Books

Review of The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

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The Golden Braid
By Melanie Dickerson

Star Rating: 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Number of Pages: 320

Date Started: January 2, 2016
Date Finished: January 3, 2016

Synopsis:(From Amazon)24867658
The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower. 

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

Review:
I’ll start by saying that this is part of a series of fairy tale retellings and I started in the wrong order.  If you want to start in the correct order, I believe the first on is The Healer’s Apprentice.From the beginning there are a few details that make it impossible not to know that our heroine/protagonist is, indeed, Rapunzel.  Starting with the obvious, her name is the same, but then she also has the quite long golden hair.  I greatly enjoyed that Rapunzel’s mother was given much more depth than the usual story allows, and that she appeared to have reasons for what she suggested to Rapunzel and the things she tried to make Rapunzel practice.  All in all, she was quite well done, and while empathetic, still quite villainous.  Rapunzel herself was also greatly characterized, ambitious, and well learned.

This was the first time I have seen a fairy tale so artfully mastered and wrapped around religion and the bible.  I quite enjoyed watching Rapunzel learn the scripture and contemplate what it meant to her, the reader left to assume that her mother had never spent much time speaking of religion.  For many, there needs to be a belief that someone will be there watching out for them, wishing them well, and loving them– especially for those who may not have a physical person out there doing so, and in that regard, entwining religion and God was quite perfect.

Unfortunately, while I did love the majority of the story, the reveal of who Rapunzel truly is (who her parents are) was too easily pieced together based on little snippets of foreshadowing given throughout the book, which made the official knowledge a bit lackluster, since, as a reader, it had been known for quite some time.

Overall, I greatly recommend this book, especially to people who wonder why their parents try to tell them to do certain things, to any that worry no one loves them or cares, and to those who believe every damsel in distress can’t save herself.

71pR6EFJ7UL._UX250_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
Melanie Dickerson is the author of Historical Romances, and her favorite time periods are Medieval, which she has combined with her love of fairy tales, and Regency, which shows her love for Jane Austen and the fact that she has memorized the Pride and Prejudice movie–the one with Colin Firth, of course. She is a 2-time Christy Award finalist, a 2-time Maggie Award winner, winner of The National Reader’s Choice Award for 2010’s Best First Book, and winner of the 2012 Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing, hanging out on facebook, and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama. Visit her on the web at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com.

 

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Review of Austenland by Shannon Hale

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Remember that time I said I had done all of the reviews for the past year?  I forgot about this book, which I bought in hardcover and promptly inhaled.  This brings my total of novels read up to 56 for 2015!

Austenland: A Novel
By Shannon Hale

Star Rating: 

Genre: Romance

Number of Pages: 208

Date Started: December 24, 2015
Date Finished: December 26, 2015

 248483
Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man―perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?Review:
I’m not going to lie– I saw the movie to this book first (because I hadn’t realized it was based on a book).  I absolutely adore this novel, and it is so much more than the movie.  I understand the choices made for the movie in regards to plotline and simplifying the plot for theatre, and the movie works, but this book is amazing.  In keeping with telling the truth, I will have to say that I have yet to see the BBC Pride and Prejudice– but I feel that it is now my duty to see it!

Jane has bad habits when it comes to dating.  She’s a hopeless romantic, like so many of us, and finds herself too easily caring and taken by any attractive guy.  Chivalry is not dead, and many, like Jane, hope to find a man who will be respectful and proper, while still having a spark of romance.  Hale shows what has oftentimes been proven true: sometimes, you need to stop looking because then you never know what might find you.

61JHvyUN4ZL._UX250_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
New York Times best selling author Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and never stopped, eventually earning an MFA in Creative Writing. After nineteen years of writing and dozens of rejections, she published The Goose Girl, the first in her award-winning Books of Bayern series. She has published seventeen books for young readers including the Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy and its two sequels, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, superhero YA novel Dangerous, and the first four Ever After High books. Her novels for the adult crowd include Austenland (now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell) and Midnight in Austenland. Shannon and her husband Dean Hale have collaborated on several projects such as Eisner-nominee Rapunzel’s Revenge and early chapter book series The Princess in Black. They spend non-writing hours corralling their four young children near Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

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End of the year tidings

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My grand total of the year appears to be 55 novels read.  I feel as if this number should have been much higher, but in the end, so long as one is reading, that’s most important!

I have done all of the reviews for books I either missed in a massive update overhaul from the summer, and the three I’ve read this month, which means I can start the new year fresh!

Let me know if you’d like me to post about what book I’m reading before I start it, or a tentative list of books I might read.  Starting in January I’m going to start a bit of a book club, where I’ll state on the 1st the book I’ll be reading for the month, and at the end of the month we can discuss! 🙂

Review of Private by Kate Brian

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Private
Private, Book 1
By Kate Brian

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult
Number of Pages: 227

Season Read: Summer

Synopsis:(From Amazon)cvr9781416918738_9781416918738_hr
Tradition, Honor, Excellence…and secrets so dark they’re almost invisibleFifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy — the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she’s on the outside, looking in.Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Reed uses every part of herself — the good, the bad, the beautiful — to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they’ll do anything to keep their secrets private.

Review:
Did Reed have to look, or did the Billings girls let her know exactly what they wanted her to?  Peer pressure and trying to find out what you really want are both quite important not just in high school, but in life.  Reed wants to rise above her parents in life, but she also wants to succeed in the private school she received a scholarship to, and she believes that being a Billings girl will help her rise up and conquer.

While knowing secrets does give Reed an advantage over some of the Billings girls, she has to consider if they actually care about her at all, actually like her, or if they only like her because they can take advantage of her and get her to do whatever they want.  Most of the characters are relatable and the situations Reed faces make you wonder who you can trust, and if you want her to trust any of her “friends” at all.

First in a series that I intend to keep reading.  Once you start, you have to know what Reed does next, and where her friends lead her.

21l4-9lybyL._SY200_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
I am a total Jersey girl. I grew up in Bergen County, went to Rutgers University, lived in Hoboken for a year (requisite post-college party time) and then moved back to Bergen, got married, and bought a house ten minutes from where I grew up. I graduated from Rutgers with a double major in English and Journalism, worked as an Editor for four years, then decided I liked writing better and struck out on my own. You’ve been reading my books ever since!

 

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Review of Put Up Your Duke by Megan Frampton

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Put Up Your Duke
By Megan Frampton

Star Rating: 
Genre: Romance

Number of Pages: 384

Season Read: Summer

Synopsis:(From Amazon)23314826
He was once happily bedding and boxing, but in the newest Duke’s Behaving Badly novel, Nicholas Smithfield has inherited a title and a bride . . .

To keep his estate afloat, the new Duke of Gage must honor an agreement to marry Lady Isabella Sawford. Stunningly beautiful, utterly tempting, she’s also a bag of wedding night nerves, so Nicholas decides to wait to do his duty—even if it means heading to the boxing saloon every day to punch away his frustration.

Groomed her whole life to become the perfect duchess, Isabella longs for independence, a dream that is gone forever. As her husband, Nicholas can do whatever he likes—but, to Isabella’s surprise, the notorious rake instead begins a gentle seduction that is melting every inch of her reserve, night by night . . .

To his utter shock, Nicholas discovers that no previous exploits were half as pleasurable as wooing his own wife. But has the realm’s most disreputable duke found the one woman who can bring him to his knees— and leave him there?

Review:
While the overall plot of the novel seemed to be two people accepting futures they hadn’t necessarily wanted, it seems that the entire conflict could have been resolved had Isabella actually spoken her mind to her husband.  Nicholas does very little that annoys and is a likeable character, but he’s very much a stock character, one that doesn’t seem to have any depth.  Story was alright for a quick read, but it isn’t one I would have regretted not reading.

512-URDTrtL._UX250_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
Megan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son.

 


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Review of Confessions: The Murder of an Angel by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

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Confessions: The Murder of an Angel
Book 4 of the Confessions series
By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Star Rating: 
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Crime
Number of Pages: 267

Date Started: December 27, 2015
Date Finished: December 29, 2015

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Synopsis:(From Amazon)
In the dramatic conclusion of the bestselling Confessions series, Tandy Angel’s next murder case could be her own!

Tandy Angel is losing her mind–or so she thinks. Even as she’s forced to fight for the family company, she’s imagining new dangers in every shadow. And as her detective prowess is called into question and her paranoia builds, she has to face the very real possibility that the stalker she’s convinced will take her life could be all in her head–or the very real danger that finally brings her down.

Review:
Sometimes suspicions and gut feelings can be right, and sometimes they have to be proven.  Sometimes it seems that everyone is against you, and you have to stand up for yourself.  Sometimes best friends will turn against you, and people you thought would be there for you forever betray you.  What is important is that you stay true to yourself, and don’t let others say that your feelings and thoughts aren’t justified.  Do as Tandy does– prove everyone wrong.

There were twists and turns I didn’t suspect, and again Tandy showed us just how bright she could be, but there were still so many questions left at the end of the novel.  I would love to know what Tandy would decide to do as an adult, what Hugo pursues, and who the father of Katherine’s baby is.  I really wish this wasn’t the end of the series since there is so much more I would like to see!

I absolutely love this series, but this book is a conclusion and definitely not the starting point, so if you’d like to get in on the action (which you totally should), it all begins with Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

618WCP0vm9L._UX250_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson’s books have sold more than 300 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

There is no author information listed for Maxine Paetro on Amazon.

 

 


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Review of Ticker by Lisa Mantchev

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Ticker
By Lisa Mantchev

Star Rating: 
Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Young Adult
Number of Pages: 267

Date Started: December 5, 2015
Date Finished: December 8, 2015

Synopsis:(From Amazon)91RBFPPpCNL
A girl with a clockwork heart must make every second count.

When Penny Farthing nearly dies, brilliant surgeon Calvin Warwick manages to implant a brass “Ticker” in her chest, transforming her into the first of the Augmented. But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s put on trial for mass murder.

On the last day of Warwick’s trial, the Farthings’ factory is bombed, Penny’s parents disappear, and Penny and her brother, Nic, receive a ransom note demanding all of their Augmentation research if they want to see their parents again. Is someone trying to destroy the Farthings…or is the motive more sinister?

Desperate to reunite their family and rescue their research, Penny and her brother recruit fiery baker Violet Nesselrode, gentleman-about-town Sebastian Stirling, and Marcus Kingsley, a young army general who has his own reasons for wanting to lift the veil between this world and the next. Wagers are placed, friends are lost, romance stages an ambush, and time is running out for the girl with the clockwork heart.

Review:
This book is my first steampunk novel I have read, and I absolutely loved it!  There is mystery, crime, and the ticking away of Penny’s life.  Throughout the novel the relationships of the characters take center stage, and it is the relationships that move the plot along just as much, if not more, than the action(quite befitting of a novel about a clockwork heart).  There are hints of romance that develop but don’t detract from the story, which makes the story all the more believable.

I absolutely loved the fashion, descriptions of the fashion, and all of the neat mechanical inventions used throughout the novel.  If this is how all steampunk is, I’m glad that this book was my first taste, because I can’t wait for more!

71siuVKPRFL._UX250_Author Bio: (From Amazon)
Lisa Mantchev is a temporally-displaced Capricorn who casts her spells from an ancient tree in the Pacific Northwest. When not scribbling, she is by turns an earth elemental, English professor, actress, artist, and domestic goddess. She shares her abode with her husband, two children, and three hairy miscreant dogs.

She is best known as the author of the young adult fantasy trilogy, The Théâtre Illuminata. Published by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan,) the series includes the Andre Norton and Mythopoeic awards-nominated EYES LIKE STARS (2009), PERCHANCE TO DREAM (2010), and SO SILVER BRIGHT (2011.) Her Kindle #1 Bestselling young adult steampunk novel, TICKER, is available from Skyscape. Her near-future young adult collaboration with Glenn Dallas, SUGAR SKULLS, is forthcoming from Skyscape.

Her adult urban fantasy collaboration with A.L. Purol, LOST ANGELES, is now available on Kindle along with its sequel, LOOSE CANON.

Her first picture book, STRICTLY NO ELEPHANTS, is now available from Paula Wiseman/S&S, to be followed by SISTER DAY! and JINX AND THE DOOM FIGHT CRIME.

Stay updated with all the fun and glitter at her author website: www.lisamantchev.com

or get your Backstage Pass by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/LisaMantchev


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Review of Followed by Frost written by Charlie N. Holmberg

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By Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Rating: 

Genre: Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy
Number of Pages: 254

Date Started:December 4, 2015
Date Finished: December 5, 2015

Synopsis: (From Amazon)51XynnTk9cL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_
Seventeen-year-old Smitha’s wealth, status, and beauty make her the envy of her town—until she rejects a strange man’s marriage proposal and disastrous consequences follow. Smitha becomes cursed, and frost begins to encompass everything she touches. Banished to the hills, hunted by villagers, and chilled to the very core of her soul, she finds companionship with Death, who longs to coax her into his isolated world. But Smitha’s desire for life proves stronger than despair, and a newfound purpose gives her hope. Will regrets over the past and an unexpected desire for a man she cannot touch be enough to warm Smitha’s heart, or will Death forever still it?

Review:
I preordered this book as soon as I heard about it.  I absolutely adore Holmberg’s The Paper Magician book series, so naturally I had to read the next thing she wrote, which just so happened to be a retelling of a fairy tale– my weakness!

This book is an amazing detailed coming of age transformation of a once spoiled and conceited girl.  Do I think that Smitha deserved the curse she received?  Not really.  Do I think she grew because of it?  Absolutely!  Not only does Smitha learn how to rough it and try to take care of herself but she learns about other cultures, other languages, and learns that even when cursed, there is always a way to help others.

While I did adore this book, I wasn’t completely pleased or satisfied with the ending.  There is more to life than what Holmberg’s conclusions, both of this novel, and of The Paper Magician seem to suggest.

81PDVhH+GUL._UX250_Author Bio: (from Amazon)
Charlie N. Holmberg has a BA in English with a minor in editing.  She likes Star Trek and hopes to someday own a dog.  She is married and has a child.  The Paper Magician was her ninth book, but first to get published.

For more information on Charlie N. Holmberg, see her author page or go to her website.

 

 

 

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Review of Risky Seeds, Risky Hearts by Cindy A. Christiansen

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By Cindy A. Christiansen

Star Rating: 

Genre: Clean Romance
Number of Pages: 81

Date Started:December 3, 2015
Date Finished: December 4, 2015

Synopsis:(From Amazon)81YZUnjbf4L
Laid-back Sadie Jean Dixon had a calm summer planned working for the Utah Forest Service, but a deliberately set fire sends her racing on horseback up the mountainside with her Border Collie, Gypsy, in tow and flames on their tail.

Practical Colton Masterson has given up the ranch lifestyle for a college degree in accounting. When his little brother breaks his arm and can’t help run the ranch, Colton returns home to lend a hand. He takes on a part-time job at Samson Seed Company handling their taxes but soon learns the books aren’t in order.

As Colton and Sadie work together to find out the real outlaws, will they realize you have to lose a fly to catch a trout?

Review:
Short, sweet, and to the point.  The characters were excellent, the story made sense and played on general issues in a small town such as wanting to trust those you work with.  There weren’t many twists or turns, but it was a great, sweet, quick read that still had left you wondering at the end… wondering who that musician in the picture with Sadie was.  I absolutely loved the portrayal of Gyspy, the border collie.  I also adored Dusty, and the descriptions of how Sadie looks over both her horse and her dog throughout.  A great light, sweet clean romance that will entertain you for an hour!

Authchristiansenor Bio: (from Amazon)
Bestselling author, Cindy A Christiansen, has combined her love of dogs with her joy of writing to create an award winning combination. Her novels always include canine characters both in the pages and on the cover, an extension of the credit she gives to her extraordinary rescue dogs for their part in helping her overcome numerous challenges. In a reciprocal gesture for their love and devotion, a portion of the proceeds from her books are donated to assist abandoned and abused dogs.

She lives in Utah with her loving husband, two creative children with autism, and a pack of rambunctious dogs.

Fly into a good book!

Here’s what her books give you:
* A clean read with no bedroom scenes or offensive language.
* A tantalizing, fast-paced plot.
* A story without a lot of boring description.
* Down-to-earth heroes and heroines with everyday jobs.
* A rollercoaster ride of emotions you face right along with the characters.
* A special dog to steal your heart.
* A few added facts, a good message, and that important happily-ever-after ending.

Fly into a good book at: http://www.dragonflyromance.com

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Review of Fallen by Ann Hunter

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Crowns of Twelve Book 3
By Ann Hunter

Star Rating: 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 253

Date Started: November 19th 2015
Date Finished: December 3, 2015

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
One prince. One mistake. One… chicken?
20870200
A twisted retelling of the fairy tale, The Frog Prince, featuring your favorite villain from The Subtle Beauty & Moonlight, Sylas Mortas.

What would YOU do for love?

17-year-old Prince Sylas of Killeagh wants what every one else wants: control over his own life. When he tries to run away from home and escape an arranged marriage, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a robber in the woods. Hiding behind a mask, the robber girl seems to lead a life of freedom Sylas has only dreamed of. Their adventure comes to an end when the Castle Killeagh guards hunt Sylas down and he’s forced to return home. He convinces his parents to allow him to find the girl again and consider her as a candidate for marriage, but he only has until the next full moon to find her, or all bets are off.

Death has a name, and it is Crwys. As a ban sidhe, her job is to visit the great houses of The Summer Isle and keen out the living to prepare them for death. King Sionnach has far outlived his days and it is time he cross to the Unliving World. When she arrives, a young prince named Sylas intervenes and offers to go in his grandfather’s stead. This break with tradition, and selfless sacrifice, move Crwys into loving Sylas, who looks so much like a shadow from her past. But when he crosses her to be with his true love, he invokes the wrath of a woman scorned.

Rós is just a little, aura-seeing, red hen whose master believes she is chosen by the gods. Her arrival at King Sionnach’s court is insignificant to Sylas at the time, but their destinies are interwoven. Can she help Sylas save himself from the curse Crwys has planned for him? Or will he become a fallen frog prince?

In this unexpected love story, Happily Ever After may not always begin with Once Upon a Time.

**THIS BOOK CONTAINS SOME MATURE SCENES NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL READERS.**

 
Review:
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing an honest review.  In receiving the book as such, I had not actually seen the official cover of this book until I went to grab it for today and I must say I was quite surprised!

The characterization throughout this book is straight on, with an excellent coming of age experience for Sylas, who has to learn his responsibilities as the crown prince, and not just as someone who can do whatever they want.  When Sylas finally does take up responsibilities (ones that perhaps he shouldn’t have) he finds himself locked into a complicated battle with Crwys, who is locked herself in her past and refusing to move on.  While Sylas tries to do what he thinks is just to save his kingdom from heartache and despair, he realizes that everything comes with a price.

Through about 60% of the book there is no mention of anything relating to frogs.  The story has so aptly ensnared that by the time the mention of the twisted fairy tale comes into play, there are already solid feelings in place about all of the characters thus far.  The greenness adds another dimension to the story, and the way in which it is accomplished adds depth to the addled state of mind of an aged crone.  Crwys was by far my least favourite character, and I felt no remorse in what ultimately happened to her.

There was only one particular place that I found myself not fully reading and skipping ahead, and that was one area with repetition of the same saying again and again.  While I understand why it was done, I was quite happy when it ended.

The names were somewhat of a deterrent to my overall enjoyment of the book, not because they weren’t lovely, but because with some of them I spent more time trying to figure out how to say them than truly identifying the name with the person.  Though it was a bit annoying, the names were quite pretty, and completely appropriate given the Celtic mythology seamlessly entwined with both the original story Hunter presented as well as the take on a fairy tale.

While the stories in this series are fairy tale inspired, they are also completely unique in a way that I have never really seen before and could stand on their own without any mention of fairy tales at all.

Author Bio: (from Amazon)
Multi-award winning author, Ann Hunter, is the creator of the young adult fantasy series Crowns of the Twelve (including the novels The Subtle Beauty, Moonlight, Fallen, with A Piece of Sky, Ashes, and The Rose In The Briar to follow). She likes cherry so
da with chocolate ice cream, is a mom first and a writer second, has a secret identity, and thinks the Twilight movies are cheesier than cheez whiz (which is why they are her guilty pleasure!)

She lives in a cozy Utah home with her two awesome kids and epic husband.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT HER HOMEPAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/authorannhunter

AND MAILING LIST:
http://eepurl.com/VZsFn

 

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