Doctor Who: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller (Time Trips)

Presenting Doctor Who: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller (Time Trips) by Joanne Harris.

Here is the summary of the book:

Struggling to get back to UNIT HQ, his body being destroyed by radiation, the Third Doctor arrives in the most perfect English village, where everyone is happy. But is he really on Earth, or somewhere far more strange? As his body weakens, the Doctor and the Queen of the village begin to unravel the truth.

Time Trips – groundbreaking Doctor Who adventures by some of the most respected writers in the Universe. Short stories that are bigger on the inside…

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Time Traveller ..... title is quite the mouthful I agree but is one well paced and well endowed adventure. This is also my first Jon Pertwee adventure in a book. I watched all of his 3rd Doctor episodes and was quite the James Bond-esque Doctor.

Setting a timeline of all of the Doctor Who is not always accurate. We always take a new adventure, a new story for its own arc but here the timeline can be accurately placed and I must say I remember it too. This story takes place right after the planet of the spiders and before he regenerated into the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker.

Suffering from the radiation poisoning from the cave of the Metebelis III, the Doctor had set the Tardis to send him back to Sarah Jane if anything like this happening but before that somehow he ends up at the picture perfect English village and the Doctor is as always curious at oddities such this. He can feel his end coming but he just can't seem to help it. His curiosity. There is a carnival parade everyday, the village inhabitants must done on a smile and show that they are happy or the sky opens up and swallows them whole. Even the parade floats are much more sinister looking than they ought to be. And the Doctor knows he must get to the bottom of this mystery.

Joanne Harris did a wonderful job with layering out this adventure. Jon Pertwee's Doctor was quite the spry fellow and the author did a great job with layering all facts out. Of course "Reverse the polarity" is a dialogue that always makes us happy. Thus, I enjoyed it very much and actually finished this in one hour too.

"Exciting and a well paced 3rd Doctor adventure"

Genre :      Fantasy, Sci-fi, Tv tie-in

Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Release Date: 4th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              4/5 (Really Liked It)

Other Books on Doctor Who 
                        (review links)
    
Buy:           Amazon

Soul Screamers #3 My Soul to Keep

Presenting Soul Screamers #3 My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent.

Here is the summary of the book:

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.Until something does.

"Demon breath." No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really "can" kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends--one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else..

I seriously hate it when the author tries to break up the main couple and then situations arise in such fashions that the brother is the one who finally gets the girl. I can digest that sometimes but not always. And I am definitely not fond of sudden drastic character changes too. My Soul to Keep is clearly the game changer for the series and somehow I didn't like it at all.

I get that Vincent focused on one particular sin (of the seven deadly sins) in each of the books and gave it a larger than real arc. And the concept of the Bean sidhes and the Netherworld were clearly the strong points of the series. But the Kaylee, Nash and Tod we saw in the first book were clearly the best out of the lot for me.

As such the trio have become rather convoluted. Tod is turning a bit better, he had his moments but there are moments when Tod seriously irked me. Nash, well I was unhappy with the changes we saw in him but what I read made me feel almost sorry for him. Substance abuse can make them do a lot of things they won't do with a sane mind. And then there was Kaylee, she seriously annoyed me. She felt too righteous. Its good that she cares but she seems to take the 'with great powers comes great responsibility' thing to the next level.

Then there were the adults. They were seriously badly written. At every turn the one thing that was on the teenagers minds was that if the adults found out then I would be grounded. As if that was the most important thing going on. And then the obvious cliffhanger-y ending come on. Seriously either set Nash free or help him get better don't leave him saying that you would wait for him to get better and take him back then. Seriously I want to know how this series ends but I am not sure I am in the right mind to do it right now. I need a breather.

"My Soul to Keep, the drastic game-changer for this series"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Publisher: MiraINK

Release Date: 15th April, 2011

My Copy: bought (paperback)

Rate:              2/5 (It was ok)

Other Books in the Series (review links):
                    #1 My Soul to Take 
              #2 My Soul to Save 

Other Books from the Author (review links):
           Unbound #1 Blood Bound
    
Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

The Hundred #2 Day 21

Presenting The Hundred #2 Day 21 by Kass Morgan.

Here is the summary of the book:

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.
It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can -- together.

So I haven't seen the show yet but read and reviewed The 100, the first book of the series and found it okay (not awesome) and requested Day 21 on netgalley and I must say I found it much more enjoyable. The narrative still follows the four person perspective - Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Glass. Its still not that amazing but I believe the characters are growing on me.

The plot definitely progresses a bit here. Very predictable but very interesting. The flashbacks were not in all the chapters, something I liked very much. The story behind the Earthborns was touched upon. Clarke and Bellamy, Glass and Luke, and Wells and the Earthborn Sasha. They were quite set in the roles they played. Of course I still didn't really care much about them but yes again I say i found the story this time much more enjoyable.

While I am not too enthusiastic about the series, and there were some frustrating elements with the story along the surprises, i liked them. I observed that this is a series that reads and feels much like a visual adaptation. I understand the show is very much different than the source material so that's saying something. Morgan did a alight better job with the sequel. Although only a few instances in the story were the most important just like they were in the first book but I am very much interested to know how the 100 and the Earthborns are going to handle the people coming down in the next book.

"A much more enjoyable sequel"

Genre :      Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown Books

Release Date: 16th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              3/5 (Liked It)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 The 100 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

The Vault of Dreamers

Presenting The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien.

Here is the summary of the book:

From the author of the Birthmarked trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when your dreams are not your own.

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

'Big Brother/Big Boss' meets sci-fi dystopia, Caragh M. O'Brien's 'The Vault of Dreamers' offers enough angles for us readers to pursue the tale but I found the story to be odd and rather mediocre at best. There is the gorgeous literally eye-catching cover coupled with a synopsis that seems to shine with a glorious purpose. All this may look very far-fetched had me drawing in more and rather disappointed too.

Rosie Sinclair enrolled at this prestigious elitist art school called Forge School and participate in the Forge Show. The school has a rule of 12 hours unrestricted sleep with the help of sleeping pills. You don't take the pills, you are out of the school and the show. But Rosie is feeling rebellious and decides to miss taking the pill because she misses the night sky and the rain.... wait for it.... for almost 9 days... no more no less and decides to brave it and go soak in the downpour outside, not withstanding the risk she takes from being cut out of the show and school, which she desperately does not want..... For nine days..... seriously!!

Rosie is rather odd and rather too wooden of a character. Her relationship with the hot kitchen boy Linus too felt rather forced and rather for the camera. They say reality shows like these force the contestants to finally show to the viewers who they really are. Exception are always there but for the most part this is a game. Viewers decide who stays and who gets out and these contestants put up a well planned act to work their benefit. They scheme, they flirt and do all sorts of acts to gain the approval of the audience and this one lesson Rosie did not seem to understand.

Even the big reveal at the end, the weird things happening below the camera while very intriguing and well explained plot devices felt forced. I simply could not find it in myself to root for the characters.... and yet I still kept reading.

I couldn't stop. I just had to keep reading. To reach the last page and find out exactly what was going on in the story. The writing isn't well paced and too much time is spent on the reality show and very less on the shady details of below the school. Rosie felt too righteous and frustrating. She didn't trust anybody and assumed a lot of things. I actually liked her interactions with Burnham and the slow development around them. But all things considered the plot was still very intriguing. The premise still very oddly engaging.

This book needs a bit of work and i'm still on the fence here..... I liked it but i also didn't like it. Hopefully the sequel with the met the problems out and present a convincing and stronger front.

"An oddly intriguing reality show meets extravagant sci-fi drama"

Genre :      Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Release Date: 16th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              3/5 (Liked It)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Lockwood & Co. #2 The Whispering Skull

Presenting Lockwood & Co. #2 The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud.

Here is the summary of the book:

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

The author of the blockbuster Bartimaeus series delivers another amusing, chilling, and ingeniously plotted entry in the critically acclaimed Lockwood & Co. series.

As riveting as the first book, Stroud takes us headlong again into his alternative London with all of its creepy, ghostly splendor. The Whispering Skull provides another excellent addition to the paranormal genre and a great sequel to the Screaming Staircase.

Lockwood, Lucy and George are again embroiled into another haunting business and this time the stakes are even higher than before. Stroud maintains the groundwork he established in the first book serving only to expand on each and every aspect of the story brilliantly.

The mysterious, reckless and awfully calm Anthony Lockwood. The sensitive and smart Lucy Carlyle and the efficient researcher George Cubbins. The aforementioned skull plays quite the instigator in the events of the book as the trio race against time to solve the baffling mystery regarding a very dangerous and elusive boneglass mirror, their current problem. And as the protagonists open up more to one another and n Lucy's case experience a growth in power, we see and appreciate even more the bond they share between them.

With a perfect sequel, Stroud has produced yet another master piece with the perfect spooky tone to set the mood. Sinister spooks of the otherworld and even more sinister human beings who seek profit in such ghostly source object dealings. Dark, ghostly and gory, sarcasm and humor and the spooky twists and turns enough to send chills down your spines. I said this with 'The Screaming Staircase' and i'll say it for 'The Whispering Skull', buy it, this is one ghostly sequel you must not miss.

"A spooky sequel with the perfect mix of mystery and spine chilling ghostly adventure"

Genre :      Young Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: 16th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books in the Series (review links):
                    #1 The Screaming Staircase

Other Books from the Author (review links):
   Bartimaeus #1 The Amulet of Samarkand
    
Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Bhinian Empire #1 City of a Thousand Dolls

Presenting Bhinian Empire #1 City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster.

Here is the summary of the book:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

Vividly imaginative, culturally lush and exotically enriched, City of a Thousand Dolls proved to be an epic high fantasy with the best of both world. Maintaining a murder mystery that was not only vividly recognized and kept us tethered to our seats. Miriam Forster's world truly is a sight to behold. A mix of many known religions, noteworthy was the Indian origins of many of the story's aspects. Bhinian Empire is going to be a series that would pull us in time after time and we would find new things everytime we do so.

City of a Thousand Dolls, is a lone estate and nurtured to train and care for the unwanted girls of the Empire. Music, dancing, healing, beauty and combat were some of the subjects girls are trained in and the author did a wonderful job of explaining and elaborating on each of the houses and how they worked. The mythos and the rules and regulations of this world and its history were also touched and Forster truly did not disappoint.... Of course there are talking cats too, how could we forget them. Some of the best parts involved them.

The diverse fill of characters too brought their own into this world. Nisha as the protagonist was of course the one focused upon. Belonging to none of the houses, she makes her way as the Matron's assistant. Being her eyes and ears in the City, Nisha enjoys a lot of privileges. A dreamer, ignorant of her origins, Nisha is pretty happy with her lot in life. Then she catches the eye of the noble courier and starts to fantasize about a life outside of the city. She is a free spirited teenager who enjoys what life had bestowed on her and while she knows what is expected of her, she is hesitant to inform her desires to her noble paramour.

But then close to an important celebration, murder strikes the heart of the city. One by one girls are dying, each scene more mysterious than the last, and Nisha finds herself as the investigator. And her well ordered life has turned into a chaotic mess, a simple misstep and her hopes of freedom world go up in flames.

The secondary characters too had a role to play. Be it the cats (Jerrit, Esmer), the Matron, Devan, Tanaya, Akash or the Prince Sudev they all brought a level of vibrancy to the tale. The action and adventure and the mystery of the murders and the resulting suspense were all well paced witout overwhelming the story or its readers. Miriam Forster has provided us a gem and its is only just the beginning too.

"A vivid, imaginative and culturally exotic high fantasy"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 5th February, 2013

My Copy: bought (ebook)

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Blackbird Duology #1 Blackbird

Presenting Blackbird Duology #1 Blackbird by Anna Carey.

Here is the summary of the book:

This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

My first experience with Anna Carey and admittedly my first experience with a book written in 2nd person. Just that it took sometime or rather a lot of it to get used to the flow of the story. Everything starts with 'you' and its not something you get used to quickly. So yes, largely the felt long, tedious and somewhat disconcerting.

But Blackbird does start with a bang. Our narrator who through the course of events adopts the name "Sunny" doesn't know who she is and why she was standing on a train track with the train speeding wards her. Just the tattoo of a blackbird enclosed in a box and a serial number and bag full of strange equipments are all she has. Very thrilling and very Jason Bourne esque.

And then the cat and mouse chase begins and it gets even more interesting. People seem to be following her. She seems to possess skills of some dubious nature. Sunny doesn't remember anything. Even going to the police does not seem to help. Danger is everywhere and Sunny doesn't know who to trust. The boy Ben proves to be a needed reprieve from the ongoing dangerous chase but things like that not the luxury she seems to be blessed with.

Of course concrete explanations are given but they are few and very far in between. But I was a little disappointed. Throughout the ride, I was just waiting for the penny to drop and things to make sense again. I do hope the conclusion will be the answers we need. Don't get me wrong I liked the book enough, it was the perfect example of a 2nd person narrative providing a concrete thriller in the young adult context but I was expecting a bit too much..... But I want to see this through and this is a duology so i am eager tor read what comes next.

"A unique YA thriller with its own brand of dangers"

Genre :      Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 16th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

The Aquarathi #2 Oceanborn

Presenting The Aquarathi #2 Oceanborn by Amalie Howard.

Here is the summary of the book:

The coronation is over.

But the battle has just begun.

Nerissa Marin has won her crown. But can she keep it? Already, her ties to the human realm are driving a wedge between Nerissa and her people. When word arrives that her part-human prince consort, Lo, has been poisoned, she makes the difficult choice to leave Waterfell and return landside. As the royal courts debate her decision, even more disturbing rumors surface: a plot is rising against her, led by someone she least expects.

On land, Nerissa learns another shocking truth: Lo does not remember who she is. As her choice to try to save him threatens her hold on her crown, changing loyalties and uncertainty test her courage in ways she could never have imagined. Nerissa will have one last chance to prove herself as a queen …and save the undersea kingdom she loves.

It is always a joy to read a sequel and find out that it is even better than its predecessor and Oceanborn does not disappoint. I always make it a point to read Harlequin Teen books and The Aquarathi series definitely makes that cut. Following in the footsteps of Waterfell, Oceanborn boosts of a particularly enticing cover, strong characters, a strong plot consisting of some very unsuspecting surprises.

Oceanborn picks up where Waterfell left off. Nerissa has been reinstated as the Queen of Waterfell but unrest reigns supreme. In a bid to keep Lo safe, she sent him to the human world. But that seemed not to be the case. There is danger everywhere. There are those below and above ground who would go to great lengths to harm Nerissa and her loved ones fall in that category too. And Nerissa must do all she can to brave such dire odds.

Nerissa says that she is an alien ergo, human emotions don't apply to her but out of all of them I found our young Aquarathi Queen to be the most human of them all. She is by no means perfect. There was a time when she was hesitant, afraid, sometimes selfish and sometimes a little stupid. But she is selfless too and willing to sacrifice her happiness to help her friends and family. And seriously queenly duties do not mix well with the desires of the heart and it is interesting how Rissa tackles it all with some very heart-warming and some fierce moments along the way.

Lo. Well he was a bit more different this time. An attack on his person rendered him amnesiac. He doesn't know his other Aquarathi half at the moment. He doesn't remember Nerissa and his personality does a u-turn. But that electrifying chemistry still holds strong. Amnesia may have affected his brain but his body still remembers Nerissa. The dangerously hot and sexy Lo was too adorably cute as he stood firm with Nerissa against all odds, adamant to recover his memories and recover his missing piece.

Despite all odds, the bound stays true. A bond that transcends all. I really melted at the romantic cuteness between Lo and Rissa here. They were too cute together. For Speio I felt really bad. He got mixed in the wrong crowd in the first book and here when he had just regained his worth and Rissa's friendship, he gets thrown another surprising odd bone at the springing more dire circumstances for Nerissa and Lo.

Among the secondary characters Jenna truly stood at the front. We saw a glance of it in Waterfell and it in Waterfell and it is even more apparent in Oceanborn. Of course having experienced Amalie Howard's brand of writing in the first book, I expected surprises where I didn't think possible and in places never thought imaginable and I was not disappointed at all. Howard maintains a constant flow with strong never lagging, never speeding too fast, just maintaining the perfect pace and keeping hooked hitching us with the twists and turns along the way. And I really dob't like cliffhangers. Hope we'll get a 3rd book soon.

"An excitable and palpable & passionate sequel that has the power to render us yearning for more"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy , Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 29th July, 2014

My Copy: bought (ebook)

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 Waterfell 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2 Vol.1

Presenting Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2 Vol.1 by Tom Taylor, Mike S. Miller & Tom Derenick.

Here is the summary of the book:

The best-selling prequel to the hit videogame picks up right where it left off! Year one is over--now, year two begins. The death of one of their own has divided Earth's protectors as hero turns against hero. As Superman's iron grip on the world tightens, at the edge of the galaxy, anothe grave threat approaches...

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR 2 continues the story from the New York Times best-selling graphic novel with rising star writer Tom Taylor (EARTH 2) and a team of artists including Mike S. Miller, Bruno Redondo and Tom Derenick.

Collects INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR 2 #1-5.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 1 introduced us to a world we are familiar with but so very different and so very creepy. So Superman is still very much the ultimate dictator, alongwith his allies trying to police the world with an iron fist. And more trouble seems to be headed their way. Sinestro wants an in and the Green Lantern Corps. are working to put a stop to Superman's madness.

This is a 'what if' extravaganza at its extreme. I so love 'what if' stories. They take known characters and try to mold them into something new and original, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. And Injustice... is a great example of the DC Universe gone the deep end. A job well done by the creative group, 'Year 2 Vol 1' maintains the darkness we expected in the 'Year 1' and even more players added to the quota be it human, superhuman or alien.

"Its dark and creepy and so very familiar"

Genre :      Graphic Novel, Comics, Tie-in

Publisher: DC Comics

Release Date: 30th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              4/5 (Really Liked It)

Other Books in the series (review links):
                #1 Year 1 (Vol.1 & 2) 

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Magisterium #1 The Iron Trial

Presenting Magisterium #1 The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare.

Here is the summary of the book:

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.

Wonder duo are collaborating on a new series? Well what are you waiting for give me. I saw this on netgalley and couldn't help not request it. Been hearing about this new series just knew, just knew I had had to try it and no sir not disappointed at all. Its inventive. Its glorious.Its magic. Its good vs. evil. Its high end fantasy drama and its a whole new world to get lost into. The Iron Trial, the first book of the Magisterium series proved every bit the entertainment I had hoped it would be.

Callum, Aaron & Tamara. The protagonist trio were simply all round perfect, well developed and still developing. Callum with his snarky comments. Aaron, the steadfast loyal friend who gets burdened with a surprising ginormous task. And Tamara who did not let pressure from outstanding forces pull her from standing up for her friends. These three with their stark differences, coming from vastly different world strike up an unlikely strong friendship standing trial as they brave their Iron Year (1st year) as a Novice Mage.

The Magisterium was for all of its purposes a magic school that we just couldn't help not immerse ourselves in as the trio chance upon every nook and crany and experience all of its magical sensitivities by themselves. 'The Iron Trial' being the first in the series maintains the world building aspect throughout the majority of it making this magical world even more awe-inspiring and fantastic. True this is a very dark world but that doesn't mean we should not be inspired any less. There is still loads to be uncovered and I for one would love to read and enjoy it all.

Herein I would like to clarify a few things, how a lot of them bloggers and reviewers had called this is a Harry Potter rip-off. I will clarify it is not. So, Rowling set the trend of the decade with her wizarding world and of course , the three protagonist, the Dark Mage, the villain and even the Magisterium itself holds allusion to the former but here in lies the difference. The teaching ways are different. The circumstances are very different. Even Callum, Aaron & Tamara are very different from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Saying that this is a series inspired from the likes of Harry Potter and  Percy Jackson thus categorized in the same genre there are bound to be similarities. Thus I urge you all to see it in its own originality and be entertained as such.

Thus, quite the magical thrill, Holly Black & Cassandra Clare served us quite an exciting start to a new magical adventure. With well built characters, a strong world building, the drama, the twists and the big surprise at the end. This is a book for which I slowed my reading pace just so I could enjoy and savre every fantastical aspect this book had to offer. Very eager for 'The Copper Gauntlet'.

"Fans of Harry Potter & Percy Jackson will enjoy this compelling and vivid magical drama from Holly Black and Cassandra Clare"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade

Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books

Release Date: 11th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher & netgalley

Rate:              5/5 (It was Awesome)

Other Books from Cassandra Clare (I haven't read anything of Holly Black yet):
                       (review links)
           
Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Soul Screamers #2 My Soul to Save

Presenting Soul Screamers #2 My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent.

Here is the summary of the book:

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld--a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk....

My Soul to Take opened the doors to a new world to us. A series with Bean sidhes (we pronounce it 'banshee') as central figures. Kaylee Cavanaugh had a rude awakening of her true identity and ever since the events of the first book, she knows now that there is a human world and there is a netherworld where resides the baddest of the bad creatures imaginable and they are just waiting to take your emotions and such just to satisfy their hunger.

My Soul to Save, happening sometimes after the first one sees Kaylee taking Ben sidhe 101 from Nash's mom Harmony (they are Bean sidhes too) and learn everything she missed in all her years of ignorance. But trouble doesn't seem to be far and Kaylee, Nash and Tod (the reaper) just can't keep away from mixing in this mess. Tod's ex-girlfriend Addison Page, a teen pop sensation sold her soul to a hellion in exchange for name and fame and the glory. And Tod just won't stop until he helps her get to the out-clause and get her soul back.

 This is at best a mediocre sequel, not bad but not the greatest either. So Addison Page sold her soul but it isn't Kaylee's fault and she is in no way the messiah of the wayward. But she is brave to go such lengths for strangers but I still don't see why she had to do it. Signing a contract you are required to read it carefully and remember details if any untoward situations arise. Page is the one at fault and I don't like how she came of as selfish and expecting the trio to find her soul for her.

So, Nash rightly tried to talk Kaylee out of this mess. While the warmth and emotions we saw in the couple in the first book was slightly missing here. Still he remained her reason and i liked it very much that the tried to protect her. The highlights was definitely their crossing to the Netherworld and seeing that world in detail.

"Bean sidhes and trouble sure do go hand in hand for Kaylee, Nash and Tod"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Publisher: MiraINK

Release Date: 1st February, 2011

My Copy: bought (paperback)

Rate:              3/5 (Liked It)

Other Books in the Series (review links):
                    #1 My Soul to Take

Other Books from the Author (review links):
           Unbound #1 Blood Bound
    
Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Illusions of Fate

Presenting Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White.

Here is the summary of the book:

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

Positively mesmerizing and fantastically sound, Kiersten White's new offering has the right amount of banter, the ever present sarcasm, a politically intriguing and a vivid alternate world, with just the perfect balance between magic and romance. 'Illusions of Fate' is my first read from the author and may I just proclaim that I am a fan.

Fate can be as fickle a they come, scissors always ready to cut one thread and join another. They say we come down in pairs, that there is the perfect person just waiting to be found. You just need to find out who that is. Hasn't happened to me yet but it seems to be for 'Finn' and 'Jessamin' and they were perfect for each other.

Altogether stubborn, smart and witty and compassionate in spades. Nothing original with that if you think that way because these traits seem to be the prerequisite for a literary heroine. But you don't seem me complaining if they are well rounded and their characters fit well with the given plot. Thus my appreciation for Jessamin. But the author did give her some differentiating traits too. She hails from a minor country. She is dark skinned, making her stick out but her overtly confident exterior does well for her and people just can't hep not be drawn in by her charm.

Strangely mysterious Finn was a sight for the sore eyes. He is nobility. He is smart. Sometimes shy and quite the charming fellow when he wants to be. His is not the most glittering of pasts and as such he holds a lot of secrets close to himself with some very fearsome enemies waiting in the wings to make a grab at him, if he so much so showed but a moments of weakness.

His connection with Jessamin is instant and endearing. Magic is involved of course but this connection is very much them. It was through Finn that Jessamin saw another side of Albion nobility, one she never knew existed but which comes to define them both in more ways than one. Witty banter abound these two do things at their own set pace. There is a healthy respect to be found in both the parties and even if Finn can be quite the over protective guy, he lets her make her own decisions somethings that is very crucial in their relationship.

Going in unaware and coming out educated. This is my first experience with Kiersten White and i'm pleased to note that her brand of fantasy agrees quite nicely with me. There is intrigue. A power play at hand with the well being of two nations in the mix. Swaggering adventure Well placed dramatics, cutting humor, and the battle of wit. And imminent surprise that gives new meaning to the term surprise and an altogether sweet romance helped along by a gorgeous world building. Stars out slow but ends up keeping us hooked till the last page.

"Positively enchanting Victorian scenery with a magically romantic love ordained by fate"

Genre :      Young Adult, Paranormal, Historical Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 9th September, 2014

My Copy: publisher and edelweiss

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

The Hundred #1 The 100

Presenting The Hundred #1 The 100 by Kass Morgan.

