"Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros took me a long time to get through.  I liked the first book (Fourth Wing) in this series much better!  I liked the relationship building among the riders in Violet's squad and still liked the dragons.  Mostly it seemed this book centered on Violet and Xaden's relationship growing deeper.  I did not care for all the sex scenes.  The battles provided good action; however, I wasn't always clear about how the magic powers worked.  I really did not like the ending of this book at all.  I doubt if I will continue on with this series.  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

Gerard's review:

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros is the second in this series.  The first was Fourth Wing and I liked this one even better!  Violet has made it through the first year of war college to everyone's surprise including her mom and sister.  But the second year is going to be tougher yet.  Now the head of the college will test Violet in ways she has never been.  Violet and her gang are back!  But now war is coming and Violet must choose which side she will be on.  

I gave the Fourth Wing highest score I could and this book is even better!  I had so many emotions while reading this book.  The good news is that this is going to be a 5-book series.  You must read these fantastic books.  This is as good as it gets!  (5++ stars)   

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Loved "Defend the Dawn" by Brigid Kemmerer -- Full of Adventure

1.    

In Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer, Tessa and Corrick set out on a journey to get much needed medicine for their kingdom.  This story is told by Corrick and Tessa.  I like them both.  The author does a great job of character development!  The interaction among the characters if fantastic!  The action comes near the end and is really good.  I would have liked more action earlier on as well.  All in all, I give this one 5 stars.  (Gerard's review) 

Karen's review 3/9/23:
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer is Book 2 in the Defy the Night series and I LOVED it!  It has adventure, lots of fighting, great banter among the characters, politics, and some romance.  This one focuses on both King Harriston and his chief justice, Corrick.  About half way through, each gets their own storyline and both are very good.  Tessa and Quint are both great supporting characters too.  This one is hard to put down and I hated that it ended with two cliffhangers.  It definitely makes me anxious to read the next book in this series, Destroy the Day.  (5 stars)

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"Crazy House" by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Crazy House by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet is teen fiction with a slight similarity in theme to The Hunger Games. Twin sisters, Cassie and Becca, live in an agriculture cell alone. Their mom was sent away for an attitude adjustment and their father is in a hospital because his suicide attempt failed. His girls have not yet granted the hospital permission to end his life in spite of the fact the doctors say he won’t recover. One day, Becca just disappears and Cassie’s truck is missing! Other teens have gone missing too and never returned. Cassie goes to find her on her sister’s moped which is now the only transportation she has. Cassie finds her at The Crazy House when she gets “taken” too!

This book got my interest from page one and never let go. I almost finished it in one day! It is about how these sisters overcome obstacles and work together to escape from The Crazy House. There is quite a bit of action with some mystery and romance too. I liked both sisters and look forward to continuing on with the sequel, The Fall of Crazy House. There is a lot of swearing in this book that I did not like.
 (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 15: “No, she didn’t!” I shrieked, wanting to hurl my coffee cup right out the window. It would have hit my truck if my truck had been there. Which it wasn’t!


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"Bright We Burn" by Kiersten White (Book 3 of And I Darken series)

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White is the third and final book of the And I Darken series.  The author saved the best for last!  This book is fantastic!  This is full of action.  Lada is so Good!  Nobody had better get in her way!  She is so "bad ass."--LOVED IT!  In this book, Lada controls her land, but she wants ore and wants it known that she is in charge!  However, not everyone goes along with that and the fighting begins!  This whole series is really good!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 219:  "How could a woman do this?"  Ali Bey's voice was filled with equal parts wonder and disgust.

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"Nyxia" by Scott Reintgen is First in this Sci-Fi Series

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen reminded me a lot of Ender's Game which I loved!  A group of teens are chosen by Babel Communications to train to travel to Eden, an inhabited planet, to mine an amazing new mineral called Nyxia.  If they are chosen, they will be paid lots more money in addition to what they got just for signing the contract.  Out of ten trying out from around the world, only the top eight will be able to actually go on the mission.  All have hard luck stories and are from poor families so the money is a great incentive.  Emmett, the narrator of the story and one of the recruits, is from Detroit and really wants to go bad to help his parents.  Can he make it without sacrificing his morals?

This book had my interest right from page one and kept it all the way through.  I loved the adventure, the competition, getting to know all the contestants and the drama of the dynamics among the characters.  Emmett is a good guy but wasn't the best at challenges.  I liked the twists throughout the book and the surprises Babel created.  The only thing I didn't care for was when the one character who I liked very much got killed.  I thought the challenges were fun and interesting!  If you like competition, lots of interaction among competitors and science fiction, I would highly recommend this book!  I can't wait to read book 2 in this series!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


Teaser from page 51:  "I know you'd be a good person to team up with, Kaya, but why would you want to team up with me?  I'm in ninth place."
 
Gerard's review:
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is told by Emmett.  He is one of ten young people picked for a very special assignment!  He has a chance to go on a hidden planet.  Besides that, a huge money payout will be rewarded also!  But only eight will get to go.  Let the games begin!

This book is sort of a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent minus all the killing.  I thought it was interesting how the ten players interacted with each other.  Emmett is a good guy and I was rooting for him.  Could have used more action in my opinion; however, it picked up in that at the end.  I enjoyed it enough to read book 2 in this series.
(4 stars)



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"Us Against You" by Fredrick Backman--We Both Liked This!

Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the sequel to Bear town. It is about the aftermath of the rape of Maya and how Bear town and Hed become not just rivals, but enemies! This book really centers on the community and the way society changes. There are many well-developed characters in this, not just the hockey players. When the hockey coach takes most of his good players and plays for Hed instead, Bear town has to rebuild its team, starting with finding a new coach who is a woman! This second book shows how politicians use their power and comparisons are drawn between them and “the pack.” The characters feel like real people—both good and bad at the same time with real life problems.

This book started out pretty slow for me because I’m not into politics and wanted more hockey. The beginning of the book is spent on political deals and trying to build up a hockey team, but then the violence started and I began to get attached to the characters. I really liked Benji, the pack, Ramona, Vidar, Amat, Jeanette (martial arts teacher) and Elisabeth Zackell (hockey coach). This is mostly a sad story with a few bright spots. It is about loyalty and dynamics of friendships which I found interesting. If you enjoyed Bear town, I think you will also enjoy the sequel.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman is the follow-up to Bear Town and is as good!  It picks up where Bear town left off.  I loved both these books!  I really enjoyed all the different people in this one.  The writing is so good I read every word!  What I enjoyed most was that from page to page I never knew what character was going to tell the story next or what the outcome would be.  The twists and turns were very good!  I WANT MORE BEAR TOWN!
(5++ stars) 

Teaser from pg. 9: The worst thing we know about other people is that we’re dependent upon them. That their actions affect our lives.


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"Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan--Husband Loved It, Wife Hated It!

In Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, Vaelin is only ten when his father takes him to join the sixth order.  The sixth Order is devoted to battle to protect the realm and the faith!  The book is told by the point of view of Vaelin.  I really enjoyed the first part of the book when he goes through training exercises with his band of brothers.  There is good action in this book with some twists that surprised me.  At 575 pages, this is no light read to say the least, but I was caught up in it and pretty much enjoyed it all!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review, 4/25/18:
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is like a marathon; I was so glad when I finally finished it! This is a fantasy that I really did not like much at all—only a few parts. It’s about Vaelien who is sent to the Sixth Order to learn to kill, supposedly to defend the faith and the realm. Part I was the best in my opinion, and then it went downhill from there. It is filled with fighting, murder, betrayal, and war.

Here are the few things I liked:

1) The training at the Sixth Order.
2) Vaelien’s relationship with sister Sherin, Snowdance (a huge cat that was in it very little).
3) Vaelien’s Valarian slave-hound named Scratch, and his horse named Spit.

Here are the things I did not like:

1) The writing was hard to follow because it kept going back and forth from present to past and often I had to reread passages to figure out who was speaking.
2) Too many characters and then some even were called by several different names!
3) Characters I really liked got killed.
4) The names were hard to remember.
5) I had a hard time understanding how the magic worked.
6) The whole plot was hard for me to follow.
7) Lots of different countries to keep straight and I didn’t really understand what the war was all about—it made no sense to me.
8) The ending was horrible! I felt so let down and that I wasted so much time reading this.  The only good part of the ending was when he let Spit run free!

I know I am in the minority on this book, it got lots of very good reviews. However, I was extremely disappointed in it and therefore give it just 2 stars. I will not be continuing on with this series.


Teaser from pg. 29:  "Your first day in the Order is over," he told them.  "It is a rule of the Order that you can leave in the morning if you wish.  It will only get harder from now on so think carefully."

