Review: Spellcaster

Spellcaster
Release Date: 1st March 2013
Pages: 389
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers Australia
Author: Claudia Gray
Source: Purchased at Kmart
Purchase Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Goodreads:
When Nadia's family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed. 

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

Trailer:

Review:
Spellcaster is a paranormal YA - the first in a trilogy by Claudia Gray (pseudonym). Like the last book, I chose this book based on the cover and the blurb, which caught me on the promise of a star-crossed romance.
Nadia, her father and brother move to Captive's Sound to start fresh after her mother left them. Nadia is descendant from witches, and as the rule goes, the mother teaches the daughter how to develop her magic and no man born of a woman can ever know the truth about witches. Well with her mum out of the picture, her magic may be strong, but not developed enough to take on something bigger, which is a problem considering something is brewing in the new town.

Something unique about the way Claudia reinvented witches is through spells. Instead of mixing potions, spells are done through memories, thoughts and emotions while touching pendants on jewellery. One example is when she did a spell to part water. She thought "The love of a child. A living thing rising from the earth. Hope through grief" as she touched her pendant. However this didn't work on its own, she then had to think about old memories - her brother taking his first step, spring and their move. It was a bit of a risk for Claudia to do this, but kudos for trying something new. The downside to this is it got a bit annoying for me and I found myself skipping past her memories.

The entire town seems to be ridden with magic, secrets, curses, mysterious deaths and strange behaviour. It is Nadia's mission to find out what is causing everything and to be an end to it, to save her family, new friends, the town and new love interest.
In terms of the characters, they are a bit weak, but I put it down to the curses and I have a feeling they will build up in the next book. There isn't as much drama as I expected, which is refreshing.

Down to the reason I chose this book - the promise of a star-crossed romance between Nadia and Mateo. Sadly I was disappointed in the lack of any romance. It was the equivalent to two children holding hands in a playground - a lack of passion and no connection. I finished the book wondering if the main characters wanted to be together at all. Claudia writes as though they were in love and meant to be, but based on the events in the story, nothing happens beyond a glance or two.

Cover:
Simple and magical cover with a great choice of fonts and colours. The cover doesn't give anything from the story away, except that it's about a girl.

Final Comments:
This book was good, however I found that it dragged on a bit and I was just waiting for things to happen. It has some interesting bits and I think the overall story is strong, but the build up is so slow that it took me several attempts to read it. There is a cliff hanger which is expected, and I liked most of the characters, but it just didn't have a wow factor for me. 
The story continues with Steadfast which will be out in March this year.

Rating:

Review: Linger

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls) Book #2

Release Date: 21st July 2010

Pages: 416

Publisher: Scholastic

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Source: Purchased (Waterstones)

Purchase Book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Goodreads
Grace and Sam must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past... and figuring out a way to survive the future.
But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could have never expected...

Review:

At the end of Shiver, we were left with a bit of a cliff hanger. Did the cure work? Is Sam a wolf forever or will he become human? If you have yet to read the first book, I warn you there are spoilers for the previous book as this one jumps an entire space of time between books. So shield your eyes!

Obviously you know a love story can’t continue without the main protagonist going on with the love of his life. Enter the first line in the first chapter “This is a story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who is becoming one.” I was instantly reminded of Romeo and Juliet. The author presents us with a random statement at the beginning and will go on to explain what exactly it all means.

After the first book, we saw Sam and Grace build their relationship, although it was difficult to understand what they saw in each other. The focus being on Sam being a wolf and how would they work it all out. Shiver on the other hand is about Sam and Grace finally being able to be together, planning their future and generally being all merry.... enter the evil parents that are anti teenage freedom. With every teen love story, parents are bound to get in the way, along with annoying characters that are bent on killing wolves and newly formed wolves with issues. This story is choca-block with drama. We are introduced to a new wolf, Cole who comes with a tonne of baggage and we finally get to see how the effect of her brother’s death plays on Isabel. Throw in another minor romance and a death and you got yourself a pretty well rounded second book. The thing that makes this book a bit easier to read than the first is that there more substance to Grace and Sam’s relationship. We learn more about them both, their qualities and what they could possibly see in each other. They may seem like polar opposites but like they say opposites attract and their romance is quite sweet.... with the exception of the whole potential doomed future.

Interesting bits:

Continuing in the same format as the first book, It is written in alternate chapters. This time instead of just Grace and Sam’s point of view, we are getting perspectives from an array of characters... it is actually pretty creative and it gives you the chance to see how all the characters behave around set events. My only issue was keeping up with which character was narrating.

Cover:

Following the same design as the first, a fantastic cover, again with different designs depending on the country you purchase the book. I love the graphic style of the black, white and red, this time with a bit more white negative space for snow. The US was alright, but doesn't grab my attention is much as the previous US cover (below). Which do you prefer?

Final Comments:
Sadly this book didn’t leave me speechless. While it was written well and has some interesting twists, I found it a bit predictable. That’s not to say I won’t be continuing on to the third book, as this book still managed to leave me wanting to know what happens next. I find I need to run to the bookstore, because even though Grace and Sam’s relationship was odd at times, they grew on me and I want to know how it will all turn out. If you have read the first, I would definitely recommend reading this book. If you are new to the series and love your wolves, fantasy, mythology or YA books, why not give it a go. I give this book 3 acorns as the author threw me into the book without an explanation as to what happened between the two books and there was something else missing for me. Happy reading!

I would love to know what you thought of the book. If you have also read the final book, please do share links to your reviews in the comments section as I will be sharing a collection of the final reviews for the last book.

Rating:

Review: Stefan's Diaries v.5: The Asylum

Stefan's Diaries: The Asylum

Release Date: UK 5th April 2012 (Paperback) | US 17th Jan 2012
Pages: 221
Publisher: Harper Teen
Author: L.J. Smith
Source: Bought (from Amazon US)
Purchase book: Amazon UK | Amazon US

Goodreads
The hunters become the hunted. . . .

Driven from their hometown of Mystic Falls, both Stefan Salvatore and his brother, Damon, arrived in Europe looking for a fresh start. But Samuel, a wealthy and cunning vampire, has other plans for them. First he ruined Stefan’s peaceful existence and now he’s framing Damon for the most gruesome murders London has ever seen.

United against their common enemy, Stefan and Damon are stunned when they realize that the source of Samuel’s rage lies in their past—tied up with the woman who forever changed their lives. Haunted by the memory of Katherine, the brothers find that their uneasy alliance is tested. Can they overcome their rivalry to defeat Samuel before he exacts his final revenge?

Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

The Asylum is the 5th installment in the Stefan's Diaries series. Continuing from The Ripper, Stefan and Damon have now come to an understanding, joining forces as brothers to defeat the enemy Samuel, who is tormenting them all over London, framing Damon as Jack the Ripper and killing off those close to Stefan.
With Violet's sister Cora in tow, the trio are heading back to London to find a way to get Violet back and rid the world of Samuel. Unfortunately for the brothers Samuel seems to be an indestructable vampire that just wont die, leaving Stefan and Damon to come up with a variety of ways to bring him down.

Now that Damon's reputation is on the line and the entire London police force is looking for him, they are left to go into hiding while planning their attack on Samuel. Thankfully, while Cora may be human, it is her emotional strength and spirit that keep the group together. She appears to be the first woman after Katherine that has the respect of both brothers with no need to fear for her own life.

While at first you may think its a simple seek and destroy vampire story, it's really seek and attempt to destroy, try again, someone dies, fail, try again, someone dies, fail, try again..... you get the idea. It goes on and on until you wish you could go and destroy Samuel yourself.
The great thing about this book is that readers get the chance to learn more about Damon and Stefan's relationship and another side of Katherine's secret life that not even the brothers expected.

Cover:
Similar to the previous book, it maintains a cool look. I bought the US edition, but it is exactly the same as the UK edition, just with different fonts and chapter designs. I am not entirely sure if this is Katherine or Elena on the cover. It may not make a difference either way.

Final Comments:
Continuing from the 4th book, it doesn't progress very far. As I mentioned early, the seek and destroy vampire sequence goes on and on, spiraling out of control. If it was shortened and merged with the previous book, I may have enjoyed it more, but to be honest, it does drag on a bit. Nevertheless if you are a TVD fan, there are some things you would love to know in this book, which I won't spoil.
It doesn't come out in the UK until April, but if you are desperate to read it, the US edition is available online. Keep in mind if you are keen on keeping your collection the same, the cover is slightly different and the US don't have a glossy cover like the UK - It may not be a big deal, but I hated the feel of the US edition.

Rating:

Review: Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book

Goodreads Description:

"This indispensable compendium offers guidance and timeless truths from a world away. With gentle but keen irony, Jane Austen exposes the ways of women and men-- and their relationships. Here are simple rules and life lessons to make your world a kinder, gentler, and more amusing place."

Jane Austen is one of the most iconic writers in existence. Through her books, we are given a window into Regency England. Her novels are written from her observation of character and manners of those during her time. Thanks to Austen we have Mr Darcy, Mr Knightley and many other memorable characters.

According to the introduction, Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book is an insightful and charming selection of Austen's social observations from the pages of her novels - including Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. I assumed this book would be personal observations, something quirky or notes on portions of her novels, however it is simply a cute little collection of quotes from some of Jane Austens most notable works. It is elegantly illustrated and it covers the thoughts of women, men, relationships, simple rules and life lessons.

To sit in the shade on a fine day

and look upon verdure,

is the most perfect refreshment.

Fanny Price

Mansfield Park

Final Comments:
To put it simply, it is a scan through of quotes that someone has pulled out of her novels. If however you are a fan of Austen and get a smile from reading her novels, then I would recommend this to you.

Release Date: August 1995

Publisher: Peter Pauper Press

Author: Jane Austen

Review: How Football Explains The World

A bit of an odd book to add to the mix, but I thought it would be fun to add something for the football fans. For those of you in Aus or the US, I am talking about Soccer. I have loved the sport since I could walk and found this book fascinating.

How Football Explains The World is a non-fiction book written by American journalist Franklin Foer. I picked this book up in Singapore several years ago as I was intrigued by the title. The book is exactly as I expected; tales and opinions on how Football explains different cultures, society and behaviour.
Franklin Foer takes us around the world, introducing us to fans and clubs, discussing different aspects of the game and the culture surrounding it. It is interesting to see how fan clubs emerge. Some fans are backed by love for the game where as others support a team for political reasons and associate the club with freedom and patriotism.

What I love about this book is that it is written from an American's perspective, where american football and baseball are the national sport and soccer falls behind. I thought he may be blinded by his background, but he does his research well and is able to give an honest look into the sport without being subjective. One thing that does come up is that Foer wasn't raised breathing and dreaming about the sport, therefore I find his opinion may not always be equally met by readers who have a passionate love for the game. I have heard from some readers that his views are quite arrogant as he is an outsider, but I will leave that to you to judge for yourself.

To football fans, this is not a book about your favourite club or players, this is all about the love of the game and the effect it has on the world. Foer goes deep into the sport, talking about rivalries, hooliganism, migration, corruption and nationalism.

Cover:
There is nothing too spectacular about this cover. It is predominantly text with a small photo of two children playing with a ball. One thing I am glad about is that there is no giant picture of the world made to look like a football, that would have been worse. I do however prefer the US cover - It makes much more sense.

Final Comments:
This was a great read! If you hate football, it would probably be boring for you and I would suggest you dont bother. However, if you love to learn about cultures or love the sport, you will like this. This book does not explain how football explains the entire world, it only explains how football has shaped cultures and behaviours that are associated with it. It is not a boring history lesson on the world.

Release Date: March 2002
Publisher: Arrow (Cornerstone)
Author: Franklin Foer

Review: Stefan's Diaries v.3: The Craving (The Vampire Diaries)

With the return of the Vampire Diaries tonight in the US, I thought I would review the most recent book of the series I have read.

Stefan's Diaires: The Craving, by L.J. Smith is the third book in Stefan's Diaries, part of the Vampire Diaries series. Stefan's Diaries is told in first person by Stefan, following his journey when he meets Katherine, is turned into a vampire and the following months when he tries to cope with his new life and his brother Damon.

In The Craving, Stefan is beginning to handle his life as a vampire, controlling his need for blood. This is the turning point for Stefan where he no longer needs to kill humans to survive. He has left the drama and events behind him and moved on to New York City where he thinks he will be able to live a normal life... that is until Damon returns. With Damon in town, you can expect the quiet life wont last long. Damon is bent on making Stefan's life a living hell and turns it into a game. Unfortunately for Damon, his plans get a little complicated and we are introduced to more evil than Damon and Stefan had imagined.

Cover:
The cover art for this series is pretty basic, each book with a face of the main characters, first Stefan, second Damon and third Elena. While I like the simplicity in this design, my only issue is that Elena is not mentioned in Stefan's Diaries, yet she is on the cover for this book.

Final Comments:
The great thing about the Stefan's Diaries series is that we get an insight into Stefan's thoughts and learn more about his past and how he came to be what he is. If however you have not had the chance the read the series, I recommend you read the first two books, which I will post reviews soon. While I love The Vampire Diaries, this book was a bit quick and just made Stefan look like a wimp.

Book 1: Stefan's Diaries v.1: Origins

Book 2: Stefan's Diaries v.2: Bloodlust

Book 3: Stefan's Diaries v.3: The Craving

Release Date: May 2011

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Author: L.J.Smith