Here is the summary of the book:

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents -- considered expendable by society -- are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves -- but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope.

I saw this new cover edition on netgalley alongwith the e-arc of the sequel 'Day 21' and the irony of it all. My request for for 'Day 21' gets accepted and for 'The 100' rejected. Surprise. Surprise. So I had to pick up my copy of the 100 finally if I am to make sense on what is happening in the sequel. The CW serialized the story with the same name but I haven't seen it yet. And I loved the concept but by the by this is an average story.

Told through the perspectives of four characters - Clarke, Wells, Glass and Bellamy. Set in the far future when Earth is ravaged by the nuclear winters and the remaining alive flee to space to live out their time on the space stations orbiting the planet awaiting and hoping to get back on solid ground again. The 100 is the story of 100 juvenile delinquents chosen to be sent down to the planet as an experiment to see if Earth can be inhabited again.

With a story of this magnitude you would expect the situation to be a bit more tense, some rampant conspiracy, sci-fi heavy duty jargon and the like but all we get is heavy, sappy and angsty teen drama. The chapters oscillate between the four points of views and they each their own back story with flashbacks. They have each got some big skeletons in their closets and we see each and every part of it as the chapters progress. Thus it is rather hard to care or root for a particular character because in a sense all of them tell the same story with only different situations.

As far as the progress of the story is considered, well aside from the ongoing teen drama only two-three significant events take place. All of them pretty much expected and imminent. And no not unexpected at all. Kass Morgan did a good job with spacing out the build up in the first book but disappointed that nothing significant or surprising took place in the interim.

"Teen drama on a ravaged Earth"

Genre :      Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown Books

Release Date: 18th March, 2014

My Copy: bought (ebook)

Rate:              3/5 (Liked It)

Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository 

Doctor Who: Engines of War

Presenting Doctor Who: Engines of War by George Mann.

Here is the summary of the book:

"I've had many faces. Many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget-the Doctor who fought in the Time War."

The Great Time War has raged for centuries, ravaging the universe. The Daleks and the Time Lords deploy ever more dangerous weapons in desperate attempts at victory, but there is no end in sight.

On the outer rim of the Tantalus Eye, scores of human colony planets are now overrun by Dalek occupation forces. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox.

As the Doctor is trapped in an apocalyptic landscape, Dalek patrols roam amongst the wreckage, rounding up the remaining civilians. But why haven't the Daleks simply killed the humans?

Searching for answers, the Doctor meets 'Cinder', a young Dalek hunter. Their struggles to discover the Dalek plan take them from the ruins of Moldox to the halls of Gallifrey and set in chain events that will change everything. And everyone.

Seen for the first time in the episode 'The Name of the Doctor' and at length in the 50th Anniversary episode 'The Day of the Doctor', 'Engines of War' features the war weary Warrior Doctor played by John Hurts. In terms of firsts, 'Engines of War' also marks the first literary appearance of the War Doctor and George Mann with the material available created a power packed adventure during the Last Great Time War, very much like watching an actual episode happening instead of reading about it.

With the limited screentime given to the War Doctor, it is rather difficult to gauge how different this incarnation is from the rest of them. From the much we have seen and what Matt Smith's Doctor said in the episode 'The Name of the Doctor', that he committed a lot of acts that the Doctor would never do and had lost the write to call himself such. But Mann did a wonderful job and in my limited experience with Doctor Who literature, this being the third of its number. I'd say Mann did a marvelous job translating a story from a television show for the books.

Allusions to the various elements in the rich Doctor Who history. Lots and lots of action, drama and thrill. Time Lords and the Daleks, mutations included. Scientific gobbledygook. And of course lots and lots of running. And the author did a great job of it all. And if I am hinging on an inference. I'd say that the events of the book lead John Hurts' War Doctor to reach his limits and resign himself to finally use 'The Moment' and proclaim with his gruff voice 'NO MORE'.

"First and quite an exciting literary adventure for the War Doctor" 

Genre :      Fantasy, Sci-fi, Tv tie-in

Publisher: Broadway Books

Release Date: 9th September, 2013

My Copy: publisher and netgalley

Rate:              5/5 (It was Amazing)

Other Books on Doctor Who 
                        (review links)
    
Buy:           Amazon | Book Depository