Giveaway of SIGNED City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare!

So, back in April, I had the amazing experience of attending a signing by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black! Both ladies were incredibly funny and sweet, and I honestly was awed to be in their presence. It was a fantastic event - readings from the authors' books, a great question-answer session, and of course, getting books signed. However, I know that most people didn't have the opportunity to go to one of the signings, so I am giving away a signed copy of City of Fallen Angels! You can read my review of the book here.

Giveaway Info:

• You must be 13 years or older to enter.
• The giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. (sorry to international residents!).
• The winner will be chosen using random.org.
• The giveaway is open until 11:59 p.m. PST on May 25, 2011.

To enter, just fill out the form here. Good luck!

I Will Never Look at a Mango the Same Way Again.

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare

4 Stars



City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

 First Sentence:

"Just coffee, please."

Cassandra Clare's books are some of my favorites, ever. I've been known to draw runes on myself. I constantly attempt to rope other people into reading them. I spend hours on the phone discussing plot twists and characters and scenes with my friends. When I got the chance to attend a signing of Cassandra Clare's back in April, I nearly died of excitement. Needless to say, my anticipation for City of Fallen Angels drove people up the wall. But, April 5 did roll around, and when it did, when I had read the book - finally! - I was left with a whole bunch of thoughts and feelings about it that took me a while to really sort through and pinpoint. For the most part, I thought it was great - the characters, the relationships, the humor, the pain, the emotional upheavals, and the mystery all made it great. But I did get the feeling that something was off, that it wasn't quite as good as the others, and it took a few long, exhaustively in-depth conversations with Brightskin (whom you may remember) to pinpoint exactly what I didn't like. But, more on that later - first of all, I have a lot to gush about!

The characters, the characters, the characters. Cassandra Clare's ability to take a large cast of characters and make me care so much about each and every one of them has always been one of the best parts about her books for me, and the fourth TMI book had some great character development. I have to say, Simon was the one who surprised me the most - he has just grown so much, and it was intriguing and painful to learn about the tough decisions and lifestyle he faces as a vampire, and not just a normal vampire, but a Daylighter. And as if that wasn't enough, he also has the Mark of Cain to deal with (the effects of which are nothing short of spectacular). I felt for him and cheered for him, even when he was doing something that I innately didn't think was right or was stupid; I even cried for him in a certain scene with his mother. He has a bit of a girl problem, as he's dating both Isabelle and Maia at the same time, and neither girl knows about the other. While I like Maia as a character, I must say that I am most definitely Team Izzy on this one, just because I think that Simon and Isabelle contrast each other, and yet understand each other too. Simon was amazing in this book, and I really enjoyed getting to know him further and seeing what kinds of issues he faces.

Then, of course, there's Jace. Jace is just indescribable. I mean, to see him so vulnerable and afraid was a whole new experience, and as a reader, it was utterly painful - which, I suppose, is the point. You just can't help sympathizing with him and fervently hoping that he's okay and that it'll all work out for him somehow. I honestly admire Cassandra Clare for putting him through so much, when it would have been so easy to just let him go off into his happily-ever-after with Clary. Instead, many issues are brought up for him, both old and new, and things that I thought were rather unresolved about him at the end of City of Glass were picked up again. He also gets in his customary smart comments and sarcastic insults, and it's interesting to see him grow into someone who is more open, at least with Clary. And Simon and Jace's relationship was hilarious, second only to the Malec. I mean, the mango! Unforgettable. Their banter was entertaining, but underneath that, you could see a real friendship forming.

I must say, although I love Clary, there have definitely been times when I've wanted to smack her for being a bit stupid. She has the tendency to rush into things without thinking, and while I admired her courage, I wished she would be smarter about her decisions. I am happy to say that in City of Fallen Angels, Clary is indeed wiser about things (except for one glaring mistake at the end, which I will discuss when I rant about the cliffhanger). She learns fighting skills, gets backup when she knows she's going into a possibly dangerous situation, and is very resourceful in battle. This made me like her even more, because while she retained her toughness and determination, she also gained some caution. I also enjoyed watching her relationship with her mother develop, as things are obviously different between them now that Clary knows about the Shadowhunter world. And Clary and Jace have plenty of heated encounters, the DSAS (Dirty Sexy Alley Scene) being one of them, which made me both swoon and shiver.

Isabelle has always been one of my favorite characters, but she just got so much better in this book, because we got to see a side of her that she rarely ever shows. I admire her for her confidence and courage, and yet I feel for her when she shows that part of herself that is afraid to truly love. I cried when she said this: "But I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, Don't you know better? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you're never what you were before." (239) I think that's part of the reason I ship Simon/Izzy - she needs someone as caring as Simon to melt her a bit and show her how to love uninhibitedly.

Maia was, as always, unflappably normal, which is what I like about her - she's so down-to-earth, even with all the insanity surrounding her. Kyle was a surprise, but a pleasant one. He was mysterious at first, but the more we got to know him, the more I liked him. He's funny and cute and kind, certainly, but he's got a past that haunts him, and once you see how much it hurts him, you can't hold what he did against him (and I'm very much hoping that Maia feels the same!).

So, all of these characters and relationships were great. But the one that I loved most of all was Magnus and Alec's. The two of them...they just make me laugh and sigh and even cry. Magnus, of course, is his fabulous self, although we do see a more nostalgic side of him. He usually seems to timeless and young, but the costs of immortality have taken a toll on him. I adored seeing how Alec has grown into himself and become more comfortable. He's just as adorable as ever, but now I feel for his pain as it really hits him that he's going to die, and Magnus isn't  - that they don't actually have forever. And on top of that, Alec is jealous of Magnus's past loves, and while I feel really bad for him, it's difficult not to laugh at least a little at his petulance. The Malec in CoFA is sweet and utterly heart-wrenching, and so when Alec makes a certain decision regarding Camille, I don't blame him in the least, and when Alec and Magnus talk about hope, I tear up.

I enjoyed Camille's elegant cunning, and how she was tied back to The Infernal Devices. In fact, all the little connections to TID were really neat, and while it's not required that you understand them in order to understand the plot of City of Fallen Angels, they add to the complexity of the story and make you anticipate Clockwork Prince even more.

CoFA was hilarious, and it gave us some truly memorable moments, including "sexy vampire mojo", "the nuclear bomb of boyfriends", Izzy's sex talk with Clary, Alec's jealousy, Simon's band, the mango scene, South Carolina, and so much more. There's also plenty of action, both with the Shadowhunters and with Simon's Mark of Cain. I thought that the theme of people falling to their temptations was very well illustrated, with resonance for many characters - Jace, Simon, Clary, and Alec.

This is a Cassandra Clare book, so of course all the relationships were convoluted and complex and utterly compelling. There are just so many different threads binding the characters to each other, and it's fascinating to see them come into play; I'm really left wondering what the feelings that certain characters have will lead them to do in the next books. Just how far are they willing to go for someone they love, or someone they hate?

I know there's been a lot of uproar about the cliffhanger - and it is most definitely a major cliffhanger - and while I, too, am dying to know what happens next, I've come to savor that feeling of anticipation, as it only makes the next installment all the better. That being said, it was really quite an ending, and after reading it, I wanted to kill Clary. ***SPOILER***Who leaves their emotionally messed-up boyfriend on a roof all by himeself with the creepy body of their half-demon brother, which was very recently being used in an ancient ritual of evil?! ***END SPOILER***

So, having gushed on about all the great things in City of Fallen Angels, I do want to talk about what I think made it not as good as the previous installments, and what could have been better. I felt that at many points, it was far too dramatic and cliché, especially when it came to Jace and Clary. Yes, I get it, you two love each other very, very, much, but that does not mean you have to spend all of your time a) saying how much you love each other, or b) making out passionately. The problem of overly dramatic dialogue came up with Jace a lot, as he said ***SPOILER*** how he couldn't be with Clary, wasn't good enough for her, etc. I feel that the way all this was expressed was kind of ridiculous, and that it could have been done much better ***END SPOILER***. And while the passionate, making-out scenes were well-written, they became endlessly repetitive after a time. I love romance and reading about Jace and Clary making out just as much as the next person, but in this book, it happened so often that it was rather ridiculous. I felt like yelling at Clary to stop taking Jace's shirt off and start confronting him about his problems. The other thing that I disliked about CoFA is that the whole thing felt a bit rushed. There were too many plotlines and not enough time spent on each of them. While I enjoy alternating POV, the constant switching back and forth between storylines didn't allow me to focus on the main plot, which I found to be very irritating.

Overall, City of Fallen Angels was a great read. I enjoyed it, and although there were flaws, I'm still eagerly anticipating City of Lost Souls in May of 2012. I will be giving away a signed copy of City of Fallen Angels a bit later, so be sure to check back on the blog!

Scarlett and Rosie March Are Officially One of My Favorite Fictional Families

Sisters Red


Jackson Pearce

4.5 Stars

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for? (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"Strangers never walk down this road, the sisters thought in unison as the man trudged toward them."

Sisters Red is (loosely) based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but it is so unique and fascinating that I consider it a tale completely its own. It puts its own spin on the fairy tale and turns it into a compelling, sweet, terrifying, action-packed, gritty, and realistic read. The three main characters, Scarlett, Rosie, and Silas, are all extremely believable, as are their conflicts and relationships. I can understand what each of them is going through and sympathize with them. I root for them no matter what - which can be a problem when their conflicts sometimes include going against each other. The entire book, I was just so torn about the characters' futures, about family loyalties, and about doing what you want. I was emotionally invested in the characters and the issues they faced, so much so that I was devouring the book, totally on the edge of my seat with suspense, as desperate for a solution as the characters themselves (and I loved the ending when it came - perfect for the story).

There are two main relationships in the novel - that of Silas and Rosie, and of Rosie and Scarlett. Silas and Rosie's romance was sweet and I felt like it developed naturally (and there were definitely some sizzling scenes that were totally swoon-worthy!). However, my favorite relationship was Scarlett and Rosie's. They're obviously bound together, by family devotion and by their childhood. Rosie feels obligated to help Scarlett in her mission to hunt down Fenris because Scarlett saved her from them when they were little (and lost an eye in the process). However, she is beginning to realize that there is a different path, one where she can do normal things like take art classes and be with Silas. Scarlett simply cannot understand how or why Rosie would leave the Fenris-hunting lifestyle; for Scarlett, it's her entire life. She would feel utterly betrayed if Rosie quit hunting Fenris, and Rosie doesn't want to hurt Scarlett but cannot deny that she wants something more. Clearly, there is a lot of conflict here, and I love how it all plays out so beautifully and realistically. I found myself crying during one of the confrontations between Scarlett and Rosie - I don't want to give anything away, but their relationship really is fascinating. Having two sisters myself, I can feel what it would be like, from the point of view of both sisters, and that's what makes the conflict so compelling - either way, the sisters are hurt and their bond is never the same. There's this beautiful metaphor used throughout the book, about shadows and light and coming out of caves (I believe it's based on Plato's allegory). I adore this metaphor so much - it's powerful and symbolic and sums up the book's conflict very well.

The quality of Jackson Pearce's writing is simply gripping: fluid, well-paced, and realistic. I read the entire novel in one sitting because once you start, you just get sucked into it and there's no way to put it down - and why would you want to? Scarlett and Rosie narrate alternate chapters, and I thought that each of their voices was really unique and easily distinguishable. Another great point about this book for me was the action, and the fact that the girls are the ones doing most of the a**-kicking. There's plenty of fighting and hunting down Fenris, and both Scarlett and Rosie are strong, fierce, smart, and determined. There is also a considerable amount of suspense involved, which kept me turning pages. However, the mystery is what caused me to knock half a star off of what would otherwise have been a perfect 5 stars. The idea of the mystery is intriguing, but I felt like I figured it out long before the characters did, and I saw the twist at the end coming. It always annoys me when characters are being ridiculously blind and not seeing what is right in front of them, and in this case, I think that they were quite smart enough to figure it out (SPOILER: for those who have read the book, I am referring to the thing about Silas being a ________). I suppose part of it could be due to emotional reasons - not wanting to believe bad things about people they love - but it was just obvious and it kept bothering me.

All in all, Sisters Red is an awesome read. I can't wait to read Sweetly, the next fairy tale remix by Jackson Pearce!

Cinnamon Rolls and Vampires and Sunlight and Magic...

Sunshine

Robin McKinley

2 Stars

Rae, nicknamed Sunshine by her stepfather, is the baker at her family's coffeehouse. She's happy getting up at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls for the breakfast rush, and dealing with people and food all day. But one evening she needed somewhere she could be alone for a little while, and there hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years. She never thought of vampires. Until they found her. (quoted from Robin McKinley's website)

First Sentence:
"It was a dumb thing to do but it wasn't that dumb."

I wanted so badly to love this book. McKinley's fantasy The Hero and the Crown is one of the novels that I keep rereading over and over because it's so dear to me. However, Sunshine just didn't impress me much, despite its many excellent reviews. Still, there are some things that I did like about it. The world created here is an odd mix of the real world we live in and the supernatural. It puts a new spin on common concepts like vampirism and magic; government and vampires and technology and spells and baking and love and secrets are all mashed together. There is a post-apocalyptic feel to it, as the conflicts with the 'Others' have left the inhabitants of this world wary. And yet, life still proceeds as usual, which is something that I found to be rather intriguing. The second thing that I liked about Sunshine was the humor, which was quite witty. I also thought the way the vampires were written was very artful, because they seemed so inhuman and far away from the normal people, and yet so morbidly fascinating. And the scenes where Sunshine bakes and works at the coffeehouse were warm and enchanting - they made me want to get up and make some cinnamon rolls myself.

Sadly, the negatives in this book outweigh the positives. The novel was very confusing at many points; I felt like there was just such an overload of information that it was difficult to focus on the actual story and characters. Yes, the world is intricate and complex, but it's not interesting to learn about it when all those facts are just dumped on you in these long, dense passages. The plot, which is actually quite good, is overshadowed by all the exposition. The protagonist, Rae Seddon (aka Sunshine), is an intriguing person, but I really don't think that 1st-person narration was the best choice for the telling of this story. Sunshine frequently segues into extensive inner monologues (those information dumps I was talking about earlier) and that just makes the book unnecesarily muddled and dull. There are times when Sunshine begins to do something, then drifts off into a long speech about something or the other, and then two pages after she begins the action she continues it, leaving me going, "Wait, what exactly was going on before she started ruminating on and on?" I also felt that McKinley's descriptions were confusing and unclear a lot of the time, and I just couldn't get a good grip on what was happening, where, why, etc. (this is especially true when Sunshine is tracking vampires). I think that some of the characters could have been more fleshed-out, especially Mel and Con, who are closely linked to Sunshine and strongly affect her life. There's just so much left unresolved about them, and while it can be good to have ambiguity in a novel, this is too much mystery for me to relate to them or care about them.

Overall, I felt that this novel could have been a lot better. I get the sense that with more editing and polishing, Sunshine could have been a truly amazing book.

I'm Back!

Okay, so, I realize that I've completely dropped the ball on this blog in the last few months, and I am so, so sorry! But, I have returned, and I have a lot of reviews to get up (and I mean a lot). I even have a couple of giveaways planned, which should be really exciting. So, stay tuned, lots of great stuff coming up!

In response to your poll: I borrow all the books I read from a demented worm of sorts. xx

Ha, this demented worm is quite glad to have someone to share these books with ;)

Query! Comment! Recommend!

The (Apparently) Lost Magic of Dan Brown's Writing

The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown

3.5 Stars

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom. When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"The secret is how to die."

If you had asked me what I expected of this book before I read it, I would have spouted the standard for Brown's other novels about Robert Langdon (The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons): a thrilling and suspenseful adventure, mysterious codes, secret societies, a ruthless villain, tons of history and culture lessons, prose that isn't always very fluid, and characters that aren't always fully fleshed-out but don't need to be. And while The Lost Symbol had plenty of mystifying secrets and indecipherable codes, the part that seemed most puzzling to me was how it managed to fulfill all of the above criteria and still be a big disappointment to me - because The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons were fantastic, near-genius thrillers that left me shocked and head-over-heels in love with them. So, after I finished reading the book, I sat down and tried to figure out what went wrong, and this review is what I came up with.

The plot of The Lost Symbol is definitely exciting and it keeps you wondering what will happen next and throws in quite a few shocking twists. But I was rather irritated, because what, as far as I can see, was meant to be the biggest, most surprising, gasp-out-loud twist turned out to be totally predictable and cliched. I'm trying really, really hard not to spoil this book for you, so I won't tell you any more about this so-called 'twist' other than that it was incalculably frustrating and made me say out loud to the characters,"No DUH, you idiots! I figured that out at least 50 chapters ago!" I haven't talked to anyone else who has read this book, so maybe it's just me that's so ticked off about this. (If you have read it, please let me know if you had a similar situation. Probably without the yelling at the book though. Because, you know, that's probably just me.) Also, I found myself feeling like the entire plot had been done before, was overused - Robert is called in for an emergency, an important organization needs his help, there's a beautiful scientist, an object with a code on it, police are chasing him, etc.

The villain in the book also seems ridiculously similar to past villains, and is kind of a stereotype. First of all, the villain is a male. Secondly, he is tall, incredibly strong, and involved in occult practices. Thirdly, he is extremely creepy and misguided.

In the other novels featuring Robert Langdon, the history and culture lessons were really interesting and always kept me intrigued. The symbolism and connections were fascinating. But in this one, the huge dollops of facts, myths, and odd symbols were sometimes - dare I say it? - boring.

As with the past books, the sentence structure sometimes seems unwieldy and not very fluid. However, Brown still ends each chapter with tantalizing cliffhangers. And as for the characters, many of them were simply flat; I didn't feel like they had much depth or emotion. So, all in all, I wasn't all that impressed by The Lost Symbol.

Searching For More Book Review Blogs & Some Lovely News

Hey, everybody! I just wanted to let you know that I am searching for some good book review blogs, so if you have one yourself, or know of one, please do let me know by commenting on this post, tweeting me (@bookworm_blog), or asking on Formspring (bookwormblog). I'd love to check them out. Thanks so much! Also, Sarah Rees Brennan has announced that The Demon's Lexicon has been optioned by Parallel Films - very exciting news! You can read Sarah's blog post about it here. Other than that, have a lovely day :)

A Beautiful Story of Ugly Things

The Replacement

Brenna Yovanoff

4.5 Stars

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:
"I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have."

Okay, first of all, before I even talk about the actual book, let me just gush about how absolutely gorgeous the cover is! It's so dark and mysterious and foreboding - a bunch of dangerous objects hanging over, of all things, a baby's crib. This alone was enough to make me very intrigued by this book. But, moving on to the content of the book, the story inside is very unique. I've never seen anything like it before, especially since the others, the ones who live near Gentry and kidnap its babies, enchant it, etc. are not named. They are not called faeries or fey or sirens or demons or zombies or any other sort of paranormal creature. They are simply a dark, unnamed group, although being unnamed makes them no less real or powerful or feared. There is this eerie feeling about them doesn't fade even as we get to know them better. Then there's the characters. Mackie, the protagonist, is completely believable. He's just another frustrated guy, trying to fit in and be happy and pursue the girl he likes. But of course, he's not ordinary, and I really loved how his character grows throughout the story and eventually comes to terms with himself. However, as great as Mackie was, my favorite characters would have to be the supporting cast. Roswell, Mackie's best friend, is so loyal and kind and dependable and solid - even when Mackie blows him off or won't tell the truth or needs his help with something despicable, Roswell never even hesitates. Tate, the girl Mackie falls in love with, is just so very stubborn and determined and independent, you can't help but admire her and root for her. Mackie's parents - or rather, adopted parents - are lovely also. Although the 'others', the haunting, strange ones that don't belong in Gentry, are supposedly dark, I can't help loving them too, because there's this sense that they are just as vulnerable and fragile and real as the humans. But the character that really won me over was Mackie's sister, Emma. I can't even describe how amazing she is: her sweet nature and her love of Mackie, her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect him, and her steadfast belief in him. Emma is one of those characters that I would feel blessed to have in my life, because she sticks by you and loves you completely unconditionally. As for the plot, it's definitely unique and draws you in; you don't want to stop reading because you get so attached to the characters. It's difficult not to care about them, and there's this strong need to know how their stories unfold, what happens with these ugly things and blind people and hard choices. I also adored the family values and love presented in the book - Mackie's family and friends are just so supportive, so loyal and accepting. Not that it's a cheery, rainbows-and-unicorns kind of book, but it manages to subtly include these themes of family and love and courage and acceptance. The only reason that it didn't get a full 5 stars is that for about the first 100 pages or so, the writing felt a bit choppy and disconnected to me, not as fluid and well-written as the rest of the book. Also, Mackie's relationship with Tate ticked me off a bit, because I felt like I never got to see the process of Mackie's falling for Tate; I didn't understand how Mackie went from being irritated with her to loving her. But other than that, it was great. Absolutely recommend it if you're in the mood for something eerie and dark!

First of all, Happy New Year! Second, I answered "other" on your poll, and I'm waiting for Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink!

Thank you so much, Happy New Year to you too!! Michelle Zink...I've heard a lot about her. Yet another author I must read soon! Thanks so much for recommending and for voting (:

Query! Comment! Recommend!