Book Review: "Froi of the Exiles"

Froi of the Exiles

by Melina Marchetta

 

Goodreads Summary: Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.

Review: Marchetta returns to the fantastical world of Lumatere in this riveting sequel. While Finnikin of the Rock could be a stand alone book, Froi of the Exiles ends in a cliff hanger and has me biting my nails to find out what happens (the next book doesn't come out until October!).  The magic of Marchetta isn't in the action or plot, although both are spectacular, but it's in the development of the characters themselves.  All of the characters are so wonderfully developed that you almost don't care where the main storyline goes - in fact, for most of the book, the antagonist is almost never directly present or involved.  Instead, you care more about the characters and what happens to them as they struggle to persevere.  This next book in the series was certainly more ambitious than the first book, with many different viewpoints and story lines, but it was absolutely wonderful, and I can't wait until the third book comes out.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Book Review: "Third Grave Dead Ahead"

Third Grave Dead Ahead

by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Summary: Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the parthuman, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hellbent on murder when the devil’s son just won’t give up?

Review: The sassiest and sexiest grim reaper, Charley Davidson, is back in the third book of the series.  With her "bite me" attitude, Charley charges through sleepless days and nights, strange ghosts, and  dangerous biker gangs to find a man who is supposed to be dead and a missing woman with a suspicious husband.  While the book is still humorous and full of adventure, the tone does take a turn for the darker side in this latest installment.  The next book comes out in October, which is too far away.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Book Review: "Finnikin of the Rock"

 

Finnikin of the Rock

by Melina Marchetta

Goodreads Summary: At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny. 

Review: It's been a while since I've done this, but I read this book in a day!  All 400 pages of it!  Which should, right away, show you how much I enjoyed this book.  It was an epic fantasy full of intriguing and complex characters.  Finnikin, the main hero, was strong, competent, and intelligent.  Evanjalin, on the other hand, was cunning, manipulative, and ruthless; however, I really liked the intricacies of her character because she was so different from other heroines that are typically in teen books.    Marchetta does an amazing job at balancing action with plot and character development, along with the building of a fantastical world.  By the end, I had despaired with the characters, but also felt hope with them as well.  I'm looking forward to the second book of the series, Froi of the Exiles, and I would most definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Book Review: "Always a Witch"

Always a Witch

by Carolyn MacCullough

Goodreads Summary: Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.

Review:  It's been a while since I read the first book of this two book series, but MacCullough did a fantastic job at reminding readers what happened without being too obvious.  No time is wasted before Tamsin is forced to act, and I was soon caught up with her determination to save her family.  Although I did question how accurate the Victorian-era world was portrayed and how time travel works, it was still a fun and fast read.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural book that involves magic, but is sick of vampires, werewolves, or fairies.  Be sure to read the first book, Once a Witch, before tackling this one.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5