The Queens Choice by Cayla Kluver

Title: The Queen's Choice
Author: Cayla Kluver
ISBN: 9781743566169
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: January 2014

Synopsis:

Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.

When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.


Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.

My Thoughts:

The Queen's Choice is like a long stroll, a fantasy adventure novel that is more about the journey than the destination. It is not jammed packed full of action but instead meanders at a somewhat slow but steady pace introducing the reader to a beautiful world of fairies and magic.
The Queen's Choice is a beautifully written novel with stunning world building and strong, well written characters. It is a lengthy and descriptive read which will not suit all readers as the pacing is slow, sometimes too slow. But I found it to be well worth the extra time it took to read. It really was an enchanting read with an unexpected ending that has left me eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia for the ARC

Words Once Spoken by Carly Drake

Title: Words Once Spoken
Author: Carly Drake
ISBN: 9780857990822
Publisher: Harlequin Australia
Publish Date: October 2013

Synopsis:

Evelyn might not love the confines of her village life, but she takes her small freedoms where she can get them. But everything changes when her parents decide it’s time for her to wed. Suddenly she loses her tunic and breeches, her bow, her horse, and gains rigid gowns, restrictive manners, and carriage rides.


The best way to escape is through her dreams, but as they become more and more real, Evelyn begins to worry that she is losing her grasp on reality. It is only when she makes two new friends that the truth is revealed: she is destined for far, far more than even she could imagine.

My Thoughts:

The stunning cover of this book captured me immediately and the synopsis offered a wonderful adventure. I was so excited starting this book and fell in love with Evelyn in the first few chapters. She is a strong-willed and resourceful main character who knows exactly what she wants. But as much as I enjoyed these first few chapters I soon began to find myself frustrated and confused.

The pacing of the story is fast, so fast in fact that it rushes through the last half of the story at lightning speed leaving me wondering what exactly was going on. With some of the crucial moments rushed through, I found myself less invested in the story and losing track of who was who and even what they were supposed to be doing, to the point where I found myself having to go back and re-read parts, making it a rather frustrating read.
It seemed to settle down a little towards the end, only to reveal a plot twist that left the ending unresolved.

Overall Words Once Spoken had a solid base and so much potential, but the rushed pacing and short length left it lacking.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for the ARC.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title:           Throne of Glass
Author:       Sarah j. Maas
ISBN:         9781408832332
Publisher:   Bloomsbury
Published:   August 2012

Synopsis:


Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to love this book. The world building is fantastic, the plot was engaging and almost perfectly paced and most of the characters were beautifully crafted, but I was expecting a little bit more of...well, something.
My biggest issue with this book was that, Celaena was not the ice-hearted assassin that I was expecting. She may have been at one stage but she didn't seem to behave in the way that one would assume an assassin would. Perhaps she used these habits to her advantage in the past and this is what made her so good at her profession, or because of the target audience the author 'girled' it up a bit for more appeal. Despite of this, Celeana was still a likable character, strong willed and stubborn.
There was a bit of a love triangle happening and the male characters were likable and I was torn between which one I liked best. They were both charming in their own ways, although sometimes cheesy, but that just made them more believable.
My favourite character would have to be Nehemia. She was loyal, courageous and mysterious not to mention smart. I would have liked to have seen more of her in the book and hope that she will be appearing in future books.
I loved the action scenes, they were well written and flowed nicely throughout the course of the book, leaving me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next.
Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to keep the pages turning even though I was hoping for a little more assassin and a little less girly frivolity. A nicely paced, easy read for a young female fantasy lover or someone just getting into fantasy novels.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title:               Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author:           Laini Taylor
ISBN:              9781444722635
Publisher:       Hodder & Stoughton
Published:      2011
Age Group:    Young Adult


Synopsis:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Thoughts:

This book should have come with a warning, some thing along the lines of... NOT SUITABLE FOR LUNCH BREAK READING!  I like to read on my lunch breaks and I literally had to claw my way out of the pages to return to work. It really is that good!

Laini Taylor is not just a writer, she is indeed a story teller. She weaves a world so wonderfully atmospheric that you actually do believe you are standing on a bridge in Prague with an angel. The descriptions are outstanding and the characters are very well written.


Overall it was a well paced novel which was very hard to put down, full of mystery and passion. Easily the best book I have read this year, it has left me eagerly awaiting to find out what happens next.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title:               Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Author:           Ransom Riggs
ISBN:              978-1-5947-4476-1
Publisher:       Quirk Books
Published:      2011


Synopsis: 


A mysterious island.An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.

My Thoughts:

The first thing that grabbed me about this book was the vintage photographs that have been used throughout the book, they really help bring the story to life. The characters were believable and well written. It is not a speedy read and is better to devour slowly in order to fully appreciate the peculiarities and twists along way.
A haunting read that will delight lovers of vintage photography, fairy tales and the unusual.

Dark Alchemy: Magical Tales from Masters of Modern Fantasy

Title:               Dark Alchemy
Edited by:      Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois
ISBN:              978-0-7475-8954-9
Publisher:       Bloomsbury
Published:      2007


Synopsis:  

Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon images of wizened gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands. Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and-in the hands of modern fantasists-more likely than ever to capture readers' imaginations. 

My Thoughts:

A fantastic collection of beautifully woven tales by a wonderful selection of authors. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in this book but my favourites would have to be Color Vision by Mary Rosenblum and Barrens Dance by Peter S Beagle. If you are a fan of wizards and magical fantasy you will find a story in this collection to suit your tastes.