Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

THE HOUSE OF NIGHT SERIES BOOK 05

Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

St. Martin's Griffin

Published in 2009

ISBN 9780312379827

323 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Ebook)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



After Kalona, Neferet's consort, appears from underneath the Earth, Neferet, Kalona, and Kalona's sons start destroying the House of Night. However, Zoey and the gang escapes their destruction by going underground to the tunnels, where the red fledglings live. Now, Zoey and the gang must come up with a plan to prevent the world from becoming a violent and chaotic one, but that stops when Zoey gets injured and must go back to the House of Night. There she has to fight with Neferet more head-on than she would like, and not only that, are the red fledglings really as civilized as they appear? And will Zoey be able to bring Stark away from Neferet's sinister side? What will they do when the evil has hidden among them?

I actually finished this book faster than the others because my computer died. x_x The motherboard went ka-plooey, so I was able to read until Black Friday, which was today, in order to get a new computer. :) Anyways, isn't it amazing what you get done with when computers (mostly the Internet) are down? ;) Oh, there might be some spoilers below. :X

Hunted starts off almost immediately where Untamed left off --- Zoey and the gang are now in the tunnels with the kind of civilized version of the red fledglings, waiting for Kalona and Neferet's invasion to calm down or at least wait until they have a plan on how to deal with the new threat. However, when Zoey gets injured, she has to fight more head on than she would like.

All right, let's start with the things I didn't like about this book. One, the authors keep on describing the same characters with almost the exact same words as the other books. I know it is good to remind readers on what the characters look like, but don't do it in every single book, unless they somehow changed their appearance between the last book and the beginning of book they are going to read. Two, can't Zoey ever NOT have a boyfriend or boyfriends in a book? Even in Untamed, Zoey wasn't without a boy/boyfriend for long since she became attached to Stark. She even went as far as calling him her "soul mate". What the hell is wrong with having one boyfriend throughout the series? Or even having no boyfriend? Do those two authors really think that teenagers are all like that --- always needing a boyfriend/love? Three, it is getting very predictable and is almost like all the other books I have read.

Now for the things I liked about the book. One, all the new descriptions and the use of so many of them. :D Two, the development of Aphrodite and how much she has changed (attitude wise). Out of all the characters, I think the authors did a better job at making Aphrodite develop as a character than almost all the others. Three, there was a lot more supernatural, but there was still some drama in there. UGH! Four, using Cherokee legends in a creative way.

One last bit of interesting information. Erik's name is spelled wrong in the summary. Oh, and also, on one of the pages (247), it says that Darius would be pleased about the vocabulary words she has been using. Isn't it Damien who is the vocabulary nerd, or did I miss something?

Anyways, overall the book is good for a quick read, but it is getting a little tiresome since it is becoming a little bit predictable. :X Just a warning, there is a gay character in the book, and they talk about sex, kissing, and things like that a couple of times.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

P.C. and Kristin Cast
House of Night Series
Goodreads: Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Library Thing: Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
She Loves Books: Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Quick & Dirty Book Reviews: Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

THE HOUSE OF NIGHT SERIES BOOK 04

Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

St. Martin's Griffin

Published in 2008

ISBN 9780312596309

338 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Ebook)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5




Zoey's problems have just recently blew up in her face, so now she has to deal with the consequences of her actions. Her friends all hate her, she no longer has any boyfriends, Neferet has declared war on the humans, and now Aphrodite has a vision that Zoey's death will bring violence, hatred, and darkness to the world. Zoey knows what she has to do, but how can she do it when even her friends don't want to listen to her? Also, how will she be able stop Neferet's new plans of destroying the world they all know?

Okay, it has been over a year since I have read the last book of this series, so I kind of had to reread all three of the books I have already read. Why? So I can remember how the series was liked --- I don't have that good of an memory, people.

Anyways, in the fourth book of the House of Night series, things are heating up for Zoey and it all blows up in her face in this book. *SIGHS* This book is starting to be like all the other supernatural young adult books I have read. Yeah, I'm starting to go, "When will this freaking series ends, the high school drama is getting on my freaking nerves!" Though, there is a little bit more supernatural in this book than the last one, but not as much as I would like it to be. There are a couple of things that annoy me in this book. First, all the drama, I know you need action, but can't the authors think of a better way of getting action and attention the, "Booo hooo, my friends don't like me, but I need them in order to save the world," is a little unbelieving. I also hate the bossy attitude of Zoey's, the "I'm going to be their high priestess, so they have to listen to me," is a little *BARF*. I like that kind of attitude (kind of) in the male characters, but in females, I find it bitchy. ^^; Yes, I'm vain.

