Endure by Carrie Jones

Series: Need (bk. 4)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Pixies, magic, shape-shifters, Maine, Iceland, mythology, Norse mythology, supernatural, werewolves

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 260 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Summary/ product description: “It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.
Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .
Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: Another conclusion to yet another series I loved. I keep having to say goodbye. I hate saying goodbye! I love Zara’s narration. I so funny and awesome! And Issie is the awesomesauce best friend that I always wanted. (She like the show Fringe!!!!!) I just disappointed about Nick because I loved him in the 1^st two books. In Twilight terms, if Nick to Jacob (cause he’s a werewolf) what Astley is to Edward (cause they’re both sorta sparkly) than I am still Team Nick all the way. Even if he doesn’t like that Zara’s turned Pixie. This book went very quick. I think it could have been longer, but I am still happy with it. I loved the part when she was training other teens how to fight pixies in the YMCA gym. So they go back to Iceland, which is really cool. They search for Hel. Awesome stuff happens. I really don’t want to spoil the ending. It’s a good one, but I still was slightly disappointed. I still give it 5 stars just because it’s the kind of book I was in the mood for. And everything is perfecting wrapped up at the end (Holiday pun is intended).

Anyways, since I just read Endlessly by Kiersten White before this, and Flock by Wendy Delsol, I can’t help comparing this the series to those too. The Stork series was also Norse mythology based and the Paranormalcy series has a quirky heroine, Evie, who is the blond, pink-loving version of Zara (and Katla too. Zara is very similar to Stork’s Katla). I just love books with lots of humor.

This book a great read for the holidays. This whole series is. The wintery world of Bedford, Maine and all the Norse Mythology, perfect for Christmastime.

Cover Art Review: I love that all the covers go together with gold and black and white. I love the serif typeface of the title. I love the gold designs. I love that golden/orange eye.

 

~Haley G

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Series: Stork (bk. 2)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/fantasy

Subjects: Mythology, Iceland, the Snow Queen, Magic

Length: 376 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “After the drama of discovering that she’s a member of the Storks, a mystical order of women endowed with powerful abilities, Katla Leblanc is finally settling into her life in chilly Minnesota. In fact, the ex-California girl even hopes for a white Christmas. So when the snow starts to fall on a romantic sleigh ride with her boyfriend, Jack, it seems like the perfect present. However, before she knows it, Katla's wintry wish spirals out of control, turning into the snowstorm of the century.
The unusual weather draws unexpected attention. Environmental scientist Brigid Fonnkona is runway gorgeous, utterly charming, and far too interested in Jack for Katla's comfort, especially after Jack is singled out to help with Brigid's research. Between Stork duties, rehearsals for the school production of The Snow Queen, and checking off items on her bedridden, pregnant mother's to-do lists, Katla has zero time to investigate, even as she notices Jack's long hours in the lab and the growing tension between the two of them. Then Brigid selects Jack to accompany her on a research expedition to Greenland, and Jack's cold good-bye leaves Katla wondering where they stand, but when Jack goes missing above the Arctic Circle, Katla knows she's the only one who can find him.
In this sequel to Stork, Wendy Delsol take readers back to Norse Falls and beyond, as Katla finds the grit and spirit to rescue the boy she loves.”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê ê

My Review: This sequel has to be one of the best, most fulfilling sequels I have ever read. I wasn’t really disappointed about anything. It was a funny, exciting read, especially since it’s winter. So much happened in this book, that it took me a few days to read it because I had to soak it in. Most of the book is in Minnesota, but later it’s in Iceland and gets even more exciting and adventurous. You get to see even more of this mythological secret world that the author created. This book it less about the soul delivering and more about love’s trials and limits.

Kat is funny and quirky as ever. I had a laugh at least every page or so, sometime many times a page. These books remind me a bit of the Need series because Katla’s humor is similar to Zara’s (or the authors’).

Jack become infatuated with Brigit (but not “in love”) He’s obsessed with the climate work they’re doing, and he’s not around Katla a lot. I felt like they were gonna break up, but he’s probably just so memorized that he’s forgetting. I’m not gonna spoil it because some of it’s pretty obvious. It’s a great book, even better than the first.

Over all I recommend it because it surpassed the 1^st book and it’s awesome to read during winter.

Cover Art Review: Sparkly plastic paper. The icicles are gorgeous in purple, and that lady looks just like they described Bridget aka the Snow Queen. The actual hard cover is so pretty if you have it in real life, not just a photo.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Haley G