Siege and Storm

Book two of the Grisha Trilogy finds Alina and Mal hiding from the Darkling. Now the Darkling is one of the most confusing characters I have come across. I can't decide if I have a crush on him or want him to be ripped apart by the Cut. To add insult to injury, the newest character in the series, Strumhold, is also enchanting. Is he a privateer, a rogue, or is he someone else entirely? I'll never tell. But what I will say is that this second book will not let you down. Alina and Mal find themselves captive on Strumhold's ship, prisoners of the Darkling. Mal is in mortal danger and Alina will do everything in her impressive power to keep him alive. When Strumhold turns out to be more than you thought he was, Alina finds herself back in Ravka raising an army of her own to take on the Darkling. She gains another amplifier that expands her powers greatly, but she realizes there is one more out there for her to find. And she wants it. Bad. Mal just wants his old Alina back. He wants to run away together and live out life in peace. Alina knows that is not meant to be. Along with her faithful followers, she must play the part of Saint for the masses, and the part of savvy diplomat for everyone else. However; all she really wants is a life with Mal- or does she? Alina will risk it all to get what she wants, as soon as she figures out what that is. I love this series. It is filled with adventure, romance and some cheeky heroes with zippy one-liners. It's not often you laugh out loud in the middle of a battle! If only there wasn't housework to be done or papers to grade... Happy reading my friends!

The Cellar

A crazy guy kidnaps girls and locks them in a cellar. He names them after flowers. I don't recommend this book for teen readers even though it is a young adult book. I don't know why I feel this way, I just didn't like it and don't think it will even go back in my classroom. Maybe an older teen would be interested, but not my 8th graders. I guess I prefer books that I wouldn't see as stories on the news. So read at your own risk. Gonna shake this one off and head back to fantasy land! Happy reading my friends!

Heir of Fire

Wow, friends, it has been too long! Many things have gotten in the way of reading lately and truthfully, I was savoring this one. The third book in the Throne of Glass series has kept me occupied for weeks. I read a little at a time, not like me at all. This is the story of the King's Assassin, Celaena Sardothian, is on a mission to reclaim her throne as queen of her people. She is beaten and broken and not entirely sure she wants the responsibility. She thinks she has let everyone she loves down. She has driven Chaol away. She is hiding from her life. With the death of her best friend Nehemia, she makes a promise to get even with the King of Adarlan even if it means facing her past and taking back what is rightfully hers. The story lines are all separate in this volume. Celaena is off with Rowan, an ancient Fae warrior , who would just as soon kill her as help her. Dorian is trying to hide and contol his magic to keep his father, the king, at bay. Aedion, Aelin's sworn protector, is looking for his queen and finds himself an unlikely ally in Chaol. Then there are the witches, hired by the king to form a squadron of death on the backs of mythical winged beasts. The paths of these characters come to a crashing halt as death, destruction and betrayal find their way into Adarlan. Revenge is on everyone's mind as the characters plot their next moves. Everyone is in peril. My heart is pounding and I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight for thinking about poor Dorian, locked up Aedion and the fact that Celaena and Chaol did not spend one page together in this book. If you are a fan of The Demon King, this series is right up your ally with a little rougher edge. I don't know who I am more in love with now- Chaol, Aedion or Rowan. Celaena is a lucky fictional girl. Spring break is creeping up and books are the plan for the two weeks of rest. Happy reading my friends!