Feral Pride by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Series: Feral (bk. 3) Spin-Off to Tantalize series

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Semi-Dystopian

Subjects: shape-shifters, demons, supernatural

Setting: Texas, near and in Austin

POV/Tense: 1st person POV present tense. Rotating between Aimee, Clyde, Kayla and Yoshi.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 285 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “The explosive finale to the Feral series by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Anti-shifter sentiment is at an all-time high when Kayla’s transformation to werecat is captured on video and uploaded for the world to see. Suddenly she becomes a symbol of the werebeast threat and—along with fellow cat Yoshi, lion-possum Clyde, and human Aimee—a hunted fugitive. Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed weresnake has kidnapped the governor of Texas and hit the airwaves with a message of war. In retaliation, werepeople are targeted by law enforcement, threatened with a shift-suppressing vaccine, terrorized by corporate conspiracy, and enslaved by a top-secret, intelligent Cryptid species. Can Clyde rally his inner lion king to lead his friends—new and old—into battle against ruthless, media-savvy foes? A rousing blend of suspense, paranormal romance, humor, and high action.”

My Review:  As the final book of the Feral series, Feral Pride brings the series to an epic conclusion. The book switched between four character’s perspectives this time: Clyde, Aimee, Yoshi and Kayla. It picks up from right after the events of Feral Curse. As a fan of the Tantalize series, I loved that the author wrote a three-book spin-off series based around other characters.

I also loved that there books focus on the shifter and the social prejudices on whether they are considered human since they can become animals. The main characters (except Aimee, whose and normal human) are all some type a were-cat. Clyde is actually were-lion and were-possum and Aimee calls him a Lossum. So many books are about werewolves and vampires, that’s it’s cool to see different types of creatures or beings. There’s also were-deer, foxes, vultures, otters, dolphins, orcas, rabbits, tigers, bears, and so many more.

The book starts out with all four of the main characters, plus Kayla’s friend Jess are driving in Jess’s father police cruiser, trying to get to Oklahoma, but the never get out the state. The governor of Texas has been taken hostage by a supposed snake-shifter named Seth. Reptile shifters don’t exist, according to what they’ve heard from Kieran (Quince’s boyfriend and werewolf). They go back to Austin and are being pursued by agents of the FHPU. The snow people/yetis from the previous book are likely behind what’s going on and Clyde and friends have to find a way to stop them.

We get to meet Clyde’s biological dad. Noelle returns and she even dressed up as an X-men character. Aimee’s father is also in the book, and possibly (unknowingly) working for the yetis. So much happens in this 285 page book. It’s so full of excitement and I hate that it’s over. I think that this series together could make one amazing TV show. There’s something very episodic and the world building is detailed. I love how it’s like an alternate universe in which shifter have been know to exist since the mid-1800s.

I really hope that Cynthia can write another amazing paranormal or maybe sci-fi series because her books are humorous. I love how she creates banter between the characters. The friendship are so well written that the character feel like my friends. I recommend this series if you enjoyed Tantalize, Eternal, Blesses and Diabolical. Also if you like the Curse Workers series by Holly Black. Or the Other series, Night World series, and anything with werewolves, shape-shifters and other paranormal beings.

Cover Art Review: Is that the Austin skyline? Probably. There’s a lion, which Clyde is able to turn into.

Empire of Shadows by Miriam Foster

Series: Bhinian Empire (bk. 2) Prequel to City of a Thousand Dolls

Genera(s): High Fantasy

Subjects: Asian mythology, shape-shifters, supernatural, body guards

Setting: The Bhinian Empire, which is under a dome that cuts it off from the rest of the world.

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, past tense rotating between Mara and Emil

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 489 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.

Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?

Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.”

My Review:  Empire of Shadows is the prequel to City of a Thousand Dolls. It takes place years before the events in that book occur. I was hoping for a sequel that would involve the dome around the empire coming down and everyone discovering that the world outside was different, but this is not the case. That was the only this that disappointed me about this book. That, and it was almost 500 pages long. It was not quite as good as City of a Thousand Dolls was, but still pretty awesome, and I gave it four stars.

Mara is a tiger sune, but she has stayed in human form for years because she’s afraid of loosing control again. She trained with the Order of Khatar to become a bodyguard and regain her honor. She sets to find the one she will pledge to. The other main character, Emil, is part of the Kildi, a wind caste band of travelers descended from the old empire. They sell only what the make. They’re kind of like a gypsy bandwagon, but they trade rather than con. Emil has a fraternal twin brother named Stefan, and their father is the leader of their group. His father holds him up to high standard and his brother is always frowned upon for immaturity.

This is an amazing fantasy series. It’s completely different from the generic high fantasy books that are based off of medieval England and Europe, and other western cultures. The mythology and culture is Asian, non-western, mainly India with some Japanese and Chinese elements mixed in. The Sune, which are animal-spirit shape-shifters, come from Shintoism, a Japanese religion. The story is tale of culture, friendship, romance, adventure and discovery. Mara is trying to redeem herself, and Stefan is going after his brother. They both are searching for something and learning. There was fight and action with claws and weapon, humor and witty conversation, amazing world building. It’s a well-rounded, unique fantasy that also has paranormal and dystopian elements.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed fantasy books such as: Soulbound by Heather Brewer, Shadows and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, and Prophecy by Ellen Oh. Those who enjoyed paranormal books such as Vampire Acamdemy by Richelle Mead. Also those who enjoyed dystopian books such as Divergent by Veronica Roth (the castes are like factions, kind of), The Selection by Kiera Cass, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, and any dystopian book that takes place in a cut off society or under a dome.  

Cover Art Review: I love the colors and the text. The symbols still confuse me. I don’t know what caste they each represent. Colin Anderson is the cover designer and he did the Burning Sky covers too.

Black Heart by Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Alternate History

Subjects: curses, magic, supernatural, criminals

Setting: New Jersey and New York

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Cassel Sharpe

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 296 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Summary/ product description: “Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty; he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas and a plan to con the conmen.”

My Review:  I finally got around to finishing the Curse Workers trilogy. This is the final book, which came out in April 2012. I waited over 2 years. Red Glove, the second book, I read about 3 years ago. I haven’t forgotten the characters, but I couldn’t remember everything that happened. I still enjoyed this final book and will miss Cassel’s narration.

Holly Black is an amazing YA writer. I read all her Modern Faerie Tales book, and Curse Workers series. She’s great at creating interesting, unique characters. Cassel is unique because he’s a criminal with heart. He’s a con artist with charisma and guilt (so not a sociopath or psychopath). He’s also a transformation worker, which means he can change people and things into other things. He only found out his power recently. His brother Barron is a memory worker, so he had taken Cassel’s memory of his powers.

Lila Zacharov is Cassel’s on-off-girlfriend. She was forced into love by Cassel’s mother, a emotion worker. Lila loves Cassel for real, but Cassel still thinks it’s not real. He feels guilty about turning her into a white cat and being made to believe that he had killed her. Daneca and Sam are Cassel’s friends who like each other, but aren’t really dating. Daneca has a secret boyfriend. In the previous books we see that she’s into Worker’s rights and protesting.

My favorite thing about this book series has been the word building. It’s Alternate History Paranormal because it’s set in a world where there people with a gene that makes them able to curse or help someone with their power by touching them with their hands. Everyone wears gloves in public because they don’t want to be worked/cursed by someone. This series echoes the theme of racism of African Americans with Curse Workers as the minorities and has a touch of politics alongside its crime fantasy. And there are modern (magical) mobsters, in New Jersey.

Governor Patton of New Jersey is against workers and tries to pass a law about not allowing workers in government positions. Cassel is recruited by a special government organization to assassinate Patton by turning him into something. Barron is part of this organization, but he’s kind of a double agent. There’s a girl name Mina at his school that’s supposedly being blackmailed and want his help. Cassel doesn’t know whom to trust. Everyone wants his power or something from him.

If you have not read the Curse Workers series, then you should check it out. I recently read V for Villain by Peter Moore. It was similar, but this doesn’t have superheroes. Transparent by Natalie Whipple is about a crime boss’s daughter that has a special power. Half Bad by Sally Green had a similar protagonist, though set in the UK. White Cat, Red Glove and Black Heart by Holly Black are the 3 books in the Curse Workers trilogy. They are worth read for fans of paranormal YA.

Cover Art Review: I love the new cover with the dots and almost Art Deco style. I loved the original covers too, but these are great.