One land. Seven kingdoms. Graced people.

Not everyone is Graced and those who are, are feared by all no matter his or her particular ability. Most are innocent enough, Graced with cooking or something else benign. But Katsa is Graced with killing. She can kill with her bare hands and any weapon. People fear her and her uncle, the king of the Middluns, uses her to strong arm his subjects. Every time Katsa’s conscience threatens to compromise a mission, she dismisses it because a killer like her can not feel or judge, but solely obey.

That is, until she meets Prince Po of Leinid, who is Graced with superior fighting skills. Knowing Po changes Katsa and she ends up leading a rescue mission that also brings with it self-discovery and the knowledge of a dangerous secret that could destroy all of the kingdoms.

I really do not have much to say about Graceling. I have very few notes on it. I was indifferent to it for the majority of the book. I liked Po and Raffin (Katsa’s cousin) well enough, but Katsa was really hard to relate to (though to be fair, it was probably intended that way).

I found the idea of Graces quite interesting. Graced people were physically marked by heterochromatic eyes and the various Graces were crosses between extreme talent and power. Some Graced people seemed to get the short end of the stick when it came to Graces though.

Graceling became way more exciting for me during the last one hundred and fifty pages or so and I finally felt connected during those pages. I just with it had been like that for the whole book.

Recommended for fantasy lovers fourteen and up who are patient enough to hold on until the good stuff happens.

Seventeen-year-old Emily Morgan is an air elemental, but thankfully for her, she is not a pure elemental which means she does not have much power. It is a good thing too. The ones with too much power are rarely, if ever, safe…for others and themselves.

But when Emily takes a summer job only to find that fellow senior and extremely powerful earth elemental, Michael Merrick, frequents the place, she is both excited and fearful. Michael is good-looking and the total brooding type, but he and his family are her family’s mortal enemies.

She should stay away from him. It could never work out between them with her family on the warpath. But their attraction is too hard to ignore.

I read Elemental after reading Storm. While it is not necessary, I recommend that you read Elemental first. I only read Storm first because I was trying to get it done to post the review during its release week (which I did) and I felt like I was racing the clock (which was my own fault for losing track of time haha). Otherwise, I would have switched the order because things that happened to Michael and Emily appeared in passing more than a few times throughout Storm and so I already knew what was going to happen. I just did not know what happened during the beginning and the journey to get there, which definitely colored my view of this fifty page novella. 

Like Storm, Elemental has two points-of-view: Emily’s and Michael’s. This is something I really like in novels because 1) I think young adult books need more male perspectives and 2) I really enjoy the pairing of a female’s and male’s point-of-view. I also really enjoyed getting to know Emily and for that matter, really getting to know Michael because he is almost a different person in Elemental. I really understood him more after reading it. It also really showed how there are always two sides to every story, but it was also frustrating because most of the characters in both books only want to know their sides. Only time and three more books in the series proper will tell if a resolution comes to pass. I am all too ready for that journey!

Elemental provides a concise yet more in-depth view of Michael and introduces the reader to Emily. It was very bittersweet and beautiful for me because I read Storm first.

Recommended for fans of Storm and those fourteen and older who are interested in a new young adult series that features male perspectives with the paranormal twist of controlling the elements. One instance of minor violence.

KTeen has made Elemental available for free at all the major eBook retailers until 6 May 2012. KTeen asks for readers to use the #Elemental hashtag when posting about books in this series.

Kate spends her first summer away from the Underworld in Greece with James. But her sabbatical barely begins before she is caught up in a feud that goes back for millennia. 

The Goddess Hunt is a short story meant to not only give the reader a bit of information through a side story, but to tide the reader over between The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted. The reader also gets the chance to hear Kate’s voice again, but with the addition of Henry’s and Pollux’s voices.

The backstory is that Pollux and Castor, the Gemini twins, were duped by Zeus. Pollux is Zeus’s son, but Castor has a different father and is mortal. Pollux pleaded with Zeus to allow Castor to share his immortality and being clever, Zeus agreed by allowing them to alternate days in the Underworld and above. Pollux thought that meant they would be together, but Zeus had other intentions.

The story begins millennia ago when Pollux broke Castor out of the Underworld and they have been on the run ever since. Now it falls to Kate to sort out their dilemma despite their distrust of her as Henry’s wife.

I enjoyed The Goddess Hunt. There are so many myths I have never heard of and the one about the Gemini twins is one of them, even though, *gasp*, I am a Gemini! So the story held extra interest for me and I loved getting a glimpse of what Kate did during her first six months away.

Recommended for fans of The Goddess Test and mythology.

Some time has passed since the infant inconvenience was born to Lord and Lady Maccon and given the name of Prudence. Alexia and her gruff werewolf husband have settled into parenthood while living in Lord Akeldama’s second best closet. Lord Akeldama has spoiled his adopted daughter and everyone has settled into domestic bliss. That is, until Alexia receives a strange summons from Alexandria to call upon the vampire queen of the Alexandria Hive. The Maccons and Tunstells board a steamer for an adventure that will change everyone’s lives.

I am sad to see the Parasol Protectorate end but it ended very well and it was every bit as satisfying as the four books that preceded it: Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, and Heartless. Plus, Gail Carriger has penned a young adult spin-off with the first book coming out some time in February 2013 as well as another adult spin-off debuting some time in 2013, so at least I will be able to return to this world she has created in the future.

As for Timeless, a few new characters were introduced to the reader, but none that were meant to leave a lasting impression. This fifth and final installment was all about the characters we have already come to know and love throughout the series. Well, okay, I guess technically there was a new character of note although readers knew she would be coming for the last two books: the infant inconvenience in the flesh, Prudence Maccon. As a metanatural, she was a precocious toddler who was a fast learner because of her mother and her ability to steal the supernatural from werewolves and vampires, if only for a time.

The events of Timeless were almost too much for Alexia, especially toward the end. And readers know how much it takes to upset Alexia.

I did not think it was possible, but I came to love Professor Lyall and Biffy even more in this book. I really enjoyed every scene that involved one or both of them.

Alexia’s half-sister Felicity made another appearance which was thankfully brief because she had become even more evil and I was afraid of the trouble she might cause. 

Madame Lefoux made appearances throughout the book and although seeing her brought up some affection towards her from Alexia, she was not sure she could be trusted again.

Floote took a turn in character and it became clear that he put his promises to Alexia’s deceased father above all else. Still, by the end, Floote was able to maintain an air of secrecy.

Gail Carriger allowed her characters to reveal secrets to each other and to the readers, but she still left a lot to the imagination.

A lot of exciting things happened in Timeless and one thing that had me very worried. New relationships were formed between the characters and just diving back into Alexia’s world was like taking a vacation in another time. The Parasol Protectorate is truly a favorite series of mine and one I hope everyone will read. Now that this chapter is over, I hope to carve out time soon to read the whole series again, but back to back.

Recommended for teens and adults who enjoy steampunk blended with a few other genres.

Maddy Swift is a high school junior with only one real friend who can be overly dramatic. Her short-term dream is to finally attend the school’s formal with a date, so when the attractive new guy, Stamp, asks her to a house party, her life changes.

When Maddy sneaks out to meet Stamp, she ignores the bad storm and is struck by lightning. She awakens in what she thinks if a few minutes later, but quickly realizes something is very wrong.

Zombies Don’t Cry begins with a prologue before taking the reader to a period two weeks earlier. Maddy and her best friend, Haze, are in home ec class talking about the accidental deaths of three of their female classmates. Hazel believes the class is cursed. Maddy blows her off, but in a way, Hazel was right.

Zombies Don’t Cry was a relatively quick read that once again shook up my zombie beliefs. It was not the first zombie book I have read in which the zombies were able to function. It was the first that not only had a hierarchy of zombies, but also two different kinds of zombies. And the type of zombie one became depended on whether a person was bitten or experienced a high volume of electricity. Yes, electricity. The, I guess, mechanics of becoming a zombie and zombie nature that Rusty Fischer introduced were clever.

Other than that, I thought the plot was just alright and so were the characters. I have not forgotten them, but they do not stand out in my mind. I made it through Zombies Don’t Cry with no problem, but while nothing bothered me, nothing wowed me either.

Recommended for fans of zombie books and the paranormal. It may not be spectacular, but give it a try if you have the time.

Samantha Kingston is a good girl who has made some poor choices in her life that stem from her lack of popularity in elementary and early middle school and her now popular state. She has a popular, sought-after boyfriend, three popular best friends (Lindsay, Ally, and Elody), and anything else she could want as a senior in high school. Friday, February 12 is just another awesome day in her awesome life until it turns out to be her last.

But then, miraculously, she gets a second chance. Then a third, a fourth…reliving the last day of her life seven times gives her the chance to figure out the circumstances of her death and what she could lose.

In February, I downloaded the free Story Teen Crush sampler for Kindle and in between books, I decided to, well, sample. Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall was first on the sampler and the only sample I have gotten through so far. I kept thinking the sample would be short but it kept going for like five chapters and I.could.not.stop.reading. Samantha and her friends, Lindsay, Ally, and Elody, get into a terrible and likely fatal car accident, yet everything suddenly stopped and Sam woke up in her own bed…on the tragic day she just lived through.

And it kept happening. The first time the accident happened, I was reading quickly like I was tumbling down a hill - like a snowball rolling down a hill and it gets bigger and rolls faster. That was how I was reading each time I got closer to the time when everything stopped for Sam over and over again.. It was crazy and I knew I had to keep reading the book even though I had planned on reading something else.

Also, as I read, certain things about the story and the characters kept reminding me of the movie Mean Girls, but way harsher and less comedic. Sam and her friends were the mean girls although there was more going on there than that. There were also cliques and horrible pranks and readers would think that these kids would not do this stupid crap since their school’s nickname used to be Suicide High. But they did. And they partied hard because there was nothing else to do.

Real time thought from when I was reading:

It was really interesting to see the same day over and over again from different angles and to piece things together. Seven is a very significant number in religion and in more classical literature. There is a reason Lauren Oliver had seven chapters with Sam experiencing the same day seven times. Reliving the same day seven times with Sam was a new experience for me. I loved seeing the various sides of each character and the many way things could play out just by changing a few details. It was hard to hate the main characters, especially Lindsay, after learning more about them in that one day than I would have if each day was a new one. I actually pitied a lot of the characters, liked Sam, and wished and hoped really hard that everything would work out.

At 97% through Before I Fall, I started to realize what Sam might do and I felt my eyes go as big as saucers. Wow. I just - I finished Before I Fall late at night and I could not stop wondering about the aftermath. How would everyone else feel? I found myself studying each character in my mind and imagining what they went through after. I could not stop thinking about Sam’s bravery and I ached for everything that happened. Everything worked out - just not the way I thought it would.

Recommended for everyone - especially teens - but I really do not care how old you are. The story is exceptional, the characters are well-developed, and Before I Fall will keep you glued to its pages.

The idea of a United States of America is a mere tale, one that nobody believes was every real. In its place are the Colonies and the Republic, which covers the former western United States. Fifteen-year-old June is a member of one of the wealthy families of the Republic and a prodigy on her way to being the youngest new star of the military. On the other side of the tracks, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal, not because he is dangerous, but because his identity is unknown and he makes the government look bad.

After June’s older brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect, their paths cross as June seeks to avenge Metias’ death, while Day is intent on his family’s survival. The more June digs into Day’s past and into Metias’ journals, the more dread claims her as she realizes that Day and her beloved Republic are not what they seem.

I read Legend in anticipation for the Breathless Reads tour stop in Bethesda and actually finished it the morning of the event.

Legend alternates between Day and June in the first person and if you have the print version (not sure about the digital one) you will notice that Day’s point-of-view is in one font and color while June’s is in another font and color. I thought this was both fun and useful. If something distracted you from reading, you could resume without having to flip back to the beginning of a chapter to verify which character’s thoughts you were reading. I wonder why this idea is not used more often.

There are really only a few points I want to mention about Legend:

• I could see the world Marie Lu built as I read as if I were daydreaming. I just hope that if it makes it to the big screen (there are talks) that the movie people will stay true to the book.
• There was a moment towards the end with Day and his older brother John that brought tears to my eyes, particularly this: 

• What John did for Day moved me and saddened me so much. I was in shock and I could feel my eyes stinging but no tears would come. It was crazy. It was heartbreaking.
• There is so much pain on both sides in this book and it brought tears to my eyes yet again not far from the end.

Legend is definitely a worthwhile read. Do not let the possibility of tears or sadness deter you. I might not have picked it up before I knew I was going to the Breathless Reads tour, but I am very glad I did. No worries - it is the first in a trilogy, so there will be more!

Recommended for young adult readers fourteen and older who enjoy their post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels with a smidge of romance. If you like Possession by Elana Johnson or Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie, check out Legend!

The Cahill sisters are considered “bluestockings” - eccentrics. They have a good reason. They are witches and their mother was a witch. Before their mother was died, the eldest Cahill sister, Cate, promised to take care of her younger sisters Maura and Tess. She thought dressing down and staying out of society would keep them safe, but their reclusive lifestyle and end extra education have drawn more attention. When their father forces a governess on the girls, the Cahill sisters finally enter society as a new way to blend in. It is just in time, too, because the Brotherhood is arresting more and more girls as witches.

Born Wicked takes place in Maine in an alternate late nineteenth century that still deals with witch hunts, except there are real witches out there. The witches used to be in charge, but they were defeated by the Brotherhood, a dangerous and close-minded society of priests. Their counterpart is the Sisterhood, a society of women similar to nuns who take care of the charity side because women are not allowed as much power as men.

Jessica Spotswood’s debut is very good. I love how it is a late nineteenth century witch hunt mingled with Victorian fashion and technology. I loved Cate and Tess. Maura got on my nerves, but that could be because I am an only child. I do understand how she acted out of loneliness; it was just in the wrong ways.

Even though it irked me only for the reason that I do not have the next story in my hands, I enjoyed how things worked out and then did not quite work out. Though, all of that stuff better work out before the very end of the Cahill story!

As for the boys, there was really no contest for me. I loved Finn over Paul because Finn stood by Cate for all of the right reasons. I also loved his personality. And his loyalty. And the fact that he loved to read.

I liked the mystery of never knowing who was who and finding out how good some people acted and hid their identities. I never suspected and I was always worried about trickery or things back-firing - in a good way!

Recommended for young adult readers fourteen and older who enjoy a mixture of fantasy and historical fiction. And for those who want to know, it is a clean read!

Tessa Gray knows what she can do but still does not know what she is. Meanwhile, Mortmain, the man with the information, is lying low but still pulling the puppet strings. Because of losing Mortmain and unknowingly welcoming a spy into the London Institute, Charlotte Branwell is in danger of losing its control to Benedict Lightwood. In order to save the Institute, the Shadowhunters and Tessa must find concrete information on Mortmain. Their search instead uncovers more information about Tessa’s birth and secrets from Will’s past all while Tessa grows closer to Jem.

Cassandra Clare has done it again! It is almost impossible for me to dislike her The Infernal Devices books. They contain elements I can hardly resist: steampunk, the historical setting (albeit modified), fantastic characters who I care about, and irresistible storylines.

There are a few surprises in Clockwork Prince and Cassandra Clare still leaves enough unanswered to make me beg for more. From the beginning, I have loved the three main characters, Tessa, Will, and Jem, and with each page, chapter, and book, I love them more. I become more invested in them.

Clockwork Prince reveals things about Will that explain his behavior and increased my sympathy for him. In fact, everything Will went through in this book made me like him a bit more than Jem. Do not get me wrong - I love them both and I root for them both, but if they were real, I would want Will all to myself. Will’s personality and fire appeal to me more than Jem’s coolness and calmness. I would want Jem as a very good friend.

Anyway, enough gushing over fictional characters. I will not spoil Clockwork Prince for anyone, but I hope it came across how much I loved it. I want Clockwork Princess now and I wish that Cassandra Clare will change her mind and write more than three books in The Infernal Devices.

Recommended for readers sixteen and older who enjoy YA, steampunk, and paranormal elements. Definitely read this one!

Honor Larke had a rough childhood, but everything turned around when Thomas More took her in as his ward. Now in 1527, she has a choice: marry and fall into the role of obedient wife or serve Queen Catherine at court. Honor chooses the latter and soon finds that court life is not everything she thought it would be but she is loyal to the queen whose position is being undermined by Anne Boleyn.

Still, when the burning of heretics rubs Honor the wrong way - why should people die just for a difference in thought? - the lines of loyalty and religion blur and she finds her true calling and even romance in the form of Richard Thornleigh.

Written in the third person from multiple viewpoints (but mostly Honor’s), The Queen’s Lady was a delight to read. It was an original story revolving around fictional characters who believably interacted with the historical figures in the novel.

I had not expected to enjoy The Queen’s Lady as much as I did, but Honor Larke was a great main character and all of the other characters were great as well. The story was awesome. An ahead-of-her-time woman, undercover missions, intrigue, secrets, a slow romance - it all came together rather nicely. There are more books in this series and I look forward to reading them.

Recommended for historical fiction and Tudor era lovers.