Things I like in this book is how Aphrodite is turning out --- nicer, but still uses her attitude as comic relief, almost like Erin, Shaunee, Damien, and Jack. I also like Darius and how he can appreciate Aphrodite. :) Yes, I like the other characters more Zoey. Let's see, what else do I like. Hmmm... Oh, I also like how the authors are starting to merge Cherokee legends into the book. Also, the descriptions are done very well. In this series, descriptions are a little bit better than most other series. :D

After you skip over the high school drama, this book is pretty good, but the page amount for this book is pretty all right. If there were a little bit less high school drama, I would most likely like this series better. Also, Zoey is definitely annoying in this book. *SIGHS* I wish the book was more centered around her friends than Zoey and her growing powers and how she will be a priestess. Other than the high school drama and Zoey's attitude, this book is great for a quick read. Though, it is kind of turning a little boring with all of the high school drama. ^^ Just a warning, there is a gay character in the book, and they talk about sex, kissing, and things like that a couple of times.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

P.C. and Kristin Cast
House of Night Series
Goodreads: Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Library Thing: Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Shide Vicious Reviews: Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

 

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

Dutton

Published in 2009

ISBN 9780525951216

372 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



Working on his stepfather's think tank, Luke Dantry posts on forums and other online communities known for their users being extremists and reports back to his stepfather the users who he thinks are capable of doing terrorists acts. Mostly, Luke thinks the majority of them are just frustrated and aren't capable of doing the things they say they will. However, he is proven wrong when he is kidnapped and taken to a cabin hidden in the woods. What will he do when he finds out this betrayal runs deeper than he thinks?

This time the book review is over a mystery, suspense, action, thriller adult novel. I'm trying to take a break from the young adult books for a little bit. ;)

For an action and thriller novel, the plot and characters are all pretty average. Why average? Because in most action and thriller books I read it usually goes like this: The main character gets in trouble, main character escapes multiple attempts on his/her life, main character meets up with old faces and gets betrayed by someone they know, and then, the main character saves the day. That is pretty much how this book went.

Although there were a lot of details, going through and finishing the book was very tedious and sort of boring. In this case, I found it boring because of how typical it was, not because of too many details and descriptions. I liked how the author described the appearance of most of the characters in the book since not that many authors give those kind of descriptions anymore. Another thing I liked about the book is that it showed that the Internet isn't as safe as you think because people can still find out where you are --- it is something to think over when you do things online.

Those are pretty much the only things I liked about the book. The main things I didn't like about the book are the typical plot for this kind of genre, even though it is enjoyable on some levels in other books, it isn't in this book. Also, the politics in the book are very boring. Anyways, it is an okay read, if you want the typical parts and like descriptions. As for me, it was an average book with a lot of boredom in-between the action parts.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Jeff Abbott
Goodreads: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Library Thing: Trust Me by Jeff Abbott
Diana Page Jordan: Stepfathers, Terrorism on the Web, and Trust Me!
Genre Go Round Reviews: Trust Me - Jeff Abbott
Trust Me by Jeff Abbott (Mystery Book Review)

Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

ALEX VAN HELSING SERIES BOOK 01

Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

Harper Teen (Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)

Published in 2010

ISBN 9780061950995

249 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Alex Van Helsing thought he was an ordinary fourteen-year-old, that is, until he arrives at Glenarvon Academy --- an all boys' school near Lake Geneva. He doesn't know that the legends about the famous vampire-hunter Van Helsing is true until he is confronted by two vampires. Now, vampires are coming after him, and the vampire behind all of this is called Icemaker. When Icemaker kidnaps two of his friends, Alex must locate them and rescue them, hopefully, still alive. Normal school subjects will not be the only things he learns, together with the Polidorium, a secret vampire-hunting organization, he learns how to kill vampires and other things. Though, will it be enough before Icemaker's plans fold out?

Hehe~ Surely you knew that another vampire book was in the future review. ;) Hopefully, my summary isn't too bad, I tend to make bad summaries, when the ones on the book cover are good enough. ^^;

This book is the author's first book for young adults, and let's say it's much better than most vampire books for this age-range. Mostly you get this for vampire books (no matter the range): Vampire falls in love with a human. Human and vampire have struggles with their relationship. Human and vampire (usually) find a way to be together. This book is not like that. (Yayness!) Vampire Rising goes back to the original "vampires are evil" motto. I know there are some books like this, but it always has some kind of romance in them. I'm a girl (a 22-year-old one), and I like reading romances, but not all the time.

Anyways, it takes awhile to get used to the way the book is written, but after get over the hump of the first chapter, it gets very interesting. Unlike most young adult (and adult) books I read, this book actually has details of events, scenery/places, characters, etc. I felt more engaged in this book than in most books I read. The characters feel realistic, and the action/suspense is something to look forward to.

Also, something even more interesting, the author ties-in not only Bram Stoker's Dracula, but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as well. Why is that interesting? Because I have never seen any other vampire book tie in another horror book, and use some of the writings in it as well as use Dracula as clues for vampires and the history behind it.

Now, shoo, go read it. It is a really a great book to read. It's engaging, full of details, full of action/suspense, and it has something for everyone. Except maybe romance, but that's what makes this vampire book good. ;) I read it in all in just one day. xD Now, shoo, go read it. :D

Here's hoping the author doesn't lose the sense of details and action in the second book, like most other authors do when they do series. xD

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Jason Henderson
Alex Van Helsing Series Blog
Goodreads: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson
Library Thing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson
Book Snare: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson
Reading on the Dark Side: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

The Hittite by Ben Bova

 

The Hittite by Ben Bova

Tom Doherty Associates

Published in 2010

ISBN 9780765324023

317 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

3 out of 5



After a long campaign against the Armenian army, Lukka is finally returning home to his wife and two sons. However, instead of finding peace in the capital of the Hatti empire, Hattusa, he finds nothing but chaos. The once great city is now engulfed in flames and men are terrorizing and looting the city of its goods, including any women they find. When he reaches his home, he finds it destroyed with his father dying and wife and sons missing. With the last words of his father that Lukka must find his two sons, he goes off with the men he commands to find them. However, when he reaches Troy, he finds himself in the middle of a war. Now, in order to get his children and wife back, he must prove himself to Odysseos. But by the time he proves himself greater than that of Price Hector of Troy and the swift warrior Achilles, will it be too late to save the loved ones he came for?

Finally, a non-supernatural book AND an adult one. I like young adult books too much. I'll try to get more adult books after I read the rest of the books I have. :) Oh, beware of spoilers in the review. ;)

This is my first compliant... not enough details or descriptions (of the characters, events, places) to make the book longer than it is now. This history fiction book starts with Lukka coming home and finding his house destroyed, his father dying, and his wife and children missing. However, from there, the author tries to quickly get Lukka and his men to Troy in order to find his wife. It skips some things like more details about everything it takes to get there, but it includes some (but not all) of the hardships --- like Lukka having to kill one of his men because the guy didn't want to go on. I found this a little frustrating since the author didn't go into that much detail about him arriving to Troy and finding it under siege. Then after getting there, the book almost automatically goes into the fighting between Troy, and Lukka proves himself there. It pretty much like I wrote in the summary. The book has details, but not enough to keep you satisfied. The chapters are like 2-6 pages each, and not enough details to make the book really worth-while.

My second compliant... I hated how whiny Helen is, but I let that go since it was a different time than it is now. Helen acts like how most authors put women leads: demands attention, blames themselves and gets pity from that, and pretty much gets whatever they want, which is getting frustrating because it is so common now.

My third and last compliant... the ending sucked. It doesn't even have an ending where it mentions whether or not Helen, Lukka, the little boys, and his men make it to Egypt or if Menalaos catches them. I find this more "let me choke the author" worthy than the lack of details part. -____-

Now, a few good things about the book. I like how it goes into the history of Troy and Hatti and who built the Trojan horse, which not many books really do. Though, the author kind of ruins it by not having that many details and making the book go as quickly as possible. However, it is an exciting read, and it is entertaining. Though, it is frustrating. So, go ahead and read if you can live with lack of details, fast-moving, and sucky ending. :|

Oh, a few warnings. This book mentions rape, love scenes, gore scenes, etc, however, the author doesn't go into too many details about the acts --- just kind of mentions them and moves on to something else. Also, I rated it 3 three stars because of the interesting topic, but I didn't go any higher because of the lack of details and sucky ending. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Ben Bova
Goodreads: The Hittite by Ben Bova
Library Thing: The Hittite by Ben Bova
The Merry Go Round Reviews: The Hittite by Ben Bova
Imagic Reflections: The Hittite by Ben Bova

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES BOOK 03

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published in 2009
ISBN 9781416914303
541 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Clary Fray is very close to waking her mother up from her magically induced coma, all she has to do is travel to the Glass City and find the missing key to waking her up. However, traveling to the Glass City is easier said than done since going to the city without permission against the Law and is punishable by death. Not to mention, Jace doesn't even want Clary to go to the ancient Shadowhunter home. So, when an incident happens, Simon is taken to the Glass City along with Jace and the Lightwoods, but he is imprisoned later for being a vampire who can walk in sunlight. However, when Clary arrives in the Glass City, she finds out more about her family's past. While she is in the Glass City, she finds an ally in Sebastian, a Shadowhunter, after Jace abandons her. Then Valentine makes his presence known in the Glass City, and he gives all of the Shadowhunters a choice: surrender and serve him or be killed. Time is running out for Shadowhunters and Downworlders, will they all be able to work together to save themselves? Will Clary's powers be enough to help save them all?

Okay, another supernatural book, but this one that I don't really like that much. For the genre, this book has pretty much every kind known to me, so I just picked "Supernatural" and picked the subcategories that the book mentioned.

Like City of Bones and City of Ashes, this book is extremely slow-moving, which is good in the way of details of events, but bad if you want to read in a day. As I mentioned just now, the details in this book are well-written and there are a lot. The author of this books seems to value that the reader needs to know details of events, as well as what the characters look like. Most books I have read do not leave enough of an impression of how the characters look like. Though, I don't like how the page number jumped by about 100 pages. Zzzzz...

Although the descriptions of the characters are more well-written than other books, the character's personalities are kind of stereotypical. Though, having stereotypes for characters are frequent in most books, not just this one. However, I still found Clary's personality extremely annoying. She is very weak and spoiled, which kind of reminds me of most people who I know. :| Though, I'm kind of happy with Simon's development in both this book and City of Ashes. :) Also, I'm happy with the development between Magnas and Alec. :D

In this book, the plot of the series becomes a little bit better and more detailed. So, it is not as boring as the first one, but you have to have patience to read the extra 100 pages. Also, you start seeing more of a relationship between Magnas and Alec. To those of you who don't approve of boy x boy relationships, I don't care. ^^ Oh, spoiler, my favorite part is when Magnas and Alec kiss, and Maia goes, "Do we have to do that, too?"

And, I have noticed people accusing this author of plagiarism, but what book doesn't do a little bit of plagiarizing? Most books I read have so similar plots with similar characters that I forget which book is which. >.> So, please, do not comment or rant about this on my blog. It's mine, not yours. :(

I liked the ending of this book and series (?). However, when I looked on her website, there is another book to this series called City of Fallen Angels. Also, there is a prequel series called The Infernal Devices, though they are not published yet. I just hope that City of Fallen Angels won't ruin the ending of this book.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Cassandra Clare
Goodreads: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Library Thing: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
After Twilight: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
A Trillian Books: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES BOOK 02

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published in 2008
ISBN 9781416914297
453 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Clary Fray is suddenly thrown into the world of the Shadowhunters and Downworlders, and no matter how much she wishes, she can never go back to her normal life. With her mother still in a magically induced coma, Clary is left trying to find a way to wake her up. Though, the only way she can think of is the track down her father, a rogue Shadowhunter. However, new problems arise when someone is murdering Downwordler. Who is behind the killings? Is it her father, Valentine? If he is, what is he trying to do with the blood of those children? Also, what will happen to Jace when the Inquisitor zeros in on him and accuses him of helping his father, Valentine?

Okay, another supernatural book, but this one that I don't really like that much. For the genre, this book has pretty much every kind known to me, so I just picked "Supernatural" and picked the subcategories that the book mentioned.

Like City of Bones, this book is extremely slow-moving, which is good in the way of details of events, but bad if you want to read in a day. As I mentioned just now, the details in this book are well-written and there are a lot. The author of this books seems to value that the reader needs to know details of events, as well as what the characters look like. Most books I have read do not leave enough of an impression of how the characters look like.

Although the descriptions of the characters are more well-written than other books, the character's personalities are kind of stereotypical. Though, having stereotypes for characters are frequent in most books, not just this one. However, I still found Clary's personality extremely annoying. She is very weak and spoiled, which kind of reminds me of most people who I know. :| Though, I'm kind of happy with Simon's development towards the end of the book, instead of just waiting for the stupid girl, Clary. :)

In this book, the plot of the series becomes a little bit better. So, it is not as boring as the first one. Also, you start seeing more of a relationship between Magnas and Alec. To those of you who don't approve of boy x boy relationships, I don't care. ^^

And, I have noticed people accusing this author of plagiarism, but what book doesn't do a little bit of plagiarizing? Most books I read have so similar plots with similar characters that I forget which book is which. >.> So, please, do not comment or rant about this on my blog. It's mine, not yours. :(

Anyways, the ending is kind of unexpected, but I read the other books in this series already. So, don't freak at the ending parts --- the author kind of switches it in the other books. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Cassandra Clare
Goodreads: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Library Thing: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
After Twilight: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Finding the Magic in Books: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Book Love: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
A Trillian Books: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare