Review: Hannah (Daughters of the Sea) by Kathryn Lasky

Title: Hannah (Daughters of the Sea, #1)
Author: Kathryn Lasky

Publication Year: 2009

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Links: Goodreads | Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

Hannah wants to be normal, but she's not. The sea calls to her, and she can see a delicate tracing of scales on her legs. Billowing waves soothe her, but flat land makes her sick. She knows there's something wild in her that's different, wrong - and deeply thrilling.

Only one person seems to know who - or what - Hannah is. He's a guest in the house where she works as a scullery girl, and his fascinated gaze follows her. She doesn't understand his terrifying allure, or her longing. But even as the mystery deepens, Hannah is sure of one thing. A sea change is coming.

My two cents: I came across this series while looking for something with mermaid to read (since I couldn't locate my 'Selina Penaluna' book). I was a bit reluctant to pick this up because of the mixed reviews it receives but it sounds like something I'd really like.

The book opens in an orphanage in Boston where our protagonist, Hannah had lived most of her life. Now fifteen, she was ready to leave the house but she was deemed unsuitable for the employment and was instead sent to Kansas. But Kansas, being far from the sea, made her sick and soon she returned to the orphanage and found a job as a scullery girl at the Hawleys' house, one of Boston's wealthiest families. It was at this house she began to slowly learn of her true identity and destiny.

I would say that the book is more of a historical fiction with a twist of fantasy rather than the other way round. Most of the book is spent on describing Hannah's life as a scullery girl in the household and the elaborate tradition of what it was like to serve in the 19th century in a house of a wealthy family. Though I would have preferred more if more pages were devoted to the fantasy part of the story, I nevertheless enjoyed it thoroughly. I never really read anything with historical settings that took place in the USA and I was kind of intrigued.

Hannah's true identity is kept secret to the readers for most of the book. Clue is given bits by bits particularly through the remarks of one Stannish Whitman Wheeler, a renowned painter who was working on a piece with the Hawleys. Though it is never made clear until a few last pages, it is very clear from the very beginning what the mystery is and who Stannish really is.

I have to admit that the romance between Hannah and Stannish felt a bit rushed. And I was kinda hoping that Lila (one of the Hawleys' daughters) was more than just evil and lunatic. Rather she is just a convenient means to Hannah discovering her true self. The youngest of Hawleys' daughters, Ettie though likable seems a bit too mature for her age sometimes and it is somehow unbelievable. I, nevertheless, love her for all the love she has for Hannah.

The only complain I have is that the story ended rather abruptly. I'd really like to know what would happen between Stannish and Hannah after all those initial attraction especially when he seems to have the answers to Hannah's many questions. However, I'm glad that there are two more books in the series and I hope some of the unresolved story lines in this one will be addressed. Though it ended abruptly, I have a pretty good idea of where Hannah's life would be intertwined with that of her other sisters.

All in all, 'Hannah' is a pretty good read. A very easy read too. I'd totally recommend it to younger readers.

My verdict: 4/5

Challenge: Historical de Tour Genre Reading Challenge 2011

Review: City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

Title: City of Stars (Stravaganza, #2)
Author: Mary Hoffman
Publication Year: 2003
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Links: Goodreads | Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

Georgia would love nothing more than to ride horses every day and avoid her annoying stepbrother at all costs. But she could never have guessed that a tiny, antique winged horse figurine would be the key to her escape to another world and another time. When Georgia arrives in a 16th-century city called Remora, she is plunged into a dangerous and treacherous world of horse-racing, family honour and deadly rivalry. And there, as a new Stravagante, Georgia will have a dramatic and extraordinary role to play.

