A Court of Thorns and Roses

TITLE: A Court of Thorns and Roses
AUTHOR: Sarah J Maas
RELEASE DATE: May 2015
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
PAGES: 419 pages 
SERIES: A Court of Thorns and Roses book 1
GENRE: Paranormal, Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12

SUMMARY: Feyre's homelife is depressing, their house is barely standing, her father can no longer work due to his injuries, her mother is dead, and her sisters treat her like trash; but still Feyre cares for them. One day while out on a hunt, while she is preparing to shoot a deer, a large wolf approaches, only considering her own protection, she shoots the wolf through the eye. Well, this wasn't any wolf walking through the forest, this was a Fae in his wolf form and according to the accords between the Fae and the Humans, it is a life for a life. Now the High Fae, Tamlin is demanding her life as punishment. He takes her into his kingdom, in the Fae world, and  Feyre must figure out how to survive long enough in this strange land before she can return to her family.

   

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world." (Maas, ) 

WHAT I LIKED: This story is kind of like a retelling of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. But in this story, the beast is a fae and the beauty is a tough

READALIKES: Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, Graceling by Kristen Cashore

SERIES UPDATE: Book Two: A Court of Mist and Fury releases May 3, 2016

BOOK TRAILER: I wasn't able to find an official book trailer for A Court of Thorns and Roses, but I was able to find a video of the author, Sarah J. Maas, describing the book. 

Lady Midnight

TITLE: Lady Midnight
AUTHOR: Cassandra Clare
RELEASE DATE: March 2016
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderberry Books
PAGES: 668 pages
GENRE: Fantasy/Supernatural
SERIES: Dark Artifices
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12 

SUMMARY: Its been five years since the Dark War, and parabatais Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn star in this next installment of the Shadowhunter series. All grown up, Julian takes on the role of guardian to the four younger Blackthorn children, while also secretly running the Los Angeles institute for his absentminded uncle, Arthur. Emma is still convinced her parents were not killed by Sebastian and is working to investigate a series of demonic murders. But when the faeries call on the help of the Shadowhunters, they refuse, until the Fae offer up their brother, Mark of the Dark Hunt, as collateral. With the Shadowhunters go against the Clave, and break the Law to help the Fae? 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "And if there were two things he believed were limitless, it was love and imagination." (Clare, 168)
   

WHAT I LIKED: I am a complete Shadowhunters fan, I have read all of the books. My favorites are The Infernal Devices, which I just found out has a follow up series (The Last Hours) coming out in 2017. I liked seeing the story continue on with the next generation of Shadowhunters. I also liked that all of the characters from The Mortal Instruments play a part in this series. Getting to see all your favorite characters like Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, Alec and Magnus finally get their Happily Ever After just leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: 

SERIES UPDATE: The next book in the series is Prince of Shadows but does not have an expected release date yet

BOOK TRAILER: I could not find an official book trailer for Lady Midnight (shame shame, Simon and Shuster), but I would like to point you in the direction of the Official Shadowhunter Chronicles website. Check it out here at http://shadowhunters.com/

Darkest Part of the Forest

TITLE: The Darkest Part of the Forest
AUTHOR: Holly Black
RELEASE DATE: January 2015
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown, and Company
PAGES: 328 pages
GENRE: Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 9-12

SUMMARY: Hazel Evans and the rest of the residents of Fairfold know all the rules: Don't go out after sunset on a full moon, Don't act like a tourist, Don't go into the woods, and definitely Do not make a deal with one of the Fair Folk. But other than that, Fairfold is a great place to live. All of the kids hang out at the glass casket of the horned boy, drinking and dancing, as if it is the most normal thing in the world. Because in Fairfold it is. But Hazel understands the negative side of Fairfold and she will do everything it takes to protect it. As a child, she carries a golden sword and slays the monsters that terrorize her town. But after a few years of slaying monsters, she breaks the number one rule and now has seven years to pay the price. 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "They were in love with him because he was a prince and a faerie and magical and you were supposed to love princes and faeries and magic people. They loved him the way they'd loved Beast the first time he swept Belle around the dance floor in her yellow dress. They loved him as they loved the Eleventh Doctor with his bow tie and his flippy hair and the Tenth Doctor with his mad laugh. They loved him as they loved lead singers of bands and actors in movies, loved him in such a way that their shared love brought them closer together." (Black, 85-86)

WHAT I LIKED: Starting from the first page, I absolutely loved the town of Fairfold. I even went as far as doing a Google search to see if there really was a town with the same name! I didn't find anything. And its not like I would go visit if I had found it, because the book is very specific about what happens to tourists in Fairfold! I mean, seriously; faeries, changelings, water hags, barghests, horned boys and Alderkings. What more could you ask for? 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I didn't like the ending, as in the book had to end. It ended with such a "Happily Ever After" that I was disappointed there was no room for a sequel. Holly Black, if you're reading this, could there ever be a continuation to the story of Fairfold? What happens to Ben and Severn, Jack and Hazel? 

READALIKES: Modern Faerie Tale series by Holly Black,  Need series by Carrie Jones

BOOK TRAILER: