The Crimson Crown

I wanted to end 2012 with a great read. So I spent the last two hours finishing the 4th book in the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. What a way to go ! I love this series. It is one of my all time favorites and book four was no exception. Han Alister is sitting atop my fictional boy list with a Crimson Crown on his head. This book finds him and Raisa trying to hold the queendom together. All the factions are fighting and they have no intention of working together to make the kingdom strong. As they try and figure out a way to marry- a new enemy arrises that puts all the factions in danger. There are very few people Raisa can trust and when Han disappears, she considers surrender, until her friends step up and give her strength. Everyone is out for themselves and Raisa is pulled in so many directions and the only direction she is interested in is Han's. Han gives a speech about all the reasons he loves her that will make a grown woman weep, and she did. I mean who doesn't want someone to say those words about her. As for Raisa, she decides that in a world where there is no one she can trust, she can trust Han. They find a way to unite the kingdom, but at great cost. Many major characters are victims, some good, some bad. When all is said and done, Raisa finds a family- the kind that may not be related to her. One that will help her change the old ways and make her queendom a better place. I love Crow and his help. He is an interesting character that gave Han a hand when it was needed. I am sad that I will have to leave them now and hope this is not the end. The threats are not over for the couple, and new enemies have been made. But for now, I end the year with happy heart for these great characters. I look forward to a new year of great reading. Happy New Year and happy reading my friends!

Beta

I had the chance to hear Rachel Cohn read from this book not long ago. She was great, funny and the book was interesting. Elysia is a Beta Clone. She is cloned from a teen who has died. She is the first of the teen models and is bought to be a companion on the island of Demesne- a place engineered for pleasure. The water, the air, the drugs, all created to give the residents a sense of peace and prosperity. Beta's are not meant to feel, or think, or have any desires of their own. If they do, they are considered Defects and are destroyed. Elysia quickly learns she may be a Defect. She can taste, think, and tell jokes. She is having visions from her First's life. She must keep all this a secret. As she hangs out with her 'brother' and his friends, she is drawn to Tahir, a boy who is recovering from a terrible accident. But he too, has a secret and they decide to run away together. They know they are about to enter the Awfuls, the time when teen Beta's go crazy and die. They decide they want to go through this together. Before their plan can be put into effect, some terrible things happen that tear them apart. Elysia must run for her life and help comes from the most unlikely source. The end is a cliffhanger of epic proportions and leaves the reader in desperate need of a sequel sooner than later. A nice triangle (or square) is set up, a murderer is on the loose, a boyfriend is missing and an insurrection is imminent. Wow, well done Ms. Cohn. I'm off to meet up with Han and Raisa in book four of the Grey Wolf Throne. I've left them sitting on my shelf far too long. Happy reading my friends !

Touching the Surface

Elliot has died for the third time. She just can't move on until she figures out her life lesson. As she reaches the afterlife as a third-timer, she is immediately drawn to Oliver and Trevor. Oliver is kind, and golden and warm hearted. Trevor is surly, and angry and mean. As Elliot Delves into her memories, she realizes her connection to the two boys and is horrified by what she had done in her last life. To make matters worse, her best friend and former twin brother (in her first life) Julia wants nothing to do with her. Elliot must face her past and work her way through it so that she can move on and release those who are there to help her. She is drawn more and more to Trevor and finds that her greatest fears turn out to be his reality. Her relationship with the boys is the key to her ability to move past this "holding station" and into her future, wherever that may be. Kimberley Sabatini has created an interesting world where the characters can create their own surroundings based on their moods and feelings. The idea of examining your actions to become a better person is appropriate for this time of year. The message is one of being present in the moment as a active participant rather than a casual, distracted observer. A great lesson in our world of technology where smart phones seem to be more interesting than the people we are with. I feel a New Year's resolution coming on. Merry Christmas and happy reading my friends.

Rebel Heart- Book Two of the Dust Lands series

     Saba and Jack. Saba and DeMalo. Saba and Tommo. Oh what a tangle web she weaves. Rebel Heart is the sequel to Blood Red Road by Moira Young. It is a story set in the future, where the evil Tontons are taking over land to create a New Eden. Saba and Jack have left each other to their individual tasks. Jack to tell Molly of Ike's death and Saba to reunite with her family. They will meet in the West and start their lives together. Nothing, of course, goes as planned. Jack is drawn into the Tonton's world and Saba is shocked by the betrayal. Her brother Lugh, who is her twin and best friend, is harder and harder to get along with. And Tommo seems to be falling in love with her. Saba doesn't know what her path is and she can't get over the death of Epona. As she leads her group through one treacherous adventure to the next, she is searching for Jack because she just doesn't believe he could betray her. As a twist, she seemingly betrays him when she encounters DeMalo and he isn't at all what she expected. Her heartstone seems to burn for him as well. Saba can't seem to get out of her own way and continually questions her motives and the results of her actions. Those she relied on the most, seem to be pushing farther and farther away from her. I love this series. It is not for everyone, however. The author has chosen to use no quotation marks and this can be difficult for poorer readers. I had the chance to ask her why she did this and she wanted no barriers between her characters and the readers. It didn't bother me this time. It just seemed natural. I love Saba and her toughness. She is no damsel in distress, but she find she is not the only capable one in the bunch. And Jack....well, he's always been on my top ten fictional boy list. As this is the second book in the trilogy, it most definitely leaves the reader hanging with a cryptic passage at the end that foreshadows a future betrayal. Christmas break has started so I have a brand new basket- thanks ML- filled with books to occupy my time. Would it be wrong to stay in the house and read for the next two weeks?? Don't judge. Merry Christmas and Happy reading my friends!