Old Magic

Old Magic

Marianne Curley

Release Date:

October 16, 2000

Publisher:

Simon and Schuster

Pages:

369

Source: 

My Personal Copy

Reading Level:

Young Adult

Description:

No one can fight fate alone.

When Kate and Jarrod first lock eyes across the classroom, their connection is instantaneous. While everyone else shuns Jarrod as a freak, Kate's passionate belief in witchcraft helps her see him for what he truly is-someone with a powerful gift. She is fascinated by what he is capable of...and undeniable attracted to him.

When Jarrod's abilities appear to be linked to a centuries-old curse, Kate is the only one who can help him. Together, they embark on a journey that transcends time and place, and discover a magic that will bind them together forever. ~book blurb

My Thoughts:

At first I thought I was going to like this book. It has witches, curses and awesome magic. Jarrod and Kate weren't outstanding, but they were interesting enough. Then they traveled back in time to the 13th century, and I completely lost interest. I did finish the book, but I felt like I had to force myself to do so. 
I feel misled by the book description. There isn't really an instantaneous connection between Kate and Jarrod. Kate is highly interested in Jarrod, because of the magic she knows he has. Jarrod thinks Kate is a freak. The front cover mentions "an undeniable passion." I think I got the wrong pages in my book, because this undeniable passion is one kiss in the 2nd half of the book. I also missed the part where they 'discover a magic that will bind them together forever.' 
The author did do a good job describing the scenery and location of Australia. I have never been there, of course, but I felt like I had good imagery of the rain forest and river where a lot of this book takes place. I also liked the magic aspects. The curse was a little lame, but the magic Jarrod and Kate are capable of was interesting enough. 
I don't think I would personally recommend this book to anyone, but that's my opinion. I am sure there are people out there that would love this read. I am just not one of them. I would definitely suggest you try to borrow it versus paying for it, if possible.

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Clockwork Princess

(The Infernal Devices #3)

Cassandra Clare

Release Date:

March 19, 2013

Publisher:

Simon & Schuster

Pages:

568

Source: 

My Personal Copy

Reading Level:

Young Adult

Description:

THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

Tessa Gray should be happy-aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows beings to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan.

He needs Tessa.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are engaged, Will is still in love with her.

The last words of a dying Shadowhunter provide the clue that might lead Tessa and her friends to Mortmain. But their small group cannot stand alone, and the powerful Consul doubts that Mortmain is coming. Deserted by allies, the Shadowhunters find themselves trapped when Mortmain seizes the medicine that keeps Jem alive. With his best friend at death's door, Will must risk everything to save the girl they both love.

To buy Will time, the warlock Magnus Bane joins with Henry Brandwell to create a device that could help defeat Mortmain. As they all work to save Tessa and the future of the Shadowhunters that resides with her, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself-for in the discovery of her own true nature, Tessa could become more powerful than she ever dreamed possible. But can a lone girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy. ~book blurb

Teaser Sentence(s):

'Every meeting led to a parting, and so it would, as long as life was mortal. In every meeting there was some of the sorrow of parting, but in every parting there was some of the joy of meeting as well.'

My Thoughts:

It's been a couple weeks since I finished reading Clockwork Princess, and it's still getting to me. I opened the book to check the number of pages, and seriously, my eyes start watering!

Cassandra Clare managed to conclude this series flawlessly. Everything came together smoothly in the end. I never would have guessed the love triangle between Tessa, Jem and Will would have worked out the way it did. I grew really close to these characters throughout this series, and it really is sad to have to let go of them all. In the end, I have never been more happy for a fictional character than I was for Tessa. She got everything she deserved; love, happiness, and answers to secrets long kept. 

If you haven't read The Infernal Devices or Mortal Instruments, I suggest you do so, and make yourself familiar with the world of the Shadowhunters!

Beautiful Creatures

Description: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

 Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

 In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. -Amazon

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Release date: December 1, 2009

Publisher: Little Brown

Pages: 576

Source: My personal copy

Reading level: Young Adult

Teaser Sentence(s): 'If he only knew. Thanksgiving break had only been a long weekend, but it felt a lot longer, considering that Twilight Zone of a Thanksgiving dinner, the vases flying between Macon and Lena, and our journey to the center of the earth, all without leaving the Gatlin city limits.'

My thoughts: This book really wasn't bad. I have seen lots of bad reviews for Beautiful Creatures, and I don't really get why? I was never bored with the reading. I guess everyone just has different taste. 

 I loved that this was written from the guys point-of-view. It was nice to not be stuck in the whiny mind of a teen-aged girl. Although, I would like to hope Lena wouldn't be the norm. I really liked Ethan and Lena. I read somewhere that Ethan was not relatable. I had no problems with any of the characters in this book. 

 Some of the southern grammar in Beautiful Creature may throw some readers off, but being from Mississippi I had no problem reading the Southern dialect. 

 I would recommend this book. It's a good, dark read. 

  

Rating:

Dime Store Magic

Description: Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations-the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge-an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil...and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder-and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic that Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive. -Amazon

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Release date: 2004
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 464
Source: My personal copy
Reading level: Adult 

Teaser Sentence(s): 'So we ran... away from the gun-toting state troopers, through a swirling mass of spirits, pursued by baying hounds, surrounded by the screams of the damned. You know, I think the mind has a saturation point, beyond which it just doesn't give a damn. Spirits? Hounds? Cops? Who cares?'

My thoughts: When I start a new book in this series, I always have a hard time getting into it. I will usually start a book by Kelley Armstrong and then read 2 or 3 other books in between. Every time I am about to give up hope something happens, and I am hooked and cannot put the book down. 
 Since this is the third book in the Women of the Underworld series I went into it kind of blind. At first I was disappointed that this book is not focused around Elena and Clay. Paige makes 2 phone calls to Elena during the course of the book and that's all the interaction you get with the werewolfs. This read was strictly witch and sorcerer oriented. Paige was introduced in book two, Bitten, and, to be honest, I was not a fan. My distaste was the same the first quarter of the book, but she began to grow on me once I started to get to know her. I am very glad this book came early in the series, because I like the witches much more than before. 
 Lucas Cortez was a new character introduced to the series in this book. He was plain and boring at first. But after finishing the book, I really hope he makes future appearances. As much as I want to get back to Elena and Clay's part of the story, I really find myself hoping for more from the witches and sorcerers. I never would have predicted that. I became so caught up in the last few chapters of this book I didn't even hear my husband calling my name..and he was sitting right beside me. I recommend this book. Just make it past the boring first half then it's worth it! 

Rating: