Stacking the Shelves (5)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we've received this week!

Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton #1)

by Leila Rasheed

Ohhhhhhh. This sounds scandalously delicious. I must admit that I'm a bit iffy since it only has a 3.48 rating on goodreads, but I'm willing to give this Historical fiction a try. 

Well that's all for me. What'd y'all get this week?

Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer

Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1)
by Andrea Cremer
Pages: 431
Source: Library
Format: Hardback

Rating: Really enjoyed it! (4 stars)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

*Sadly, I'm afraid my review isn't quite as good as I hoped. I'm writing this some time after I actually read the book so my mind is a bit foggy. However, I hope I can share my opinion well enough so that you can determine for yourselves if you care to read it. New Years Resolution = writing the review immediately after finishing the book! 

My Review:

So I wasn't completely in love with Cremer's original series, Nightshade, but I was always incredibly interested in the backstory of the Guardians. So it's really no wonder why I was pretty excited for this prequel. And look at that cover? Huge case of cover love right here!

I love Ember! She's the strong female character who goes against the norm and does what she wants. And doing what she wants including learning how to sword fight. Always a plus in my book! She's hard-working and wants to prove herself. Only problem I had was her awesome skill. I understand that she is supposed to have a natural inclination towards sword fighting, but she just kind of becomes awesome at it without really working at it. Sure, she may be a natural, but the girl's still gotta work to become that good. The book focuses a lot more on the workings of Conatus  more than her becoming who she is supposed to become. However, I actually enjoy the training part and wished we got to see more of it.

Ohhhhh and Barrow ;) Broody? Check. Stoic? Check. Hot? Check. Ah, but unlike most stoic types, he's quite kind to Ember from the very beginning and genuinely seems to care about her. Brownie points!

The plot of this book was really addicting what with the evil creatures and all, but early on I knew who the bad character was (actually, the synopsis on Goodreads gives away almost the whole plot!) and now that I think back on it (though I'm writing this quite some time after I read it. Shame on me :/ ) I don't feel like the plot exactly went anywhere. This may be due to the fact that I hardly remember the plot of Nightshade and all the info you learn in there about the Guardians and Keepers, but it just feels lacking. Since it's part of a series I'll give it a little slack though.

Overall:

I genuinely enjoyed this book. While it's long, it's good. It's got plenty of action and a strong female character. Looking back, I'm not sure you learn to much about the backstory quite yet (though I guess all of it is necessary in the end), it's still quite and enjoyable story and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Waiting on Wednesday (28) - a day late

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

Prodigy (Legend #2)

by Marie Lu

Goodreads Synopsis:

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

Why I'm waiting:

It's freakin Prodigy! Why wouldn't I be waiting on this sequel?!?!?!?! I absolutely fell in love with Legend and I've been waiting on the edge of my seat for what seems like ages for this book. And it's almost HERE!!!!!! It's so close I can almost taste it. AHHHHH Jan. 29, just freaking hurry up! I'll give you chocolate?

So what are y'all waiting on this fine Wednesday (well, Thursday in this case)?

Be sure to let me know in the comments below.

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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The Luxe (Luxe #1) by Anna Godbersen

The Luxe (Luxe #1)
by Anna Godbersen
Pages: 433
Source: Library
Format: Hardback

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone--from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud--threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

My Review:

I was never incredibly interested in this book, but I was looking through my library and the pretty dress on the cover was just calling my name. The cover just screamed that there would be numerous scandals, breath-taking balls and gorgeous gowns within it's pages.

It lied to me.

First off, I knew what happened as soon I was introduced to Elizabeth's love interest. The prologue of the book is actually the ending, with the rest of the book leading up to it. So, it's pretty much given away then and there. I guess the "how" they got there was supposed to be the suprising part, but once Will was introduced, I figured it out. So the plot ended up being very "meh". Not to mention it wasn't very scandalous nor were there many balls.

The characters were alright, but nothing special. Actually, the only two characters I actually liked were the younger Holland sister and Henry. And that was pretty much the only scandal. Elizabeth grated on my nerves because she hated the fact that everyone thought she was the perfect socialite and treated her as such instead of realizing her true feelings. Well, it was her fault because she acted the part of the perfect socialite and never voiced her opinion. Now, I understand the why behind it, but ultimately it is her decision, so it's pointless to complain. Penelope was your stock mean girl who was just petty and annoying.

Overall:

Meh...just meh. Not much glitter and glamorizing going on within these pages. Scandals? Pfffttt...yeah right. Beautiful descriptions of dresses? As if. Awesome characterization? Ha. You make me laugh. Sadly this book just lacked the glitz, glamour and beauty I was hoping for.

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
by J.K. Rowling
Pages: 435
Source: Own
Format: Hardback

Rating: It's Harry Potter. Of course I loved it! 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has already survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. But his hopes for a quiet term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it a coincidence that he can feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish predictions seriously?

My Review:
(This is a Re-read)

Can I tell y'all something? This is actually the first book I ever read of Harry Potter. Yup, I actually started with book #3. For a long time my sister had tried to get me to start reading, and when she found out that I loved the first two movies (the only ones out at the time), she thought I would like the books. Finally I consented and let her read it to me. It's been my favorite ever since. 

I absolutely love The Prisoner of Azkaban. I really love the later books in the series, but there is just something about this one that makes me keep re-reading it. This is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've re-read this one. I think it's because it's the book that's on the precipice of change. The series really gets darker and deeper as it goes on, and this is the book that, while still light in nature, starts the detour into depth and darkness. It's the perfect mix of lightheartedness that we came to love, but with a darkness that binds you. 

This series has the best trio in book history. You get loyal Harry, humorous Ron, and intelligent Hermione. Their adventures and love for each other never cease to amaze me. And this is one series where I think I love every single secondary character and that's a big feat. And two of my favorites come in during this book: Lupin and Sirius! 

I don't really want to give too much away, but I always loved the plot of this book. I thought it was brilliantly done and I love that we really start to learn more about Harry's past and what happened to his parents. 

Overall:

This was kind of a nonsense review but honestly, just read the Harry Potter books. They are amazing. I've never fallen in love with a series this much. And this book? My favorite. If you don't read the others (but have seen the movies) then at least give this one a try. 

All the best ♥

Mackenzie

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Scent of Magic (Healer #2) by Maria V. Snyder

Scent of Magic (Healer #2)
By Maria V. Snyder
Pages: 400
Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley

Rating: Really liked it

Goodreads Summary:

Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.

Cover Review:

I'm sorry, but....I hate that cover with a burning passion. It's hideous! After the first book's cover being so gorgeous, this one just fell completely flat. It's fake looking and just doesn't seem well put together. Bleh. But don't let the cover turn you off the story!

My real review:

First things first: I love Maria V. Snyder's books. Yes, I am a self-proclaimed Synder book junkie. You should be too. But that's part of the reason I have such mixed feelings on this book.

I absolutely fell in love with her first book Touch of Power. I even made a list of what I loved about the book:
1. Awesome Heroine
2. Hate turned love relationship
3. Kerrick
4. Fantastic secondary characters
5. Ridiculously crazy awesome villain
6. Intriguing and engaging plot
7. No shortage of action
8. Zombies

Sounds like 1 awesome mixture right? And it certainly was! But, unfortunately, Scent of Magic only had about half:

1. Awesome heroine:
I always adored Avery. She's just as likely to kick your butt as she is to help you stand again. She is fierce, intelligent and kick-butt, but also has such a great heart. She's a caring person and I love her determination where he sister is concerned. She's just as awesome in this book as she is in the previous. 

2. Intriguing and Engaging plot:
We learn so much in this book which I absolutely love! The plot is complex and intriguing and Snyder never fails to throw in a curve ball. 

3. No shortage of action:
 Action-packed and fast-paced = awesome! I'm an action junkie so I'm bound to enjoy a book with lots of butt-kickery. And Tohon's army? Plays a much bigger role in this book! Which leads me to...

4. Zombies:
'Nuff said. 

So, sounds pretty good right? And it was! I pretty much devoured the book! But after it ended, it left me...wanting:

1. No fantastic secondary characters:
 Boo. Remember all those guys I loved in the first book? Hardly even in this book. And, to be honest, they are what really made me love the first book. They're hilarious, quirky and are like one big family! I miss their humor and all around awesomeness. I actually did end up liking some of the new secondary characters, but they just can't live up to Papa Bear!

2. No hate turned love romance:
Yeah, I know, they fell in love at the end of the first book, but since they are apart for most of this book, it's more of annoying longing for each other. I miss their snarky interactions.

3. No Crazy Awesome Villain:
Well, at least not till the very end. Look, I like my villains crazy. I don't want to be told, I want to see it. I want reasoning. Tohon = psychopath. And honestly, I love it. His scenes in Touch of Power were definitely...intriguing ;) Sadly, he hardly plays a physical role in this book. Understandable, but I wish it weren't the case. 


Middle road:


1. Kerrick:
Intelligent, loyal, fierce, stoic Kerrick. How come I just couldn't fall for you in this book? Don't worry, I'm already in love with you but I just wasn't swooning over him as I did in the first book. I think this is because I didn't get to see his interactions with Avery and his crew (which I loved!). This was more about his lone journey, and it mainly consisted of him missing Avery. Sweet, but got on my nerves. However, I did love his POV in this book. Very interesting. 

Overall:

So, although this book lacked some aspects I absolutely loved from the first book, it still had plenty to keep me interested. If you loved the first book, you'll still really enjoy this book. Avery is still her awesome self, the plot is crazy (in a good way), plenty of curve balls and zombies. So what are you waiting for?

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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Books I'm Looking forward to: 2013 edition

With each new year comes some awesome new books. There are tons of books I'm looking forward to and this is in no way a complete list, but here are some books that I'm incredibly excited for (especially the sequels!!). 

Books I'm Looking Forward To: 2013

Prophecy by Ellen Oh

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

I love a girl who can kick some butt. Plus there are Demons, prophecies, and a Demon Lord? Yeah, I'm down for that. She's the country's last hope. Should be fun! 

Mind Games by Kiersten White 

Kiersten White. 'Nuff said.

City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forester

First off, love the cover. Second off, she lives in an isolated community where orphaned girls can become healers, musicians, courtesans, and maybe even assassins. Honestly, any book that even hints at assassins is the book for me. This sounds like an amazing fantasy world that I can't wait to delve into.  

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

*Happy Dance*

I'm so freakin excited for this book that it's not even funny! Ughhhhh I want this so bad that I'm willing to give up my future child for it! Okay, just joking....maybe. Cinder was fantastic and I can't wait to see how Meyers connects Cinder and Scarlet's stories. And Wolf definitely sounds intriguing ;)

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

My review of Legend 

Another sequel I can't wait to get my greedy little hands on. *laughs greedily* 

June, the child prodigy, coupled with the bold and brash Day made this book great. Add in non-stop action in this dystopian world and you've got a winner! 

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

A library of dead bodies that tell history? 

Sounds creepily fantastic! Also, the MC shares my name and we "Mackenzies" gotta stay together! 

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

While this is more of a companion novel rather than a sequel, I'm jumping for joy. Grave Mercy was absolutely fantastic (Oh, Duval!) so I have very high hopes for this one. And the cover is absolutely amazing. I'm a little nervous as to who I think the love interest is, but I think that will actually make it interesting. And....she's an assassin that is considered one of the convents most dangerous weapons. Heck yeah! 

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

This series is so much better than the original. And I'm literally dying since I haven't gotten my hands on this yet. Well, more metaphorically, but "literally" got my point across better :P Let's just say that I'm incredibly psyched to read this. I'm Team Jem....I think. Ugh....yes, I'm totally Team Jem. But in a weird, weird way I kind of feel sorry for Will and surprisingly kind of like him. Ugh....my emotions are so mixed, so you know it's a good book! 

(TEAM JEM!)

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

The Bluebeard fairytale never came to my attention until I read Kill Me Softly, but ever since then I've been incredibly intrigued. It sounds deliciously deceptive. March can't come quick enough!

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The False Prince was amazing and there is no doubt in my mind I'll love this sequel. As long as Seth remains the snarky, sarcastic, clever son-of-a-gun he is, I'll love it. 

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

The most epic of high fantasies! I absolutely fell in love with Shadow and Bone (my review has lots of gifs so you know its good!) with it's fantastic characters, breathtaking world and mysterious Darkling. This one is bound to be just as good! June is waaaay to far away. I would give anything an ARC (*hint hint*) 

The Pirate's Wish (The Assassins Curse) by Cassandra Rose Clarke 

Pirates, Assassins and Questing, OH MY!!

Inhunman (Fetch #1) by Kat Falls

First of, the cover is awesome. Lane has to travel to the ravaged East Coast where people show animalistic traits in order to find an artifact to save her dad? Sounds like a kick-butt, action packed adventure to me! But what really sold me was "Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe." I have a feeling I'm gonna love Rafe. Sounds like it might even be a hate-turned-love relationship. I'm all game for that!

So what books are y'all looking forward to this coming year? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

All the best ♥

Mackenzie 

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