#Review - The Gauntlet by Megan Shepherd #YA #SyFy

Series: The Cage # 3
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: May 23, 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in the final novel in the gripping and romantic Cage series, about teens abducted from Earth by an otherworldly race.

Cora and her friends have escaped the Kindred station and landed at Armstrong—a supposed safe haven on a small moon—where they plan to regroup and figure out how to win the Gauntlet, the challenging competition to prove humanity’s intelligence and set them free. But Armstrong is no paradise; ruled by a power-hungry sheriff, it’s a violent world where the teens are enslaved and put to work in mines. As Nok’s due date grows closer, and Mali and Leon journey across space to rescue Cassian, the former inhabitants of the cage are up against impossible odds.

With the whole universe at stake, Cora will do whatever it takes, including pushing her body and mind to the breaking point, to escape Armstrong and run the Gauntlet. But it isn’t just a deranged sheriff she has to overcome: the other intelligent species—the Axion, Kindred, Gatherers, and Mosca—all have their own reasons to stop her. Not knowing who to trust, Cora must rely on her own instincts to win the competition, which could change the world—though it might destroy her in the process.

 

 “The wolves are strong. But the rabbits are clever.”

 

The Gauntlet is the third and final installment in author Megan Shepherd's The Cage trilogy. In this final book in the Cage series, Cora must do whatever she can to run the Gauntlet, and prove humanity’s intelligence. Otherwise, it is likely that Cora will never see Earth again. The Gauntlet is full of dramatic twists and turns sure to shock readers and keep them on the edges of their seats until the action-packed final scenes. With the whole series now available with the publication of The Gauntlet, these are perfect books for a summer binge-read. 

The Gauntlet picks up just after the end of The Hunt, with Cora and Co. on Armstrong Preserve, a planet they've been led to believe will be their safe haven. Humans are sent here when they turn 19. What they find is a dangerous place ruled by a power-hungry sheriff named Ellis who wears a metal badge on her face. She decides who is a slave, and who will be one of her Deputy's. Slaves find themselves put to work in root mines. They quickly learn all is not as they've been promised, however, and the action begins again almost immediately. 

The original crew finds itself split into three different groups all working towards a common goal - save the humans and win their spot among intelligent species. In this universe, there are for intelligent species: Mosca oversea trade and business; Gatherers handle spirited matters; Kindred are the peacekeepers, police, army and judiciary; and Axion in charge of technology and are the original intelligent species. They also consume humans to give them power. Other species failed the Gauntlet and have all but disappeared.

Unfortunately for Cora, she only has 40 days to escape Armstrong and make her way to where the Gauntlet is being held. As Nok’s due date grows closer, and Mali and Leon journey across space to rescue Cassian, the former inhabitants of the cage are up against impossible odds when the planet is invaded by Axion's. Cora must push her body and mind to the breaking point, to escape Armstrong and run the Gauntlet. But it isn’t just a deranged sheriff she has to overcome: the other intelligent species—the Axion, Kindred, Gatherers, and Mosca—all have their own reasons to stop her. 

One of those who failed, Willa, is an intelligent primate who becomes an part of Cora's crew and offers some hints to how Cora can survive the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is a series of 12 puzzles that must be solved to prove humanities intelligence or humanity will be written off.  Cora has discovered her powers—extrasensory telekinetic ability the Kindred don’t believe humans can achieve—and now she has to prove she knows how to use them. If Cora succeeds, an evolutionary jump will boost humans' natural abilities and help them overthrew the powerful species that is hunting them. 

If she fails, she'll die, and so will all of the other humans, and the Kindred too. It's do or die, and it all comes down to the Gauntlet. In terms of the romance, there are three solid romances. Rolf and Nok are a solid couple, and despite their current circumstances. Leon and Mali are adorable together - they're both combative, which is funny to watch. Cassian and Cora are a pair who have had their ups and downs, and ends up on a good point.  

There are some pretty plot twists in this book which really confused me. I shall not spoil it. I shall just say that be the end of this book, I was glad it was finished. 

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#Review - Midnight Beauties by Megan Shepherd #YALIT #Fantasy

Series: Grim Lovelies# 2
Format: E-Galley, 448 pages
Release Date: August 13, 2019
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

The witches, beasties, goblins, and Royals return in this spellbinding conclusion to New York Times best-selling author Megan Shepherd’s Grim Lovelies duology.

Ever since she discovered her affinity for magic, seventeen-year-old Anouk has been desperate to become a witch. It’s the only way to save her friends who, like Anouk, are beasties: animals enchanted into humans. But unlike Anouk, the other beasties didn’t make it out of the battle at Montélimar in one piece.

With her friends now trapped in their animal forms, Anouk is forced into a sinister deal involving a political marriage with her sworn enemy, a wicked plot to overthrow London’s fiercest coven of witches, and a deadly trial of fire to become a witch. The price for power has always been steep in the world of the Haute. Now, it will cost Anouk everything.

Wicked and delightful, this spellbinding sequel and conclusion to Grim Lovelies is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazelwood Wood.

