least he thinks it is until a bum saves him by pulling him out of the plane and flies, yes flies, to safety. There, he learns that the bum is a magician named Beranabus who devotes his life in preventing demons from crossing into the human world. Beranabus also has an assistant named Kernal Fleck. Soon, the trio are off destroying demons in Demonata but what they don’t know is that demons have invaded and killed off mostly everyone.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Killers of the Dawn

By: Darren Shan

Just when I thought this series was degrading in quality, the Killers of the Dawn soared into the books I loved. Suspenseful and dramatic to the very end, I gripped the book tightly and finished it in one gulp. I have just one question: Why is it that almost always the hero/main character’s mentor always get killed valiantly? It gets so annoying and sad once you get to know a good-hearted person and then BAM! he or she dies. Is it because the author wants to prove to the readers that the main character has matured and is capable of making wise decisions?

Their cover is blown. Now Darren Shan, Mr. Crepsley, Vancha March and Harkat Mulds are in more danger because they are still being chased by the vampaneze and on top of that the police and an angry mob are after them, too. All of their enemies want to get a share of the foursome’s blood but only one will get it. The vampires need to prepare for battle because if they don’t go searching for it the vampaneze will bring it upon them. Will they triumph or let the Lord of the Vampaneze slip from their grasp again?

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

By: Ally Carter

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her cover is a great book and I really like it. Despite that the book felt boring in the middle with nothing really big going on there was a lot of suspense since everyone was afraid for Macey’s safety and they didn’t know when their enemies will strike again. There were many twists and turns because you would think that the bad guys are going after one person only to find out next that they were actually going after another.

Macey McHenry’s dad is about to accept the nomination for vice president of the United States and, of course, Cammie is invited to the event. She is very excited and thinks that the end of her summer vacation is going to be a blast but it has not been even twenty-four hours when she and Macey find themselves in a kidnapping plot and they are lucky to come away with a broken arm and a minor head injury. Weeks later, the Gallagher Girls are back into the game as they go back behind the safe walls of their academy but Cammie just can’t shake off the memories of the kidnapping attempt and vows to find out the truth of the kidnappers but some things are best left alone.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie

I went to see the movie at midnight when it first came out. I was caught off guard at how funny it was because I expected it to more intense because Lord Voldemort is getting more powerful and I don't think that the movies before were that hilarious. It has been a several years since I read the Half-Blood Prince so I pretty much forgot everything and can't compare it with the movie but I think it stayed similar to the book with some minor changes that overall did not change the movie too much.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hunters of the Dusk

By: Darren Shan

This book was great. Despite the eyes in the background the greenish color is slightly calming in an eerie way. The book is getting a bit boring thought with the same main characters and there is not as much action as before. But I guess it’s fitting to have Mr. Crepsley and Darren and another Prince go on the hunt since the series does revolve around Darren. It’s not as fast-paced but the humor makes up for it because I cracked up several times while reading.

After six years of being a Vampire Prince, Darren begins to long for the time when Mr. Crepsley, Harkat, and him were on the run in the outside world while being cooped up in Vampire Mountain. Little does he know his wish is about to be fulfilled. Mr. Tiny, leader of the Little People, soon comes knocking on the vampires’ door with words for aiding them in their war with the vampaneze. Three hunters are chosen and have the fate of the vampires in their hands as they are given four chances to kill the Lord of the Vampaneze. Mr. Crepsley and Darren are chosen and they will meet the third on their travels to defeat the Lord. They soon find themselves in grave danger but that must mean they are getting close to finding their enemies

Blood Beast

By: Darren Shan

The cover of Blood Beast kind of freaks me out with the dark-colored blood and severed off fingertips and the screaming werewolf face. I had to put the book facedown on my nightstand once I was done because I was reading late into the night and didn’t want to see it. I love some parts of the book because they are so funny. There is a lot of suspense that led to a dramatic ending but I had my suspicions because Darren Shan did a good job of dropping clues. I really wish I had the next book at hand because this one ended in a cliffhanger.

Until now, Grubbs has escaped the family curse but soon he begins to experience the sickening symptoms at the time of a full moon. He wants to tell his uncle Dervish but he can’t bring up the courage to do so and, furthermore, Dervish isn’t around when Grubbs needs him. After the death of Grubb’s best friend, he finally musters up the courage and spills the secrets he has kept from Dervish. Later on, Juni Swan comes back but Grubbs notices something different about her that makes him uneasy but he doesn’t know who to trust since Dervish has called the Lambs. Betrayed and hurt, Grubbs faces another problem: he can’t resist the wolf in him anymore. What will he do?

