Book Review: Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)

Release Date: July 11, 2017
Author: Chris Colfer
Publisher: Little, Brown Book for Young Readers
Length: 480 pages
Source: Purchased Book/Audible Audiobook

The epic conclusion to Chris Colfer's #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories!

In the highly anticipated conclusion to the Land of Stories series, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters--heroes and villains--are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy tale world?

Breathtaking action mixed with laugh out loud moments and lots of heart will make this a gripping conclusion for many fans!

    

Review:

Protagonists: After Alex's disappearance Connor has been out of his mind with worry about where she might be, meanwhile Morina has begun her plan to invade the Otherworld with the witches from the Land of Stories and the Literary Army. When the worlds begin to collide, hopefully, Connor and his friends can save Alex, and their world, before it's too late. What can I really say, I love these characters, I've loved following their journey through this series and while their character development was a bit heavy-handed and could have been more subtle, I still enjoyed our characters journeys through this finale, and their actions felt very authentic to their characters.

Romance: As this is the final book in this series and there has been a touch of romance since the third installment, there is still a touch of romance in this book as well. Alex has had a couple flirtations and while she does have more important things to do than worry over her love life in this book, and I love that the author never pushed the romance too much, especially in times of crisis, except one but it completely fit and was a spectacular moment, but it was neither Alex nor Connor's moment. Anyway there is a level of conclusion to her romantic drama, and of course, there's Connor who, while there's technically only one girl he's had feelings for this entire series, does find some good closure on that relationship as well, though the prologue kind of spoils things, we'll get to the prologue later.

World Building: In this book worlds truly do collide as the Land of Stories is set to collide with the Otherworld. One of the things I really commend this story on is showing a true battle and following various groups of heroes as they take on the threat to New York City. While the battle does feel a bit formulaic, it was still a lot of fun to experience. We do get to see more characters from the past as well, although one of my biggest frustrations is that there are aspects of this book that have way too much of a recap feel to them. This story is also very message heavy, while I'm not opposed to stories having specific messages, I especially understand having them in fairy tale-inspired stories, the messages here are far too heavy handed. I mean, instead of following someone's journey where they learn from their mistakes and it's left at that, this story makes sure that you understand just what it is that those characters learn, though that may be just an unfortunate side effect of the writing. I'm not saying the writing is bad, in fact, there are some spectacular moments in this story that I loved but the writing can be a bit rough and direct at times and lack a certain finesse.

Predictability: Looking over this story I can't say there was much, if anything I was able to predict, there were a few small things I was spoiled on, but they were a tad predictable, to begin with, but everything else, well while I can't say I saw it coming, nothing wasn't a huge surprise. There were a few moments that almost caught me by surprise but even if I was able to predict something shortly before it happened, it didn't change how some of those twists affected me.

Ending: Sigh, the end of this book... See the final climaxes of this story are amazing, like I said before there's a really fantastic battle and things are intense and awesome, and then there's the final threat. I like the way it was dealt with and it really speaks to the themes of this series and it fit very well, there's even a great scene just before the end with the twins in a specific office... Things begin to settle down, we get some great closure on some of our favorite heroes and the stories ends very well, then there's the epilogue. Many of you may know that I love epilogues, but both the prologue and epilogue felt unnecessary in this book. The prologue just felt out of place and while I understand the purpose the author had for it, it really didn't need to be there, much like the epilogue which brings a sort of full circle ending to the story and while it's possible this may not be the last series in this world, and while I wouldn't turn my nose up at that, I still don't like how open-ended this book is for the final book in a series.

Rating:

While I still really enjoyed this final installment in one of my favorite series, between how open-ended the story is, especially for a conclusion, and how heavy-handed the messages are in this story, I did feel a little disappointed in this finale.

Book Review: The Vampire War (Dark World: The Vampire Wish #5)

Release Date: December 22, 2017
Author: Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Length: 217 pages
Source: Review Copy from Author

Find the Holy Grail. Win the war. Save the world.

A lot has changed for Annika since being kidnapped by vampires to become a blood slave in their hidden kingdom of the Vale. Not only has she learned she’s a Nephilim—a race that’s supposedly extinct—but she’s found herself on a dangerous quest for the Holy Grail. Luckily, she has the vampire Prince Jacen by her side, and the two of them feel ready for anything—especially now that they trust each other more than ever.

