Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley

Fate of Flames 

by Sarah Raughley

368 pages

Published by Simon Pulse

Plot: Sixteen-year old Maia Finley lives in a world where Phantom monsters terrorize humanity.  Thankfully, the world’s answer to this threat are the Effigies.  Four girls who are able to control the four elements - water, fire, wind, and earth.  Only four can be alive at any given time, so when one dies, another Effigy is chosen.  By what, Maia doesn’t know, but that still doesn’t stop ‘it’ from choosing her as the next Effigy of fire.  Maia grew up idolizing Effigies along with her twin sister June.  But, it wasn’t until she becomes one that she realizes it’s not all it’s been hyped up to be.  Soon, Maia is thrust into a world of monsters, conspiracies, and mortal danger.  She may be an Effigy, but unless she learns how to wield her power, she isn’t going to survive very long. With the help of the other Effigies, albeit reluctantly, and a sect agent names Rhys, Maia is somewhat able to adjust to her new life.  But, when a terrorist named Saul is discovered to be able to control the phantoms, everything anyone thought they knew about phantoms and Effigies is shattered.  It’s up to Maia and the other Effigies to stop Saul before he uses the phantoms to kill again.

Review: Fate of Flames was definitely action packed and fun to read.  The concept of the Effigies and their ability to control the four elements was pretty interesting. Maia’s character is very relatable and down to earth, but her character really doesn't change much towards the end.  She doesn't overcome the emotional anxiety she gets when she thinks about her family (who were killed in a house fire), nor does she really become any stronger or braver throughout the story.   This causes her to be sort of useless throughout the majority of the book when fighting the phantoms. 

It seems like this story was more a set-up for the next book in the series, since the backstory is weaved throughout the book - revealing a little more all the way to the end.  And, even at that there are still some questions left unanswered that should have been answered in the first book - like the origins of the phantoms and Effigies. The other Effigies (Belle, Chae Rin, and Lake) are diverse and have distinct personalities of their own, and Raughley does a good job in showing how different they are compared to the other.  Raughley also did a great job in humanizing these girls even though they have super powers.  Their emotions and actions really do show how a normal girl- turned superhero would react to her new life and duty to fight dangerous creatures. They each have their flaws and it’s what makes them so interesting to read about - even if they can be a little frustrating, annoying, or pitiful.  But, that's their character! They are suppose to make you feel that way.  Hopefully these characters can show "why" they were chosen to be Effigies in the next book.

If you are looking for a Fantasy/Romance, then this book is really not for you.  There is a light romance between Maia and agent Rhys, but you probably won’t see that develop into anything more until the next book.  The focus really is on the four girls and the relationship they have with each other and trying to work together as a team.  I’m not a big fan of cursing in dialogue, but I understand it’s used for that emotional punch.  But, I especially don’t like it when “Jesus” or “Christ” is used as a curse word.  I think there are plenty of curse words that could be used instead and still get the emotion across. That was something that offended/bothered me that happened more than once.  Overall, it was a fun and interesting story to read.  Recommended If you like Fantasy or manga/anime such as Sailor Moon that’s a little more dark.   For ages 14+up

*Recieved a DRC for an honest review.

Book 2 - Siege of Shadows to be released November 2017

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser

The Book Jumper

by Mechthild Glaser

Published by Feiwel & Friends

371 Pages

Plot: When Amy Lennox visits her grandmother on an old ancestral estate in Scotland, she finds out that she is a Book Jumper - just like her mother.  And she is not the only one.  Betsy and Will are book jumpers that live on the island of Stormsay too.  And just like their ancestors, they have been helping to keep the book world safe for years. So, when a classic book character is murdered and ‘fundamental ideas’ start missing from some of Amy’s beloved books, it’s up to her and Will to find and stop the person responsible before the book worlds are destroyed forever.  

Review:  Let me start off by saying that this hardback cover edition is just beautiful. That was the first thing that caught my attention, and then of course the title!  I think I had different expectations for this book when I first started reading.  I originally thought it was more of a romance, but that really didn’t start until the latter end of the book.  So, for me It was a little slow to start and I found myself speed reading through several parts of the book. I think it was a good story overall, but I would have been more intrigued if Amy had jumped into more interesting books.  I was disappointed when the first books Amy jumped into were The Jungle Book and Oliver Twist. I was thinking a teenage girl would probably be jumping into fairy tales.  Or, at least I was kind of hoping she would.  She did jump into Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz, which are much more interesting in my opinion -but her visits seemed brief. The story line did pick up towards the end as Amy and Will find out more in their quest to catch the thief.  Great plot twist towards the end which had me glued to the book until I finished.  So, overall it was a good read if you are not looking for a heavy romance themed story, but love a good mystery and enjoy classic literature. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

*Recieved a DRC for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Hearts!

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Falconer

by Elizabeth May

392 pages

Published by Chronicle Books

Plot: In 1844, young Scottish aristocrat Aileana Kameron has everything she could possibly need - beauty, wealth, and a large dowry.  Unfortunately, all she wants to do is hunt and kill fairies.  With the help of a powerful fae named Kiaran, Aileana has spent the last year training in order to become strong enough to kill the fairy who murdered her mother when she was a child.  But, when Aileana finds out she is a Falconer, a line of female warriors with the ability to kill fairies, she soon becomes the only person in the world who can stop the fairies from destroying everything and everyone she loves.

Review: The cover of this book really drew me in to find out more.  Once I did and began reading, I couldn't put it down!  I loved the mix of steampunk in this story - as Aileana is an inventor and makes all types of weapons.  She also made some kind of flying vehicle which was a bit of a stretch for me to believe.  There wasn't much in regards to her Scottish heritage, nor was there much history mentioned.  However, that didn't matter to me as much as the story and how it progressed with the plot and the character relationships.  Which I enjoyed very much!

Strangely enough, my favorite character was Aileana's pixie named Derrick. Funny little thing! Aileana and Kiaran are both complex characters with their own imperfections, but we don't get to know too much about Kiaran other than he's a powerful Fae who managed to not get trapped in an underground prison like the rest of the fairies during an ancient war.  Also, we learn he used to be pretty evil until he fell in love with a Falconer a long time ago.  So, can't wait to learn more about this character!

My only frustration with this story was the abrupt ending.  Although the story itself doesn't end with book 1, finishing with a cliffhanger was a little disappointing.  I would have liked some closure even though there is a second book. I do plan to read book 2 though, so I am really looking forward to that!  Recommended for ages 14 and up!

*Recieved a DRC for an honest review.

Rating: 4 Hearts!

The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

The Lovely Reckless 

by Kami Garica

384 pages

Published by Imprint

Plot: After witnessing the brutal death of her boyfriend, seventeen year old Frankie Devereux's whole life changes.  She is no longer the girl she used to be and her new reckless attitude sends her from a privileged lifestyle in the Heights to a school on the bad side of town called the Downs. There she meets Marco Leone.  At first she's absolutely sure she wants nothing to do with Marco or his bad boy persona.  But, charismatic and sexy Marco isn't hard to ignore, especially when he doesn't ignore you.  But Frankie's growing feelings for Marco comes with dangerous, and possibly deadly price.

Review:  I've been waiting to read The Lovely Reckless for months! So glad I was able to pick up a copy from my local library!  This one is going to be a keeper and I'm going to buy my own copy.  I love way Garcia develops the relationships between all the characters in the story, not just Frankie and Marco. I especially liked Cruz, who is the epitome of a tough Latina teenager with heart. What I also loved about this story is that isn't just about two teens from different backgrounds falling in love.  There are some serious issues that come between Frankie and Marco, especially since Frankie's father is an undercover cop and Marco participates in illegal street racing.  To make matters worse, Marco has a secret that not only puts him in danger, but Frankie as well. On top of all this drama, Frankie suffers from PTSD after witnessing her former boyfriend's murder and has horrible flashbacks.  The result is a fast-paced, hard to put down, read in one night, star-crossed romance that shows what family, friendship, and forgiveness are all about.  Recommended for ages 17 and up due to language and sexual references.

Rating: 4.5 hearts!