*Book Review* A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Fantasy)

Series: A Dark Shade of Magic # 1
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: February 24, 2015
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Magic

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped. 

In A Darker Shade of Magic, Victoria (V.E.) Schwab has created a wondrous world where magic is at the forefront. Schwab takes the reader's imagination on a fantastic journey filled with diabolical kings and queens, treachery and darkness on a scale rivaling the Games of Thrones. Schwab has also created FOUR totally different London's: Grey (Where no Magic exists), White (Starving for magic world), Red (healthy use of magic), and Black which was destroyed by the overuse of magic.

“Sure I do,” countered Lila cheerfully. “There’s Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London,” she recited, ticking them off on her fingers. “See? I’m a fast learner.”

Master Blood Magician Kell travels from one realm into another delivering messages, and collecting trinkets from each place he goes which is supposed to be illegal. He is one of the very last Antari (Travelers) who has control over all the elements, plus blood. Although not a member of the royal family, Kell is still treated as though he is their son, and his brother Prince Rhys tries hard to make Kell understand that he's not alone.

“I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” Lila Bard

Then, there is Delilah (Lila) Bard who dresses as a man, is wanted for her thievery, and would love to travel the world as a pirate. When Lila steals from the wrong person, Kell, things really pick up and a full out adventure begins. There's a whole mystery surrounding Lila that I sincerely hope we get more of an explanation in the sequel. I dare say that Lila is fearless, daring, willing to go on any adventure at the peril of her own life, and is definitely quick with her wits and comebacks.

A Darker Shade of Magic started out on the sluggish side for me. But, thankfully it got a whole lot better and gives me hope that the sequel will be just as amazing. I loved the journey across realms, and the descriptive world building that Schwab once again handles like a pro. I loved that the story is perhaps a bit on the traditional fantasy side, but mixed with an alternative reality London's. I loved that this wasn't a romance filled novel. It is dark, filled with evil on a large scale, and forces our heroes to work together to cull out the villains from their diabolical machinations.

For me this was a rather quick read, even with several dizzy spells thanks to allergies hitting me hard. I loved almost all aspects of the story itself. The characters, the villains, the FOUR different worlds, the magic, of course, and the fact that this reads more as a fantasy novel, than a paranormal one. I will be reading the sequel, no matter if I have to borrow it from the library!

*Stacking MY Shelves & The Weekly Round-up*

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course eBooks!

The Week in Reviews:

Monday - Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris (UF)

Tuesday - Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein (Historical)

Wednesday - Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross (YA Paranormal)

Thursday - Elusion by Claudia Gabel (YA SyFy) - Talk Supe Blog

Etherworld by Claudia Gabel (YA SyFy)

Friday - Sorceress by Claudia Gray (YA Paranormal)

Coming Up Next Week

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep

(Posting 04/21 w/giveaway and interview)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

Skandal by Lindsey Smith

Don't Stay Up Late by R.L. Stine

Received Unsolicited via Publisher

Received via Edelweiss or NetGalley

      

      

Library Haul

      

      

*Book Review* Sorceress by Claudia Gray (YA Paranormal)

Series: Spellcaster # 3
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: March 3, 2015
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: YA, Paranormal

To save the lives of countless people in Captive’s Sound, Nadia has sworn herself to the One Beneath, to black magic. Her plan, and the town’s only hope, is for Nadia to learn enough sorcery to strike back against the forces of darkness. But now that she’s separated from her friends, her family, and her Steadfast, Mateo, Nadia is more vulnerable than ever to darkness. And as the sorceress Elizabeth summons torrential rains and brings the One Beneath closer to the mortal world, Nadia is running out of time to stop her. The final battle lines are drawn, surprising alliances are made, and true love is tested in the action-packed conclusion to the breathtaking Spellcaster series. 

Sorceress is the final installment in the Spellcaster trilogy. Picking up right where Steadfast left off, teenage witch Nadia Caldani has done the unthinkable. She's sworn to serve the One Beneath in order to save Captive Sound, her friends, and her family who have no clue what's going on.  She's also agreed to be trained by Elizabeth Pike who has caused chaos using fear, hate, sorrow & grief to get what she's wanted for generations.

Nadia can only hope that she can learn quickly what Elizabeth has to teach her, before the One Beneath makes his appearance. That means using every available resource, including her steadfast boyfriend Mateo Perez, best friend Verlaine Laughton, demon Asa, and several other characters who join Team Not Evil.

