Review of THE CRIMSON CROWN

With this last book in the Seven Realms books, Cinda Williams Chima has created a satisfying ending for this epic series.  This book really moves along, with action, magic, intrigue, romance and peril.  Catching up with the characters and past events takes a bit of time (and I didn't want to reread the last book), but it is totally worth it.  Don't try to read this book without reading the earlier three books.  Highly recommended - 4 Elves

Review of THE RAVEN BOYS

THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater is the beginning of a new series, and it is a winner.  Teenager Blue comes from a family of eccentric clairvoyants.  Her family has repeatedly warned her that she will cause her true love to die.  On St. Mark's Eve, she accompanies her family to see the dead walk; she never sees them, but her powers help the dead speak.  For the first time this year, a dead boys speaks to her; the boy's name is Gansey, and he attends a school for the wealthy called Aglionby.  Blue is drawn to Gansey and his friends, known as The Raven Boys, and joins them in their search for a dead king.  As their friendship and the search progresses, Blue begins to hope that the prophecy won't come true.  The ending opens the door to more adventures of Blue and The Raven Boys.  4 Elves- Highly Recommended.

BELLADONNA: Book Two of the Elven Chronicles

BELLADONNA: Book Two of the Elven Chronicles (by Marya Ashworth) is published and ready for purchase from  bookstores and Amazon.com

Review of SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman

This amazing novel has it all:  palace intrigue, inter-species love (and war) and glorious music, described so well you can almost hear it.  The story started out a bit slow, but soon the reader is strolling the corridors of the castle as easily as exploring the intricate world of Seraphina's mind.  I'm looking forward to the sequel because I'm not ready to give up this complex world with its fascinating human and dragon characters. 4 Elves - Highly Recommended

Review of THE FALSE PRINCE - Jennifer A. Nielsen

Four orphan boys become part of a treacherous plan to save a kingdom from civil war.  But one of the boys (called Sage) may not be who he appears to be.  As the layers of deceit expand, no one can be trusted.  Sage is an unlikely hero who demands your affection.  I loved this tale of palace intrigue - looking forward to a possible sequel.  4 Elves - highly recommended.

Review of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS-John Green

Why did it take me so long to read this book?  The critics all loved it, it was a New York Times Bestseller and several friends recommended it, but finally I bought and read it... and fell in love.  I fell in love with smart-talking Hazel and her perfect match, Augustus, and didn't want the book to end.  I don't want to give away any of the plot, so all I will say is:  4 Elves - Highly Recommended.

Review of WAKE by Amamda Hocking

I really enjoyed this author's Trylle trilogy, so I read her recent book with anticipation.  Her book idea is an interesting concept, and I liked her characters Gemma, Harper, Alex and Daniel, but the conclusion felt too rushed and not very satisfying.  I would have liked to see more development of Penn, Lexie and Thea; they felt a bit one-dimensional, but maybe that will come in future books. 3 Elves - Recommended

Review of STORK by Wendy Delsol

Knowing nothing about this YA fantasy, I bought the book for its cover, and I'm glad that I did. The book was a pleasant surprise; I'm reading the sequel currently.  High school student Katla moves from hip Los Angeles to Norse Falls, Minnesota and is inducted into an ancient, magical  order of women with a unique duty.  Full of Icelandic myth and fairy tales, the book melds small-town life with Katla's sense of high fashion.  Katla's world is further shaken when she meets the mysterious Jack.  Recommended - 3 Elves

Review of BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore

Bitterblue became queen of Monsea at age 10, when her father, the evil King Leck, was slain.  Now the queen is 18 and trying to heal a kingdom still reeling from Leck's horrid crimes.  Tired of paperwork and not trusting her advisors, she dons a disguise and ventures out into the city alone to try to discover some truths about Lecks' reign.  In the city, she befriends a handsome thief who opens her eyes and complicates her life.  The book slows greatly when she concentrates on deciphering the codes of embroidery from her mother and writings of King Leck, but picks up nicely for the conclusion.  In addition to palace intrigue, the return of Katsa and Fire from the first two books will delight fans.  Looking forward to the next book and Bitterblue's journey.  Highly Recommended - 4 Elves

Award-winner

Very exciting news:  my book, MARIGOLD: Book One of the Elven Chronicles, was picked as the winner in the Children's Fiction category of the 2012 International Book Awards!

Review of FEVER by Lauren DeStefano

In this sequel to WITHER, Rhine and Gabriel have fled the mansion and Rhine's evil father-in-law, Vaughn. But, the world outside the mansion is fraught with danger. The couple struggles to travel to Manhattan to reconnect with Rhine's twin brother, but time is running out. And, time is ever more priceless in a world where young women die by age twenty and men by twenty-five. As Rhine searches for her twin, Vaughn is determined to track them down and bring Rhine back to the mansion. 3 Elves - Recommended

Review of DRAGONSWOOD

DRAGONSWOOD by Janet Lee Carey has a lost prince, dragons, witch hunters and fairies - also, a great cover. I enjoyed this book and found the characters sympathetic and complex. When the main character, Tess, enters the realm of the fairies, it bogged down for several chapters, but the pace picked up at the exciting conclusion. Although there is a companion novel, DRAGON'S KEEP, the novel is complete with no other book needed. Recommended - 3 Elves

Review of THE SCORPIO RACES

I loved Maggie Stiefvater's trilogy SHIVER, LINGER & FOREVER, so I was very excited to read her latest book. Although I love horses, I found that I didn't really get into this book until I was about a third of the way into it. Initially, I just didn't care enough about the characters, but by the end of the book I was involved. Her main characters, Puck and Sean, grew on me and soon, I was rooting for them to win the race and somehow have the outcome benefit both of them (even though only one could win the race). The ending is pretty satisfying overall. Recommended - 3 Elves

Review of LEGEND

LEGEND, the debut novel from Marie Lu, is a fantasy thriller set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Day, a rebel fighting the Republic, and June, one of the Republic's best soldiers, seem like an unlikely couple, but tragic events throw them together. June eventually begins to doubt the Republic's mission, thanks to Day and some journals that belonged to her brother. The exciting conclusion leaves the reader anticipating the sequel. 4 Elves - Highly Recommended

Review of CINDER

CINDER, a debut novel by Marissa Meyer, is a very creative retelling of the Cinderella story. Set in the future in plaque-ravaged New Beijing, it is populated with cyborgs, androids and Lunars as well as some fascinating humans, including a Prince Charming. There is also an evil stepmother/guardian, stepsisters who obsess about clothes and an android who is the closest to a fairy godmother.

Cinder is a top-notch mechanic, usually covered in grease, who meets the Prince when he comes to her to fix his android. As the plague quickly moves through the marketplace, Cinder's role in finding a cure is layered with a threat of intergalactic war and hints of Cinder's true identity.

The ending makes us long for the sequel, but we'll have to wait because there will be three more books in the series. Highly Recommended - 4 Elves

Review of THE NIGHT CIRCUS

I just finished THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and wanted to post while the images from the book were still in my head. This debut novel is filled lyrical descriptions of darkness and dazzling light, much like the black and white-striped tents of the amazing circus. Magic permeates this tale of lovers thrown together yet kept apart by the nocturnal circus. Initially when I started reading this book, I felt that too much time was spent describing fabulous acts and characters, but by the time I was near the end, the pace seemed just right. 4 Elves - Highly Recommended