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"Defiant" by Lesley Livingston (Book 2 in the Valiant Series)

Defiant by Lesley Livingston is the second book in the Valiant series and just as good as the first!  I liked Fallon again in this one and was hoping the people she put her trust in would not let her down.  It was heartbreaking when Ludus Achillea, home for gladiators, was overtaken by Pontius Aquila and Nyx.  This book has lots of action and strategy.

I liked Cai and Fallon and Quint and Elka.  I also liked how Fallon and Sorcha got to fight together to take back their home and stay free.  There are many interesting supporting characters in this book which I liked.  The plot was well developed but easy enough to follow.  I loved it and recommend this series if you like adventure and fantasy!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  I might have felt a twinge of sympathy for them but, to be honest, in that moment, I couldn't have cared less.  My friends and I were victorious, and that was all that mattered.

Gerard's review (5++ stars):
Defiant by Lesley Livingston is the action-packed follow-up book to The Valiant.  Things start out well for Fallon, but that quickly changes when the place she calls home is overrun and she is put into a cell!  Will she have to fight for an enemy or can she somehow turn the tables on her enemies?

This book is just as good as the first.  Fallon is a fantastic character and she carries the story very well.  The other characters are developed nicely and really add to the story, especially her sister!  This book is filled with lots of good action and the ending is great!  I LOVED IT!  If there is a book 3, I will read it.

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"Endure" by Sara B. Larson is Heart Wrenching! (Updated)

Endure by Sara B. Larson is the third and final book in the Defy Series which we both highly recommend.   Alexa again has her hands full trying to hold off the enemy and make sure King Damian is safe!  This book is probably the best of the series.  It has tons of action from the outset and the pacing of the book is very good!  I just had to see what was going to happen next!  This is one of the top series that I have ever read!  I LOVED IT!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 3/19/16:
Endure by Sara B. Larson is not only the third book of the Defy trilogy, but also the best! Good characters are motivated by love and loyalty while evil characters are motivated by greed and power in a struggle to survive. Alexa and Damian’s love story continues on throughout this book and is heartbreaking. Alexa’s fight against Armando and his black sorcerers is amazing! There is lots of action in this book as well as the tender moments of friendship and love.

I loved this last book of the series which is captivating and even made me cry near the end. When Alexa left King Damian after his proposal to rescue her friend, Rylan, I thought she was nuts and was proved to be right! I actually felt she made a very bad decision there and didn’t have as much sympathy for her during her captivity as I otherwise would have. I felt it was her own fault for being so stupid to go back to Dansii with Eljin to save Rylan.

At any rate, this is a very entertaining and adventurous fantasy/clean romance series I highly recommend, especially for anyone new to fantasy. I was never bored and it moved along well. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)
This series reminded me a lot of THE THRONE OF GLASS series by Sarah J. Mass.  I discuss some differences and similarities in this video:
  



See my reviews of Defy-Book 1 and Ignite-Book #2

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"Ignite" by Sara B. Larson is a Fun Fantasy Read--Second Book of Series

Ignite by Sara B. Larson is book 2 of 3 in the Defy series.  King Hectoer has been killed and now Damian is the king.  Alexa is there to protect him.  Peace reigns in the land, but that is fleeting.  Soon there is danger, plenty of it!  WOW!  This book is so good!  It is as good as the first if not better because there is plenty of action and you do not know what is going to happen next.  Alexa is a fantastic character and the secondary ones are very good too.  The writing is great!  It gives you all you could ask for in a book.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


Karen's review 3/17/16, 4 stars:

Ignite by Sara B. Larson is book 2 in the DEFY series that is full of attacks, betrayal, suspense and mind controlling magic!  King Damian and his kingdom are at a loss when it looks like Blevon is breaking their peace treating.  Alexa and Damian’s love story continues and Rylan gets into some major trouble. Alexa is jealous when he falls for a beautiful woman visitor. Damian’s younger brother is abducted and just when things seem to be going right for King Damian, Alexa suppresses some important information from him and that’s where this book ends. This book left me with several unanswered questions that make me look forward to continuing on with the last book in the series, Endure.  Will Alexa and King Damian get their happy ever after ending?  What will happen to Rafe and Dansii?  Will Eljin fully recover and be able to help save Blevon and the sorcerer's temple?  Will Alexa actually get to become the Queen?

I liked this book as much as the first of this series and can’t help but root for Alexa and Damian to finally find happiness together. There is lots of fighting in this book but with a twist when Alexa has no choice but to fight her friends to survive. I liked all the action in this book as well as the romantic story line between Damian and Alexa.

See our review of DEFY.

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"DEFY" by Sara B. Larson (Both of us Liked This Fantasy!)

Manny Boy being defiant--ignoring the book!

In Defy by Sara B. Larson, Alexa is a fighter, the best of the guard that protects Prince Damian.  She also has a secret that she hides, but when another guard and the prince are taken captive, Alexa finds out there are other secrets out there.  

This book was SO GOOD!  I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.  From page 1 I was hooked!  The characters are really good and there is lots of action too!  I will continue with this series for sure!  This is my book of the month!  I highly recommend this one!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


(Karen's review 3/4/16)
Defy by Sara B. Larson is a YA fantasy novel about Alexa, who pretends she is a boy to avoid being captured and put into King Hector’s “breeding house.” Instead, she serves with her twin brother as a guard for Prince Damian. She is actually the best sword fighter in the army and would be captain except she is too young.

There is some mystery and action throughout this first book in the series. Secrets are revealed, people feel betrayed and Alexa finally gets to be herself. With some magic and a love triangle, this book kept my interest and I enjoyed it.  I look forward to reading the rest of this series with Ignite and Endure.
(4 stars)

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Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (UPDATED)

In Flame in The Mist by Renee Ahdieh, Mariko is to be married, but her convoy was cut short when the Black Clan attacked and killed everyone but her!  Mariko wants revenge and decides to join the Black Clan to find a way to destroy them and why they wanted her dead.  

I thought this book was really good!  Mariko is a great character and this book has good action along the way.  I enjoyed the twists in the story that I did not see coming and look forward to book 2 in this series!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Karen's Review, 5/28/17:
Flame in The Mist by Renee Ahdieh centers around Japan and is the story of Mariko, a young woman who feels she is looked down upon because she is a female. She has a twin brother who is a warrior and she would like to be a warrior too. While on her way to becoming the bride of someone she never met that has been arranged by her father, her caravan is attacked and everyone is killed except for her. She gets away but before too long, finds the Black Clan who are the ones she believes were the attackers and wants to find out who wanted her dead.

This story has quite a bit of action in it and I enjoyed reading it even though parts were a bit confusing. The names were strange but I liked the relationship that developed between Okami and Marika. I liked how Marika was able to fool people into believing she was a guy. I did not really understand the magical stuff in this book like the enchanted forest and the beast that came and went. Some things just didn’t make sense to me. The strange ending left me hanging. I did not like the way it ended at all and for me, that brought my rating down from a 4 to a 3.  (3 stars)

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"Frost Like Night" by Sara Raasch

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch is the final book (I think) in the Snow Like Ashes series.  Meira discovers that she alone is capable of saving the world from Angra's evil magic by getting the three keys to the chasm and giving herself as a sacrifice because she is a conduit.  In this book she learns how to control and use special magical power to its full extent.  Her relationship with Mather develops into romance and the ending is very exciting.

In this, there is a lot of traveling, a lot of different Kings and Queens to keep straight and yes, some adventure and excitement thrown in, but most of the book was just a very slow build up leading to the exciting finish.  I thought the first half really dragged along but am glad I stuck with it.  Things started picking up a little past halfway and then the rest was pretty good.  Being fair, I think I would have enjoyed this one more had I read it closer to the previous book.  I pretty much forgot who the characters were so it took me a  while to refresh my memory.  We really liked the first book in this series but were disappointed in the sequels.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

See our other reviews of the two previous books in this ho-hum series that seems like a wannabe of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas--this doesn't even come close:  Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire. 

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"The Valiant" by Lesley Livingston (We Both Liked This!) UPDATED

The Valiant by Lesley Livingston is set during the time of the gladiators in Rome.  I would classify it more like historical fiction than fantasy, because it doesn't really have any magic in it and it is based on a real place and time period.  Fallon, the main character, starts out as a princess in love with Mael, a warrior she grew up with.  Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond her control, she finds no future with Mael.  Instead, she runs away and is taken captive and sold as a slave to become a gladiatrix for Ceasar!  She is shocked at what she learns and focuses on trying to earn her freedom by becoming a Gladiatrix. 

I liked this book because it moved along quickly, was not complicated and yet had some interesting twists.  I thought Fallen was a bit naive but then, she was young after all.  I really liked her older sister, Sorcha, Thalestris, Elka, and Cai.  It has lots of action and adventure too!  I always looked forward to getting back to it to see what would happen next.  The sister relationship was very interesting. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In The Valiant by Lesley Livingston, Fallon is the proud daughter of a Celtic king. She is about to be 17 and wants to join the war band like her older sister did and fight for her country. At the huge birthday bash, her father announces a different plan for his daughter. Fallon runs off and will have to use all her training to survive.

Wow! What a non-stop thrill ride this book is! Fallon is a great character who reminded me of Celeana in the Sarah J. Mass Throne of Glass series. I loved the action in this and the story line moved along nicely. I want more of Fallon! This is my “book of the month.”
(Gerard's review3/15/17, 5++ stars)



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"King's Cage" by Victoria Aveyard is Disappointing

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard involves a lot of politics.  Maven is now king of Norta and many do not like it.  He holds Mare prisoner and uses her to deceive other Reds into thinking the Red Guard is against them.  I kept reading only because I wanted to see how Cal and Mara would get back together.  There was some betrayal in this book but mostly it was the Red Guard building up its forces and joining with Montfort in an effort to overthrow Maven. 

Parts were a bit confusing but over all, I still liked it and am glad I read it.  I must say, I am disappointed in this series as a whole because I really loved the first book, Red Queen.  I was disappointed with the ending of this one as well, but still give it 4 stars.  There was enough interesting relationships and action to keep my interest.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Gerard's review, 2.5 stars:
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard is the third book in the Red Queen series.  Mare is now being held by Maven after giving up herself in book 2 so that her friends are still free.  I thought this book was going to be good, but I was very disappointed. King's Cage is told from various points of view.  Mare was good as always and there were some good parts; however, they were few and far between.  I wanted more action but all I got was talk.  The story line was just okay.  The next book has to be better than this mess!

See our reviews for Glass Sword (the second book of this series.)

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"Ruined" by Amy Tintera

Ruined by Amy Tintera is a quick read because there is action right from the start and it is hard to put down.  This YA fantasy is about Emelina Flores, a ruined, who comes up with quite an elaborate and dangerous plan to free her sister who was captured by Lera after they killed her mother, the Queen.  Her father was killed by the princess of Vallos so Em is out for revenge as well.  She impersonates Princess Mary after killing her off, planning to marry Prince Casimer and take down the royal family of Lera from the inside.  Em is viewed as useless by the Ruineds because she has no magic ability, even though she is very good with a sword.

I loved the humor in this book and the romance that developed between Em and Prince Cas.  I also enjoyed the writing style very much which let the reader know what both Cas and Em were thinking.  There is not a lot of description in this book which is why I think it moves along so quickly.  I liked both Em and Cas and hope they will rule together one day.  I look forward to reading book 2 in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

In Ruined by Amy Tintera, Emelina Flores has nothing.  Her home has been ravaged by war.  Her parents are both dead and her sister has been taken by the enemy.  With nothing to lose but her own life, Emelina comes up with a plan to find and save her sister.  For this plan to work, Em will have to become part of the enemy.  Can she pull it off?

WOW!  This is good stuff!  The first part of the book put the plan in motion and the second part is when the action starts.  I really liked the character of Em.  This story moved along well and the end had me flipping pages to see how it was going to turn out!  Sign me up for book 2!
(Gerard's review 6/4/16, 5++ stars)

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"Glass Sword" by Victoria Aveyard (We Both Liked This)

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is the second book in the Red Queen series that I was anxiously looking forward to reading.  In this book, Mare and Cal join with the Red Guard to round up more Reds like Mare (red bloods with extra powers) to try to overthrow the silvers who are in power.  There is a lot of fighting in this book and many different super powers come into play.

I was somewhat disappointed with this book because I didn't get wowed by it like I did the first.  There were not as many surprises in this one for me and although it kept my interest, it didn't really grip me.  There is a lot of action but I would have liked a map to have a better idea of where all the places were that they were going to recruit Newbloods.   The ending left me feeling sad.  It was good but I was expecting better.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Glass Sword is the follow up to Red Queen.  In Glass Sword, Mare is trying to get an army together to take down the king and Elara.  As she does, she begins to question the cost and other people begin to question her actions.  I thought this book was really good.  I loved all the action and the super powers of some of the people called Newbloods that Mare finds.  This book may not be quite as good as the first, but it's close!  I look forward to book 3 of the series.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

See our review of RED QUEEN, the first in this series.