I dare say that I was a bit emotional at times while reading Sorceress. I hated to see the pain and suffering these characters faced. Yet, it is that pain and suffering that drives them to find the answers they need to fight back. I went into Sorceress holding my expectations back a bit. Too many times, I have been burned by final installments in series leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I will say that Gray didn't hold back in resolving the Elizabeth issue, but the final chapter could have been a bit longer with perhaps more action and fight scenes against One Beneath, his demons, and Team Not Evil. The positive is that she didn't try to sweeten her villain, or make light of a really bad situation. She puts Nadia into a corner, makes her find ways to deal with the Elizabeth/One Beneath issue before it destroys her new hometown.

I found myself cheering loudly for Verlaine in this installment. Folks, this poor girl has gone through hell, and it doesn't get any better once Elizabeth's ultimate plans kick into action. I do like that Verlaine found someone she could be with, and that Asa would in turn, understand her struggles she's been forced to deal with since being cursed by Elizabeth. I'm also happier than a clam at high tide that she gets a wonderful HEA.

Overall, one could complain about the romance between Nadia and Mateo. Or, one could say that it was written exactly as it should have been. Although Nadia and Mateo are great in this story, it was Verlaine and Asa that took the ultimate prize for the best relationship. I do wish that Nadia could have resolved the issue with her mother for her brothers sake, but life isn't fair, so why should a fantasy story be any different?

Other Books in series:

      

*Gizmos Book Review* Etherworld by Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam

Series: Elusion # 2
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Released: March 31, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book, 352 pages
Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Elusion was hailed as an exciting leap in technology—until users began to disappear amid rumors of addiction. Regan’s search for the truth led her and her new love interest, Josh, to Etherworld. Etherworld is a dimension hidden deep beyond Elusion's firewall, where players can hide, and ultimately fight back. Regan's father and others are here working to destroy Etherworld, but the longer they stay the less likely they'll be able to return to the real world alive.

Escape means attacking Elusion from within the program. It's dangerous and it’s a puzzle. And even if they manage it, how will they be able to stop Orexis from distributing Elusion to the masses when the people who run it are corrupt?

Etherworld closes out the Elusion duology by picking up right where Elusion left off. As I have just written my review for Elusion and posted it to Talk Supe Blog, I shall try not to spoil what happened in the previous novel. Story narrator Regan Welch, along with her new boyfriend Josh, her father David, and a group of teens who have been stuck in Elusion, are on a mission to bring the system down to its knees and return home in one piece.

Those under 21 are in big trouble, but David has found a way to keep them safe by creating a world he calls Etherworld. If you remember or have read Elusion, then you know that nobody is supposed to be hurt while in Elusion. It is a place where anyone can escape from their mundane lives, and experience everything from Deep Water Rafting, to a bevy of other adventures at their own pace. But, as you would expect from a science fiction story with Artificial Intelligence, anything can happen, and absolutely does.

For me, Regan was a likable heroine, but far from perfect. She's loyal. She's goal orientated: find and rescue her father while stopping Elusion. She doesn't allow her heart to fall for two people at once, but wouldn't toss her friendship aside with Patrick even after all the horrible things he does. Alongside Josh, who is fighting to save his sister Nora, they don't give up without overcoming major hurdles, challenges, and a sentient being that wants to stop them.

One could speak about Patrick until we are blue in the face. But, I choose to say that as an 18-year old brilliant computer programmer, perhaps he just needed a bit more human interaction to understand Regan, and her challenges. I can absolutely forgive Patrick for his actions, especially since redemption was the only thing he could do without ending up as bad as those responsible for what happens to Regan, David, Josh, et al.

I gave props to the authors for creating such a bleak world. But, I still haven't discovered why the world went downhill to the point where people have to wear O2 masks just to go outdoors. Perhaps the authors are saying that Climate Change is to blame for this situations, or perhaps they are saying that factories have poured too much toxicities into the air thus causing Acid Rain. At this point, we'll never know the truth. We do know that Acid Rain is not a new concept. It's been around since I was growing up.

So, I say Etherworld is a nice way to close up shop, as it were. There are absolutely no major storylines that have been left unsolved. The mysteries, conspiracies, and who survives is straight up. There is a nice, warm reunion between Regan, her father, and mother who I really wanted to punch in the neck for various reasons. I do believe that Regan and crew did what exactly what they had to do to save people, and defeat the villains.

