Tabitha Tomala

I wish I had half the talent Ellen Hopkins does writing a novel in prose. The way she can capture such raw emotions and tense situations in so few words... Tricks is one of those books you start reading knowing it's going to be a rough ride for the characters. Prepare yourself to watch some harsh situations as you read about different reasons teens begin to turn tricks in vegas and how it changes them forever.

Well this book did not turn out to be how I thought it would. Instead of focusing on the assassins it instead carries on the story of Caim and his mysterious powers. Sure he is an assassin, but this isn't the point of the story, simply a secondary trait. Was I disappointed? Nope. I think the character building was great and the slow unveil of his abilities was executed well. The only gripe I do have with this book is with Caim and his ability to somehow never need to close wounds. He will be patched up, then soon be off fighting without the mention of bleeding or torn stitches. I wonder if this was just a point overlooked by the author, or a way for Sprunk to prove Caim was tough. Either way, it was a bit too unrealistic. I look forward to the next book, as this one was dedicated to character growth and introducing us to Jon Sprunk's world. I have a feeling we've only begun to see the dark magic Caim can control and I can't wait to learn more about its source.

Frustrated with an unfair expulsion from school, Karigan leaves to journey home. What she never expected to find was a dying man with two arrows protruding from his back. In F’ryan Coblebay's last moments, he asks Karigan to deliver his message to the king. It is a matter of life and death. Reluctantly she accepts his mission and in return receives a golden winged horse brooch. As she pins the brooch upon herself and rides off with F’ryan’s horse, Karigan unknowingly changes her life forever.

Karigan will not only become mixed up in the politics of the world, but she will cross paths with an old evil as well. I love how such a simple concept of delivering a message to the king was able to expand into a world filled with magic and intrigue. And the politics do not overshadow the plot, if anything they accent the characters' actions and stay well in the background. The main focus remains on Karigan’s journey and all the difficulties she endures.

I quite enjoyed how Green Rider layered past events for all the characters. Instead of overloading the reader with information, certain events would trigger characters to reflect back on their actions and reveal the deeper history. The world-building was so subtly woven into the story, that it slowly drew me in without even realizing it. And the use of magic in the world wasn’t overpowering. Similar to how the politics helped propel the story forward, the magic wasn’t heavily relied on. Characters who used it had to know how to survive on their own without magic as well. It truly was a tool to aid each person, instead of being their main source of skill or power.

As for characters, the Bayberry sisters were a delight. They were the integral piece needed to explain how magic worked in the world. And their personalities more than made up for the times they regaled Karigan with tales of their father’s magical research and his unfortunate mishaps. Listening to the audiobook, the voice actor made me laugh at their antics and I could just picture their body language and pose through their voices. It was a delight to take a moment from the main adventure and delve into the world of magic a bit more. And they were just the support Karigan needed at the start of her quest.

Now keep in mind Karigan is entirely new to the world of danger green riders endure. And while she has been taught how to defend herself, she has never had to apply the lessons in real life. Day in and day out as she is hunted by numerous assailants. This leads to Karigan making foolish decisions, and being unable to truly defend herself. Quite often she ends up with aid coincidentally showing up such as the Bayberry sisters. But each hard knock Karigan takes isn’t forgotten. She learns from her mistakes and by the end of the story, she is an entirely new person than she was at the start. And frankly, I can’t wait to see how else she develops in the next book.

Kristen Britain brings to life a world of magical messengers and ancient evil. There is so much left to uncover in the Green Rider series. By the end of this book, I found myself needing to know more about the evil that is breaking free, and just how Karigan is going to go about pursuing her life now. Once a green rider, always a rider. If you are a fan of high fantasy novels that scale down the politics and focus more on character development, this is the series for you.

True to the title, Blackveil sees Karigan and the green riders venturing into Blackveil Forest. For centuries the forest has been kept at bay by the Dyer wall, but as the wall grows weaker, Second Empire seeks to unleash the evil within. Yet the riders are not alone in their venture, for the Eletians have taken an interest in the forest as well. To what ends they will not fully reveal. Together the Green Riders, members of the King’s army, and the Eletians will face off against the cursed beings of the forest. But will they be able to contain it?

The audiobooks for The Green Rider series are always such a joy to listen to. The narrator, Ellen Archer, brings the characters to life with such soothing tones. And the variety at which they are able to capture each different character in such a wide cast is astonishing.

In Blackveil politics starts to become a larger presence in the story. But the level of subterfuge displayed in the story will further engage the reader in Karigan’s fate. There are members of the court obsessed with the future queen’s success and see Karigan as a barrier to it. Though future queen Estora would never harm her friend, those of her own retinue would not hesitate. And while Karigan is away in Blackveil, members of the own King's court plot to secure the marriage in other ways.

For those who enjoy romantic subplots, The Green Riders series has one steadily growing with each passing book. It has both the hint of a love triangle and forbidden love, but the characters themselves aren’t really sure what direction they will go in. While they understand they do have feelings, duties call them away and force them to reevaluate each book. And make no mistake, it isn’t the highlight of the series. There is still a major focus on dealing with a greater evil and discovering the past truths of magic long buried in history.

Blackveil was an immersive and compelling addition to The Green Rider series. Kristen Britain has a beauty with words and developing the world piece by piece. Such an intricate series is given careful attention in each passing story, building a stronger foundation and allowing characters to stretch beyond their limits. And with the way this one ended, readers will demand the next book immediately.

The D’Yer Wall is all that stands between the evil magic of Blackveil Forest and the kingdom of Sacoridia. If it falls, evil will be unleashed and the descendants of Mornhavon will be one step closer to their goals. Over the centuries, knowledge of the D’Yer wall has faded away, and the guardians within it are beginning to fail. Though Karigan sent Mornhavon forward in time, there is no telling when he will reappear in their future. As the fate of the wall hangs in the balance, Mornhavon’s descendants are beginning to mobilize, utilizing magic unseen since Mornhavon’s time. The green riders have no idea the enemy they are about to face, and the power they wield.

When Karigan is asked to deliver messages and purchase horses for the green riders, they seem like ordinary enough tasks. But along for the journey is a new green rider named Fergel. Karigan was quite the troublemaker as a student, and Fergel is going to test her patience. Reading how Karigen becomes frustrated trying to find ways to work with Fergel will make readers reflect on how Karigan herself behaved in the first novel. Readers will find Fergel has many difficulties emotionally and mentally he has to face, adding extra depth of layer to the character.

The High King’s Tomb makes many characters face the mistakes of their past. Not only does Karigan find herself with a difficult student but Alton D’Yer is faced with the consequences from book two. As the only person able to help the D’Yer wall, he embodies frustration at the inability to complete his task. This elicits anger and outbursts as he tries to process and face the reality of his actions. Kristen Britain does a fantastic job showing characters during difficult times and the downward spirals they can experience. Alton’s struggles coincide with the wall’s deterioration, building a sense of unease and gradually mounting tension.

The amount of character growth and development seen in this series is phenomenal. The High King’s Tomb also continues to expose the lore of the world, unearthing forgotten magic and past fears. There are small moments teased throughout the novel showing how far Mornhavon’s followers will go to bring back his evil. And despite such small actions on their part, they elicit rippling effects felt by everyone. I cannot wait to see where book four ventures, and what Karigan and crew will face next.

The riders may have defeated the Eletian who cracked the D’Yer wall, but darkness still seeks to escape. Alton D’Yer travels to learn the wall's secrets in hopes of repairing it. However, what lurks beyond will not give up easily. Dark magic long buried and forgotten will rise up against the riders and seek to destroy them one by one. And when the rider’s need their magic the most, it will begin to fail them.

First Rider’s Call brings readers deeper into the world of Sacoridia. As rider abilities begin to fail, Karigan’s will force her to witness past events. Through each ghostly tale readers will be steadily pulled into the history of the rider’s last encounter with Mornhaven the Black. The sacrifices once made to combat him and his legacy are brought to startling clarity. But with a history long buried and failing abilities, the riders will be hard pressed to push back the encroaching darkness. Kristen Britain brilliantly builds up the depth of evil with each book. And as the desperation of the riders grows, the intensity surrounding their fate will pull readers into the narrative and refuse to let go.

Karigan has come a long way from the first Green Rider book. While her streak of stubbornness still lands her in hot water, readers are able to see how independent she has become. Tainted by wild magic she is a target for Mornhaven the Black’s followers, but this time she is fully prepared to embrace her rider ability and defend her fellow riders. Karigan has formed bonds with them and refuses to go down without a fight. And while she may not win every battle, she will do all she can to rise up and fight again.

I cannot wait to see what else is in store for the riders. By the end of First Rider’s Call they have taken heavy losses and some may never be the same again. But despite it all they still have a kingdom to help protect. Fans of high fantasy, if you have not picked up Green Rider yet, I urge you to give this series a try.

Another quick, fun, supernatural read. Lauren M. Roy is slowly working her way towards being a favorite of mine. I did figure out the big mystery before her characters. However, I still enjoyed the challenges they had to face in order to figure it out for themselves. I  love her characters and the relationships that have grown with them in this book. Chaz and Val exchanging sarcastic quips never fails to make me laugh, and the evolution of Elly is subtle yet progressive. Roy isn't rushing her characters, which makes me believe we have quite a journey ahead of us in her series and I am excited to see what comes next.

For being a new author, Kathleen Peacock didn't do too bad of a job, but this story did have cliché moments like the love triangle. Almost rolled my eyes at that one, but kept reading. The plot was a little shallow at times as well, Jason was a bit over dramatic for my liking. Granted his character was going through a lot of emotional turmoil, but it didn't feel real enough. Also The plot twist didn't seem as dramatic as it should have been either. I think more hints were needed to make the readers begin to puzzle it out for themselves, draw out the suspense so readers are more involved and the big reveal hits them just as hard as it does the characters. Like I said, not a bad debut, but I'm not sure I would continue to read the series as this book didn't draw me in so well.

After finishing the first book I was excited to start this one. A new prespective on Dragonlance, who wouldn't be excited? Yup this book ruined it. It has taken me what seems like forever to finish. The plot was dull, the storyline carried pointless travel/encounters and the relationships between characters made a stunted attempt at progress. The main group travels for chapters, but never stays in one place long enough for you to glean meaning from the new people and cultures. In fact they don't mean anything more to the plot than stepping stones. Now if they were to come back at a later time, then yes give us the low down on traditions, abilties, etc. It also seemed as though the author made an effort to show developing relationships, but it was too little of the subtle things you need from characters; certain spoken words or gestures, or hell even enough time between the characters to bond! Without this the dynamics were stiff and lacking. I didn't even care about the main group, I was more interested in Essana and the child. Lastly, there were too many viewpoints incorporated into the story and pointless backstory. For example, I dont need to read about Hult's memories to understand him, this was established in the first book and felt like filler. I also don't want to bounce between four main characters view points when I have Essana's part to read as well, ecspecially when the author switches in the middle of chapters with no warning! Focus on a few and understand that there needs to be secondary characters even in the main group, or split them up by chapter. Lastly, don't use the word stupider! While this might seem a bit nit picky, this word annoys me to no end! It's, in my opinion, a word children use when they are learning suffixes. Terrible writing, I hate to even call this Dragonlance and I will not be reading the conclusion.

I'll be honest, the start of this book worried me. Stiefvater's Raven Boys series was horrible, but I pushed on since the Mercy Wolves Trilogy holds a special place in my heart as does Sinner. The prologue was confusing, dropping you into a brand new world and naming the horses from the sea without explaining what they were. I was left wondering why they were killing people and what their importance was; if Stiefvater omitted the prologue it would have been better. But now onto the rest of the novel. I was caught by the characters and their desperate struggles. Seeing the world through Puck and Sean's eyes was a great balance and the energy between the two of them was just the right amount. Stiefvater never lost sight of the overall importance of the horses and the race to build up character relationships. She also piled on the tension, forcing me to continue reading. Its been a while since I couldn't put a book down! When I reached the end of this novel I was surprised, left wanting more of a conclusion. Not to say that she doesn't wrap things up, but I would have preferred to know the final fates of our characters and what their new goals on life were going to be. All in all this was a great read and makes me less wary to try Stiefvater's future writing.

Forced to live with herself after she loses her best friend Julia, Amy begins to question what she's done, who she's been with and why. While this isn't my usual read I found myself caught up in the progression Amy made from being angry at the world and herself to someone who understands that everything in life is a choice. I enjoyed how the novel was broken into letters to Julia and Amy's internal monolog. It clarified the conflicts in Amy's thoughts and actions; showed how hard it was for her to accept the past and move on. We see how a child, ignored for most of her life by her parents can begin to make the wrong kind of choices. Unable to communicate and with a low self esteem, Amy turned to alcohol and Julia, but with Julia out of the picture she has to learn how to stand on her own. I definitely think parents should read this novel. It is the perfect example of how their love and attention is needed in their children's lives.

I wish there had been more build up before Liza decided to run off and start her journey. I felt nothing of a connection to her and this continued for me throughout the whole book. She was, in my eyes, just a dumb sheltered girl who never bothered to consider her actions before following through. And her magic... This book would have been better if Liza's power had been explained. The shift between visions and reality was not well defined in some places and confused me. During this confusion I also didn't understand how she could have visions without a reflection in some parts of the plot. This was a huge inconsistency because up until that moment, she could only trigger them by reflection. And why did she have certain visions? The connection between what she saw and why she saw it was never explained. And talk about scene skipping. There is never enough detail in any one setting or situation. I feel like this book is a first draft that was never added to or improved. The writing is repetitive and it's loaded with adverbs that weaken the writing. No one needs to use three adverbs on the same page, have a little originality with your descriptions! Not a series I will be continuing. The only reason I made it through the book at all was the mention of altered animals and trees, it's all that interested me. Even the relationships between the characters were weak.

I suppose it's a good sign when the book ends and I can't believe I don't have anymore pages to turn! The story is left with a nice big cliffhanger, in fact right in the middle of a battle. Aside from the abrupt end I was captivated by this book and am looking forward to the next. The storyline dealt with the theme of mistreating people who are different. Nathan is a half black witch, half white witch and no one can see the white side. He is simply part black witch and assumed to be evil. He has a few people that see behind the labels that have been thrown at him, but too few to actually let him live his life free of torment. Nathan was a character I wanted to see progress, I wanted to see him become stronger and prove everyone wrong. The plot was a little disjointed, skipping around at first until the author finally decided to stick with a linear flow. It wasn't hard to follow though, as Sally Green labeled the points in time she was going to talk about; I think if it had been written any other way it wouldn't have been as interesting. Green made sure to lay out the events in a way that built my sympathy for Nathan and allowed the reader to begin connecting with him. Let's face it, who hasn't been bullied in their life? My heart broke for Nathan as the punishments grew worse and no one bothered to listen to him. In a way I hope he strikes back at those who hurt him in the next novel, even though it means Nathan will become a different person.

I didn't know what to expect from this book after being left on edge from the previous. The beginning made me leery, having a total wipe on Kismet's memories, but I'm glad Saintcrow kept her true to her nature. Guns out and bodies dropping, Kismet engages in the final battle for her city. Though at times this book, and others in this series, frustrated me with half created descriptions (most likely left this way to be filled in by the reader's own imagination), Kismet's character kept me reading. Her sarcastic internal monologue and couldn't give a shit attitude makes her a unique heroine. Most I read about have an emotional need to help, or some type of save the world complex, but Kismet has a tough girl attitude and a dark side to her that fits in with the nightside. Sure she starts off fighting to protect her city and loved ones, but you can tell by this book that she just wants to kill the things that go bump in the night and go home. She's done, burnt out. The progression of the series has shown how living a life on the nightside eats away at a person and no one is perfect, not even Kismet who can heal broken bones in the middle of a fight. As the final book about Jill Kismet, almost all of the reader's questions have been answered. The only one that I'm still left with is why Mikhail went to the Sorrows, and I think it is the one question aside from what is Perry that I needed answered. So I'm left a bit frustrated as we still don't know, nor will we ever know. But I guess it's a small price to pay for reading such a fast paced series. I look forward to reading future books from Saintcrow.

