Review: Magic Lessons and Masquerade
Magic Lessons- Justine Larbalestier
There was a point about halfway into this book that I thought the plot was going to hinge on secret keeping and poor communication, and that I was going to move from ambivalence about the series to out and out dislike. Luckily, that didn't happen and that thread got dropped. I liked this story, but still feel like these three books could have been condensed into one. But the plot of this second book in the trilogy was more satisfying than the first, and strange, big magical things happen, but mostly they make sense. And there is a sex scene that I think was wonderfully written. It wasn't explicit, but as a reader you don't feel like the bedroom door was slammed in your face either. There was an emotional truth to it and also an honesty about what was happening and had happened without being a blow by blow account. I've started on the third, and am optimistic about the turn everything is taking.
Masquerade - Melissa De La Cruz
I read the first book in this series, Blue Bloods last year for my New York City bibliography and got really swept up in it but then felt completely betrayed and let down by the ending. Because there was none. The strength of these is their premise, that vampires are fallen angels working to get back into heaven, being continuously reincarnated into the human world as prominent and altruistic members of high society. Gossip Girl with Michael and Gabriel as main characters. Azriel is 16 and the bitchy queen bee, her rival and the main character is Gabriel(le)'s half human daughter who is prophesied to be the vampire's savior. The writing can be pretty bad and needs a much better editor and copy editor, but like I said, the premise keeps the mess afloat. And at least stuff happened in this book, but I don't know how easily all the threads will get wrapped up in the last book coming out much later this year.