Sky without Stars

I love Jessica Brody's books. So when I saw this one with her name on it, well, that was all I needed. Then as I began reading and discovered it was a retelling of Les Miserables in space- game on. This is the story of Chatine, Marcellus and Aloutte who are all living on Laterre. Chatine is a street thief who steals for her family. She is bitter over the loss of her little brother who was killed by an orphan her family had taken in. Marcellus is the grandson of the General who rules Laterre at the side of the Partiarche. He is ashamed of his criminal father who is on Bastille, the moon prison. Marcellus doesn't know if he is cut out to take his grandfather's place one day as his heart isn't really in it. Then there is Aloutte, who lives underground with her father and the Sisters who protect the books that are left and kept hidden. She is unaware of most of what is going on on the surface. As the rebel forces start to make trouble, the three teenagers find their paths crossing with mixed results. If you know the story of Les Mis, then you know the general outcome. But the space setting adds a new and refreshing twist. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing what happens next. There were enough twists to make it unpredictable. Happy reading my friends!

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe

     Poe is an orphan who works on the gold digging barges. They destroy the rivers they run to get the gold out with no regard to the natives who live along the river banks. But she and Call have a plan to make one final run and then disappear into the forest. Fate, of course has other ideas, and leaves Poe broken and desperate for revenge. She creates armor for the barges that run the river to punish those trying to stop them. When the General puts her in charge of a barge for one final run, Poe cannot turn it down. She will see what she has created in action and will finally be able to get revenge on those that ruined her life. When someone starts leaving notes in her cabin, she doesn't know who on the crew to trust. Then truths begin to come out and her world is turned upside down. All she believed to be true has been a lie and the very people she was seeking revenge on might actually be the ones in the right. Poe has to make many decisions that will change her world. I like Allie Condie's books for the most part. This one was not one of my favorites, it didn't have a lot of payoff or interest for me int he long run. The characters just didn't connect for me and I wasn't too invested in the outcome. Happy reading my friends!

Pyromantic

Lish McBride just doesn't write enough books! I love the supernatural world she creates, because they just might be plausible. This is the sequel to Firebug, which I read a long time ago. This is Ava's story and she is a Firebug. This means she can create fire. She is friends with a Were Fox named Ezra- who is the most charming of foxy foxes and a Dryad named Locke- who she just might be in love with. The team is coming off a battle with the evil Veronica who ran the Coterie- a supernatural group of assassins. Allistair has taken her place and Ava isn't sure she can trust him or his new policies. But she doesn't have time to think too much about it as there is some kind of fungus that is turning supernatural creatures into crazed monsters. Ava and her team have to track down the fungus and it's creator and try and stop it before it takes out more of her friends. And to complicate the situation, she is trying to get used to the fact that Cade is her father and that her mortal friend Sylvie is involved in the problems and knows more than she should. Plus there is the Locke problem- should she or shouldn't she? (of course she should, he's amazing ) What's a Firebug to do? I love these stories, they are well-written and flow so nicely along, you don't even realize you're at the end. I highly recommend her books. Happy Reading my friends!

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever Made

Justin likes to make movies. As a 15 year old director, he hasn't had a lot of success. But he does have two loyal best friends, Gabe and Bobby by his side, helping with his dream. When they decide to write a zombie movie, everything that can go wrong, does. Casting problems, money issues, location dilemmas and oh, someone gets hit by a car. There's also the problem that they promised they'd pay his grandma back with interest, and she isn't playing around. This book is truly funny and I'm glad I found it. Kids always ask me for funny books and James Patterson is just too young for my 8th graders. Justin and friends are in constant turmoil as most 15 year olds are. They face romance issues, parent issues and time management issues. This was a quick, fun read. Happy reading my friends!

The Wicked King

Cardan is now on the throne thanks to mortal Jude. She has control of him for one year and a day and she has a lot of work to do. Forces are aligning against her and someone she trusts will betray her. Will it be Cardan, her father, or someone even closer? Cardan seems to be going along with her, but you really can't trust a fairy, because while they can't lie, they sure know how to twist the truth. Jude gets a whiff of a conspiracy from the sea and while she is trying to keep her plan on track, she is kidnapped and kept in the Undersea for a month. When she returns she is weak and worried. Can she trust Cardan when he proposes a preposterous plan or she she go with her instincts and keep on track. You can never trust a fairy. Especially one who has spent his life on the sidelines waiting for his chance to cause chaos. This is book two of the series so it of course leaves you hanging. Cardan is a mystery still at this point, do you like him? Is he just trying to protect Jude? Does he want the throne for himself? One can never tell with a fairy. I am enjoying this series as I do most of Holly Black's books. Happy reading my friends!

Nocturna

Prince Alfie has lost his brother to the void- a magic place from which there is no return. Forces working against the royal family set him up to be assassinated. Now Alfie will be expected to take the throne when his father dies. He has other plans- namely finding a way to bring his brother back. Finn is a thief who can change her face. She is tasked with stealing a book of magic, the same book Alfie is searching for. When their paths cross, their actions unwittingly unleash a potent, ancient, powerful evil magic. Alfie must convince Finn to help him track it down and contain it before it reaches full power and becomes unstoppable. Along the way Finn must decide if she is going to help another person for the first time, or stick to her usual plan to only help herself. But Alfie sees something in her that no one else ever has- good. As they race against the magic, they put themselves in danger to save the kingdom and each other. I really liked the fight that Finn has with herself, to overcome a bad beginning and work her way out of it. And I like Alfie’s faith in her. AND there was not the typical ending, boy meets girl, boy chases girl, girl changes and becomes queen... nope, not in this one. No damsel’s in distress here. Happy reading my friends!

Devouring the Gray

Four Paths is one of those places people don’t leave. And if they do, they don’t remember. On the edge of the town is the Gray. People who go in, don’t come out. Something lurks in the Gray waiting for some slip up. The founding families protect the town. They are bestowed with certain powers when they reach a certain age. Violet’s family is from Four Paths. When her sister dies, her mother returns to Four Paths. Soon Violet begins to notice some odd things. Like she can bring back things from the dead. She attracts the attention of Justin, Isaac and Harper, members of the other founding families. They all come together to try and keep the Gray from infiltrating the town and destroying more lives. Unfortunately none of them know the whole story about the founding of the town and they will find themselves up against evil from even unlikely places. This book reminds me of Stranger Things and Vampire Diaries combined. Founding families, supernatural roots, friends becoming more than friends and death. I enjoyed the story and would go back to read the sequel when it arrives. Happy reading my friendsQ