Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan ★

Glow (Sky Chasers, Book 1)
by Amy Kathleen Ryan
September 2011
St. Martin's Griffin

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.  ~ William Shakespeare

We all know the story of the legendary rape of the Sabine women from history class.  But believe me when I tell you that you've never heard it like this!  Part of a mission to colonize New Earth, the ship Empyrean has been peacefully floating through space for decades.  Fifteen-year-old Waverly and handsome captain-in-training Kiernan were both born on the ship and have known their entire lives that it was their duty to marry early and reproduce in order to ensure completion of the mission.  Their worlds are turned upside down, however, when their barren sister ship attacks, kidnapping all young girls on board the Empyrean.  It will now take all the courage and wisdom that Waverly and Kirenan possess in order to survive their new situations and find one another in the infinite vastness that is outer space.  With incredibly complex characters, a riveting setting, and the knowledge that you can trust no one, Glow is a compelling must read for fans of the futuristic fight for survival.

Sky Chasers
Glow
Spark (TBR July 2012)
Possible Book 3 TBA

Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

Shadowcry (The Secrets of Wintercraft, Book 1)
by Jenna Burtenshaw
June 2011
Greenwillow Books

A deathly curse.  An ancient secret.  Those who wish to see the dark, be ready to pay your price.

The price of a major headache from constantly rolling your eyes while reading this book.  Before I say another negative word, I would like to point out that I was interested enough in knowing what was going to happen to the characters that I got through the entire book in a few hours (with a little skimming).

Kate Winters has been living peacefully with her Uncle in their little bookshop throughout Albion's war.  Things aren't going well, however, and wardens have begun to seek special recruits known as "the skilled" in order to aid them in the war effort.  Kate never thought she had anything to fear from these wardens, until the day she raised a blackbird from the dead.  Now Kate must walk through the veil, run from captors, and ultimately make a deal with a murderer in order to save those she loves most.

If it wasn't for the bland, contradictory characters or the countless escape attempts followed almost immediately by capture, this might have been a more enjoyable book as the concept is interesting and the world is well built.  The biggest flaw with this book, however, may have been just how much I loved the dark, villainous murderer.  I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to like him, but by the end of the book I was head over heels.  If the next book continues his story, then you can count me in!  Otherwise . . . sorry, but you're on your own Kate.

The Secrets of Wintercraft
Shadowfell
Blackwatch (TBR June 2012)
Legacy (TBR 2013)

All Men of Genius by Lev Ac Rosen

All Men of Genius
by Lev Ac Rosen
September 2011
Tor Books

"I quite agree with Dr. Nordau's assertion that all men of genius are insane, but Dr. Nordau forgets that all sane people are idiots." ~Oscar Wilde

Let's begin with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, throw in some Jane Austen, salt it with Robert Louis Stevenson and mix in a cup of steampunk.  The end result?  A brilliant young female inventor who dresses as a boy in order to gain admittance to a prestigious male only academy and is subsequently chased by killer automata, kissed by a Duke, and faced with an evil plot that may put all her future dreams in jeopardy.  Or in other words, you get All Men of Genius.  While this was an extraordinarily slow read, the book is well written and interesting enough that you continue to slog through the large cast of characters and Violet's daily comings and goings until you reach the dramatic, action packed conclusion.  Fans of the steampunk genre who are looking for a more adult read should definitely give this one a try!

Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly

Love in a Nutshell
by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly
January 2012
St. Martin's Press

Kate Appleton needs a job.  Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees.  Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate's family home, and keep a killer from closing in . . . all while resisting their undeniable attraction to each other?

An even better question would be, can I avoid throwing up while writing this review?  Probably not.  Blech.  As a huge fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and Wicked series, I was excited to read this novel which has been hailed as a sparkling novel of romantic suspense, small town antics, and secretive sabotage.  Sounds pretty good, yeah?  Well turns out I'm not a fan of books where relationships are the highest priority.  By the second chapter I was sick of Kate's flirty attitude and even sicker of Matt Culhane's internal dialogue about the adorable blond he had just hired.  I would much rather read a book with a real, meaty plot and be served a little romance on the side.  Possibly that is what the authors believe they have done as the romance was actually very tame and not at all steamy.  However, the constant mind chatter about how good so and so looked without a shirt on or how much he wanted her to be his forever drove me nuts.  For that reason, I don't know that I've ever seen a more appropriate book trailer than this one.

This is definitely a book for fans of relationship focused plots in need of a very light read.  The rest of us will just keep looking forward to the release of Evanovich's next book in her Wicked series, Wicked Business, to be released on June 19, 2012!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater
October 2011
Scholastic Press

Some race to win.  Others race to survive.

I *think* I may have just read a standalone young adult book.  Hallelujah!  There's something so old school about a book that can be begun and subsequently wrapped up completely in one volume.  In a departure from werewolves, but not from folklore, Stiefvater weaves a magical tale based on water horses, which can be found in Irish and Scottish mythology.  Every November, the small island of Thisby that Puck Connolly and Sean Kendrick call home holds the Scorpio Races in which riders compete on the backs of these dangerous horses.  Puck never wanted to race, but due to unforeseeable family circumstances and her own stubbornness she is soon the first girl to ever enter.  Sean, on the other hand, is an undefeated champion of the races, and has been for six years.  Both must fight against prejudice, local hostility, and their growing feelings for one another in order to win the race and acquire the prize money they need to save that which is most precious to each.  This is a truly unique fantasy with a heady and haunting atmosphere that will appeal to horse lovers and mythology buffs alike.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson ★

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Book 1)
by Rae Carson
September 2011
Greenwillow Books

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Whew boy, this was some book!  Elisa is a chubby, awkward, younger princess with a slender, competent older sister.  She never would have believed herself capable of greatness, or even getting out of bed every day, if it wasn't for the Godstone that she carries in her belly.  Every century, a child is born with a Godstone, a gem with magical properties, and destined to change the course of history.  Married to an extraordinarily handsome, widowed King on her sixteenth birthday, Elisa is expected to use her powers to assist her new husband with his struggling kingdom.  She makes a little effort, but ultimately finds that sitting in her bedroom and stuffing her face with pastries is easier.  (A choice that I can't say I disagree with.)  It is not until she is kidnapped for the stone she carries that she is forced to see the weight of her responsibilities to her people, and to herself.

While the first part of this book moves a little slow, mostly due to the fact that you can't get through a whole page of the whiny Princess's dialogue without trying to suffocate yourself in a pillow, soldiering on is very rewarding!  A forbidden desert romance, unlikely friendships, surprising plot twists, a unique world, and the story of a girl who struggles with her self-image, all make this one of the best books I've read so far this year.

Readers who enjoy stories about magical Princesses who struggle with their weight and self-image may also like Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.

The Fire and Thorns Trilogy
The Girl of Fire and Thorns
The Crown of Embers (TBR Fall 2012)
The Bitter Kingdom (TBR Fall 2013)

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey Book 1)
by Richard Paul Evans
August 2011
Simon Pulse

My name is Michael Vey and there's something you don't know about me; something that scares people more than you would believe.  It's my secret - and it's part of the story I'm about to tell you.

 Richard Paul Evans, bestselling author of The Christmas Box, takes on young adult fiction in this new thrilling, adventure series.  Fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is an average student at Meridian High School.  Students at the school think he is different due to the Tourette's syndrome that causes his face to twitch at inopportune moments.  But Michael has more than just Tourette's;  he has special powers.  Michael thinks he's alone in his ability to control and conjure electricity and keeps his powers secret until the day he discovers that the school's most popular cheerleader, Taylor, may be like him.  Together with Michael's genius friend Ostin, Michael and Taylor set out to discover why they have these abilities.  Unfortunately, while looking for trouble, it finds them first and Michael, Taylor, and Ostin must survive and thwart a plot that goes back to before they were born.

Having never read The Christmas Box or anything else by Evans, I wasn't sure what to expect from an author writing so completely out of his genre and age group.  I was pleasantly surprised, however, and found the book to be fast paced, action packed, and engaging in a way that left me wanting more.  I also appreciated the way that the author highlights Michael's disease and informs readers about something that is often misunderstood and joked about.  Overall, a great series for fans of James Patterson's Maximum Ride and other books about teens with super powers.

Michael Vey Books
The Prisoner of Cell 25
Rise of the Elgen (TBR August 2012)