Book: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Expected Publication is October 29, 2013 by Harlequin Teen|Expected Number Of Pages: 348

Where I Got It: It’s an e-ARC from netgalley.com- this hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: Iron Fey: Call Of The Forgotten #2

Genre: YA Paranormal- Fairies

You can find The Iron Traitor on Goodreads|You can find Julie Kagawa on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again. 

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.

I am a huge fan of The Iron Traitor, and I’m so glad I got an ARC of it!  I liked The Iron Traitor a lot more than the Iron Prince, and while I wasn’t completely sure about this series with The Iron Traitor, I’ve decided that it’s just as interesting as Kagawa’s Iron Fey series.

I really like the relationship Kierran and Ethan have, and it really reminds me of Puck and Ash.  Their relationship is definitely complicated, and I’m really curious as to how their relationship will be different in the next one, given the huge cliff-hanger of an ending.  Which is all I’m going to say about that.  Actually, in general, I’m wondering how things are going to be in the next one, given everything that’s happened in The Iron Traitor.

I really liked Ethan in this one, and while he still has some anger issues, I feel like he’s calmed down since The Iron Prince.  Not much, but a little, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s grown on me, or he’s changed or if it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve read The Iron Prince.  At any rate, Ethan was a lot less irritating in The Iron Traitor, as was Kenzie (although there were times when she did get annoying).  I did feel like the things Ethan learned in this book changed him a little.  But for the most part, he’s still him, even though he does have a better understanding of things that happened in the past.

I did feel like I got to know the characters so much better.  They REALLY came to life in The Iron Traitor, and while bringing characters to life is something Kagawa is just good at in general, I felt like the characters really changed and came to life in this one.

And I’m glad we saw Puck and the rest of the gang, because things seem so much more lively when Puck and Grimalkin are around.  I’m glad Puck and Ash and Grim were around to help out Ethan and Kierran, even though Kierran was acting like a moron the entire book. There were times when I was glad I was reading The Iron Traitor at work, because it ensured that I *wouldn’t* be yelling at Kierran. Because I definitely wanted to a few times.  I like Kierran’s dedication and loyalty to Annwyl, but he also did some stupid things because of it.

Final Thoughts:

The Iron Traitor really is a good addition to the Iron Fey series, and Kierran and Ethan are definitely the most interesting characters.  I can’t wait to read the next book, because I really need to know what happens!  The Iron Traitor gets 5 stars.

Book: The Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice

Expected Publication is October 15, 2013 by Gallery Books|Expected Number Of Pages is 338

Series: None

Genre: Adult Horror

You Can Find The Heavens Rise On Goodreads|You can find Christopher Rice On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: It’s been a decade since the Delongpre family vanished near Bayou Rabineaux, and still no one can explain the events of that dark and sweltering night. No one except Niquette Delongpre, the survivor who ran away from the mangled stretch of guardrail on Highway 22 where the impossible occurred…and kept on running. Who left behind her best friends, Ben and Anthem, to save them from her newfound capacity for destruction…and who alone knows the source of her very bizarre—and very deadly—abilities: an isolated strip of swampland called Elysium.

An accomplished surgeon, Niquette’s father dreamed of transforming the dense acreage surrounded by murky waters into a palatial compound befitting the name his beloved wife gave to it, Elysium: “the final resting place for the heroic and virtuous.” Then, ten years ago, construction workers dug into a long-hidden well, one that snaked down into the deep, black waters of the Louisiana swamp and stirred something that had been there for centuries—a microscopic parasite that perverts the mind and corrupts the body.

Niquette is living proof that things done can’t be undone. Nothing will put her family back together again. And nothing can save her. But as Niquette, Ben, and Anthem uncover the truth of a devastating parasite that has the potential to alter the future of humankind, Niquette grasps the most chilling truths of all: someone else has been infected too. And unlike her, this man is not content to live in the shadows. He is intent to use his newfound powers for one reason only: revenge.

I have pretty mixed feelings about The Heavens Rise.  I was expecting something super-creepy and mysterious, and while there is a mystery and a sense of creepiness at the beginning, it also didn’t have the super-creepy mystery I was expecting.

It was creepy and mysterious at the beginning, but unfortunately, the unraveling mystery didn’t do much for me.  And the creepiness of Marshall and what was going on was really creepy at the beginning, because you don’t know what’s going on.  But as you figure everything out, the creepiness factor got a little lost.

I did like how Nikki’s journal entries were scattered throughout the book, and how her story connected with Marshall’s and Ben’s story. The novel also jumps between past and present, and the different perspectives and times worked better than I was expecting.  You get such a clear picture of the different elements and how they all come together.  Still, it did make the book feel like it was all over the place at times.

New Orleans is the setting for The Heavens Rise, and while it seems like Rice really knows the city (as he apparently grew up there), it didn’t completely work as a setting for me.  I mean, the swamps and stuff lend to the parasite and everything, but I think I was expecting more of the creepy side of New Orleans.  It seems like it would lend itself to paranormal creatures/humans that are a result of a parasite in the water, and while we get a little of it, I think I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t see more of it.

I don’t have strong feelings for any of the characters, but Nikki was easily one of the more interesting characters, as was Marshall.  Marshall, because of his obsession with Nikki and Nikki, because we get to know her through her journal entries and through the memories of Ben. I think part of why she’s so interesting is that we slowly get to know Nikki over the course of the book.  I do wish we knew more about Nikki and her family.

Final Thoughts:

I did like The Heavens Rise, and thought the overall premise to be really interesting.  I liked how the paranormal elements blended so well with the “real” world, and I wish we got more of those elements.  The character didn’t particularly stand out but there were a couple that were a little more interesting than the rest.  The Heavens Rise get 3 stars.

Book: This Much Is True by Katherine Owen

Published August 2013 by The Writing Works Group|Pages: 469

Series: None

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

You Can Find This Much Is True on Goodreads|You can find Katherine Owen On Twitter and Facebook

This Much Is True is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, and this hasn’t influenced my review in any way!

Goodreads Summary: Fate brings them together
Fame & lies keep them apart
One truth remains…

She’s become the Paly High girl with the most tragic story…
At 17, Tally Landon just wants to graduate and leave for New York to pursue ballet. Her best friend Marla convinces her to attend one last party—a college party—where she can be among strangers and evade the whisperings about her heartbreaking loss of her twin that follows her everywhere she goes. She meets Lincoln Presley, Stanford’s famous baseball wonder and has a little fun at his expense—when she lies about her age and who she really is—intent on being someone else for the night and escaping her tragic story.

His only focus is baseball, but he can’t forget the girl he saved on Valentine’s Day…
At 22, Lincoln Presley’s star is on the rise—about to finish at Stanford and expected to be taken early in Major League Baseball’s upcoming draft—his cousin’s party serves as a welcome distraction. But then, he sees the girl from Valentine’s Day that he saved from that horrific car accident and can’t quite hide his disappointment when she appears to look right through him and not remember him at all. He vows to learn her name at least before he leaves. What’s the harm in getting to know this girl? What’s the worst that can happen?

They share this incredible connection, but fate soon tests these star-crossed lovers in all kinds of ways…
And yet, despite the lies being told to protect the other, and the trappings of fame that continually separate them, and in lieu of the deception by those they’ve come to trust the most; one truth remains.

This much is true.

I absolutely loved This Much Is True, and yet I’m not sure how to properly express how I feel about this book.  It’s just so heartbreaking, and I just wanted Tally and Lincoln to have a happily ever after.  Which they did, but it took quite a bit for them to get there.

They just have so many obstacles to overcome and there were times when I felt like I wasn’t emotionally stable enough for this book.  But in a good way, because Owen really puts her characters through the ringer.  They have their moments of angst and pain and their own baggage, and I couldn’t help but root for them.

There’s definitely the element of them belonging together but life gets in the way, and he saves her from the car accident that killed her identical twin.  There are definitely soap opera-ish elements, but don’t let that deter you, because it didn’t feel like I was reading a soap opera at all.  There are also some happy moments, and it’s definitely a roller coaster of emotion.

I really liked Tally, and I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a twin sister.  I loved her dedication to dance, and what it cost her.  I also loved her with Lincoln, and it took so long for them to get it together.  They balance each other so well, and they both have that dedication to something they love, even if it means making sacrifices in other areas.

There’s so much I want to talk about, but I don’t want to give anything away, because there are some things I didn’t see coming.  This Much Is True spans several years, and things didn’t seem drawn out, which was nice because everything seemed to happen for a reason. The ending wasn’t as emotional as I was expecting, given that most of the book was pretty emotional.  It also seemed a tad rushed. but it didn’t take anything away from how amazing and beautiful this book is.

Tally and Lincoln narrate the book, and I really liked that they both narrated.  Tally is the one who narrates most of the book, but every once in a while, you’ll see a chapter narrated by Lincoln to get a sense of what’s going on with him.

Final Thoughts:

This Much Is True is pretty amazing, and I loved Tally’s story.  So many things in This Much Is True were totally believable. This Much Is True gets 5 stars.

Book: Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose

Published June 2013 by eXessica Publishing|Pages: 194

Series: Not that I’m aware of, but it seems like a sequel is in the works

Genre: New Adult Romance

You can find Me, Cinderella? on Goodreads|You can find Aubrey Rose on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: One kind deed can change your life forever…

Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart. But when she sees a stranger shivering in the snow outside of the college library, an inexplicable urge leads her to buy him a hot cup of coffee. It’s just a small act of kindness, a few words of conversation. Brynn should be focusing on her finals, after all, not on the man who looked up at her gratefully with piercing blue eyes. 

He could have been anyone – a janitor on break, a graduate student, a bum. But the man standing outside in the cold turns out to be Dr. Eliot Herceg, one of the most brilliant minds in mathematics and heir to a fortune. After years of reclusive isolation, he now finds his heart awakening to the kind girl whose name he does not know. 

Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot’s deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?

Me, Cinderella wasn’t what I was expecting, but in a good way!  I liked that Brynn bought Eliot some coffee, which started something they didn’t imagine.

I was pleasantly surprised with both Brynn and Eliot, who are really into math. Naturally, he ends up being in charge of the internship that Brynn gets, and romance (naturally) ensues.  I liked that math was so important to the both of them, because I feel like you don’t see a lot of math majors in books set in college.  You see Brynn work on some math-related things, but math jargon and math problems don’t take over the book.  They’re mentioned, but there’s no need to worry about math going over your head.

They certainly have an interesting relationship, given certain life events.  All Brynn wants is to go to Hungary to visit her mother’s grave, and Eliot is still dealing with the death of his wife, a good 10 or so years after her death.  I’m not completely sold on their relationship, which is pretty much because I didn’t feel like there was a lot of chemistry between them.  It just felt lackluster to me, even though I get why it took them so long to get together.  Overall, Me, Cinderella seems like a romance and has a lot of the elements of romance, but unfortunately, it just didn’t do anything for me.

Given the title, I was expecting something a little more fairy tale-ish.  The connection to Cinderella is there, but not in the way I expected!  I get Brynn doesn’t feel like Cinderella for pretty much the entire book, but in the end, the title and Cinderella connection makes a lot more sense by the end of the book.

I liked that a majority of the book is set in Hungary, which is definitely a different setting than what I’m used to seeing.  I wish we saw a little more of Hungary, but perhaps we’ll see a little more of Hungary in the next book.  I think this is a good time to bring up the fact that the book is on the short side, and I think more scenes in Hungary and more scenes with Brynn and Eliot could have made Me, Cinderella come to life a little more.

Final Thoughts:

I did like Me, CInderella, but I thought the romance was lackluster, and I wish it were a little longer.  I like that math brought them together, and I like that they have their own issues they need to work through.  I am looking forward to reading the next book, because I am curious to see where their story goes.  Me, Cinderella? gets 3 stars.

Book: Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Published April 2013 by Patchwork Press|Pages: 137

Series: Aberrant #1

Genre: Young Adult Dystopic

Aberrant is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in any way

Goodreads|You can find Ruth Silver on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government’s match in marriage and “The Day of the Chosen”, a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn’t existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she’s arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from “The Day of the Chosen.” The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. 

With Joshua’s help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Aberrant is definitely different, and I definitely liked it.  For me, the best way to describe this book is Matched meets Children Of Men with maybe a touch of The Hunger Games.  Matched (or even The Giver) because of the rules that Cabal has in place.  Children Of Men, because Olivia is the last person on the planet who might be able to have a child naturally.  And something about the rebels and fighting the government because they’re out to destroy Olivia made me think of The Hunger Games.  Even though there are elements of Aberrant that reminded me of other books, I felt like Silver did a great job in making the story interesting and fast-paced.

I’m not sure how I feel about Olivia, who was likeable at some points, and not so much at other points.  I totally get that being the last person on earth who can get pregnant naturally was a bit of a shock and that different groups are going to want to destroy it or exploit it or whatever.  But there was a point where she seemed a little bit ungrateful for what people were trying to do help her.  I understand not liking some of the rules put in place to help her, bu she could have been a lot more grateful. Olivia and Josh blended into the background, and while they are the main characters, I also felt like they were just there.

I felt like Aberrant could have been longer.  I know it’s part of a series, but there were things that I wished were explored a little more.  I am curious about the Shadow settlement, and I wish there was more time in Haven.  You get the basics of what this world is like, and what’s going on, but I felt like things and people weren’t as developed as they could be.  I’m still curious about what happens next, and if Olivia gets pregnant in a future book.

Final Thoughts:

I liked Aberrant, and I think the premise of it is really interesting.  I do wish Aberrant was longer, and more details about the government and the world Olivia lives in would have been nice.  Still, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Aberrant gets 3 stars.

Book: The Trial Of Dr. Kate by Michael E. Glasscock III

Expected Publication Is October 8, 2013 by Greenleaf Book Group|Expected Number Of Pages: 238

Series: Round Rock #2

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

The Trial Of Dr. Kate is an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in any way

Goodreads|You Can Find Michael E. Glasscock On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: In the summer of 1952, Lillian Johnson was found dead in her home, slumped in the wheelchair that had become her cage due to multiple sclerosis. An overdose of barbiturate had triggered a heart attack, but the scene was not quite right. It looked as though someone other than Lillian herself had injected the fatal dose.

Dr. Kate Marlow, Lillian’s physician and best friend, now sits in the Round Rock city jail. The only country doctor for miles, Kate cannot remember her whereabouts at the time of Lillian’s death and the small Tennessee town buzzes with judgment.

As Dr. Kate’s trial approaches, another woman is determined to uncover the truth about the night of Lillian’s death. Memphis reporter Shenandoah Coleman grew up in Round Rock on the wrong side of the tracks, but unlike the rest of her unsavory clan, escaped her destiny. Now, back in the town she grew up in, she’ll have to turn every stone to keep Kate from a guilty verdict.

The Trial of Dr. Kate is the second novel in a four-part series from Michael E. Glasscock III that explores the intricate social cloth of Round Rock, Tennessee. Though each story stands alone, readers who enjoyed Glasscock’s first Round Rock tale, Little Joe, will delight in the cameo appearances in this one.

Not only am I a fan of this series, but I’m also a fan of Michael Glasscock!  He’s created such a unique story in his Round Rock books, and I just loved The Trial Of Dr. Kate.  I liked seeing characters from Little Joe make random appearances throughout the book and catching up with them.  I also loved Shenandoah’s story and how it intersected with Kate’s story.

I wasn’t surprised to learn of what happened the night of Lilian’s death, but I loved how the story unfolded and how much Kate meant to the community.  And how much distrust there was between different people in Round Rock.  They all have a history with each other, and some of it is not good.  I liked how Shenandoah was reminded of her past and her family everywhere she went in Round Rock, and how she was able to overcome it, while also reconnecting with her hometown and her family when she returned home.

I love how real the book feels, and everything seems so real and authentic.  Everything feels like it actually happened, and I love that Round Rock seems to represent the time and place and people of that time and place so well.  The characters are so memorable, and are very hard to forget.

The Trial Of Dr. Kate has so much going on, and really captures the essence of Round Rock and its inhabitants.  Really, I cannot gush enough about this book!

Back to Lilian’s death for a minute: You have so many people divided on whether or not Kate did it, and all of the different opinions are pretty well represented.  You get such a good picture of who Kate is and you’re wondering what happened the night Lilian died, and then you find out, and it’s not that surprising, but it’s also a little surprising, because you’re trying to figure out who Kate really is, and if she’s really the sort of person who would help her friend die.  I don’t necessarily think of doctor-assisted suicide as something that happened in the fifties, but I really liked how Glasscock wrote that element of the story.

And I feel like I’ve barely talked about Shenandoah, even though she’s the main character.  I thought she was interesting as a character, and how she wanted to get of Round Rock.  I think it’s something a lot of people can relate to, and I like that she realizes that Round Rock isn’t such a horrible place, and that some of her family aren’t how she remembered them.

Final Thoughts:

I really loved The Trial Of Dr. Kate!  Round Rock really comes to life in this book, and I liked catching up with some of the characters from Little Joe while meeting new characters in The Trial Of Dr. Kate.  I’m looking forward to reading the next book, which I’m sure will be as great as the first two.  The Trial Of Dr. Kate gets 5 stars.