Monday, July 13, 2009

Bec

By: Darren Shan

Terrifying and vivid yet it captures your attention and doesn’t let you go even if your grossed out or tense with anticipation. I read late into the night because it was so good. Bad idea unless you want to freak yourself out. It wasn’t the demons or the descriptions that were the most horrifying, it was the waiting for something bad to happen that was the worst because I kept on thinking that something bad or gross was going to happen anytime soon. Don’t do that unless you want to scare yourself even more. There were many surprises hidden in this book but the most surprising one was at the end, wrapping everything up in a shocking but satisfying way.

When demonic Fomorii roam their land and slaughter any humans that they can sense, Bec and some others form a group to answer a plea for help. Because of a vision she saw, Bec, a priestess in training, believes that she can unlock the mysteries of her past because she is an orphan. While traveling across the land, the small group encounter many dangers but make it to the village who called for aid. There, they meet someone unexpected and are furthermore astonished at what that someone wants them to do. The band of warriors reluctantly accept the person’s demands but closing a tunnel that allows demons to come to the human world is no small task.

The Vampire Prince

By: Darren Shan

What can I say? It was brilliant. The Vampire Prince is filled with suspense and action that leave you out of breath and wanting more. Not that I’m complaining but the vampires were too quick to believe what Darren said about vampaneze planning to attack. I expected it to be a bit more challenging to get his friends and fellow vampires to believe Darren. Also, I get that the Vampire Princes want to help Darren get out of his death penalty but can’t they be a bit more harsh instead of promoting him to the highest rank possible? It seems to good to be true. Could the Princes just rid Darren of the penalties?

Darren Shan is betrayed by a friend, causing him to be branded a traitor and being hunted by the vampire clan. He feels sure that the end of the road is near for him yet he holds valuable information that could determine the future of all the vampires which he is determined to give to the vampires. Needing to survive the unbearable cold since he got dumped out of Vampire Mountain via a stream, Darren must find a way to get back into the mountain again though the odds are against him. Can Darren make it into the mountain and convince that the vampires that there is a traitor in their midst and the vampaneze are planning an attack while avoid getting killed.

The Faerie Path

By: Frewin Jones

The Faerie Path immediately caught my attentions with its bright and colorful cover and interesting plot summary. I got hooked right when I started to read it with its dramatic beginning and read the whole thing through in one gulp[ because of the suspense and excitement. It was kind of frustrating when the main character doesn’t embrace her destiny and thinks its only a dream but I guess I can understand.

Anita Palmer was an ordinary sixteen year old girl with a gorgeous boyfriend named Evan Thomas until a handsome stranger pulls her into another world. There she discovers that she is Princess Tania, seventh daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania of Faerie, who has been missing for five hundred years. Grief stricken over the disappearance of his youngest daughter and death of his wife, King Oberon caused Faerie to live in darkness. Now that Tania has returned, Faerie is, once again, a beautiful and pleasant place to live in. But Tania can’t forget her life in the Mortal World and wants to go back but when a sinister plot is revealed, only she can save the day.

Friday, July 10, 2009

The Soldiers of Halla

By: D.J. MacHale

The end of the Pendragon series is here. Tell you the truth. I didn’t want to read it at first because I didn’t want the series to end. Didn’t work. I read it anyways though I read sparingly until I had nothing else to read and to use as an excuse and dug in. Intense and filled with excitement and humor, I loved it. The end was kind of confusing but that is ok since I think I get the meaning of the last chapter.

The end is here… Saint Dane has won… or has he? Bobby Pendragon and the other Travelers don’t think so and aren’t giving up until Saint Dane is defeated. Though Saint Dane’s vision of becoming a god and ruling over the elite people of Halla aka the Ravinians while destroying anyone lesser than perfect. He made one mistake. A huge mistake that gave the Travelers one last chance to crush Saint Dane. Bobby and his fellow Travelers must combine all of what they ever had in using that one mistake to their advantage for the one last desperate battle that would determine the future of Halla. The battle has begun.

City of Bones

By: Cassandra Clare

Such an amazing book. It had humor, suspense and excitement that would have you reading for hours if you are not careful. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn’t believe were true. Once I started I couldn’t stop so I finished the hole book in one day, glued to my chair and my mind was obsessed with reading it. This is a fabulous book and anyone who has the time should read it.

Clary Fray is a normal fifteen year old who is going to the Pandemonium Club in New York City with her friend, Simon. While there, the lasting she expects to witness is a murder, much less a murder made by a trio of teenagers covered with weird tattoos and carrying strange weapons. Right before Clary’s eyes, the victim disappears into thin air. She learns that the three teenagers are Shadowhunters, devoted in killing demons from the Shadowworld. Within less than a day, Clarry is pulled into their world when her mother gets kidnapped and she herself gets attacked by a demon. Suddenly, she can see creature she has never seen before and life got more dangerous as she goes on a quest to find out who she really is with the help of the Shadowhunters.

Slawter

By: Darren Shan

Terrific and terrifying at the same time. The vivid descriptions make the readers get grossed out and the short, choppy sentences add to the already tense and anxious atmosphere that make the scariness notch up a level. I’m not sure if its just me getting used to the demons but has the scariness gone down a bit because it isn’t that horrifying anymore. The tension and suspense and thrill are still in there so the creepiness doesn’t damp down my overall liking. There are many twists and turns so strap on your seatbelt and enjoy the ride.

Grubbs and Bill-E are thrilled that they are going to participate as on-set consultants with their uncle, Dervish, for the newest movie by cult horror producer Davida Haym. It’s going to be Haym’s masterpiece but soon things begin to get a bit too realistic. Child actors are disappearing and the demon’s Haym’s using to film… well…they look very real… Grubbs senses that there is something wrong and with Dervish and some others they try to set everything right before the slawter begins.

Demon Thief

By: Darren Shan

I greatly dislike the way the author transitioned from the last book to this book. I didn’t know what time period this was in. Before, after or during when Grubbs and Dervish had their adventure? Later on I find out that this was before but then what is the point of it if the next book is going back to Grubbs and his adventures again. There really is no point unless the main characters in this book band together with Grubbs and the others from those books which might be possible but I don’t know. Other then switching characters, I find this book very entertaining and thrilling. It contains many twists and turns that make me think “Impossible” or “How…?”. It was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cornelius or Kernel Fleck is an unusual teenaged boy who sees patches of flickering and sometimes pulsing lights everywhere. People think he is crazy and avoid him as much as possible which makes Kernel fell very isolated and lonely. Once, while in his bedroom, he pieced together multiple patches of light and made a window. Little did he know that this window was a path to the demonic world. When a demon appears and kidnaps Art, his infant brother, Kernel does everything to try and get his brother back but he learns a shocking truth…

Lord Loss

By: Darren Shan

When I first began reading this book I immediately got hooked by its suspenseful and dramatic scenes. It was terrifying though with the vivid descriptions of the blood and the demons in their home/hell. I was afraid that I’d get nightmares because of it. Yesterday was the fourth of July and there was fireworks going off simultaneously so I’d flinch every once in awhile while I was reading Lord Loss. It was that scary or maybe it wasn’t the scariness but the anticipation of what was going to happen because, I mean, the characters are dealing with demons, demons that could kill you in a flash without blinking an eye. Even though it was horrifying, I still read it because it was such a good book.

Grubitsch Grady is a normal teenaged boy whose parents are chess maniacs and his sister is an evil little angel who loves seeing Grubbs in trouble. All too soon, Grubbs is thrown into hell as he witnesses his parents and sister get murdered by demons. Confined to an institute for his unrealistic sightings, Grubbs retreats into this own world of nightmares because no one can help him. Then, he meets his Uncle Dervish who has also seen his fair share of demons. Once Grubbs is released from the institute and goes to live with Dervish where he will learn the unpleasant truth of all this.

Temple of the Winds

By: Terry Goodkind

Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. The fourth book of the Sword of Truth series is just as good as the three before Temple of the Winds. The beginning wasn’t that great and some chapters were but overall, it was a great book to read. I sat in a chair for fours straight with my eyes glued on the words. There was a lot of suspense that made me think about what was going to happen next and who actually was the culprit. Also, there were parts that were really creepy and disgusting that made me skim through the text.

Emperor Jagang is back to claim rule over the vast lands that aren’t already under his rule yet. Using his ruthless skills, the dream walker haunts people in their worst nightmares, causing pain beyond imaginable. Soon, a plague is released by magic that kills thousands of innocent people starting with the children. The only thing that stands between Jagang and his victory is Richard Rahl, leader of D’Hara. Haunted by prophecies, Richard must pay the price of the winds to rid the world of the plague before he and his people perish.

Trials of Death

By: Darren Shan

Heart-pounding action. There’s more humor in this book than the one before Trials of Death. There is more action and thrilling suspense than any of the four books before. The book is packed with twists and turns until the very end with a decision that Darren makes which could decide whether he lives or dies. I’m confused with this cover also. I get the fire in the background but the deathly pale, hollow-eyed face? Is that what I think it is? Also, I’m starting to wonder if the series should be called Cirque du Freak since its more about Darren’s adventures then his life as a performer.

Having decided to participate in the Five Trials of Death to prove himself to the vampire’s clan, Darren Shan must endure five very dangerous trials and survive or face the stakes at the Halls of Death with shame and dishonor. At the same time, war is brewing between the vampires and vampaneze in which the vampires will not win. It is a world of nightmares containing bloodshed and betrayal that Darren must cope with… if he survives…

Vampire Mountain

By: Darren Shan

As like the three book before this one, Vampire Mountain carries the same great quality and excitement within. With the thrilling and dramatic scenes, the author grabs your attention and keeps it until the very last word. The humor and sarcasms ok in here but they make you smile and laugh a bit so that’s settled. The cover, however, is confusing because I just don’t get it. What is it representing? The plot is filled with twists that after a while I think a read will come to understand that they need to have the next book within an arm’s reach because of the thirst for more.

Eight years have passed since Darren Shan was blooded and six years have passed without any major event occurring. The stability of living peacefully is about to be broken. Mr. Crepsley and Darren Shan embark on a dangerous journey to Vampire Mountain, the core of the vampire world. On their journey they encounter many dangers but none of them will prepare Darren for the test he will be put against once arriving. Will one so young be accepted…or killed?

Dragon Spear

By: Jessica Day George

Great book and I really liked it but compared to the two books before this one it wasn’t too great. I don’t know if I overrated those two but Dragon Spear was a bit disappointing. It didn’t have the same suspense or thrill and excitement as before. Maybe its because my expectations were a bit too high. I was also expecting some more humor not that Dragon Spear didn’t have any but I think that the ones before had more. And on the cover is that dragon Feniul or Velika?

The king and queen of dragons, Shardas and Velika, have finally settled down in a comfortable home in the Far Isles. It seems just the right time for Prince Luka and Creel to have their wedding in the Far Isles. What they don’t expect is that Velika gets kidnapped. Creel, Luka and some others join the chase to get the queen of dragons only to find that the enemies may be one of their own. Facing dangerous new foes and volcanic eruptions, Creel and her friends must save Velika before the enemy dragons manage to keep her and her hatchlings confined in their territory forever.

Pendragon: Before the War Book Three

By: Walter Sorrells

The last prequel of Pendragon: Before the War was good and I really liked it. I prefer the second one the most but this one comes in second so not too bad. It had excitement and suspense but not too much which is ok. The reactions from the Travelers when they first learn about their destiny was not that great but better than the first book. The cover, again, is not too good. Loor looks the best while Siry and Patrick look iffy. Siry looks like a shepherd and Patrick looks like a priest or well, it just isn’t what I imagined.

Read about young Loor’s first time she has been put to a test in which she has to retrieve the sacred golden axe that is used during a festival, Siry Remudi’s suspicions about the secrets that the tribunal is keeping from its citizens, causing Siry to search for the truth and Patrick Mac’s quest to search for a thief who steals ancient books from the twentieth century and burns them.

Pendragon: Before the War Book Two

By: Walter Sorrells

I’m surprised. Because of the disappointment that I got from the first book I expected no better in this one. I was wrong. Book Two was way better than Book One. A thing that I like about this book is that unlike Book One, the author talks about how the three Travelers react to Press or their mentor when they first learn about their destiny. I have to say though that the cover looks kind of crappy because Alder looks like a homeless person, all hunched over and sad-looking. Well, I guess he is supposed to look a bit sad but not like that. At first glance (and second glance), I thought Elli was Patrick. I didn’t even notice my mistake until long after I finished this book and was naming all the Travelers with the aid of these books. I finally noticed my mistake while thinking, “Wait, is that Elli because Patrick wasn’t described in this book?” I believe that Aja most resembles the Aja in the book out of these three Travelers on this cover.

This book contains Aja Killian’s experience when a rival of hers makes her get into very big trouble and the only way to set it right is to win at a game he created. It explains the risky adventures that Elli Winter took on Quillan and Alder’s quest to overcome the challenges he faced to become a Bedoowan knight.