 

 

Megan Shepherd's Midnight Beauties is the final installment in the authors Grim Lovelies duology. 6 weeks have passed since Anouk learned she has access to magic. Pretty surprising from what she came from. She fought and survived the siege of Montélimar, while her friends (Beau, Cricket, Luc, Hunter Black) have all reverted back to their original forms before they were human. Now, Anouk has to find a way to become a witch so that she has the power to bring her family back.

Anouk is approached by Crown Prince Rennar of the Shadow Royals with a deal that she cannot refuse. Unfortunately, it results in her agreeing to a political marriage that will see her go from a beastie, to a maid, to a witch, and end up as a Princess. If that wasn't enough to tempt you, the Royals of London have disappeared, the Coven of Oxford have not only unleashed magic on the city, but technology is fighting against magic which isn't supposed to mix. But, before Anouk can save the world, she needs to survive the Cottage.

Anouk is joined at the Cottage/The Schwarewald by Petra, who wasn't exactly an ally the last time they met. Anouk isn't exactly welcomed with open arms by the man in charge, Duke Karolinge, who tells Anouk that the school is a graveyard for the soon to be departed. In fact, the woods are filled with the dead who never made it to the front doors. In order to become a witch, one has to find their own cruxes, while also surviving a final walk through fire which not many girls have survived in recent years.

With Anouk's marriage to Rennar, her friends are returned to their human form, and the Shadow Royals have to put their hatred of each other behind so that they can work together to defeat the chaos that is tearing London to pieces. The beasties pretty much have carte blanche in the ability to kill witches without any sort of penalties. Truth be told, the time Anouk spends at the school isn't all that long. The fight and battle for London was absolutely the best part of the book and readers will be in agreement that Anouk is definitely a star who has done some amazing things over the course of this series.

Midnight Beauties is a high-stake, action packed thrill ride with a bit of romance thrown in to keep even the most harden critics happy. I do, actually, believe there is more to tell in this world. There are characters who have found themselves in interesting situations, and there is a war on the horizon that Anouk and her family can join in, or walk away and let the chips fall where they might. Plus, the fact that she is a force to be reckoned with, makes for some interesting new storylines.

