[Book Review] Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn

Summary (from Goodreads): For fifteen years Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But despite loving him with all of her heart and soul, Maria knows that Dante can never give all of himself back-at least not all the time.
Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal. During those times, he wanders far and wide, leaving Maria alone. He can't choose when he shifts, the transition is often abrupt and, as he gets older, the time he spends in human form is gradually decreasing. But Maria, who loves him without hesitation, wouldn't trade their unusual relationship for anything.
Since the beginning, she has kept his secret, knowing that their love is worth the danger. But when a string of brutal attacks occur in local parks during the times when Dante is in animal form, Maria is forced to consider whether the lies she's been telling about her life have turned into lies she's telling herself...

I got the book nearly two months ago. Sadly that’s about how long it took me to finish it. I’d read 50 pages in time and then set it down for a couple of days and do it again. A couple of nights ago, I picked it up again and was able to finish it. With that being said, I obviously felt that the book had a slow beginning. I had read the back of the book when I first got it and kept waiting for that specific event to happen. I was left waiting until pretty much page 150.

First 150 pages: slow beginning, but still ok. What really kept me reading it was the romance between Dante and Maria. However twisted and maybe distant it may seem. Maria loved Dante unconditionally and Dante loved Maria so much that he didn’t want her to know a lot about this other monstrous side of himself. I really liked a lot of the characters too. Most of the characters that were introduced had an important role in Maria’s life whether it be work, family, or Dante’s family. I really loved how each relationship meant something to her no matter how small.

Second half of the book: really interesting. I sat down and read it until I finished. Really loved all the twists the writer put in the books. While I did predict some of the results, there were still a lot that surprised me.  

I will spoil this, the book has a very... what’s a good word for it…. Closing? Satifsying? Proper? Yeah I think I’ll go with closing. The book has a very closing ending. So, I’m very curious as to how this story will continue and where the writer will go with it.

3 out of 5 stars for Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn.

[Book Review] Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Summary (from Amazon):
Readers will be clamoring to find out who Jacinda chooses in Hidden, the final installment of the steamy Firelight novels. Is it Will, the hunter she's risked everything to save, or Cassian, the prince of her kind with whom she has an undeniable connection? Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in this epic tale that will appeal to fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Lauren Kate, Aprilynne Pike, and Colleen Houck. When Jacinda and Will's forbidden romance leads to the capture of Cassian's sister, Jacinda knows she must set things right. With her friends by her side, Jacinda hatches a daring plan to rescue Cassian's sister. But the only way to reach her is for Jacinda to become a prisoner herself…and there's no guarantee she'll make it out alive.

So I’m going to start this review with a little story. Sophie Jordan = nicest author in the world. End of story. Ok. Ok. Not the end of story, but still true. I read Sophie Jordan’s Firelight just weeks after its release. So when the movies get made (and I’m crossing my fingers they will) and the books get even more popular and everyone is obsessing about them, I get to say that I’ve been a fan since almost the beginning. I tried my best to get an ARC of Vanish, but sadly failed. Luckily I was able to snag one of Hidden this past week. And just to add one final thing to this I-guess-you-cannot-call-it-a-story-after-all-but-still-does-not-really-count-as-part-of-the-review story, Sophie Jordan was actually the first book signing I went to so I always get excited when I get to see her again.

Now to the actual review, if you’ve read the two previous books, you know what situation Jacinda and her three (I’m trying to not put spoilers other than what’s on the back covers just in case someone who hasn’t read the book stumbles across this review) accomplices were left in. Hidden picks up pretty much where Vanish left off.

I loved reading about the different Draki that were introduced. So much that I wish Sophie Jordan would do a spinoff of this series where we get to read about another Draki prides with maybe a mix of some other form of mysterious creature. (Please Sophie!) Book two of the Firelight trilogy, Vanish made me fall in love with the Draki life and made me want more.

Each of the three books has a different feel. Firelight was about her and her mother & sister escaping the pride and starting a new life. Vanish was about her family coming back into the pride and feeling like outsiders. Hidden was a perfect mixture of the both. I still cannot believe that so much happened in the book and only really a week or so of time passed.

There was never a second to breathe because there was so much going on. The characters in this book had things happen to them back to back. And if it wasn’t action that was occurring, it was a moment of new discovery for the characters.

How did I like the ending of this beautiful trilogy? It definitely wasn’t the ending I would have expected, but it was very fitting to the world Sophie Jordan created in the series. It ended with a happy ending for everyone, in a way.

So glad I came across this trilogy.

5 out of 5 for Hidden by Sophie Jordan.

[Book Review] Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Summary (from Amazon):

Blessed with a gift...cursed with a secret.
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

 

 

 

My sister was actually the one to introduce me to this book. She heard of it and was immediately interested in reading it. Then back in February, Jessica Spotswood was a part of the Breathless Reads 2012 tour so she came to Houston. So, I bought the book mostly for my sister because the genre was more her kind. She read it about a week ago or so and fell in love with it. She told me I had to read it next. So, of course I did.

So, you can understand how much I loved this book, you have to understand one thing; I’m the kind of girl that reads 50 pages of a book at a time and then comes back to it the next day and maybe reads 60 or so. Not the case in while reading this book. Last night while watching Breakout Kings (9c) I started reading it again (I was on page 92). I read while watching the show. I read after the show. I read lying in bed. I read with the lights off and a flashlight. I got up in the middle of the night and read some more. (Yeah, it’s that good). So within the last 24 hours, I’ve read 238 pages? That’s a record for me!

Now to actually talk about the book. There’s three things that a book needs to have for me to consider it a good novel – good characters, good plot, and lastly (and on my account most importantly) a good romance. Jessica Spotswood does a really good job at making the three combine perfectly.

Cate grows in the book (I won’t spoil how… go read it yourself!). I loved getting inside her mind (that’s what I call it). One moment she’s feeling one thing. One moment, she’s feeling the completely opposite. That’s so true to how teenagers are.

The first 40 pages or so of the book does have a slow beginning, but a very necessary stall. Instead of spreading backstory throughout the entire book like I’ve seen a ton of authors drag out, Jessica Spotswood gives all the necessary information as soon as possible. That’s not to say that there aren’t some discovered secrets from the past because believe me there are! If you’re a reader that loves twisted twist, then you’re going to love this book plot!

And lastly my favorite part, the romance! Spotswood will make you flip from Team Paul to Team Finn chapter after chapter. My sister would ask me “which guy do you like better” and I would seriously respond “I don’t know!” Both main guys have their way of being sweet. Both main guys treat Cate with respect. Both main guys have the potential to be great husband for her.

Gasp! Was that a spoiler? Maybe! But if you go out and buy it then read it yourself, you’ll understand!

5 out of 5 for Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood.