Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Fantasy/Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: supernatural, witches, magic, parallel universes

Setting: Salem, Massachusetts

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, past tense: Lilly Proctor

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 374 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: MacMillan: Feiwel and Friends

Summary/ product description: “This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.”

My Review:  This was a surprisingly good book. It’s a very unique combination of YA generas of both fantasy and sci-fi. Lily is taken to a parallel universe by an alternate version of herself. The other version of Lily, Lillian, is in change of Salem and a bit of a tyrant. Lily just wants to go home. Then she meets Rowan, a mechanic. He can do magic and tells Lily that she can too. She’s just like Lillian, and she has to explain that she’s not Lillian. Rowan teaches Lily to use her power.

The world building is really interesting. Witches are real and they run the energy of the world. They make all the scientific discoveries. Scientists are considered bad and hung as heretics. I especially love the idea of willstones. They’re a magical kind of technology that stores memories, power and information. They can help a user do magic. Regulars can do a little magic with them, but magical users can do more. They come in three colors. I love books with magical jewelry and amulets.

The romance is really great. There’s the complication that Lily and Lillian look the same. Rowan used to love Lillian until she started hanging scientists. Lily is like Lillian in some ways. She’s stubborn, but unlike Lillian she cares about people and doesn’t want to hurt them. Rowan is so gentle with her and help teach her to use her power. He prevents her from pushing too hard. They share memories with each other through willstones and they even share kisses later on. It’s a nice kind of romance.

This book was an exciting change of pace. It reminded me of a few other books I’ve read, but it’s still very unique. The book Tandem by Anna Jarzab is also about a girl who end up an a parallel universe and find herself in a similar situation. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz and is also about a normal girl taken to a magical world and has to defeat an evil Dorothy (who’s kind of a witch now). If you liked either of those, you may enjoy this book. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Cover Art Review: It’s a nice cover and fits the book. The girl seems a bit generic and like it’s not Lily really. I like the castle, though.

Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Series: The Styclar Saga (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, immortality, vampires, angels, demons, magic

Setting: The U.K. (England and Wales), France and other various places

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Cessie/Lailah

Age/Grade Level: Teen (12 & up, but also feels like New Adult)

Length: 388 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Macmillan: Feiwel & Friends

Summary/ product description: “Over one million Wattpad readers have made Lailah a sensation!

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely Allie – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.”

My Review:  This book took me way too long to finish. Almost a week, probably because I was busy. This is not a fast paced read, though. The idea behind the book is good, but I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for a new series that has vampires playing a major role.

I liked the angel stuff in this book, and the mystery of what Cessie/Lailah is. There’s something unique and interesting about the book, but sometimes it felt to wordy or clunky. I don’t know how much the editor smoothed out from the original Wattpad version, but maybe some stuff could have been cut? Maybe I had a hard time reading it was because it was written by a British woman and they talk differently there.

The romance was pretty interesting. It’s a little love-triangle like, but not in a very Twilight way. Jonah reminded me of Damon from the Vampire Diaries. Jonah’s American. He’s got a bad boy persona and a romantic nicer side. He kept bugging Cessie about whether or not she’s human or a vampire or something else. He’s get-under-your-skin annoying, but you can’t help but like him. Gabriel is more mysterious and very loving and caring. He’s light and love. He’s not the real Gabriel, the Arch Angel, but a younger angel “descendent.” Lailah has feeling for both, and makes out with them and let’s Jonah drink her blood.

The setting is very atmospheric. The story takes place in wintertime so there’s snow and Christmas and cold. It’s set in the U.K. and then they go to France too. They’re in the countryside mostly, but sometimes a city or town. I kept picturing winter landscape paintings and quaint towns.

The very end of the book made me interested in reading the sequel. As much as I struggled with this first book, I will probably check out the second book Gabriel. There have been some series in which the first book feel “meh” to me and then I read the sequel and think: “Why did I even dislike the first book? This is awesome!” My advice is don’t read a wordy book when you a sleepy because it will seem boring even during an action scene. Or maybe read Lailah as an ebook so you can change the type size. Sometimes good story a ruined by bad typography and design in print books. I read Lailah as an ARC.

I recommend this book to fans of Twilight, Fallen, Hush, Hush, Everneath, Halo (Alexandra Adornetto), Embrace series by Jessica Shirvington. If you still love reading vampire books or even angel books, then you should try reading this book.

Cover Art Review: I like the cover. The hands are a bit creepy. The girl looks angelic. The title has A’s that look like bloody vampire fangs.

In My Mailbox 10-12-2014

I won a copy of Lailah and am reading it now:

I bought these at various places:

I got all of these at the library:

These two books I ordered from B&N and have not arrived yet:

I won this through Goodreads, but still haven't gotten it either:

Don't know if I'll read Passion Blue because I don't read Hist Fic. I didn't remember entering the giveaway. I probably entered it because the cover.

The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Series: Brokenhearted (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Action Thriller

Subjects: crime, criminals, abilities, genetic alteration, vigilantes, superheroes, superpowers, revenge, love, ballerinas

Setting: the City of Bedlam (an alternate version of Chicago)

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Anthem Fleet

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 336 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen and Alloy Entertainment

Summary/ product description: “A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become.

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.”

My Review:  I decided to finally read this book after a year of having it sitting on my shelf. I bought it originally because I though it was set in Chicago. It’s actually set in Bedlam, a city that is based off on Chicago. It’s an alternate reality version of Chicago that’s like Gotham from Batman. Since Gotham premiered on Fox, if you’re a YA reader who enjoys Gotham or the Batman movies, then you’ll love The Brokenhearted. Also if you love Arrow on the CW or this older show called Dark Angel.

Anthem Fleet is a ballerina and daughter of the building commissioner on the north side of Bedlam. Her family lives in the penthouse atop Fleet Tower. Like Bruce Wayne, she comes from a rich family, but unlike his her family doesn’t get murdered. Anthem starts seeing a guy from the south side and a deep relationship quickly develops.  Then, he’s kidnapped and Anthem must get the kidnappers money or they’ll kill him. Anthem escaes and falls into a river and wakes up with a bionic heart that changes her and aids her in revenge

I really enjoyed this book. I kept hoping to find out that Bedlam is Chicago in the future like in Divergent, but it’s okay if it’s more of a fantasy city. Anthem starts out naïve and kind of plain but then changes. She is a fiery redhead with green eyes and she’s becomes a badass pretty quickly. Who knew ballet was so kick-ass? Anyway, a guy named Ford trains her. Out of all the guys Anthem knows/meets in the book, Ford’s the most interesting and sexy. He’s like Four, but with Bruce Wayne looks. Dark hair, olive toned skin. He’s also got a sense of humor. Anthem’s ex Will is a mean jerk and blackmails her. Gavin’s the one who get kidnapped.

The Brokenhearted is a crazy-awesome thrill ride that’s very reminiscent of comic books and graphic novels. There’s so many book I can compare it too, not just TV, movies and superhero stuff. If you liked Divergent, Shatter Me, Die For Me, Cinder, Dark Star, Mila 2.0, False Memory. It’s very much like urban fantasy, minus anything paranormal. It’s action sci-fi, not steam punk. People have cell phones and dye their hair in punky colors and other modern things. If that sound like something you’d like to read, then give this book a read.

 Cover Art Review: Love the mechanical heart illustration and the title.

The sequel, The Invisible, came out October 7^th, 2014.