Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2)

Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2)

by Gail Carriger

4.5 stars

I am always happy to deviate from my usual YA books for this adult fiction series.

Why?

The writing is like nothing I've ever read before. Fantastic and colorful vocabulary is used to describe the most normal things. My favorite quote in the book is from Ivy: "Has something untoward happened? Everyone is gesticulating!" That line made me laugh out loud! All the characters are fabulously written. It is difficult to choose my favorite. I love them all!

The repartee between Lady and Lord Maccon is clever, witty and just plain fun to read. You can tell that the two characters are truly in love.

But don't think that these books belong in the Romance category. Oh, no. They are firmly in ... well, a few genres. Paranormal and Mystery, obviously. But there is some Steampunk and Mary Poppins, too. It's such a wonderful and imaginative combination of genres; it just works.

There is little to no swearing, a touch of sex and some of the characters swing the other way.

Can't wait to read No. 3!

The Eternal Hourglass (Magickeepers #1)

The Eternal Hourglass (Magickeepers #1)

by Erica Kirov

4 stars

 

If you or your kiddo are looking for a fun, exciting "magic" novel, this is a fantastic choice. No swearing or sex.
Nicolai turns 13 and is whisked into a world of real magicians - his family. He starts learning how to do real magic (which I wish had been explored further), then faces the dark magician Rasputin.
I quite enjoyed the Russian angle - I haven't read any JUV/YA literature that contains this. I love learning about new things, and this just starts to touch on a vast new area!
Plus it's on the short side, so it was a quick read. I'll be reading the next in the series.

The Emerald Ring (Cleopatra's Legacy)

The Emerald Ring (Cleopatra's Legacy)

by Dorine White

2 stars

  

Not sure where to start with this review. I didn't hate this book; the 2-star rating "It's OK" is definitely on par with how I feel about it. For what it is - namely a Juvenile paranormal adventure - it fits the bill.
But I have a few complaints, and more than a few questions:
1) It's not written well - weak and amateurish. Abrupt transitions. And flashbacks were poorly written; half the time I wasn't sure what was going on! Much of the story was like "This happened. Then this happened. And then this happened." Too many unanswered questions: Who is the "sister" cat in her dreams? Why is she having dreams? How did the gems get their power? Why is their only one Roman guy trying to get the gems? Where are his buddies? Why are they just now starting their search for the gems? Why didn't they start right after they discovered the gems missing way back in Cleopatra's time?
2) Character development is non-existent. Sara is completely flat. What's going on in her head? What is she feeling when she becomes a cat? Is she happy? Excited? Freaked? The other characters fare the same. I didn't even know that Heidi was "emo" until it was told to me after the Halloween scene.
3) Unbelievable explanations of how things came about or happened. My favorite was how Kainu got to Ohio from Africa - how he stowed away on a little 2-person plane to England undetected, then earned money to get to America (passport? underage-traveler? work visa?), and enrolled in school (transcripts? parental release? power of attorney?), stayed with a family there as a fake exchange student (this doesn't jive - who would allow a kid in their home with just a letter? How did he get the name of the family he wrote to anyway?). Anyway, this doesn't fly with me.
4) Weak denouement. Weak. Weak. I hate badly written endings, and this one is badly written.
I did appreciate the fact that there was no bad stuff - it's completely safe for kids to read. No swearing, which is nice.
This book needs some serious work. Thankfully it was short, so I didn't have to waste TOO much time on it. But tweens may enjoy it.
I will NOT be reading the next in the series.
I do want to thank Netgalley.com and Cedar Fort for the chance to review this book.