Book Post June

[signourney]

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles 3) by Marissa Meyer


5 out of 5 stars
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Oh this book.

I think what I love so much about this book is the team dynamic, especially with Thorne, Cinder and Iko. The delicious and funny comments going back and forth, the clear (friendly) feelings they have for one another. Cinder and Thorne have made such progression since the start of Scarlet.

Of course then there was Cress, the newest addition. Despite her complete lovey-dovey obsession with Thorne I liked her. It is a bit of a shame that she was in love with Thorne from the start. At the same time I kind of understand. Having been locked up for seven years and under Sybill's thumb she has very little. I can imagine how Thorne would appeal to her and that she would develop an infatuation with him. She has her strengths in hacking. I hope the next book will bring some more growth for her and she is able to be more her own person, even in threatening situations. Now she seems to still be looking a lot for Thorne's presence. I hope she will be able to find her place in the team.

Despite being 500+ pages this book reads quickly. It is fast-paced, moving between various action scenes with brief rest moments. I quite liked the ending because it pulls in Kai more. He is no longer on the side lines.

I'm curious to see how the fourth book will conclude this all. Of course we get to see more of Princess Winter who seems quite special... But if this is because of the reason she mentioned then I'm curious to see how the gift will be further handled. There were some other hints by Jacin for this..

And Marissa Meyer, that woman! At the start of next year there will not be the fourth book. No, there will be a book about the queen~! Full novel length! And not until November 2015 do we get the fourth book. And lets not forget she is working on Heartless as well.


Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson 4) by Rick Riordan


4 out of 5 stars
HONESTLY, BLOWING UP ANOTHER SCHOOL WAS THE LAST THING I WANTED TO DO.
As the son of a Greek god, I've had my share of near-death disaster - and now my arch enemy Luke wants to invade our camp via an ancient Labyrinth.
If he succeeds, thousands of bloodthirsty monsters will attacks. So it's goodbye sunshine, hello darkness as four of us descend into the terrifying underground and beyond...

For me one of the more positive things about this book was that Percy for the first time did not annoy me compared to the other books. I guess he has matured a little on some points. Annabeth was great as always. Though I get the feeling she is still hiding something. No it is not her feelings. They were very clear throughout the book. Percy is the only one who doesn't see it. I liked Rachel. I did feel that the addition about her family wasn't necessarily needed. Nico now that his anger has faded might grow into a great character. He seems very powerful. I wonder what his future holds for him.

The plot was good for the most part. The way the battle ended at the end felt a little too easy though. I also liked the more positive light on Dionysos the ending offered. The twist around Deadelus I did not expect. It was a nice change.

This series is honestly starting to grow on me!


City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments 3) by Cassandra Clare


3,5 out of 5 stars
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

This book was certainly interesting. The first halve of this book, and especially the first 100 pages or so, I did not like. Both Jace and Clary were being brats. Where in City of Ashes I had come to like Jace, it was mostly destroyed in this book. Maybe it was because we didn't spend as much time in his head as we did in the second book. Clary was being an absolute brat. After the first two books now all of a sudden she decides to be one? I'm glad Luke told her off about she did with regards to travelling to the city of Glass. The Jace and Clary relationship with some Sebastian shaken in felt like a bad soap opera. Like in the second book, I don't like how it was approached.

Still I am giving this 3,5 stars purely for the ending. The plot in itself wasn't amazing. Most of the supposed twists were things I expected coming for a while. Some things were even already clear to me in the first and second book. But the ending did grab me, I kept reading until the end. The union that was made in the clave to fight Valentine for instance. I think what I will remember the most is Valentine's feelings for his sons and Clary. I found them very interesting.

Of course Magnus with Alec was great. Too little but great.


Clockwork Angel (the Infernal Devices 1) by Cassandra Clare


4 out of 5 stars
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters-including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

When I started this book I loved it. I took an immediate liking to Tessa who was different and a bookworm. I liked that and her view on books that we share. At the start I really liked Will but there was a sudden change in the book with him. Like we were meant to think bad of him. For me it felt like he turned into a sort of Jace (the Mortal Instruments). The fond feelings of reading about him started to disappear then. As for the other characters, I was happy to see Magnus Bane again. Jem, Charlotte and Henry are interesting.

The plot in itself wasn't spectacular. Nothing happened that I hadn't already considered during reading. With the exception of the very end of the battle with Tessa. But that didn't take away from my reading enjoyment. Most of it was thought out well. the ending also left some questions for the next two books that I am curious to see how they will be answered. I liked the feel of the London in this book.


So long and thanks for all the fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide 4) by Douglas Adams


3 out of 5 stars
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .
God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?

This book felt a little disappointing to me. I guess because I expected something different. It is very different from the first three books. As a lot of others have said the plot is a bit tighter. But it didn't completely manage to grab me like the others did (especially the first two). Only a few moments really made me smile (like about the biscuits). I guess I also missed Trillian and Zaphod and the interactions with Arthur and Ford. Still the plot is interesting.


Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone 1) by Laini Taylor


3 out of 5 stars
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

When I started this book I honestly thought I would love this book. The main character, Karou, is quite a kick-ass girl living in two worlds. I really liked the start with her and Suzanna and Kaz. Kaz was an idiot but it was interesting to see Karou interact with him. Then we got to the other world and to her family who are chimera. The ideas and the world were great and I was excited to learn more about it.

Then came the point where we were introduced to Akiva. The romance between Karou was introduced. At that point it became clearl very quickly who Karou was going to be in the end. So it held no surprise for me at the end even though I hoped it wouldn't be that way. For me at this point the exciting bit of the book fell away. It became about their romance which didn't really hold my attention. The spark I felt at the start of the book disappeared.

The ending with Madrigal and the scenes telling her stories felt long to me. It almost held no interest for me unless Brimstone was in it.

This book leaves me very unsure on whether I want to read the rest of this series.


Frostbite (Vampire Academy 2) by Richelle Mead


4 out of 5 stars
Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...
It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians-including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price..

I enjoyed this book more than I did the first book. What I disliked about Rosa in the first book, the constant emphasis on her body and her impulses, were a lot less in this book. She still has her faults but she is growing and I think it shows in this book. I still don't like the Rosa and Dimitri relationship nor do I find Dimitri an appealing character. But it was tolerable in this book and in a way I can understand Rosa's reaction to the things that happened. She is just trying to find her way in it.
I liked that in the ending it wasn't Rosa and Lissa. There were other characters there when things happened and it shows a different part to them. I am curious to learn more about Adrian. I am also glad that Mia isn't the complete bitch any more.

As for the plot, it is clearly a set-up for a later, hopefully more intricate plot. It wasn't the most exciting plot but it is interesting to see where it will go from here. That there is now somebody else who also has similar powers to Lissa will hopefully also develop more on that subject.


A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire 2) by George R.R. Martin


3 out of 5 stars
A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Part of me is unsure of this book. It took a long time to get into this book. The first 50-100 pages were good, things happened. But for me the middle point of this book feels slow and keeps dragging things on. Another thing that made this hard to get into for me were the multiple characters and the many different changes in perspective. Towards the end it focused more on a few of them.

Still there are a lot of parts in this book that I do like. Bran for instance grows. He has to as the lord of Winterfel. Then of course there is Sansa's struggle at court and Tyrion who is trying to anticipate manipulation by manipulating them. But I didn't feel as connected with the other characters.


Eon (Eon 1) by Alison Goodman


3,5 out of 5 stars
Twelve-year-old Eon has been in training for years. His intensive study of Dragon Magic,, based on East Asian astrology, involves two kinds of skills: sword-work and magical aptitude. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye--an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.
But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a boy for the chance to become a Dragoneye. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.
When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life

Part of what let me down in this book are the dragons. I needed more scenes with the dragons, okay. Another thing is the main character. Eon(a) is dressed up as a boy for the chance to become the next apprentice dragoneye. I liked how this is done and how she has a disability. But her personality doesn't stand out. She does not come alive to me from the pages. The characters surrounding her come alive a bit more but I don't really feel attached to any of them (though I do like the diversity in them). Still I like that in this book she wasn't one of those characters that would get flustered around pretty boys. Actually none of the guys were described as being very handsome. Eon(a) didn't seem to consider romance. She was busy with the things she had to do and would not get sidetracked by boys.

As for the plot, I liked it. Unfortunately it does have a weakness in the inability of Eon(a) to figure out the answer to her problems. Also I felt she should have reached out to those around her. She could have possibly prevented some of the events through doing that.
The ending... I dislike Eon(a) having this huge power all of a sudden and *spoiler* how her disability so easily gets healed by her dragon */spoiler* but I am looking forward to the second book and seeing how the ending will be resolved. I hope to see the prince again!


Catching Fire (the Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins


3 out of 5 stars
After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. This is the terrifying sequel to "The Hunger Games".

At first I wanted to rate this book 3,5 stars but I lowered it to 3. When I started thinking about what to write on this book for this review I realized there wasn't much. This is because a portion of this book is filler to be honest.

This book reads away more easily than the first where I struggled. For the most part it is because now I know what to expect in writing style and in Katniss. As mentioned above a part of this book is filler. This is mostly the part where they stay in district 12. The part of the reaping feels somewhat rushed as does the part of the book that takes place in the arena. Actually the arena portion feels out of place almost. And of course Peeta gets injured again... Honestly it was very clear of course that Peeta and Katniss would go in. I personally would have loved to have seen Haymitch go in. Now that would have been interesting.

As for the romance, in the first book I felt more for Katniss with Gale. But in this book I really felt for Peeta, being shoved to the side like that but as soon as she needs him he comes rushing and he holds her while she sleeps. Gale as a character I found to be somewhat annoying in this book.

I do like the hinting towards district 13. I am very curious about this district. And I am curious about how the ending will continue into the third book.

Updated the Summer to read list here.
See all the books I've read so far in covers here.
Bookpost May

Currently Reading:
- The Color of Magic (Discworld 1) by Terry Pratchett
- The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I upped the Goodreads reading challenge to 50.

34/50 books
1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 4 stars - 512 pages
- xxxHolic: Rei volume 1 by Clamp - 4 stars - manga
2. In Extremis (Crime Scene Investigation 9) by Ken Goddard - 3 stars - 288 pages
3. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson 3) by Rick Riordan - 3 stars - 294 pages
4. Among the Nameless Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars 0,5) by Diana Peterfreund - 3 stars - 60 pages
5. Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle 2) by Diana Wynne Jones - 4 stars - 383 pages
6. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires 1) by Rachel Caine - 3 stars - 348 pages
7. The Demon King (Seven Realms 1) by Cinda Williams Chima - 5 stars (reread) - 506 pages
8. The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0,5) by Leigh Bardugo - 4 stars - 43 pages
9. The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms 2) by Cinda Williams Chima - 4 stars - 586 pages
10. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments 1) by Cassandra Clare - 3,5 stars - 485 pages
11. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games 1) by Suzanne Collins - 2,5 stars - 454 pages
12. First Day of the Rest of your Lives (The Morganville Vampires 0,5) by Rachel Caine - 3 stars - 25 pages
13. City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments 2) by Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - 453 pages
14. Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles 2) by Marissa Meyer - 3,5 stars - 454 pages
15. The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker - 3 stars - 644 pages
16. The Little Android (The Lunar Chronicles 0,6) by Marissa Meyer - 3 stars - 35 pages
17. Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin - 3,5 stars - 837 pages
18. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1) by Richelle Mead - 3 stars - 352 pages
- Death and what comes next (Discworld 10,5) by Terry Pratchett - 3,5 stars - 5 pages
19. Dracula by Bram Stroker - 3 stars - 334 pages - E Book
20. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini - 3 stars - 497 pages
- Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus Volume 2 by Clamp - 5 stars - manga
21. Divergent (Divergent 1) by Veronica Roth - 3 stars - 487 pages
22. Don’t Hex with Texas (Enchanted Inc. 4) by Shanna Swendson - 3 stars - 292 pages
23. The Iron King (Iron Fey 1) by Julie Kagawa - 2,5 stars - 363 pages
- The First Kiss (Iron Fey 1,25) by Julie Kagawa - 2 stars - 8 pages
- Shutterbox volume 3 by Rikki Simmons - 2 stars - 192 pages
- Shutterbox volume 4 by Rikki Simmons - 3 stars - 176 pages
24. Cress (the Lunar Chronicles 3) by Marissa Meyer - 5 stars - 550 pages
25. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympans 4) by Rick Riordan - 4 stars - 350 pages
26. City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments 3) by Cassandra Clare - 3,5 stars -
27. The Cordelia Collection (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Novelization 12) by Nancy E. Krulik - 2 stars - 176 pages
28. The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices 1) by Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - 482 pages
- The Last Airbender: Prequel - Zuko’s story by Dave Roman, Alison Wilgus, Nina Matsumoto - 2 stars - 100 pages
29. So long and thanks for all the fish (Hitchhiker’s Guide 4) by Douglas Adams - 3 stars - 187 pages
30. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone 1) by Laini Taylor - 3 stars - 363 pages
- Air Gear Volume 7 by Oh!great - 3,5 stars - 198 pages
31. Frostbite (Vampire Academy 2) by Richelle Mead - 4 stars - 327 pages
- Attack on Titan Volume 1 by Haijme Isayama - 3,5 stars - 208 pages
- Attack on Titan Volume 2 by Haijme Isayama - 4 stars -
32. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire 2) by George R.R. Martin - 3 stars - 1007 pages
33. Eon (Eona 1) by Alison Goodman - 3,5 stars - 368 pages
34. Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins - 3 stars - 472 pages