Falling Kingdoms

Back of the Book: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Falling Kingdoms is a truly one-of-a-kind book, from the plot, to the action, to the characters. Morgan Rhodes chose to use the perspectives of multiple characters, which usually leaves the reader confused about what happened last for each character. However, in Falling Kingdoms, each character displays such a unique personality and storyline that it is easy to distinguish one from the other.

Cleo is the passionate, headstrong princess of Auranos. When her sister falls ill to a mysterious illness, she sets off to find a rare magic that might heal her. However, what she didn’t count on are the rebel tracking her every move and an unspoken attraction to her bodyguard.

After tragedy strikes his family, Jonas longs for vengeance against the one who caused it all: Princess Cleo and her betrothed, Lord Aron. His hatred threatens to destroy him as he sacrifices everything for revenge.

Magnus, son and heir of the infamous King of Blood, must remain cold and indifferent to mask his vulnerability—love. Magnus hopes to ensure his rightful place on the throne by hardening his heart. However, will the unmasking of his weakness be his undoing?

Lucia, Magnus’s sister and princess of Limeros, begins to uncover truths about herself as a previously unknown power rises within her. But how can she control her power when she does not know what it is?

Falling Kingdoms combines the elements of a fantasy and an action novel to create a unique, unforgettable story. Manipulative royals vying for control of Mytica, hooking battle scenes, and blossoming romance all take center stage in this book. With the alternating perspectives, readers are never left bored. Each of the characters were fleshed out perfectly, and they all were believable and interesting. Magnus’s perspective was my favorite to read. His calculated, logical plotting in despite of his oppressive father made me turn the pages faster to get back to his perspective. Falling Kingdoms, with its action, adventure, and suspense, left me longing for the next book.

Sidekicked

Back of the book: Drew Bean might be a part of a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds.

Drew is possessed of super senses—his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet—making him literally the most sensitive kid in school. And then there’s his best friend, Jenna—their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren’t able to throw an eighteen-wheeler the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: middle school is pretty much a drag regardless of whether you have superpowers.
  But this is all before a supervillain long thought dead returns to the city of Justica and Drew’s two identities threaten to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It’s what a superhero does. But what happens when that line starts to disappear?

Drew Bean appears to be an average middle-schooler. His biggest worries are acne, grotesque school lunches, and whether or not his best friend Jenna like likes him. However, when he puts on his mask, Drew morphs into his alter ego, the Sensationalist. Drew can easily hear a conversation five blocks away or sense the heartbeats of those around him. He’s apart of a training program for sidekicks (H.E.R.O) operating out of his middle school. He studies with other sidekicks, shadows supers, and hopes to eventually become one himself. However, when a forgotten villain resurrects, Drew struggles to keep his two lives from colliding while beginning to realize that the line dividing good and evil sometimes blurs.

Two things instantly drew me to this book: its captivating cover art and the promise of superheroes. It did not disappoint me. The story is witty, and the plot offers a few twists and turns I did not expect. Drew’s voice is sarcastic, honest, and witty. He often mocks superhero stereotypes, which made me laugh. Drew is definitely someone I would like to friend, with or without his super senses. John David Anderson did a fantastic job of making sure the reader is constantly aware of Drew’s surroundings. The detail in his descriptions made me feel as though I too possess super senses. Readers who enjoyed Pixar’s “The Incredibles,” classic comics, or an epic battle between the forces of good and evil will enjoy Sidekicked.

I'm Sorry!!

Hey everyone!

Yes, it’s me. No, I’m not dead. I haven’t been attacked by sharks, or in hiding from the mafia. I know that this blog has been abandoned for quite some time, and I sincerely apologize for that. For all of you who have stuck with me, thank you!! From now on, I should be posting regularly with loads more book reviews.

You all truly are amazing, and thank you for that.

Caitlin

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.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Back of the Book: As a kid, Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man's unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs⎯alive and well⎯despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see. A haunting and out-of-the-ordinary read, debut author Ransom Rigg’s first-person narration is convincing and absorbing, and every detail he draws our eye to is deftly woven into an unforgettable whole. Interspersed with photos throughout, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a truly atmospheric novel with plot twists, turns, and surprises that will delight readers of any age.

Jacob’s grandfather weaves him story after story of the orphanage he lived in as a boy. He even has photographs to prove it. As a child, Jacob pours over the pictures of levitating girls and other peculiar shots, but as he grows, the stories become just that⎯stories. But after his grandfather dies under mysterious circumstances, Jacob takes it upon himself to solve the enigma of his grandfather’s childhood, and nothing about that task is easy. Each twist and turn adds a fresh layer to the genius plot of Ransom Riggs. This book is filled with surprises, suspense, and no-satisfaction until you close the back cover.

I decided to give this book a try only because it was on the New York Times Bestseller List. Not the best reason to read a book, but I was bored enough to give it a try. It turned out to be incredible. This may be Ransom Riggs’s first book, but it better not be his last. He certainly writes like no rookie. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children locks you in its suspense and does not let you out until the last page. I couldn’t turn the pages or figure out the plot fast enough. Be prepared to get paper cuts, because this novel will have your fingers fumbling to flip the page.