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"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J. K. Rowling is a Great Ending to a Fantastic Series!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J, K. Rowling is the last book of the series and is phenomenal! It is very exciting, suspenseful, emotional, touching and is full of unexpected twists and turns. It’s hard to review it without giving away major things, so I’m just going to say that if you started this series, you really need to finish it! In this book, Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione are out of Hogwarts and on the mission that Dumbledore gave to Harry. The plot is complex and full of adventure. Loved the Epilogue! Great ending to a fantastic series!  WOW!

This series is a must read with lots of twists and turns! I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry to see it end, even though there were seven books in the series! I fell in love with the main characters and the action scenes were so well written that I felt I was right there.  This one even made me cry, parts were so sad. J.K. Rowling is the best story teller I ever read and certainly entertained me with this amusing and interesting series.   Harry is such a cool character who shows that love is the strongest power and that we can learn much about leadership from Harry Potter.  This series is amazing! 

No wonder these books were such a hit and well-loved worldwide. I had to give every book in this series 5 stars but here is the way I would rank them:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this series? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Queen of Shadows" by Sarah J. Maas is Fantastic! (Writer's Workshop)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series of 6 and all are great!  These books get better and better in my opinion.  Aelin a/k/a Celaena is her usual "bad ass" self and outwitting and outfighting everybody.  She also has a new girlfriend that is also tough like her and the two of them together are just amazing!  Rowan is back as well as Dorian and Chaol.

There are many "wow" moments in this book that I did not see coming!  This book flows so well that there are not any dull moments.  If you read the first three, you must read this one too!
(Gerard's review 10/30/15, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 11/15/15, 5 stars:
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Mass continues to provide lots of intrigue, adventure, suspense and romance in this Throne of Glass series. Celaena is now going by Aelin and is reunited with Aedion (her cousin), Rowan, Lysandra, Arobynn and Chaol. She fights another witch, Manon, and is amazing at both fighting and plotting. Even the reader is not informed of all her activities and plans which makes for some surprises and jaw dropping moments along the way. She is such an interesting character who has grown so much since the first book. She is a class act! It is good to see others step up and join forces to help her rescue her cousin, get her revenge on Arobynn and kill the king.

I enjoyed this book and found myself cheering for her a lot. I also liked the parts with Manon and Abraxos. I was confused with Lorchan’s part, but other than that was able to follow what was happening for the most part with the exception of all the rings which got me puzzled somewhat. I’m sure Elide will meet her queen in the next book and look forward to that. Also, I am anxious to see Aelin set up her kingdom in Terresen with her court. If you started this series, I encourage you to continue on with this book which is very good! I strongly suggest, however, that if you haven’t read The Assassin’s Blade yet, that you read that before continuing on with the series. It is so good and provides the background that is referred to in the Throne of Glass series. (5 stars)

Linking this review up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week.

See our reviews of the previous books in this series:
Ambassador's Blade
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire

If you've already read this book, click on "read More" below to see the parts I liked a lot!

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J. K. Rowling

Continuing in the Harry Potter series with book 6, I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling.  This has several mysteries going on at the same time:  (1) What is the mission Snape and Malfoy Draco are working on; (2) Who is the "Half-Blood Prince"? and (3) Can Dumbledore and Harry find and destroy the horcruxes made by You-Know-Who?  Besides the mystery, this book also had some high points with Harry being the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Harry moving on from Cho, Hermione and Ron's relationship and lots more background about You-Know-Who.  Professor Snape finally reveals his true colors and the death eaters return. 

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking to myself, "this is so good!"  I didn't really figure out for sure who the Half-Blood Prince was until near the end when it came out.  Malfoy's mission was a complete surprise to me and the horcrux hunt was very scary!  I hated the ending of this book though, it was so sad so only 4 stars for this one!  I still don't get why Dumbledore trusted Snape, that part must didn't make any sense to me.  I enjoyed the potions class most in this book when Harry topped Hermione for once and how she hated that.  I look forward to reading the last book in this series to see how it will end. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!