Chapter 1
There was blood everywhere, even in her hair.
Anouk tripped through fallen leaves in gold-studded Goblin boots two sizes too small, the laces undone, the novelty tread leaving bloodstained prints in the smeared shape of hearts. Her leather shorts were ripped. Her velvet jacket was punctured once in the sleeve and twice near her ribs. Blood oozed down her side.
The birds were right behind her.
One crow swept down from a lamppost in a flurry of black wings, going for her ear. Its beak sliced her cheek. She swatted at it, but its talons snagged in her hair or, rather, in the blue wig she wore. The wig slid forward over her eyes, blinding her. She pulled it off and threw it—?tangled crow and all—?into a sewer grate and raced ahead.
Toward 18 Rue des Amants.
The former residence of a witch, the townhouse was now hers. Her home. Her haven. Or, since Prince Rennar had set his winged spies on her, more like her prison. Her hair had become a sweaty mess beneath the wig, clinging to her neck and face. Another crow launched itself at her back. Talons ripped at her clothes. She grabbed the railing to the stairs. Just a few more steps. The Goblins were inside, faces pressed against the townhouse windows, motioning for her to hurry.
A crow landed on her shoulder, its talons piercing through the velvet jacket. Pain exploded in her arm. She faltered on the steps. She would have used a spell against it, except that her bag of ingredients was the first thing the crows had gone for, knowing that without it, she was no more powerful than the Pretty tourists strolling down the street, magically oblivious to Anouk’s distress.
Gasping, she grabbed the crow by its wing and yanked with all her strength.
“Let go!”
She hurled the crow against the steps and, before it could take wing again, yanked open the townhouse’s front door, threw herself inside, and slammed it closed behind her.
She collapsed against the door, breathing hard.
The townhouse was protected with a spell so ancient that it hadn’t been broken at Mada Vittora’s death, unlike most of her other enchantments. It was the only thing keeping Rennar and his crows out, which unfortunately meant that to be safe, Anouk had to stay in. Over the past six weeks, she and Viggo and the two dozen Goblins who had survived the siege of Montélimar might as well have been prisoners. The first time she’d tried to leave was two days after the siege; she’d needed baguettes to feed the hungry Goblins. The crows had been waiting in the trees. They attacked her as soon as she crossed the first step. She’d barely made it back inside in one piece.
The second time she’d tried to leave, she waited until night fell, when it was foggy and hard to see more than three feet on either side. That time she made it ten steps before they spotted her. They would have dug in their talons and dragged her all the way to Castle Ides if Viggo hadn’t hurled an empty gin bottle at them and pulled Anouk back inside.
The third time, she’d brought knives. Many, many knives, hidden in pockets and strapped to her belt. But the crows were fast enough to dodge them, their own talons just as sharp.
Today, she’d thought she stood a chance, that the Goblin disguise—?the blue wig, the punk boots, and the velvet jacket—?would be enough to conceal her identity from the birds. They were merely Rennar’s pawns, after all, just dull-witted spies.
But they’d still known.
She’d made it only five steps.
The sound of a tap-tap-tap came from the foyer. She opened her eyes. Viggo stood in the hallway. He leaned heavily on a cane. His face was pale. It was a wonder he’d survived at all after losing six pints of blood, but he was tougher than his black eyeliner and slouchy hat made him look. He’d nearly recovered in the six weeks since the siege.
“I take it the disguise didn’t fool them,” he said.
She slid him a frigid glare.
Blood rolled down her fishnet tights, over her studded boots, and onto the floor. Her tawny hair was knotted. A few blue strands from the ripped wig still clung to the buttons of her jacket. The wounds in her side throbbed. She straightened and took a lurching step forward. Her legs gave out and she started to collapse, but Viggo dropped his cane and grabbed her around the waist.
“Help me to the kitchen,” she said, grimacing.
Together they hobbled through the townhouse’s grand hallways. They passed the library and the salon, which were littered with signs of her guests—?spilled tea, threadbare hats. Goblins peered at her through doorways, their stomachs audibly growling, their faces full of false smiles as they tried to hide their disappointment that she’d failed once again. She narrowly avoided tripping over a butterfly net as Viggo helped her into the kitchen, where she’d spent so many early mornings baking bread and so many late nights scrubbing dishes. She grabbed a dish towel, turned on the hot water, and plunged her hands into the sink. Steam rose around her. She scrubbed the blood and feathers from her arms, revealing fresh wounds and old wounds—?now crude scars—?from her previous attempts to leave the townhouse.
“Shall I bandage those for you?” Viggo asked, pulling out a roll of gauze from a drawer.
“No, I’ll take care of it myself. Just hand me that mint.”
He held out the potted mint plant and she crushed a few leaves between her fingers, then swallowed them whole. She ripped off a strand of fake blue hair that was caught in her buttons, laid it over the wound on her left arm, and whispered, “Attash betit truk.”
Warm magic prickled over her skin in a way that was half pleasant, half unbearably itchy. The sides of the cut started to pull together as the strand of blue hair plunged in and out of her skin, stitching the wound closed. Attash betit truk was a spell for fixing loose buttons, not mending flesh, but true healing spells required stronger magic than Anouk was capable of. When she finished, the wound was ugly but it had stopped bleeding. She peeled off her shirt and performed the same spell with the puncture wound on her shoulder. Viggo hobbled upstairs and came back with one of Mada Vittora’s robes. It was made of charmeuse silk and worth a small fortune. But what use did a dead witch have for couture?
Anouk pulled on the robe.
She boiled water for a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Not that it would help. Her hands kept shaking. Her stomach growled. She caught her reflection in the curved copper kettle. Goodness, she looked a fright. December had painted full Goblin makeup on her: glittering gold eyeliner, pale pink hearts on her cheeks, black lipstick. Now the blush was smeared and there was glitter everywhere. She scrubbed her face in the sink, then pulled her tangled hair into a ponytail, and she felt a little more like herself.
Viggo stood awkwardly at her side. “We’ll try again tomorrow. It’s supposed to storm. If it rains hard enough, maybe the birds won’t come.”
“Rain’s never kept them away before.” She leaned on the counter and closed her eyes. It had been six weeks of trying to divide every last morsel of stale bread twenty-five ways. Six weeks of living with Goblins who blared The Clash at full volume at first light of dawn. Six weeks of hunger. Six weeks of crows.
Six weeks of a dog by her side instead of Beau.
There had been five of them—?five beasties. An owl, a dog, a cat, a mouse, and a wolf, all of whom had been enchanted into people with their own quirks: Anouk, Beau, Cricket, Luc, and Hunter Black. Now only Anouk remained human. The others were cursed to live in their animal forms, and all of them except for Beau were imprisoned in Castle Ides.
She’d tried everything to help them. After the siege of Montélimar, she decided to go to the academy in the Black Forest of Bavaria known as the Cottage where a girl could train in magic and, if she worked hard, possibly transform herself into a witch. She’d be powerful enough to turn Beau and Cricket and Luc and Hunter Black—?assuming he was even still alive—?human again. Even Prince Rennar would have no choice but to bow before her.
She’d studied maps of Bavaria. She’d learned a smattering of German. She’d squirreled away valuables to trade for money to buy passage. But her weeks of preparation meant nothing if she couldn’t get past the front steps.
She sank onto a wooden stool and buried her head in her hands. A cloud of dust rose around her. The kitchen, like everything else, was a disaster. Crumbs everywhere, pantry shelves bare, dirty dishes stacked in moldering piles, blue eye shadow streaked on the stove. (She hadn’t bothered to ask about that one.) She felt like the only adult in a houseful of children, never mind that she’d been human for only one year and the Goblins had lived centuries. It was no longer her job to clean, and yet she often found herself with a rag in her hand, brushing crumbs into the wastebasket. Frustrating as the Goblins could be, they had no other place to go. They’d been lucky to make it back to the townhouse at all. Not everyone had. The memory of Tenpenny transformed into stone, then exploded into dust, flashed darkly in her mind.
She heard a clicking on the tile, and then a wet snout pushed into her knee. She blinked at the big brown eyes studying her. The dog had tracked in mud and left dirty paw prints all over the kitchen floor. She sighed as she scratched him behind his ears. “You know, Little Beau, when you were a boy, you were much tidier. Well, not really, but let’s pretend.”
When Beau was human, his eyes had been blue. There was nothing of the dog to make her think of her friend, except perhaps the way he cocked his head as though he were trying to figure out her thoughts. What would he see now tumbling around in her brain?
The dog licked her nose.
She sighed and looked at Viggo. “We can’t go on like this, Viggo. Look at Beau! And Cricket and Luc and . . . and Hunter Black. They’re depending on me.” Viggo’s face paled at the mention of Hunter Black. Last they had seen of him, he’d been in wolf form, bleeding out and left for dead. Anouk looked toward the bare pantry. “Not to mention we’re going to starve if we stay here.”
Viggo gazed into the pantry wistfully. “I tried ordering a pizza. It never came. Rennar must have even gotten to the delivery boys.”
An odd-sounding thump suddenly came from the front door, startling Anouk. It was heavier than the usual crisp tap of the knocker. Little Beau growled and ran out of the kitchen, barking.
December, the closest thing the Goblins had to a leader since Tenpenny had died, called from the foyer, “Um, Anouk? You might want to see this.”
Viggo shifted his cane to his other hand. “Are we expecting visitors?”
“Of course not.” Anouk wiped at a smear of blood on the robe’s sash. “Everyone we know is either captured or dead.”
The dog barked louder. Viggo and Anouk exchanged a look, then Anouk pushed up from the stool and cautiously entered the foyer. A dozen Goblins were at the front window, faces pressed to the glass. The house seemed suddenly very quiet, and Anouk realized that whatever was happening outside was serious enough that the Goblins had shut off the music. And they never turned off The Clash.
December turned away from the window and bit her blue-tinted lips in worry. Anouk’s pulse raced. She swallowed her own trepidation and approached the door. The cane stopped thumping as Viggo reached the foyer and joined her.
Anouk pressed her eye to the peephole.
Behind her, Viggo said, “I’m guessing it isn’t the pizza.”