I am perfectly fine with the final coupling, and am glad that I had no unnecessary worries that the writers would toss everything they put together in Elusion, and go another way entirely. I'm glad that the authors didn't just play it safe when bad things happen to secondary characters. I'm happy that I had the opportunity to read this series, and apologize for waiting over a year to finish.

**I received this book for free from (Katherine Tegen Books) via (Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Book Review* Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross

Series: Sisters of Blood & Spirit # 1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: March 31, 2015
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
Format: e-book, 288 pages
Genre: YA Paranormal

Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living. 

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife. 

Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

Kady Cross, author of The Steampunk Chronicles, returns with a new series called Sisters of Blood and Spirit. Cross introduces readers to twin sisters Wrenleigh and Lark Noble who couldn't be more different, but are nearly inseparable. Wren is a Dead Born with vibrant red hair who lives in Shadow Lands, a place between dimensions, and is able to possess Lark. Lark has white blonde hair, doesn't exactly fit in with other kids after attempting to take her own life, and was subsequently banishment to her grandmothers home by her outrageously awful parents.

When we first meet Lark, she's a sad girl who finds that being alone with Wren is much more acceptable than dealing with the harsh realities of high school bullies and mean girls who know about her secret. Lark, perhaps thanks to her connection with Wren, can see and interact with ghosts, but has promised to keep out of the ghost business. That is until the boy who saved her life, Mace, approaches her and asks for her help.

Lark and Wren are more than capable of handling themselves in tough situations, even when helping (5) fellow students who have been marked by a powerful ghost. They are both brave in the face of overwhelming evil, and have abilities they can't explain. We really don't have a clue why they are so special after reading this book, but I am totally fine with a bit of mystery and suspense leading into the next installment.

After finishing Sisters, I was left with several emotions, but not in a bad way. In fact, I had a bit of a goofy smile on my face when I turned to the last page. Yes, this is the first installment in a new series. It is where Cross introduces you to her core cast of characters (Lark, Wren, Roxi, Gage, Ben, Sarah, Mason, & Kevin) while leaving trails of bread crumbs behind in hopes that the reader will follow her characters to their next journey.

Sisters is an entertaining and scary story with a bit of romance thrown into the mix. I do love the connection between Lark and Wren. It's not exactly perfect, but how many people can honestly say they have a perfect relationship with their siblings? I loved that Lark finds a bit of happiness in this installment after being pushed and shoved aside by her OWN parents who didn't want anything more to do with her. I'm hopeful that some guests who appeared in Sisters, will be ferreted out in the next installment, and revealed as to why they are important to Lark and Wren.

**I received this book for free from (Harlequin Teen) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Gizmos Book Review* Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Released: March 31, 2015
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: E-book, 368 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Emilia and Teo's lives changed in a fiery, terrifying instant when a bird strike brought down the plane their stunt pilot mothers were flying. Teo's mother died immediately, but Em's survived, determined to raise Teo according to his late mother's wishes-in a place where he won't be discriminated against because of the color of his skin. But in 1930s America, a white woman raising a black adoptive son alongside a white daughter is too often seen as a threat.

Seeking a home where her children won't be held back by ethnicity or gender, Rhoda brings Em and Teo to Ethiopia, and all three fall in love with the beautiful, peaceful country. But that peace is shattered by the threat of war with Italy, and teenage Em and Teo are drawn into the conflict. Will their devotion to their country, its culture and people, and each other be their downfall or their salvation?

In the tradition of her award-winning and bestselling Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein brings us another thrilling and deeply affecting novel that explores the bonds of friendship, the resilience of young pilots, and the strength of the human spirit. 

Black Dove, White Raven is the third novel by Elizabeth Wein that I have read. The previous two were Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire which featured brave female pilots risking their lives for country, and each other. Wein once again writes her story with World War II as a background. This time around, she breaks down the cultural barriers between whites and blacks with a moving story that is important to today's society, and also shows that there really is a world of differences between what is expected from both races as well as both genders.

Cordelia "Delia" Dupre and Rhoda Drummond Menotti are female stunt pilots, one black and one white, who are also best of friends. They fly across America in a biplane doing daring feats of wing walking and acrobatics. Perhaps, in a way, they are also soul mates in that they are "two people who understand each other without talking about it. Two halves of a whole." Rhoda has a daughter Emilia by an Italian pilot, Delia has a son named Teadoras by an Ethiopian pilot. The kids are never very far from their mothers side.

Rhoda, Teo, and Emilia's life's take a drastic change when Delia faces her mortality, leaving Teo, Emilia, and Rhoda behind struggling with her loss. Her dreams of a better world for her child, gone in a blink of an eye. With Delia's determination to give Teo a life free of struggles, it is Ethiopia that she see's for the future. While Teo and Emilia struggle to learn a new language, they come to love the people and the country of Ethiopia that slowly teeters on the brink of war with Italy.

Black Dove, White Raven alternatives narratives between Teo and Emilia. It is via letters and the so called Adventures of Black Dove, White Raven, that we learn about the differences and expectations that Teo and Emilia desire. It is a hard time for young American's to be in Africa. Especially with Italy banging drums and sharpening knives. It is even harder for Teo due to his countries antiquated slavery laws. Even though they have different skin colors, they were raised together, and stayed by each others sides through thick and thin.

The overall story wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but nonetheless, Wein once again finds opportunities to entertain and kept me interested right to the very end. Kind of hard reading a book where the story is set in a country, Ethiopia, that has seen its fair share of awful events, or here in the US where black kids were forced into using separate facilities for eating and bathrooms. Loved that Wein gives readers an in-depth look into the history of black Americans, like Bessie Chapman, who put everything into what they truly loved; flying. I DO, encourage you to research what these awesome individuals went through in the early 20th century.

I love history, and always will. I love that Wein's historical use of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign and how it was interrupted in 1935 by Italian forces who invaded, occupied, and used mustard gas against the Ethiopians. For those who haven't been learned as to what the Legion of Nations stood for, their inaction and unwillingness to help Ethiopia, gave Hitler the green light to invade France, and terrorize the rest of Europe during WWII. Perhaps this is why the US remained an isolated country right up until December 7, 1941.

Black Dove, White Raven could have focused entirely on adults Delia and Rhoda like her previous novels did. Instead, she focuses on the children who not only have to face the realities of a new home, but a deep conflict that threatens everything and everyone they've come to love. Definitely recommend, but I do have hopes that Wein will follow up with these characters sometime in the future.  

**I received this book for free from (Disney-Hyperion) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Gizmo's Book Review* Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Series: Midnight, Texas # 1
Publisher: Penguin/ACE
Released: January 1, 2014
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.
There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Midnight Crossroad is the first installment in the Midnight, Texas trilogy by author Charlaine Harris. Harris has created a small Texas town that if you blink, you'll miss everything the town has to offer. This town is not unlike a certain Central New York town affectionately called Podunk, where I've driven through hundreds of times, but never once thought about the people who called it home. Midnight is a town where the mundane meets the paranormal. There is the cafe where everyone eats at. The gas station where everyone buys gas. The pawn shop where the strange and unusual do their business.

It's also the place where psychic Manfred Bernardo, formerly of the Harper Connelly series, has decided to call home after losing his grandmother Xylda, also a guest in the Harper series. It is a town where there are way too many secrets, and nobody is willing to speak about what the town hides within its limits. Midnight is home to pawnshop owner Bobo Winthrop, witch Fiji Cavanaugh, energy vampire Lemuel Bridger, Olivia Charity, and Reverend Emilio Sheehan just to name a few of the main characters Harris tells her story through.

I will say straight out of the box that Midnight Crossroad is more of a mystery novel, than one steeped in the paranormal. It is the story about what really happened to Bobo's ex-girlfriend and why a group of right wing lunatics continue to harass him and cause him trouble. I do believe that not one of the town's residents hasn't got a secret or two they don't want exposed. I still have no clue what Olivia really does for a living, or why she travels all over the country. I do know that if you put her together with Lemuel, you get a dynamic duo that is willing to keep the town's secrets hidden from the outside.

My one true complaint about this story, and others may not feel the same way, is Harris's determination to continue to blame everything on right wing groups acting on their violent political beliefs. Not unlike the Sookie Stackhouse series, this particular storyline affects everything that Bobo does. One has to ask Harris if her politics is a bit clouded on this aspect, or why she doesn't look at other militant groups who do worse things than those depicted in this story, including destroying the Twin Towers on 9/11 that killed one of my relatives, and those I went to school with.

In closing, Midnight Crossroad is made rather interesting by the appearance of a speaking cat. I will fully admit that I was giggling like a school girl whenever the cat made an appearance. I wish there was more about Manfred, and less POV's. Often times, the POV's change paragraph to paragraph which left me a bit confused. So, yes, I will be reading the sequel Day Shift since the publisher kindly sent me a copy. I'm also happy that apparently this series is a trilogy and not longer than that.

Other Books in Series: