Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Published: August 7th, 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 416

Copy: Publisher and Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

First off, I have to say I loved Throne of Glass.  I have read countless reviews over the past few weeks saying what is right and wrong with the characters and the story, but to my mind you just have to get over one thing.  The world's best assassin is 18 years old?  Uh, uh!  Never going to happen! She just couldn't possibly have had the experience to make her 'the world's best' at that age.  One of the best - definitely - that's plausible.  But THE best - sorry, no.

Once we get that little inconsistency out of the way, all the little niggly things about the story just disappear and you can enjoy it for what it is.   A superb romantic fantasy, with great characters, wonderful action and intriguing mystery.  Enough said.  Bring on number 2, I can't wait.

Forgiven by Jana Oliver

Published: March 2012

Publisher: St Martins Griffin

Pages: 354

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.

But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Demon Trappers series.  Each volume has been exciting and engrossing, and Forgiven brought everything together nicely and to a satisfying conclusion .... or not.*

Riley's growth as a character increased with each volume.  It's nice to see a character learn from her experiences and use what she learns.  She doesn't wallow in self pity, or leave solutions to others.  It was also nice to see her deal with paying bills and going to school (afternoons only in an old Starbucks!) - mundane tasks that keep her grounded in reality, and boy, does she need to be grounded!

"Oh, and I got to talk to the Prince himself.  He's one spooky guy, that's for sure."
Her friend's brain reengaged. "You got hot and heavy with a Fallen angel, then you chatted up the Prince of Hell?"
"Yeah. I owe Lucifer a favor, so he doesn't let Ori kill everyone I love." Like you. (p43)

And you gotta love a book that channels Buffy!

"Why does this feel like a bad episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Riley smiled through her tears. "What would Buffy do now?" Peter thought for a moment. "She'd kick some ass and look smoking hot doing it." (p45)

There are lots of secondary characters, both good and bad, and all very individual.  I could just see Mort shrugging and blushing and Beck lining up his beer bottles.  Beck was one of my favourite characters - without giving too much of a spoiler, his affection for a certain small furry animal really showed his soft side, which I loved.  Ms Oliver did a stellar job of showing the differences between Demon Hunters and Demon Trappers, yet through it all she kept everyone 'human'.  That is of course unless they were demons and there are a lot of very nasty ones to keep everyone on their toes.

The series is about the perennial battle between Good and Evil and the vulnerabilities of those of us caught in the middle.  It's an exciting, sad, spine-tingling, emotional roller coaster ride with Fallen angels, demons, necromancers and witches to sweeten the deal.  Great reading, especially for anyone who enjoyed Sarah Rees Brennan's Demon's Lexicon trilogy

*On a side note, I had thought that this would be a trilogy, but as the ending showed clearly, there is more to come.  The 4th and final book, Foretold, is due out in the US in December this year, but I'm really hoping that since we're in Canada I'll be able to snag a UK edition which comes out this month.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Published: August 14th, 2012

Publisher:

Copy: Publisher via Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Travis Maddox is a walking, talking train wreck.  He's the good looking guy that you should avoid at all costs.  Talk about high maintenance?  I couldn't decide whether I wanted to slug him or hug him half the time.  That said, you can't help but like him - even though you know that he so wrong on so many levels.

As for Abby, well she should know better.  She repeatedly falls under Travis's spell even though it is so obviously the wrong thing to do. She seems to be a fairly strong character in every way, except where Travis is concerned, and appears to let him manipulate her. It's a strange relationship that the two of them have, but it is the sort of story that you want to keep reading just to find out what is going to happen between them. I don't know that I agree with her choices, but no-one ever said that love makes sense.

Travis's room-mate Shepley and Abby's best friend America, are also very much in the picture as a couple with very few problems and they serve to illustrate even more clearly how unlikely a pair Travis and Abby are. The college setting is a nice change from high school and allows for different behaviors. 

This is a nice crossover novel for older teens, but  I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers.  There is a fair bit of consensual sex, drinking and violence - of the bare-knuckle organized fight sort -but it all helps with the background of the story.  I was more than a little surprised with the ending, until I discovered that Beautiful Disaster is the first in a series/trilogy?  The second book, Walking Disaster, is apparently due out in April next year, and I'm sufficiently intrigued to see what happens next.  Try it out if you like edgy contemporary romances and you're ready for a change.

Waiting on Wednesday - August 15th

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

I thought I'd go for a new WOW today from a new author.  Here's the summary (from Goodreads)

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.

Sounds interesting, doesn't it?  I suspect it be a new one on Curlypow's Fantastic Fairytales meme soon....

Let's Hear it For the Boys - Department 19: The Rising by Will Hill

Published: March 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 701

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

James Bond meets Dracula in this epic saga of one boy and a ton of weapons versus the world's oldest evil--vampires as you've never seen them before!

Sixteen-year-old Jamie Carpenter's life was violently upended when he was brought into Department 19, a classified government agency of vampire hunters that was formed to deal with a little problem . . . known as Dracula.

But b...moreJames Bond meets Dracula in this epic saga of one boy and a ton of weapons versus the world's oldest evil--vampires as you've never seen them before!

Sixteen-year-old Jamie Carpenter's life was violently upended when he was brought into Department 19, a classified government agency of vampire hunters that was formed to deal with a little problem . . . known as Dracula.

But being the new recruit at the Department isn't all weapons training and covert missions. Jamie's own mother has been turned into a vampire--and now Jamie will stop at nothing to wreak revenge on her captors. Even if that means facing down Dracula himself.

The Rising is a fast, furious, can't-turn-away thrill ride that will suck readers in just like a video game. This riveting second book in the Department Nineteen series is packed with cutting-edge gadgets, international locales, and daredevil action that tumbles ferociously across the page--perfect for fans of Darren Shan and Anthony Horowitz.

Wow, what a book.  It was just so much fun. At 701 pages it was not quick read, but there is just so much packed into it.   In this alternate earth, vampires are real and literary monsters are not just in our imagination.  Ancient vampires are out to take over the world and it's up to Jaimie and

his confedarates to make sure that doesn't happen. Will Hill does a fabulous job of suspending disbelief. It did not seem strange that a bunch of 16 - 18 year olds were fighting for a clandestine government agency, and I was just glad they were on my side, so to speak.

The Rising is graphic and gory - Tv's True Blood, exploding vampire, gory - and there are some very nasty vampire bad guys, doing unspeakable things, so if you have a sensitive stomach you might not enjoy this very much.  There is a lot going on over a very short time - just 6 days in fact - but there iis a lot of back story introduced in the form of flash-backs, which helped fill in some very necessary background information.

One of the things I enjoyed is that not all of the monsters are bad guys, and some can take you by surprise.  But conversely, not all the good guys are good, so beware.  The character development is stellar and is it wonderful to see outwardly confident kids struggle with their inner demons.  Some very strong friendships are formed and difficult decisions made.  Only once was a decision made by an adult that seemed just a little 'convenient', but I was able to get past it.

The Rising is an  explosive read that will grip you early on and keep you reading long past bedtime.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received.

I reloaded my e-reader with these great finds from the library and NetGalley this week -

Should be an interesting week with some interesting reads.  :D

Shout Out to Indies

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's picks -

Summary (by Goodreads)

After her adventures with the Key of Amatahns, sixteen-year-old Janir Caersynn Argetallam returns home to find Brevia on the brink of war with a neighboring country, Stlaven. Her foster-father and even Saoven—a brave young elf warrior—think it will be safe at the castle where Janir grew up. However, while trying to unravel a looming mystery, Karile—self-taught wizard and Janir’s self-appointed best friend—becomes certain that there is danger in the mountains surrounding Janir’s childhood home and that it has something to do with Stlaven’s most powerful family, the Vanmars…

Summary (by Goodreads)

Clio Kaid may be 17 and just beginning the last summer before her senior year, but her life is anything but typical.

She's just discovered she was genetically altered before birth and is now headed to a top-secret Army campus to explore the surprising results of the experiment.
Follow Clio and the other teens as they develop fantastic super-abilities, forge new friendships, find love, and uncover a conspiracy along the way.

Summary (by Goodreads)

"Text Me, Guido" is the debut novel from author Adrian Staccato, and the first in a planned series. Told entirely through text-messaging conversations, the book follows five Italian-American college friends as they complete their final semester of school. They are: Enzo, Sofia, Giulia, Claudia, and Phil.

Enzo is your typical bronze-tanned Guido. The son of a wealthy home builder, he spends his days at the gym and his nights at the club. When he’s not buying drinks for his friends, he’s showering his longtime girlfriend, Sofia, with gifts – making her the envy of the neighborhood. Her friends, Giulia and Claudia, secretly hope the two will break it off, but Sofia is set on marriage and eagerly awaits Enzo’s proposal.

Enzo’s friend, Phil, is the outcast of the group. He dislikes to party, and attributes the “Jersey Shore lifestyle” to the decline of civilization. Nevertheless, he finds himself infatuated with Giulia – a crush since kindergarten. Giulia, however, is wildly insecure and has no interest in his bookish ways. She has her heart set on Enzo – and with a little maneuvering, she might just get what she wants!

Text Me, Guido, Solid and The Secrets of the Vanmars are all up for grabs!  Are you interested in some new indie reading?  These authors have graciously offered up one e-copy of their books.  Please leave a comment with which book (one, two or all three) that you would like to win!  This contest is international.  Winners will be chosen and contacted in 2 weeks!