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#Review - Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Grim Lovelies # 1
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is the glittering first book in a new, epic YA fantasy series. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.

 

Grim Lovelies is the first installment in author Megan Shepherd's Grim Lovelies series. Set in the glittering streets of Paris, Grim Lovelies takes the stories of childhood fairy tales to dark and dazzling lengths, where four enchanted creatures must risk love, magic, and betrayal to stay human before the clock strikes twelve. 17-year old Anouk has longed to leave the house and enter the world of the Pretties (regular humans). But, Anouk isn't a human. 

She's a beastie, an animal enchanted (whispered into being) by a powerful witch known as Mada Vittora. Anouk has lived as a maid, cook, and anything else the witch can come up with since her creation. Anouk isn’t alone. She has four Beastie siblings: Cricket, Beau, Luc and Hunter Black. Each of the beasties are bound to the witch for as long as she holds their pelts. One puzzling mystery starts off right out of the box. Where is Luc? 

Luc has been missing without a trace for over a week. Where did Luc go? Then things get worse when the witch is murdered, and the Beasties learn they only have three days to find a witch who can make the spell permanent. If they fail, they will revert back to an owl, a mouse, a cat, a wolf and a dog. The clock is ticking, will the Beasties save themselves in time? Anouk has to work with others, including a suspicious witch, her familiar, and a mystery noble who seems to have an agenda of his own. 

I think that Anouk as the main protagonist was a fantastic choice. She goes from a very sheltered, never been outside of the house shutter-in, to someone who gains courage, and other surprises along the way. I loved the dysfunctional family squad dynamics. Yes, we all have similar brothers and sisters who drive us crazy, but when the chips are down, they are more likely to be standing next to you, helping you, encouraging you.

I liked the way the author puts readers into the story with descriptions of Paris, which, yes, I have visited and loved! Especially the pastries! I liked her connection to Beau as well, but Beau also drove me nuts with his over protectiveness. Let's be fair. Each of the beasties has their own unique characteristics as well as backgrounds. You have no clue which character is what beastie until well into the story. And, to top things off, the surprise of all is what Anouk is. The ending is really the best surprise of the book. Let's hope the sequel excels to top this story.

Chapter 1
From the front-turret window of Mada Vittora’s Paris townhouse, Anouk couldn’t see the fountain at the far end of Rue des Amants. She could see, however, the hopeful souls who made their way down the sidewalk, tourists and Parisians alike, some with their noses in guidebooks and others who knew the route by heart, in search of the granted wishes that, according to an obscure fifteenth-century legend (and more recently made famous in a movie from the summer before), they’d receive in exchange for touching a lucky part of the fountain. What lucky part, Anouk wasn’t sure. No one would tell her exactly what it was a statue of. No books in the house made reference to the legend, and Mada Vittora wouldn’t allow a computer or television inside. Perhaps the fountain was a statue of a bubbling mermaid, or a prancing horse or a little peeing boy; maybe wishers were supposed to touch a special hoof or rub a lucky fin or a lucky . . . boy part. Anouk could hardly go outside and look for herself. Mada Vittora strictly forbade her to leave. Her whole life—?twelve months and eight days, though she looked closer to seventeen years old—?she’d never set as much as her big toe beyond the front door.
A couple made their way down the sidewalk opposite the townhouse, and Anouk settled into the window seat, cradling her chin in her hands, and watched. Tourists, doubtless. Americans. Their too-white sneakers gave them away. They were holding hands, which made Anouk smile, but their faces were anxious. It was a look she saw too often. Wishers focused on the one thing they wanted so badly that they took this detour into the outskirts of the Sixteenth Arrondissement, to an area of Paris that had no other draw, no famous patisseries or cafés or landmarks except for the obscure fountain, in hopes that by some chance, the legend was real.
Anouk knew the fountain’s magic was only a story, but sometimes, secretly, she wasn’t so certain. It was the wishers’ faces. Always strained on the way to the fountain but lighter on the return, as though the simple act of wishing had given them part of what they so desperately needed. She’d seen Mada Vittora create incredible things, floating cakes and poison earrings and mirrors that showed far-off places, but she’d never once conjured a look of joy on anyone’s face.
She watched the Americans disappear beyond the window, pressing against the glass until she couldn’t see them anymore, and then she sighed. A Greek god? Yes, maybe the statue was of a Greek god. Now the view beyond the turret window was the same as always: The row of matching townhouses across the street. The line of parked cars, most of them black and expensive. The sad little tree in the front garden that no one ever remembered to water.
A sleek car slid into the empty space in front of the townhouse, and Anouk sat up. Mada Vittora was back. Anouk quickly checked her hair, her nails, the floors for any rogue specks of dust she might have missed. The driver’s-side door opened and Beau appeared, tall and good-looking, in his black suit with his chauffeur’s hat shading his eyes, and strode around to the back. He paused to stifle a yawn before opening the rear door.
Mada Vittora climbed out, glaring up at the sun through thick sunglasses. She wore the fox-fur coat that had been delivered last week from Galeries Lafayette. As soon as it came, she’d ripped open the package and clapped her hands together and told Anouk that she simply must try it on, just for fun, and they had giggled together as she had curled Anouk’s hair and rubbed blush into her cheeks and paraded her around the house in tottering high heels and the coat.
My pretty girl, Mada Vittora had said, looking over Anouk’s shoulder in the mirror. My pretty little beastie.
Anouk jumped up to open the front door. Two more figures slid out of the car’s back seat, catching her eye, and her good mood soured. Both of them were tall, one with hair the color of sunlight that matched his mother’s, the other with hair a dirty shade of charcoal. What were Viggo and Hunter Black doing in the city? Mada Vittora had sent them to handle business in London just last Tuesday. Surely they hadn’t arranged everything so soon.
Anouk stepped back silently as Mada Vittora swept up the front steps.
“We’re going to have company, my sweet.” Mada Vittora ran her nails down Anouk’s cheek as she breezed into the foyer, tossing her coat on the entry table. The fox fur smelled of leather and perfume. Anouk smoothed its wrinkles and hung it in the hall closet. “Tomorrow night. A dinner party, and dancing too. You’ll have to air out the ballroom. It still smells of sulfur.”
“Who’s coming?”
“The Royals.”
A secretive smile played at the witch’s lips, and no wonder. The Shadow Royals were the elite rulers of the magical realm that, within French borders, was called the Haute—?and they had never dined at the Rue des Amants townhouse. It had only ever hosted the occasional Goblin tea party, the guests with their dusty top hats and garish makeup, even on the men. (Especially on the men.) Goblins might look perfectly human, save the almost imperceptible point of their ears, but they were just as likely to gnaw on the table as on Anouk’s fruit tarts.
She’d need to order better wine.
“How many?” she asked.
“Six all together,” Mada Vittora said, unpinning her hat. “Now, be a dear and fetch us some tea and a drop of whiskey for Hunter Black—poor thing, he’s had a devil of a day. We’ll take it in the salon. And here. Put this away. Carefully.”
She handed Anouk her bag, parting with it as though lending a treasured book. Today it was a black Hermès purse, ostrich leather soft as a newborn’s skin, gleaming gold hardware. Yesterday the same bag had been a crystal-studded clutch. The day before that, a crocodile Gadino. The witch’s oubliette: Mercurial and magically vast, it held the deepest of secrets.
Viggo strode into the hall next, tossing his hat to Anouk without a glance, but Hunter Black paused long enough to look her up and down with those dark eyes that always made her anxious.
“You’ve never worn that necklace before,” he said.
Anouk’s hand flew to her throat, to the small token tucked just beneath the collar of her dress. Leave it to Hunter Black to spot the peek of gold that no one else had. Guiltily, she fished out the charm and worried it between her fingers: an old franc coin, worthless now, with a hole punched in it. She’d strung it on a chain.
“It’s . . . it’s from Luc,” she stammered. “I mean, I found it in his room. He wouldn’t mind me taking it.”
And he wouldn’t. She knew that if Luc had been there and seen her show even the slightest interest in it, he would have tossed it to her with a wink. She’d found it that morning, caught in the crack between two floorboards when she’d gone to his attic to fetch a vial of vervain. His rooms had felt suspended in time without him. The lingering smell of summer on his garden shears, the still-rumpled sheets on his bed, the desiccated herbs tied up in the rafters, English thyme and rosemary and rue, awaiting his hand at the mortar and pestle. It had been a week since he’d disappeared.
She toyed with the franc coin, working her worries into the etchings. It still smelled of thyme; of him.
Hunter Black’s gaze went to Mada Vittora in the hall.
“She wouldn’t mind either,” Anouk said quickly. She tucked the necklace back under her dress collar and cleared her throat. “I’ll hang up your coat, if you like.” She set down the oubliette and held out her hands.
Hunter Black gave a gruff sort of cough and sauntered off behind Viggo. She let her waiting hands drop. That had gotten rid of him, at least. It could be ninety degrees outside, and still he wouldn’t remove the coat unless someone forced it off him at knifepoint. The three of them disappeared into the salon, discussing business and gossiping and speculating over tomorrow’s party. She brought them drinks and listened to their glasses clinking as she returned to the foyer.
