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Showing posts from December, 2023

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

"An interesting idea, of their being different "kinds" of Vampires and their Guardians that protect them instead of hunting them. Mead ran with a unique concept and for the most part, I felt like it worked. This was definitely a unique take on the Vampire genre, but it has promise." 3 Stars Pros:  Rose is funny at times; she has some good one liners/Christian has a darker past but a good heart, I'd be interested in learning more about him/Mead deals with the difficult concept of depression and self-harm in a careful and compassionate way.  Cons:  All the teenage lust and longing, unrequited love and random hook ups/Rose was a bit of a loose cannon and could be an unapologetic, manipulative, arrogant, hot-headed tease but then again, they're teenagers, so everything is melodramatic and world ending.  Full Review:  Rose is the stalwart and steadfast protective best friend of Lissa, the last remaining member of the Dragomir royal family, one of the ruling famil

The Awakening and The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #1-2) by L. J. Smith

"Like Sweet Valley High only with Vampires. It was...a challenge." 2 Stars Pros:  Smith's mythos with Vervain being used against compulsion, she took some of the old "Dracula" mythos and turned it around, which I liked.  Cons:  All the teenage melodrama and angst/Elena is a spoiled little brat/Completely flat, two dimensional characters Full Review:  I've watched a good amount of the tv show that's based on this series and figured, I'd see if the show did the book justice. It was in fact, quite the other way around. The writers of the tv show took the characters and a small bit of the plot and turned it into something halfway decent to watch.  The book on the other hand, was the opposite.  Elena was a manipulative, whiney, melodramatic little witch. Bonnie, Meredith, Matt and the others were just her little minions. And the chemistry between her and Damon made absolutely no sense what so ever. I was honestly glad to be done with it. 

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

"High Fantasy with lots of interwoven threads of fate getting all knotted up together, as they do. Though Shannon's ambition is incredible and inspiring, in the end it all felt a bit off pace and quickly fell into "information overload."  Pros: High fantasy, true and brilliant world building. You have different kingdoms with their own customs and beliefs, Shannon has truly created something incredible. But this is both a Pro and a Con . Cons : Too many characters to remember/Too many countries/histories/legendary figures to keep track of.  Full Review:  It all starts when Tane breaks her seclusion, wishing to swim in the sea one more time before choosing day. In the morning she'll see if she's earned the revered title of Dragon Rider. But just tonight, she wants to swim and feel free. She's horrified when she runs into a man named Sulyard, who begs for her help.  She helps him asking a childhood friend Susa to take him away and she does, allowing Tane t