Shadow and Bone

Back of the book:Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is a magical tale laced with action. The Grisha are a group of citizens with special powers. Alina Starkov longs to be one more than anything. When she and her best friend are caught in a dangerous situation, she shows off her new power. One that could save her kingdom. But her life takes several twists and turns as she learns the ways of the Grisha. Does Alina have what it takes to be a Grisha? Or was it all just one big mistake? Action dominates this book, with flares of romance. The plot is uniquely unlike any before, taking unexpected turns with each chapter. Get swept up in Shadow and Bone, a great read unlike any before.

Thirteen Days To Midnight

Back of the Book:

You are indestructible. Three whispered words transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding that changes everything. At first, Jacob is hesitant to use the power, unsure of its implications. But there's something addictive about testing the limits of fear. Then Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests that they use the power to do good, to save others. But with every heroic act, the power grows into the specter of a curse. How to decide who lives and who dies? In this nail-biting novel of mystery and dark intrigue, Jacob must walk the razor thin line between right and wrong, good and evil, and life and death. And time is running out. Because the Grim Reaper doesn't disappear. . . He catches up.

You are indestructible. Those words save Jacob Fielding’s life, but they also create a real-life horror story for Jacob and his friends. Jacob Fielding is indestructible, and so is anyone he passes the power to. With encouragement from his friends, the quirky but lovable Milo and the beautiful Ophelia, Jacob uses the power to save others. But as the group becomes more and more obsessed with the power, the more it becomes a curse instead of a gift. Jacob slowly learns that the more they cheat death, the tighter grip it has on them. Author Patrick Carman’s story is beautiful but deadly as he writes their spiral from do-gooders into the horror that death brings. Carman experiments with immortality and death, a concept addicting to humans. But as Jacob and his friends learn, which is really the curse?

Thirteen Days To Midnight is a beautifully written book that appeals to the darker side of human nature. Action and suspense propel the plot forward. I laughed with the characters as they experimented with their new gift, and ached as they learned the downfalls of the curse. This book has a unique plot, one that will deliver a fantastic story while challenging you of your own thoughts along the way.

Buy this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Thirteen-Days-Midnight-Patrick-Carman/dp/B005CDUROE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341504295&sr=8-1&keywords=thirteen+days+to+midnight

Scarlet

Back of the Book:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Author A. C. Gaughen digs deep into medieval ballads to bring broody Will Scarlet to life, with one shocking twist: “Will Scarlet” is really a girl. And she’s running from a past she fights to keep hidden. But as Lord Gisbourne and the sheriff’s men creep closer to Sherwood Forest, it becomes harder and harder to conceal her secrets. Especially as a love triangle forms between Scarlet and two of her best friends: John Little and Robin Hood himself. As she struggles with her feelings between the cocky, womanizing John and ever-the-hero Robin, her backstory unspirals as the band of outlaws fight for their people. Rich with plot twists, thick romantic tension, and a huge helping of action, Scarlet modernizes the story we all know and love.

I can honestly say that I love Scarlet. Ever since I was little, I poured over any Robin Hood book I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, all of them older and difficult for me to comprehend. A lot of them are awfully repetitive as well. But not Scarlet. It still preserves all the colorful characters, action, and romance that drew me to the legend in the first place, along with a new twist. This story is truly a breath of fresh air, one that you will remember long past the last page.