“Hello, cabbage.”
Wet lips brushed Anouk’s cheek, and she jumped. She whirled on Beau. The driver’s hat was askew on his head, a boyish grin on his face. She smacked him on the arm and then made a show of smearing away his kiss with the back of her hand.
“You’re awful, Beau.” She picked up the oubliette and turned to the closet. Carefully, reverently, she stepped onto the stool, stowed the oubliette on the top shelf, and then climbed down and dusted off her hands. She lowered her voice. “What are they doing here?” She jerked her chin in Hunter Black and Viggo’s direction.
Beau let out a long sigh as he tugged off his driving gloves. “Things went sour in London, I take it. The Trafalgar Witch didn’t want to agree to the new terms. Sent them packing as soon as they arrived. Viggo’s in a mood.”
“Viggo’s always in a mood.”
“Mada Vittora said something in the car about more pressing matters here. I don’t think she was referring to just the dinner party.”
“Great,” Anouk muttered. “The last time we had pressing matters, more than one body was found in the Seine. At least Hunter Black wears dark clothes. Viggo’s shirts are impossible. Don’t they understand how hard it is to get blood out of white linen?”
“Laundry might not be the first thing on his mind, cabbage.” He tweaked the strap of her apron with his thumb, using the silly little nickname that always drove her mad. “But maybe it should be on yours.”
She looked down to find streaks of dust across the apron’s front. “Impossible—?this is a fresh apron!” She wiped at the stain uselessly while Beau chuckled. Dust, dirt, crumbs . . . it was her job to clean the house from top to bottom, but even for a maid, she managed to collect a shocking amount of grime in the shortest span of time. She untied the apron’s bow at the back of her waist, fighting with the ruffles and ribbons. She pulled the apron over her head and balled it up against her plain gray dress.
“What about Luc? Did they say anything about him in the car?”
Beau’s expression darkened. He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“It’s been a full week. People don’t just vanish.”
Beau clutched his gloves in one hand and rested the other on her shoulder. “Let me worry about him, okay? I’ll figure it out.”
Anouk’s fingers twisted in the apron’s straps. Movement outside the window caught her eye. Another couple strolling down the lane, arm in arm. Parisians, by the look of them. Her hand went to the franc coin at her collar.
“I’d throw a coin in the fountain if I could. Wish him back.”
Beau kneaded her shoulder. “You know wishes made in the fountain won’t come true,” he said softly. “It isn’t real magic, not like Mada Vittora’s. It’s just a silly thing they believe in the Pretty World. Daydreams and fantasies to keep themselves entertained.”
Anouk didn’t answer, sliding the smooth franc between her fingers. Outside, the sad wilted tree dropped a leaf. The rosebushes along the street were dying too, without Luc there to care for them. From some upper room, the smell of English thyme drifted down.
“Anouk.”
Hunter Black had returned to the hallway, his dark hair falling in his eyes. He didn’t bother to brush it away. He never did. “Mada Vittora wants a word.”
Beau’s hand fell off her shoulder. His look said he wouldn’t want to be her. “I’ll see you after dinner. I’ve got to wash the car anyway.”
“Give the tree some water while you’re out there? And the roses?”
“Sure.”
Hunter Black inclined his head ever so slightly toward the salon, where Mada Vittora waited, but then he cleared his throat and motioned to her dress. He knew as well as she did that the Mada insisted Anouk always be in full uniform with one of the ruffled aprons. Hair pulled back in a matching ribbon too. Anouk stuffed the soiled apron in the hall closet and went to the kitchen for a fresh one. She looped it around her neck and started to pull her hair back in a black ribbon as she followed Hunter Black to the salon. Mada Vittora’s husky laugh mixed with the notes of clinking ice.
“. . . business, I suppose. They’ll want to discuss new territory lines, and I’ll be damned if I let that decrepit Lavender Witch gain any toeholds in Paris. This city is mine.”
“I assume the lord and lady are coming to dinner, and that girl, the one who plays at being a countess. Who’s the fourth?” Viggo’s voice lowered. “Prince Rennar?”
A shiver caught Anouk at the prince’s name. Rumor was he hardly ever left Castle Ides, the imposing Champs-Élysées mansion from which he governed the Haute, and when he did, it was only to raze some entire country to the ground and then banish its memory from the history books. No one knew exactly how long the Shadow Royals had been working their magic through the world, but Anouk had found references to ancient civilizations—Egyptians and Aztecs and Romans—that contained allusions to peculiarly powerful men and women.
“Rennar?” Mada Vittora’s cheeks were already flushed from whiskey. “No, he wouldn’t deign to come. It’ll be one of the others, some lesser Royal. A duke, probably.”
Now the Royals’ kingdoms roughly followed political borders, and the various Royal families tended to keep to themselves except for the odd marriage to strengthen alliances and business dealings for trade purposes. They relied on witches to oversee their industries: food and wines, luxury goods, and, above all, the jewelry that Mada Vittora—?the Diamond Witch—?kept enchanted.
Behind Anouk, Hunter Black cleared his throat. She jumped. “Was there something I could do for you, Mada?”
“Ah, my dear. Yes.” She set down her lipstick-stained glass as a grin sliced between her pretty cheeks. Although four hundred years old, she didn’t look a day over forty-five. Sunshine-kissed hair in silken waves to her shoulders. Skin pulled painfully tight over sharp cheekbones. A fortune in plastic surgery, some might have said. Anouk knew better. All it took was a weekly bath of lavender-sage tonic mixed with two thimblefuls of Viggo’s blood.
On the sofa behind his mother, Viggo wore a similar conspiratorial grin until Mada Vittora stood. The moment her back was turned to him, the smile melted off his face. He took a long, hungry draft of whiskey.
“I have a surprise for you, my pretty girl.”
Anouk’s hands froze on her hair bow. Half done, one snaking end of the ribbon falling to her shoulder. “Is it about tomorrow’s party?”
She couldn’t keep the hopeful note from her voice. Anouk was never allowed to attend the parties. None of the beasties were, not even Hunter Black, who usually stalked the shadows of the foyer the whole time, scowling at everyone except Viggo. Parties were for the worthiest members of the Haute, not beasties—?mangy animals that had been whispered into the shape of human boys and girls and given brooms with which to serve. Anouk would stay in the kitchen with Beau, licking spoonfuls of strawberry icing from the mixing bowl, or tiptoe to the stairs to peek between the banisters at the beautiful dancing people.
“No, my sweet. Not about the party.”
Anouk tried not to let her disappointment show. She cocked her head, a question on her lips. Then what?
Mada Vittora placed an icy hand on either side of Anouk’s face. Her smile stretched wide. “Tonight, my darling, you go outside.”
Outside? Into the Pretty World, where the Pretties strolled hand in hand with the sun on their faces amid cars and mailboxes and traffic signals, walking down the tree-lined block and then the block after that and the one after that?
Outside?
“Do you mean it?” Anouk gasped.
“Oh yes. But first, you’ll need a good pair of shoes.”

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Thursday #Review - The Hunt (The Cage #2) by Megan Shepherd #YALit #Science Fiction

Series: The Cage # 2
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

They’ve left the cage—but they’re not free yet.

After their failed escape attempt, Cora, Lucky, and Mali have been demoted to the lowest level of human captives and placed in a safari-themed environment called the Hunt, along with wild animals and other human outcasts. They must serve new Kindred masters—Cora as a lounge singer, Lucky as an animal wrangler, and Mali as a safari guide—and follow new rules or face dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Nok and Rolf have been moved into an enormous dollhouse, observed around the clock by Kindred scientists interested in Nok’s pregnancy. And Leon, the only one who successfully escaped, has teamed up with villainous Mosca black-market traders.

The former inhabitants of the Cage are threatened on all fronts—and maybe worst of all, one of the Hunt’s Kindred safari guests begins to play a twisted game of cat and mouse with Cora. Separated and constantly under watch, she and the others must struggle to stay alive, never mind find a way back to each other. When Cassian secretly offers to train Cora to develop her psychic abilities—to prove the worthiness of humanity in a series of tests called the Gauntlet—she’ll have to decide fast if she dares to trust the Kindred who betrayed her, or if she can forge her own way to freedom.

The Hunt is the second installment in author Megan Shepherd's The Cage Trilogy. The story picks up with Cora Mason in a cage after she and the others failed in their attempt to get off the station. Cora has been learned that humans were taken from Earth for their own good. The Kindred actually believe they are humanities saviors. They've been told that Earth no longer exists, and that humans like Cora are the key to saving her race, or raising them to the same level as (4) other races.  

But, Humans are treated as though they are animals by the Kindred overseers who run the space station. Cora is moved into a menagerie called The Hunt. The Hunt is a safari type place where animals are hunted daily and then healed so they can be hunted another day. Cora is told that she has to sing, while also working with Cassian to bring out her full telepathic abilities. Cassian hopes that Cora will be able to participate and win in something called The Gauntlet. Cora also faces a major test when she is targeted to be hunted like one of the Menagerie's animals. 

Meanwhile, Lucky is also moved to the Menagerie where he becomes an animal wrangler. Lucky has since moved on with his affections for Cora. He knows that her heart in elsewhere, and tries to make something out of the situation he finds himself in. In another part of the station, a very pregnant Nok and Rolf find themselves living in a doll house where they are watched constantly by a overlord who has some major plans for the baby.

Where is Leon you ask? Well, Leon, the only one who did manage to escape, has managed to hook up with a Mosca named Bonebreak who claims that any enemy of the Kindred, is a friend of his. He's also a black market dealer, so, there is room to say he and Leon are perfect partners. I dare say that Mali, who ends up being a safari driver in The Hunt, is the character mostly left out of the equation. There is only one person that matters to her, and that person is in a place she has no access to. She be the only character who really doesn't have a major role in the development of this story. Perhaps when all is said and done, Leon and Mali will end up connecting like Cora and Cassian.

The Hunt is once again told in the perspectives of Cora, Lucky, Leon, Mali, & Rolf. It should come as no surprise that Cora is the primary character in this story. Her abilities outweigh most of the other characters, but I would be remiss in saying that you should not ignore Lucky, Leon, or Rolf who is a pure genius. They may not be primary characters, but they are important nonetheless. Leon is the character who impressed me the most. He takes on a larger role than before, and has the access & freedom to things the others don't have. Thanks to Leon, things actually get done while Cora and the others face their own brands of hell.

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*Book Review* The Cage by Megan Shepherd (YA Science Fiction)

Series: The Cage # 1
Publisher: Balzer + Brary
Released: May 26, 2015
Source: Edelweiss/Harper Teen
Format: E-Book, 400 pages
Genre: YA, Science Fiction

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughtertrilogy.

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage? 

Megan Shepherd, author of the Madman's Daughter trilogy, returns with a brand new trilogy called The Cage. This time out, Shepherd spins a Science Fiction whopper of a tale where Humans are taken and used as pets, experiments, and other less admirable positions by an alien race called the Kindred. 16-year old Cora Mason and four other teenagers from various nationalities (Lucky, Rok, Rolf and Leon) wake up in a controlled environment, call it a zoo if you will, and a very long way from home. 

Even though Cora is the main character of the book, Shepherd alternates POV's from time to time between the four other teenagers to keep things interesting, which makes for a lot less questions as to what the rest of the group is doing. The group is told that they have Twenty-One days to prove they are worthy to continue existing by following three specific rules: 

1. Decode the puzzles hidden inside their custody for tokens which they can trade in for prizes. 2. Provide their body everything necessary in order to stay healthy, including sleeping and eating what they are provided. 3. Reproduce to assure the continuation of the human species which they've been told no longer exists. 

Cora is the daughter of a Senator. She spent 18 months behind bars for a choice she made, right or wrong, you'll have to make up your own mind on the matter, and how it was done. She believes that the Alien Cassian is an Angel, until things are cleared up. She's the only one in the group not to give up hope about going home again. She tries to find an exit from the madness, but is blocked. There is also someone giving Cora a bit of an advantage over the others. An advantage that isn't well received. Cora is a bit naive yes, but if you truly read into her actions, and thoughts, I believe she has enough positives to outweigh any negatives.

I choose to believe that the clues were there all the time for Cora to figure out what was truly happening. I choose not to believe there is a 3-way love triangle between Cora, Lucky, and this super alien Cassian, who has beautiful eyes, and a face of an Angel. I choose to not blame, but feel sorry for Cora for being pushed and pulled into being ostracized from her control group, and reaching out to another person who made her feel like she was worthy, and not because someone was trying to make up for what happened to her on Earth, IE Lucky.

I'm not going to touch on the other characters all that much, but I will summarize. Rolf is a genius, but that doesn't exactly thrill me. Nok was taken away from her home, and ended up in pretty sick situation. Leon is just a total mess, and I still have no idea if he was truly insane, or just faking it until he was able to make things go his way. Mali, however, I believe we have just skimmed the surface of what she is capable of. She's the mystery ingredient in the recipe, and I do home that Shepherd unveils more of her in time. Lucky is the boy who has a goal, and a whole lot to make up for. 

There was a whammy of a twist in the story which you can pretty much either figure it out, or be stymied right until the revelation. There is even a Cagey ending to the story. Get it? Cagey? I do appreciate the overall world building. We get a look not only at the environment Cora and crew are expected to live in, but yet another expansive setting in which we take a peek into the world of the Kindred and other species. I'm all in for continuing this series. I can't just leave things as they are without finding out if Cora and gang find a way home, or if they become more slaves to the Kindred.

**I received this book for free from (Balzer & Bray) via (Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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