My two cents: This review is certainly long overdue. In this second instalment of 'Stravaganza' series, a new city and a new Stravagante are introduced. The new Stravagante, Georgia, a girl from Lucien's past, lives with her mother, stepfather and stepbrother (who would go extra-length to annoy her) and is fond of anything horses. After saving up for and purchasing a statue of a winged-horse she spotted in an antique shop, she fell asleep holding it. Upon waking up, she found herself in a stable in Remora, Talia, the equivalent of Sienna, Italy. Divided into twelve sections, each section of the city is related to a sign of zodiac and everyone in the city was buzzing with excitement for the Stellata, a horse race similar but different to the Palio, the horse race held annually in Sienna. In the stable of Twelfth of the Ram, she saw a living winged horse, the first to be born in Remora in over a century.

Georgia was reunited with Lucien (now Luciano) and had a hard time accepting the growing relationship between Luciano and the Duchessa of Belleza as she once had a crush on him. She also met other Stravaganti including the owner of Twelfth of the Ram stable where she stravagates and she befriended crippled Falco, the youngest son of Duke Niccolo of the Di Chimici's family.

This book maintains the political intrigue surrounding the Di Chimici's family and Talia's city states (in particular, Belleza). This time, the political war between the city states is apparent in the form of the Stellata. There was much lobbying and there were some who believed that the Stellata is rigged every year so that one of the city states under the direct influence of the Di Chimici would win the race. Also, a little more is revealed about the act of stravagazing. It seems that the talisman would find its way to someone who is not happy in our world. Lucien was suffering from brain cancer and Georgia is constantly being bullied by her stepbrother. Often Stravaganti find their way to Talia in times when one of the city states of Talia needs their help.

It was a bit hard getting into the story at first since I just couldn't picture how the city is divided into twelve parts despite the wonderful description by the author. Add to it, all the rivalries and alliances among the twelve parts. Each Twelfth owes allegiance to another city states of Talia though they are located in Remora. This is quite confusing and often I lost track of who are the allies and who are the rivals of each Twelfth. But, as the story progressed, things did become clearer.

Of all the characters, including those newly introduced, I found Falco very moving. The relationship between him and his brother, Gaetano reminds me of those moving stories we often heard about siblings making sacrifices for each other. The decision taken by Falco, though, have consequences on more people than just himself and not just on the lives of those from Talia.

It is easy to see the parallel between what happened to Lucien in the first book and the adventures gone through by Georgia in this one, though their adventures are different in nature. All in all, a great sequel to its first instalment.

My verdict: 4/5

In My Mailbox #2

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren every Sunday. The aim is to share the new stuff we got for the week with other participants of the meme. Books don't have to literally come in our mailbox. The idea is just to share what's new on our book stacks.

This is how my mailbox looks like this week:

Title: Keep Me in Your Heart: Three Novels

Author: Lurlene McDaniel

Publication Year: 2010

Genre: Young Adult

Three of Lurlene McDaniel's bestselling novels in one volume. Readers will relate to the compassion and strength of the characters as they piece their lives back together after tragedy strikes.

Saving Jessica: Jessica McMillan and Jeremy Travino are a perfect couple. When they met in high school, Jessica's upbeat spirit helped Jeremy to see that there must be a reason he was spared in the car accident that killed his brother. But now Jessica has been diagnosed with kidney failure. Her only hope is a kidney transplant but no one in her family is a match. Jeremy believes that his life was spared so he could save Jessica by donating a kidney. Will Jeremy go against his parents' wishes to do what he must to save Jessica?

Telling Christina Goodbye: Trisha Thompson and her best friend, Christina, are having a great senior year. The girls love to double-date -- which would be perfect if only Trisha got along with Christina's boyfriend, Tucker. Their lives are forever changed when one night Tucker drives them all home from a basketball game. He hits black ice and the car overturns. The aftermath is devastating. Can those who are left behind learn to heal and find the courage to move on?

Letting Go of Lisa: Nathan Malone has always been home-schooled, so he hasn't spent much time with kids his own age. Then circumstances change. On the first day of senior year at a local school, he notices Lisa. Lisa is a loner, but she is attracted to Nathan. Nathan is the happiest he's ever been. But Lisa has a tragic secret and when she decides to deal with it herself, Nathan has to make a choice. Can he ever let go of Lisa?

Now three novels in an edition, isn't that just great? I'm on the second novel.

And I also got myself this:

Title: City of Flowers (Stravaganza, #3)

Author: Mary Hoffman

Publication Year: 2005

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Everything changes for Sky when he finds a perfume bottle that whisks him away to the city of Giglia, an ancient city similar to Florence. This may be the beautiful City of Flowers, but things that seem beautiful might also be deadly. As a new Stravagante - someone who can travel through time and space with the help of a talisman - Sky finds himself caught in a deadly feud between Giglia's two ruling families. Now, the Stravaganti must do all they can to avoid further bloodshed as politics, conspiracy and espionage unfold.

What have you got in your mailbox?

Teaser Tuesdays (Feb. 15)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week, my current read is 'City of Stars' by Mary Hoffman. It is the second installment of of the young adult series, Staravaganza.

Georgia is an ordinary girl, living in London with her mother, stepfather and bully of a stepbrother and coping with the difficulties of growing up. But all that changes when she buys a tiny figurine in the form of a winged horse and suddenly finds herself swept up into the world of the Stravagante. Her talisman, the figurine, transports her to Remora the Talian parallel to Siena, Italy.

My teaser: Dreaming of a city with flying horses was one thing - even if it turned out not to be a dream and the city was real. But coming face to face with someone from her own world, someone she knew to be dead - that was something else again. (pg 76)

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren every Sunday. The aim is to share the new stuff we got for the week with other participants of the meme. Books don't have to literally come in our mailbox. The idea is just to share what's new on our book stacks.

Here are what I have in my mailbox for this week.

Title: Rampant (Killer Unicorns, #1)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publication Year: 2010

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

Title: City of Stars (Stravaganza, #2)

Author: Mary Hoffman

Publication Year: 2003

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Georgia is an ordinary girl, living in London with her mother, stepfather and bully of a stepbrother and coping with the difficulties of growing up. But all that changes when she buys a tiny figurine in the form of a winged horse and suddenly finds herself swept up into the world of the Stravagante. Her talisman, the figurine, transports her to Remora the Talian parallel to Siena, Italy.

Title: The Blue Noon (Morning, Noon and Night, #2)

Author: Robert Ryan

Publication Year: 2003

Genre: Historical Fiction/WW2

East End chancer Harry Cole is consumed with a burning desire to transcend his social class and when WW2 breaks out he joins the British army in France and reinvents himself as the suave Captain Mason. He becomes involved with an attractive French nurse, who persuades him to set up and run an escape line. As the debonaire Captain Mason, he helps dozens of soldiers to safety, including one Airey Neave. But when his true identity is discovered by the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Harry is faced with his toughest moral dilemma - the acceptance he craves at the cost of betraying his comrades-in-arms. Meanwhile, back in London, Neave is furious that Harry had the gall to impersonate a British officer and sends instructions to apprehend Harry at all costs. Harry realises he is involved with forces far more ruthless and devious than he could ever have imagined.

Title: After Midnight (Morning, Noon and Night, #4)

Author: Robert Ryan

Publication Year: 2005

Genre: Historical Fiction/WW2

In 1944, a Liberator bomber pilot writes a letter to his daughter on the occasion of her first birthday, he posts it moments before embarking on a mission in Northern Italy. Tragically he never returns and neither the wreckage of his plane nor his body has ever been found. In 1964, Linda Carr resloves to find out what happened to her father on that terrible night. She employs the help of Jack Kirby, a Mosquito pilor during the war and a man with his own inner demons. What Jack and Linda discover in their journey deep into uncharted mountain regions where they attempt to piece together the fragments of their personal stories, is more dangerous and life-changing than anyone could ever have imagined.

What's in your mailbox this week?

Review: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Title: City of Masks (Stravaganza, #1)
Author: Mary Hoffman
Publication Year: 2002
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

One moment Lucien is in this world and the next he is transported to the 16th-century city of Bellezza, a world that is filled with deception, treachery and glamour. At first it feels as if only his mind is visiting Bellezza, but Lucien soon discovers that he is in fact a Stravagante - someone who, with the help of a talisman, can transport himself in time and place. Lucien may be the one person able to save Bellezza from political intrigue surrounding the city's ruler. But there is always the chance that he will get stuck on the other side of time, never able to return to his own world.

My two cents: Finally, I got to read this book! It had been on my wishlist since I first saw it. It offers a really wonderful premise - a parallel dimension of our world. The country of Talia is both like and unlike the Italy of this world and exists in a parallel world similar to a 16th-century Italy. In this alternate universe, magic as we know in our world is science and science as we know is magic.

Lucien, our protagonist lives in 21st-century London and is ill with cancer. But, one day after falling asleep hugging a new notebook given by his father, he found himself in Bellezza, a city in Talia with his illness gone. It was in Bellezza he discovered the secret of stravagazing, an act which enables certain people to travel between the two worlds. These people are called Stravaganti and Lucien is one of them.

The description of the city as well as of the Bellezzan culture are very well-detailed by the author. There are masks, mandolas (or known as gondolas in our world) and politics of the court. The similarities and differences between Bellezza and Venice are very well compared. As someone who doesn't know much about Italy and its history, I found myself drawn to the culture and the beauty of it. It kinda motivates me to read more on Italy especially on Venice, very much like how Lucien was motivated to learn as much as he could about Venice after his first visit to Bellezza.

Most of the characters are likable. The depiction of Lucien's parents as parents struggling to keep their cancerous child alive felt very realistic. Lucien's mentor and master in Bellezza, Rodolfo does not lack of depth either. However, I found it difficult to relate to the Duchessa and to understand the motives behind her sometimes ruthless action. But she is, no doubt, very clever and a great schemer and doesn't hesitate even a bit to do anything to protect the city and the people she loves.

Though the book is a part of Stravaganza series, it certainly stands on its own and the author ends Lucien's story on a beautiful note. You don't really need to read subsequent books to find out what happened to Lucien and the people he has come to love.

My only complain is there seems to be no clear explanation as to what Stravaganti do and why they do what they do except that they can travel between the worlds and they have to guard the journeys from the people with oblique motives. Maybe there is some explanation offered in subsequent books and I'll try to read them to see if there is any.

All in all, a very enjoyable read. Something light for a change after all the WW2 novels I've been reading lately. I'm certainly looking forward to reading the second book, 'City of Stars'.

My verdict: 4/5

On My Wishlist #3

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City which runs every Saturday. It's where you list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. To participate just head on to the said website.

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It's been some time since I had a wishlist. Though I still haven't got hold on the books from my previous lists, here I am with a few more books. I seriously can't help keeping my wishlist from growing. And this time, I'm in a historical fiction mood.

"Dying Day" by Robert Ryan Ever since I finished reading 'The Last Sunrise', I can't help thinking about this book. I've looked everywhere for this. Even BookDepository does not have it in ready stock. Wonder where can I look next. Hmm...

Description: Laura is determined to track down her missing sister, but is in danger of getting caught up in a country on the brink of the Cold War.

She is waiting on a street corner in Piccadilly, London, with a Colt .32 in her handbag. Laura McGill is desperate to find out what happened to her sister Diana. Both were Special Operation Executive (SOE) spies during World War Two. One night in 1944, Diana was flown into occupied France but never returned. Could she still be alive?

James Hadley Webb, the man who sent Diana on her final mission, is now a spy in Berlin. Despite attempts to stop her, Laura travels to Germany to confront him and soon becomes caught in the crossfire of a bloody turf war fought between the East and the West for control of the city.

"By Fire, By Water" by Mitchell James Kaplan I have to admit, Spanish Inquisition is not really something I know by heart. In fact, my knowledge on the subject is very limited. A friend suggested this book a few days ago...and from the reviews, it does sound good. Time to delve into another one of most talked about historical periods.

Description: Luis de Santángel, chancellor to the court and longtime friend of the lusty King Ferdinand, has had enough of the Spanish Inquisition. As the power of Inquisitor General Tomás de Torquemada grows, so does the brutality of the Spanish church and the suspicion and paranoia it inspires. When a dear friend’s demise brings the violence close to home, Santángel is enraged and takes retribution into his own hands. But he is from a family of conversos, and his Jewish heritage makes him an easy target. As Santángel witnesses the horrific persecution of his loved ones, he begins slowly to reconnect with the Jewish faith his family left behind. Feeding his curiosity about his past is his growing love for Judith Migdal, a clever and beautiful Jewish woman navigating the mounting tensions in Granada. While he struggles to decide what his reputation is worth and what he can sacrifice, one man offers him a chance he thought he’d lost…the chance to hope for a better world. Christopher Columbus has plans to discover a route to paradise, and only Luis de Santángel can help him.

"Revolution" by Jennifer Donnelly I never intended to read this book. But that was before I knew what it actually is about. The premise sounds promising. And the reviews are good.

Description: Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Wednesday's Round-Up (Jan. 19)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme spotlights upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for WOW this week is a Young Adult fiction, 'Waterfall' by Lisa T. Bergren. It's the first novel in the River of Time series and set to be released on February 01, 2011.

Description: Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one. Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

My notes: I'm a sucker for both young adult fiction and historical fiction. There's little that could make me more happier as a reader than both genres combined. I hope this turns out to be good and live up to my expectations.

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WWW Wednesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading? I'm reading 'Here Lies Arthur' by Philip Reeve. It's a retelling of Arthurian legend as we know it but from a view point of a young servant girl, Gwyna. I'm currently halfway to finishing the book and I'm hoping to finish it by the end of this week.

What did you recently finish reading? I've just finished reading 'After the Break' by Penny Smith. Not the best novel ever written, but it wasn't the worst either. An 'okay' one.

What do you think you'll read? Hmm, I think I'll try to read 'The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls' by LJ Smith. I've had the book since forever but I'm yet to start reading it.

Teaser Tuesdays (Jan. 18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week, my read is 'Here Lies Arthur' by Philip Reeve.

Arthur fights giants, rescues maidens and tricks the Devil with his words - or so they say. Gwyna is overwhelmed. She's only a slave-girl and he's a king. Soon Arthur's magician, Myrddin, will show her the real secret behind Arthur's power...

My teaser: Myrddin was right. People see what they expect to see, and believe what you tell them to believe. (pg 43)

On My Wishlist #2

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City which runs every Saturday. It's where you list all the books you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. To participate just head on to the said website.

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I don't think I should have a wishlist when I still have 9 books left to finish. I've been reading between these books back and forth and haven't managed to finish any. But here I am, wishing for more. Here are this week's picks.

"City of Masks (Stravaganza, #1)" by Mary Hoffman At first, I thought this was one of the books in the Mortal Instruments series (haven't read any of the books from the series, I'm quite clueless) but the synopsis at the back reveals that this is another series altogether.

Description: Set in Talia, a parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, the narrative follows Lucien, who in our world is very ill. Given a marbled notebook to use as a diary, the notebook is the unexpected means that transports Lucien to this dangerous new world; a world that thrills to the delight of political intrigue and where a life can be snuffed out with a flash of a merlino blade. The city of Bellezza (Venice in our world) is astonishingly evoked, with a filmic eye to detail, from the sensuousness of silks and velvets, to the thrill and danger of assassination attempts both and foiled and successful.

"Poison Study (Study Series, #1)" by Maria V. Snyder I came across this book a few days ago while browsing BookXcess. But, since I already picked up four other titles, I decided it could wait and now I'm dying to get my hands on it.

Description: About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace - and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust - and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear.

Review: Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles #2)
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publication Year: 2010
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal

It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living, and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is a sweet as the revenge she seeks.

My two cents: This second instalment in the Drake Chronicles is told from Logan’s and Isabeau’s perspectives. Isabeau first appeared at the Royal Court at the end of the first book and helped save Solange but she was not then named. Isabeau is a Hound princess and was sent to the Royal Court for negotiations between the two tribes. But, there was something else. A prophecy also told her that she would find her mate at the Royal Court.

I’m really glad to get the insight of Logan’s funny mind. And I can totally see why Isabeau thought the Drakes family is weird…for vampires. To be honest, when the first book ended, I was hoping for more Nicholas and Lucy. This book gives me that. Nicholas and Lucy are ever present as well as Kieran who is now dating Solange. Seeing from the perspectives of our two narrators, it is easy to appreciate the humors and ironies in their relationships.

The book maintains the antagonist from the first book, Montmartre as well as introduces to us another antagonist, Greyhaven, Montmartre’s second in command who was responsible for turning Isabeau and who was planning a coup against Montmartre. But, I can gladly say that by the end of the book, all conflicts are resolved including the one between Logan and Isabeau. This book also functions to change the Drakes’ and Lucy’s view (also mine) on the Hounds, a tribe which was said to be ruthless and savage in the first book. Love is indeed the best revenge

All in all, Blood Feud was an easy and enjoyable read. Unlike when I first started reading the first book, I no longer had confusion over the characters and also the various vampire tribes featured. I finished this one in less than two days (and hey, that’s achievement enough for me). If you’ve read the first book, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss this one.

My verdict: 4/5

Review: My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: My Love Lies Bleeding (Drake Chronicles #1)
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publication Year: 2010
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal

Solange has always known she is a vampire. And as the only female vampire ever born, not initiated, she is surrounded by danger on all sides – from other vampire tribes who want to take her blood into their lineage, and from the bounty hunter who are set on destroying her and her family. When she is kidnapped, it’s up to her elder brother, Nicholas, and her best friend, Lucy, save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with every look – what will be her own fate if she surrenders her heart to a vampire?

My two cents: In all honesty, I had no intention to read this series. But as I was browsing through the bookstore, I came across this first book and it was on such a good bargain. And I thought I should give it a try.

The story is nothing new. In a way, it reminds me of Vampire Academy. The Drakes are one of the royal families though have since been exiled from the Royal Court. And I can’t help but see Lucy as Rose and Solange as Lissa…except that Lucy is really human and Solange can really kick some asses. But the way the story was written kept me interested. It has humors as well as action and romance. I really liked the way the tension between Nicholas and Lucy was presented. And I could straightaway guess that Solange and Kieran would be something something by the end of this book from the moment Kieran was introduced. Then, there is the whole drama involving the vampires’ Royal Court and Queen. I have to say that Solange’s seven brothers really help to keep the mood light…especially Nicholas and Logan.

I’m glad that it was told from the perspective of two people instead of one. This way, it prevented the book from becoming one dimensional and offered more insides of what the characters felt and saw. I would have liked it more if it was longer. But in a way, the author managed to not waste time going round background stories which might be or might not be boring. The author jumped straight into the issues at heart and it helped me not to lose focus. I think it’s because of this that I managed to finish this book in less than two days (I’m usually a slow reader…a very slow one). All in all, a good read if you’re looking for something to help you laugh and at the same time keep your heart beating fast.

My verdict: 4/5

Teaser Tuesdays (Dec. 21)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted at Should Be Reading.

The objective is to open to a random page of your current reading and post two teaser sentences from anywhere on that page.

This week, my read is 'Last Sacrifice' by Richelle Mead. It is the 6th book in the Vampire Academy series.

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch.

My teaser: Dimitri didnʹt acknowledge my comment. Instead, he grew pensive again. I could see turmoil behind his eyes, some inner war. (pg 165)