But finding the Grail is only the beginning. Because when Annika learns that a demon is leading a pack of wolves to war against the vampires, she must stop him before it’s too late. If she can’t, he’ll open a Gate to Hell… and the world as she knows it will be lost forever.

Get ready for an action-packed, adventure-filled ride in the EPIC conclusion to The Vampire Wish series!

  

Review:

Characters: Does anyone recognize these characters from when they were first introduced because honestly, I don't. Don't get me wrong, everything that led here has felt more or less in character and the development of each of these characters has felt realistic and deserved, but in truth, these characters have developed more than almost any I've read before. Annika is a prime example of this. She went from being a blood slave, wishing for the strength to protect herself to impersonating a vampire princess to an activated Nephilim to the potential savior of the world. To say she's been on a wild ride is a severe understatement and there's still more development for her in this book. While these characters are recognizable, their motivations and their goals have constantly shifted throughout the series and it's a joy to see how the change and develop over time. My personal favorite character to watch grow has been Camelia, previously a Jafar-type advisor, her humanity has leaked out at moments and I've really grown to root for her success, maybe not with her more duplicitous actions, but I wanted her to find a happiness that didn't conflict with characters I cared more about.

Romance: So, there really isn't much more to say about the romances in this book than I've already said before. I really do enjoy seeing Jacen and Annika work together in this story and their bond is stronger than ever as they race to save the world from near-certain doom. I love how the author never treated their romance like a race to the finish and has really developed and established their bond and chemistry before rushing into anything with them. Next, there's Karina who's soul mate comes back from the dead, the same soul mate she can't remember, and to make things even more complicated, without her memories of Peter she rushes off to tell Noah that she wants to be with him. Okay, here's my biggest problem with this book, and in all honesty, it's a very small problem, but this subplot wasn't touched on all that much. It is resolved by the end of the book, but without any real focus on it, it just sort of fell flat and I kind of lost interest.

World Building: So, wow, does this book go into the world building. It's not nearly as informative as the previous installment but there's a lot going on. Annika's quest for the Holy Grail leads to some very interesting information and everything that's been building since, well to be honest the second installment, but was truly established at the very end of book 3, finally comes to a head and we learn just what that demon has been doing in Marigold and where it came from. It's so weird to connect this book with the first because while this story started off as Aladdin with vampires and other supernatural creatures, it's turned into something else entirely unrecognizable by the time this installment rolls around, and much like the characters, everything feels both very different, but natural as well.

Predictability: Honestly I'm not sure why I'm keeping this in here I mean, there were quite a few twists and turns in the story and there were also a few things I was able to predict, but on the whole I didn't pay that much attention to how predictable or not this story was. I was just so swept away by it that I never had time to theorize and catch on to the foreshadowing, not that really was any. In fact, I've never really noticed this before but Madow's writing doesn't leave time for a lot of foreshadowing, I mean, some things make sense because they fit into a certain formula, but most of the reveals come nearly out of nowhere.

Ending: The final climax happened a lot sooner than I was expecting it to. I mean it's not like it happens in the middle of the story, but there's definitely a lot of time after the final climax to cool down and set up the next adventure. The final climax though was a lot of fun, I mean there's a war going on but the scenes were really nice and fast-paced and there was a lot of good action to soak up. The cooldown period, as I like to call it, really was all about moving forward and setting up the next series in this world, which I don't mind at all because it also helped tie up Annika and Jacen's story as well a few others for now. There is a sort of epilogue to this book that honestly does the most to set up at least one character's role in the next series, and that's all I feel comfortable saying.

Rating:

Is this book perfect, no there are honestly a few flaws with it, but in the end, I'm giving it 5 stars because it's a highly addicting story with fun and exciting characters and even though it's not perfect I enjoyed every minute of this book, well except for some of the Karina/Peter/Noah stuff but again, a very small issue.

Book Review: The Dire King (Jackaby #4)

Release Date: August 22, 2017
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Length: 352 pages
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times best-selling series the Chicago Tribune called “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sends the eccentric detective and his indispensible assistant into the heart of a war between magical worlds.

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

The epic conclusion to the New York Times best-selling Jackaby series features sly humor and a quirky cast of unforgettable characters as they face off against their most dangerous, bone-chilling foe ever.

    

Review:

Protagonist: The final battle is about to begin as Abigail and Jackaby prepare for war over the worlds. With the Dire King planning on ripping the veil from between Earth and the magical realm that exists just beyond, there's a lot on the line and lives are put in serious danger. I love these characters, I mean, I know I titled this section "Protagonist" but I'm going to just gush about these characters for a while. Abigail is one of the fiercest and most strong willed women I've read about, and she's not even much of a fighter, she's proof that being a "strong female character" doesn't always mean being physically strong. I love how brave in the face of all she fears is and how she handles herself in this story. Jackaby is the quirkiest and most charming character I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He, like Abigail, is also strong in his own way. He's very much a man of the mind and keen Sight, and how he uses those skills to his advantage in this story are astounding. Jenny has sort of had her story told, but she still has a little development left in her dearly departed self. Jenny is another bit of proof that strength isn't always muscle and sinew, given all that she's been through in the previous book, you'd think she'd hole herself up in her room for a while, but no, she's ready to take on even the toughest challenges. Then, rounding out our crew is Mr. Charlie Barker, a member of the Om Caini race, and his involvement in this story, is a bit heavy, while at the same time much lighter than I anticipated. I'll get into more specifics later, but I love Charlie, he's such a paragon of goodness, it's astounding, yet not grating as you'd expect it to be. Charlie knows what he wants out of life and if people around him would give him a second to voice his desires maybe he would get a chance to grasp them.

Romance: So, there is romance in this book, and as says the description Abigail and Charlie's romance does deepen as Jackaby gives way to his feelings for Jenny, but... there's a war about to start and there's not much of a time for romance. I'm serious though, while I did enjoy the romance in this story, that's not the main focal point and that's made abundantly clear, and I'm okay with that. I felt like there wasn't much need for a lot of romance as you know, the world is in danger of imploding or whatever it is that would happen, so I was actually very okay with the light touch of romance this book had, and let's be honest this isn't a series that's known for its romances.

World Building: So, the thing that made Ghostly Echoes my favorite installment in this series, tying storyline in that book to the rest of the series, was something that left me in awe, and the author manages to do it again, this time tying some things back even before the start of the series to Jackaby and his companions and their misadventures in New Fiddleham. In this story, we also learn more about Charlie and his family. We learn the life Charlie left behind and the responsibilities he shirked off to be a police man in America. Getting this look, not only into Charlie, but the supernatural race he belongs to is marvelous. It adds a new layer to the story and while there were elements that we didn't quite see played out and more skipped over, they were elements I still enjoyed nonetheless. This world is incredible and I loved every second of reading about it. We get to delve deeper into the magical realm beyond the veil (I forget what it's called and I'm too lazy to get up and get my book to check.) and learn more about its storied past and why it's separated from the human world.

Predictability: So, I was about to say that this book is full of twists and turns, but honestly other than one twist, maybe two but I called that twist I just gave up on it before it happened, I pretty much called every major twist in this book. Don't get me wrong I second guessed myself A LOT, but I still guessed the twists. The one I couldn't guess, or maybe I could have but didn't, shook me because that twist made me second guess a bunch of other twists that I did correctly guess but wasn't revealed yet. This twist shook the foundation of my prediction skills, and I'm not even sure we got a good enough explanation for it.

Ending: I want to just rant and rave about all the things that happen in this ending, the good and the bad, but no matter how I swing it, I can't say anything without, pretty much, implying spoilers, which I try and avoid doing at all costs. I will say this, the majority of the ending I loved, in fact, while there was one thing I wasn't too keen on, I kind of moved on rather quickly. However, I'll just say that the "Supplemental Materials" which is pretty much code here for epilogue, is what I want to rant and rave the most about. So, if/when you read this book and you want to rant and rave about the end too, I'm here for you if you want.

Rating:

So, I loved this book, yes I wasn't too keen on the ending, but I don't hold that against the author or the story, and honestly, I'm waiting to see what his (the author's) next move is before declaring any hatred toward this beautiful and wonderfully crafted world!

Book Review: Crown of Cinders (Imdalind #7)

Release Date: November 25, 2016
Author: Rebecca Ethington
Publisher: Imdalind Press
Length: 366 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Author

The Internationally Best-Selling Imdalind Series comes to a close in this long awaited heart-pounding conclusion.

For centuries the war that has raged within magic has ripped the world apart. Fought between Skȓítek and Trpaslík; killing father and son, and destroying a fragile balance between mortal and magic.

For centuries everyone has been awaiting the Silnỳ, searching for the girl who was prophesized. The girl with power strong enough to defeat the evil that plagued the world, and bring the war to an end.

For centuries, everyone was wrong.

The Silnỳ was not what they had been told, the promises of future distorted by a sight that was tarnished. The evil was not what they had expected, not what they had been fighting against. Instead, it was hidden amongst them; plotting, waiting for their time to strike.

And it did. With fire and blade the hidden evil took its place upon a throne of blood. The evil has shown itself and now only one person can save them all.

But with Sights that are no longer infallible and armies that are abandoning their king – it is no longer clear who that person is, or even if they have the courage to stand up to the evil and face their end.

  

Review:

Characters: This series that began with only Joclyn as its narrator has grown and ballooned into this fantastic multi-narrated epic. I'm trying to find a way to fully articulate how phenomenal each point of view is. This author doesn't hold back and gives her readers an inside look into all the key players of this series. Even if there's a character that doesn't get a POV chapter, you still get a fantastic and comprehensive look into their personality and character from multiple other points of view. I really don't want to go into specific storylines, since I'm afraid if I start talking I'll accidently spoil something, but what I will say is that when I first picked up this series I did not see it ending up here, these characters have grown and changed so much since when they first were introduced and certain characters have had their true colors finally revealed and thrown my entire view of this story out of whack. Now it's finally come to a close and I can still say that this author still delivers some of the most layered and complicated characters I've ever read.

Romance: So honestly while there is still a good amount of romance in this book, some of which is actually integral to the overall plot, I was still conflicted on whether or not I should even include this section. Joclyn and Ilyan are a great couple, but once couples reach a certain point, at least to me, they start to get boring. I still love the way these two characters offset and compliment each other, but when there aren't exciting and bold new developments to go through it's hard to still be invested. Ryland's romance does play a rather large role in the story and where he ends up, I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but it's an interesting storyline, to say the least. Of course, there's still the issue of Thom's coma and Wyn doing anything she can to find a way to break it, but I feel if I talk any more about that it's going into a spoilery place too. Let's just say that there is romance in this book, the tried and true stuff is still as strong as it was before and the new or renewed stuff is actually pretty compelling and I was very satisfied by it.

World-Building: You would think that after six books of intense world building and twists that almost redefine what this world is that this author would just sit back and play with her world instead of introducing new stuff. That being said, I'm happy she keeps building this world. Now, the revelations in this world aren't quite as exciting as some of the things we learned in Dawn of Ash, but they're just as twisted and maybe even more awesome. In addition to new revelations in this world, we also get to see more of it. This series namesake is the birthplace of all its magic. The wells of Imdalind, and while I believe we've seen part of Imdalind before, there's something that we never got to see, something that is, let's just say, jaw-dropping.

Predictability: This is an author that does not play by the rules. I've said this before in my reviews of previous installments in this series, but most series follow a basic formula. It's something that gives the reader a bit of insurance that everything will turn out okay, and usually, by the final book, you have a good idea of where all the characters will end up. Rebecca doesn't follow formulas like that, and because of that you never truly know what's going to happen. That sort of anarchic writing leads to some fantastic, if not utterly heart crushing twists that you'll never see coming. Sometimes it means that really fantastic and unimaginable things can happen. There is still some element of foreshadowing so you aren't making your way through completely blind, but there were a few times when I needed to take a break because of certain things that happened (it took me nearly a month to finish this book.)

Ending: The ending to this book what indescribable. The "final battle" was not what I expected at all, mostly because it wasn't one battle. Without spoiling too much, and hopefully nothing important, I will say that each major character had a trial or demon that they had to face and seeing that happen over the last chapters of this book was incredible. There was a great amount of action, world-shattering revelations, and heart melting moments. Then came the final chapter, which is an epilogue of sorts. My main problem with this is that between the final two chapters there seems to be a disconnect, and granted I read the ending on the ARC that the author provided me so maybe something changed in the final draft, but I felt like I was missing a chunk. There was a lot that had to be inferred and while some of it was easy some of it just felt more confusing. Then there was the thing at the end that while I'm sure I have some basic understanding of what happened, some more concrete confirmation would have been nice.

Rating:

As series finales go, this one did not disappoint. Other than a disconnected epilogue, which by itself was mostly marvelous, I have no complaints about this finale. This author made bold and exciting moves in this final installment and when I was reading I was incredibly engrossed in the story.

Book Review: The Hands of Time (Elementals #5)

Release Date: November 25, 2016
Author: Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Length: 190 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Author

Time is running out. War will be waged. Sacrifices will be made.

Months ago, Nicole Cassidy’s life was turned upside-down when she discovered that she was a witch descended from the Greek gods. She and the four other witches gifted with elemental powers fought all over the world—and in another dimension—to battle the supporters of the Titans and fight for the people they love.

Now the Elementals must stop Typhon—the most dangerous monster in the world—from rising, and seal the portal to the dangerous prison world of Kerberos. But they won’t be able to do that without facing their hardest decision yet… a sacrifice so great that it may be one they’re not willing to make.

Get ready for the stunning, action-packed conclusion to the bestselling Elementals series, with twists and turns that you’ll never see coming!

  

Review:

Protagonist: Nicole Cassidy has just braved the prison world of Kerberos to save the boy she loves from the megalomaniacal demigod, Ethan, only to find him dead and her and the only other Elementals' only chance at stopping the Titan Typhon from rising, the Head of Medusa, destroyed. Now she's given the chance to go back in time and write her wrongs. After traveling back in time with fellow Elemental, Danielle, they save Blake in a matter of minutes, but that doesn't mean their work isn't over. There are still many things to do, and sacrifices to make before the Earth can be safe. I'm not quite sure what to say about the development of Nichole, or really any of the main characters in this story. They aren't perfect, far from it actually, but that's something that makes them very human and realistic characters. There is some development that they all go through in this book, there are tough and heartbreaking decisions that have to be made that really show off how far these characters have come since the first book in this series.

Romance: I almost feel like I need to cut this part out. Romance isn't one of the main themes of this book. The love, both platonic and romantic, that these characters have for one another does drive the story, and there is a sizable section of the book that is completely driven by one character's romantic love for another character, but other than these two characters working through whatever issues are currently plaguing them and growing stronger as a couple there isn't really any progression or super exciting instances of romance in this book. Don't get me wrong, despite not being super excited about this couple at the beginning of the series, I have really started to root for them and wish them the best, but once a couple reaches a certain point in stories there isn't all that much to get excited about.

World Building: I think this section is where I had the most trouble with this story. At the beginning of this book, there was so much still left to do, and given how short this story was I wasn't sure how the author was going to fit so much in such a small space. While I enjoyed the new elements of the world that this installment introduced, because of the limited space it felt like things were not only going by too fast but that things were going just a bit too easily. That's not to say that there weren't consequences for certain actions, but rather that in the long run there was a feeling of convenience to certain things, that lasted for about half the book, then things sort of flipped. If things were easy in the first half of this story, then in the second half they were far more arduous. I'm not going to reveal what happens obviously, but there is such a contrast with two halves of this book that I'm not sure how I feel, it's uneven and yet it is technically balanced out pretty well.

Predictability: Going into this book I had a few ideas about how I thought this story was going to conclude, that being said I was totally caught off guard by how everything went down. Not only was I, at least before starting this story, unable to see how certain things would go about but given how quickly the second half escalates my vision for how I thought this series would end was just completely off the mark. I don't want to spoil anything which always makes this section the hardest to write, but I'll say this, Madow provides just enough foreshadowing so that you won't see a twist coming, but when it happens you'll understand the steps that led up to it.

Ending: The ending of a book is important, but the ending of a series is the most important. In my experience, how a series ends can affect how I feel about the entire series. That being said I was pleasantly surprised by how this series ended. As you all may know I'm not a huge fan of idyllic ending where there's no real fall out or consequence from the entire series and everyone gets to live happily ever after like it never happened, or that things were even better than before it happened. This book doesn't have an idealistic ending like that. Again, I'm not going to spoil how this story ends, but I'll say that there is an epilogue that is told from a character other than Nicole, and even when I finished the book there were still a few questions I had. I'm not sure if the author will ever write a companion or spin-off series that will answer, quite literally, the one question I have about how this story ends, but if she did you should know that I'm sure it would be amazing.

Rating:

I have to say this was a great ending to a vastly entertaining series. Other than the sort of uneven pacing and stark contrast in the two halves of this book, I loved it and am excited to see what this author will put out next!