The Faerie War Review

Next up on the review-agenda is The Faerie War by: Rachel Morgan.

The world has fallen apart and destruction is all that remains. Everyone is in hiding, but Violet can’t remember anything about what happened to cripple the world. Actually, she can’t remember much of anything. She finds herself at the mercy of the reptiscillas, who all seem to hate her for being a guardian – whatever that means. Through it all, she has to find a way to figure out her role in the fight to save the world.

To be completely honest, my feelings on this book are mixed. I’m just getting off the high of the amazing last two thirds of the book, but I really struggled with the start of this book. It’s really frustrating to go into the book with the main character knowing nothing. I think stories with the amnesia aspect can be really great, but when I have read through two whole books and know a whole lot about the character and her experiences, it gets kind of frustrating to have her be so ignorant. So many times I wanted to scream at her to fill in the blanks to her memory, but of course that wouldn’t work.

Once you get past Part 1, it gets a lot better. I’m so glad Rachel Morgan decided to give Ryn his own time to shine (Part 2 was in his point of view). Things really started picking up later into the book and I couldn’t put it down, but I really had to force myself to get through the first of it. I even had to put it down and pick up another book before I felt I could continue with this one.

Getting past that first part, the book is definitely worth it. There was a really satisfying conclusion to the book and it didn’t seem cheesy, or like it was too easy for what happened to actually have happened. Sorry if this is a bit confusing, I’m trying to be vague.

I still really love Violet as a character, even though she can’t remember anything. She is still true to herself and she may not remember why she is the way she is, but she doesn’t drastically change, which I really like. I’m really glad Rachel Morgan decided to handle Violet’s case of amnesia this way. She really did an excellent job writing Violet without her memory. I think it was just my personal preference that made it more painful to read Violet without her memory.

Ryn is such an amazing character and I love him so much! Going into this book series, I really hated him at first, which is what you are supposed to do, but I really enjoyed seeing him grow and change throughout this series. He is just so good for Violet as well. I am so glad that Rachel Morgan didn’t make him push Violet too hard when she didn’t remember him. It’s a terrible position that he was in, but Rachel Morgan did an excellent job with writing the new dynamic to Ryn and Violet’s relationship.

This book series is really worth the read. I really loved it. Sadly, each book had a piece that bothered me, so they couldn’t rank as high as my absolute favorites, but it came pretty close. I’m excited that this world will be continued on in the next book series arch about Calla. I just might have to finish decompressing from this one before I start the next.

The Reckoning Review

Today I am going to review The Reckoning by: MaryLu Tyndall (my favorite author, by the way).

Morgan Shaw just learned she has liver cancer and to make matters worse her boyfriend broke up with her because he couldn’t deal with it. Stuck at a tall-ship festival and trying to avoid her ex, she scurries down to the bowels of the ship, only to reemerge 300 years in the past. Can she come to terms with time travel? Will the hansom rouge Rowin steal her heart? Will she let him? As everything spins out of Morgan’s control, she has to find the strength to let go and allow God to lead her.

MaryLu Tyndall doesn’t disappoint. I really loved this book. I love how MaryLu can add so much depth to the story by her detailed descriptions. Everything flows amazingly well and I can always get so wrapped up in the story.

I loved how MaryLu really worked hard to mesh the two times together. So many times, no one could understand what Morgan was saying because she would talk about something from the 21^st century or use our language. To me, what she said seemed so natural, but it definitely wouldn’t have to someone from 1694.

I really found myself identifying with Morgan. The message in this book about trusting God really resonated with me. More than any of MaryLu’s other books, this one really stuck me and made me take a closer look at how little I am willing to relinquish control to God. Morgan and her control issues were beautifully written.

Rowin was a great bad-boy. I really enjoyed seeing him change throughout this book, but I almost wish I could see more of his transformation later on in the book. I could see him growing all along, but then he seems to go the last mile in his character growth so suddenly. Regardless of this, I still loved him as a character and his role in the book.

I totally understand why it took so long for Moran to come to grips with being transported in time, but I almost wish she got over it a bit more quickly. I liked her as a character from the beginning, but I felt my patience for her whining wearing a bit thin. However, if she came to realize she was actually in 1694 earlier, she wouldn’t be able to brave nearly as much and I absolutely loved seeing this side of her from the beginning. It showed the potential of what she could become if not for her OCD and anxiety.

Lastly, my only real problem with the book is the time travel aspects. This isn’t really a complaint of how MaryLu tackled it because she did an excellent job combining the two worlds, but it has more to do with the theories of time travel. I was going to try and write out some of my thoughts on how the timeline would be affected with Morgan’s traveling back, but that would take way too much time and it would probably be more confusing than helpful. Let’s just say, I feel like some things couldn’t have happened as they did based on some of the theories of time travel, but that could just be because of how I think time travel should work and what theory I get behind.

Oh! Also, I was so ecstatic when Charlisse and Merrick made an appearance in this book! Having loved them ever since I read The Redemption years ago, I couldn’t be any happier to see that they are still doing well. It really was like getting to catch up with old friends.

Here are some of my tweets from right after I finished the book, just to show a bit of my initial thoughts shortly after I read the last page.

I just finished The Reckoning by @MaryLuTyndall and it was amazing! I cannot put to words how this book has already impacted me.

— Savannah Rohleder (@smrsis248) June 22, 2015

I totally burst with excitement when Charlisse and Merrick made an appearance in The Reckoning! It was like old friends came to visit.

— Savannah Rohleder (@smrsis248) June 22, 2015

The Faerie Prince Review

This time I’m going to review The Faerie Prince by: Rachel Morgan. Be warned, it is the second book in the series, so there are bound to be spoilers from the first book.

Violet has just one more hurtle before her graduation to become a guardian: her final assignment. Nothing goes according to plan and she has to deal with being partnered with her enemy/tormenter/kind of friend, Ryn. With the final assignment being more than she bargained for and the strange new emotions that are plaguing her when she’s around Ryn, she has to find a way to survive.

Honestly, I really don’t even want to be writing this review right now. Instead I just want to consume the next book. I’m forcing myself to review the books I’m reading before I start the next (especially ones in series) so everything’s fresh in my mind.

I really just can even deal with the ending. It’s a huge whapping cliff-hanger where so much is up in the air. For cliff-hanger endings, it’s excellent, but for those of you who want to hurl the book across the room after one, be warned.

I really loved Violet and Ryn. Their banter and friendship is just so much fun and I tried so many times not to smile too widely when reading those parts (mostly because I was in public and didn’t want to look like a weirdo). I think the tidbits we find out about Ryn are amazing too… My only complaint is that I feel like these might not have been totally thought out when writing the bonus material for the first book, but whatever.

There was so much going on that Violet didn’t know about and tiny pieces would break though to be mentioned to the reader, but I almost wish there was a bit more build-up of them. I totally loved how the book was, as is, but there just seems to almost be gaps with the stuff going on behind the scenes.

I really love this series and I can’t wait to dive into the next book.

The Faerie Guardian Review

Now it’s time for the review of The Faerie Guardian by: Rachel Morgan.

Violet is a faerie in training to be a Guardian, which means she constantly travels into the human world to protect the unsuspecting people from random attacks by the fae. One mission goes badly when Vi accidentally takes a human back to her world, Creepy Hollow, which is breaking the number one rule. However, things aren’t quite as they appear for this boy, or with her for that matter…

I really have some mixed feelings about this book. I totally loved it, especially the second half, but I just can’t get over how fast she seems to fall for Nate. She barely just met the guy and she is breaking all the rules for him. I totally get the rush for this (in the scope of the whole book), but it was kind of frustrating when I wasn’t far enough to understand why Rachel Morgan would write it this way.

Now, with that out of the way, I loved just about everything else about this book. After the big game-changer near the middle of the book, I couldn’t put it down. The plot from that point on really picked up and it was amazing.

I really loved Vi and Ryn as characters. I wish I could have gotten a better sense of who Nate was, but he was such a flat character and maybe that’s why his and Vi’s attraction seemed so sudden and strange. I sure did love, though, the part where Vi actually voiced the doubts rolling through my head and admitted to knowing Nate for only a short period of time, so she didn’t understand her emotional response to him. I also just loved how she could stand her own in a fight and really embodied the tough chick. So many times books can have a main character like her and then completely ruin it with their whinny thoughts. I think Rachel Morgan did an excellent job with Vi’s responses to everything that happened.

Now about Ryn, I totally didn’t like him at first, which is kind of the point, but I really, really like him by the end. Talking about the end, I really wish there was more to it. The bonus material after the book finishes helps me have a slight bit of closer, but it really wasn’t enough. I know this is part of a series, so I knew to expect a bit of a cliff-hanger, but I really wish series (in general) were more episodic verse how they tend to be just one giant book chopped into smaller pieces. I’m totally going to read the rest of the series, but I wish there was a more satisfying ending.

Overall, this was a well written and really gripping book. I can’t wait to pick up the next one (which I’m probably going to do in the next few minutes).

Oh, and by the way, I totally love the cover.

Taking Our Own Advice

On the radio this morning, the host talked about his struggle with not feeling good enough. This actually was something he mentioned in a discussion about kids winning participation awards for sports. Most people seem to be on the side that think those awards will make people feel entitled to always win something.

However, the host launched into a personal musing to give a boost to the argument in favor of those awards. He mentioned that he used to play football, which there is only a winner and a loser. No one got awards for just being there. It’s just not part of the game.

When he got more into the arts, he realized that there will always be someone that is better than him, so maybe a recognition of effort wouldn’t be so bad when he couldn’t be the best. Someone out there would always be better than him. That thought could bring feelings of worthlessness and apathy. Why bother trying when you can’t be the best?

The host said he’d been struggling with this and, honestly, I have too, but right away when the host started saying it, my mind launched into a rebuttal...

Each one of us has something unique to bring. Sure, you may not be the best, but no one thinks exactly like another and you would bring something special just because you are you.

This reminds me of the show Hit Record. There is a site where people create and post the things they’ve done. Then others can take it and make something new with it. For example, many short films have been made with illustrations someone drew as the backdrop. The music is sung by one person who might have gotten the lyrics from someone else. It is animated by yet another person. The final product can be amazing, but it wouldn’t have been the same if only one person had worked on it.

We each bring our unique gifts.

After a few moments where I gave lengthy advice in my mind, something struck me. I’m quick to give advice to help someone else, but I rarely listen to my own advice. I want to help others, but I don’t try to fix my own problems.

All the stuff I mentioned above is a great example of how I wasn’t taking my own advice. So many times I’ve just given up because I wasn’t the best. I didn’t try so that I couldn’t fail. Then, I would turn around and encourage people not to do the very thing I didn’t realize I did.

Often I know the answers and how to help others with their problems, but I don’t try to fix myself. Maybe it’s ignorance and I just don’t recognize my own issues. Maybe it’s laziness and I don’t want to put the effort to improve. Maybe none of the above.

It’s so easy to deal out words meant to help others, but it’s much harder to actually take our own advice.

Unlikely Allies Review

This time I’m going to review Unlikely Allies by: Tiffany King.

Kimberly just turned eighteen and her mom laid down a bomb-shell. Dropping everything, she goes to spend time with the father she’s never met, which lands her smack dab in the middle of the Colorado wilderness. Her dad runs a summer camp for foster kids and Kimberly is determined to prove that she can live in this backwards place. Not to mention, the attractive Mason is bent on pointing out her every flaw.

I really enjoyed this book, but once again I read the reviews before I picked it up, so I think my expectations were a bit too high. The book was well written and I loved the characters and plot, but from the reviews, I thought it would be a bit more intense and traumatic than it was. People were saying they were crying and had so many emotions coming out of this book, but I just didn’t feel the same. That is why I think I had a bit too high of expectations for the book. There is tragedy in this book and I think the author did an excellent job with writing it, but I just thought there would be like ten more blows before the book was over.

I really liked all the characters in this book, a lot. Tiffany King did an excellent job with presenting great back-stories for some of the campers (it would have been nice to hear more of Amy’s and even more of Mason’s). I loved Kimberly’s strength and determination. I’m so glad that she wasn’t one of those whinny girls that hated the outdoors, which going into this book, I thought she would be. Her dad is also an amazing person and he made me want to go and give my dad a big hug.

Overall, this book was really good. My issues above are nothing against the book at all. It’s just more of a person issue of my expectations.

I really wish the book could be a bit longer, actually. There was so much great content and the author could really push so many things in this just a step further. After the drama of this book comes to the climax, I really wish there was more to the fall-out/recovery. But the book is still worth the read.

Forgive My Fins Review

This time, I’m going to review Forgive My Fins by: Tera Lynn Childs.

Lily Sanderson is not your typically teenage girl crushing on the popular swimmer boy, Brody. She’s also a mermaid. Through a few unfortunate circumstances, she ends up bonding with her neighbor and tormentor, Quince. For mermaids, bonding is for life, unless broken before the next lunar cycle. Lily doesn’t waste a moment in trying to get the bond broken, but is it what she actually wants?

When buying books I don’t know much about, I’ve started to read the reviews others have posted. There were a decent amount of people that didn’t like the book, but I decided to buy it anyways because the book was on sale for $1.99. I really regret it.

There was definitely a lot of good things in this book. I loved how the author incorporated the sea slang into the book. I found the mermaid mythology to be really interesting and I liked that the author actually clothed the mermaids (which is a very rare thing with mermaid stories).

My biggest issue with this book is Lilly, the main character. I can totally understand (and identify) with the whole ‘having a crush on a guy that you don’t really know,’ but Lilly took it too far. She couldn’t get over him at all and they barely spoke. I was so frustrated when she couldn’t even recognize her growing feelings for Quince. Any normal person wouldn’t be that stupid to brush them off so easily.

I really liked Quince’s character, but I wish there was a bit more of the real him showing through before they were bonded. Everyone could tell that he picked on her because he liked her, but I feel like his shift between annoying and caring was a bit abrupt. Once they were bonded, he seemed to just completely stop picking on her/joking about her and that is a bit uncharacteristic of him.

I really didn’t enjoy the ending. (Spoilers) Because of Lily’s stupidity, they get the separation and then she finally understands that she love him. It’s so aggravating that he was going to give up everything for her, but she just threw it back in his face. Then she goes back to land to be with him. Ugh! Could you not have just been a little less pig-headed and stayed bonded with him? I understand it’s sweet and all that she’s now sacrificing her world for his, but as of the synopsis of the next book, we see she has to go back. (End Spoilers)

I would really love to know how this all ends, mostly because I can’t really stand starting a series and not finishing it, but I really don’t want to have to sit through the rest of the books. I could feel myself just wishing this book got to the inevitable point – where Lily realized she loved Quince. Don’t get me wrong, the writing in this book was good, but I just couldn’t stand Lily’s frustrating emotions and stubbornness.