Now I'm always willing to give a new author a shot. Ecspecially one that is endorsed by Stephenie Meyer (yes I enjoyed the Twilight series and I'm not ashamed to admit it!) But what Meyer saw in this book I have no idea. It was by no means a ‘remarkable debut'. Was the concept interesting? Yes, the new look on faeries was great, but that was the only good part about this book. The dialogue was boring and childish. The characters are around the age of 15, they should have a more in depth use of vocabulary and not be so repetitive! Here's an example of Laurel's dialogue to her mother: “Mom,” Laurel said haltingly, “I wanted to talk to you about the land. It's been in your family for so long. And we lived there for my whole life.” To me she sounds like a whining child not a 15 year old. And please describe their language without the use of adjectives! The fact that there is a pathetic love triangle ate at my nerves as well. Oh let me swoon for a boy I barely know! But wait I'm kissing someone else and I feel like I'm betraying the other! Give me a break. Horrible book, bad writing and see through characters.

Lauren Roy's writing style is like a mix between Kim Harrison and Devon Monk, easy flowing, full of action and characters that feel like friends. There are quite a few characters we meet in this book, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. Each one gets enough time for the reader to know where they come from and what their goals are. She has quite the blend of personalities too. The plot was simple and straight forward. If you're looking for a book with twists and turns, this isn't the one for you. There was a minor twist towards the end, but nothing overtly dramatic. Definitely a book if you want a light supernatural read.

The writing style of this book is mediocre at best. The dialogue is weak and the characters are shallow. The concept behind the story was interesting though, creatures taking over a human's mind and body, throwing their consciousness into a horrific dreamscape they can't escape. When the author focuses on the dreamscape her writing improves, but it is by no means great. Some of the scenes I felt were overdone, too bloody or warped. I think if the book started off with a solid group of characters the horror would have worked for me. Instead we have the typical odd girl amazed she's gained the attention of the school jock while her male best friend is in love with her and she doesn't realize it. Please, this scenario is so overdone, come up with something original. I'll pass on the rest of the books in this series.

First off the world building skills of this author don't seem to exsist. The reader is thrown into a post apocalyptic world with multiple new species that are explained quickly, never giving the reader a chance to absorb the information and a history that is tossed at them in a news story. The main character does try to embellish the explanation after the news cast , even hinting at the possibility the supposed angels are actually aliens, but I was still left with so many questions. And now for the main character. Her race is barely explained and she is just plain stupid! She is always making mistakes that can out her as a mage which is a hated race. I don't understand the concept of why she gave up her training when she left the mages enclave, you would think it would be important to her survival. She also seems to have this instinct to attack anyone who bashes mages, or contains darkness. Why does she have this uncontrollable rage? I will not be continuing this series. I was left confused and frustrated by the end of this book.

When I first started reading this book I found it to be a quick yet enjoyable read. The idea of half blood gods piqued my interest and I thought it was clever the way Riordan worked in the dyslexia and adhd. As the story progressed? Honestly I grew frustrated with the characters. Key behaviors antagonists displayed gave away what creatures they were yet the kids continued to fall for trap after trap. Now I understand this is set for a younger crowd, so maybe at the appropriate reading level the audience would be just as stunned as the characters in each situation, but I wasn't impressed. The plot also seemed rather repetitive with these frequent encounters and I found it odd that the kids, knowing they needed to rush to complete their quest, stopped to sightsee. I think I will stick with the movies and forgo the rest of the books.

Disturbing creatures/situations and emotionally tortured characters are Lilith Saintcrow's staple and I love her for it. You want dark, gritty, gore and violence? Saintcrow is your gal. She's not afraid to go the extra mile with details and make Kismet go full out no holes barred on the enemy. The same can be said in reverse as well. I also enjoy that she uses a wide vocabulary and I actually have to look up definitions to some of her words. Something I don't enjoy though is how powerful Kismet is. She needs to have a limit to her power. I mean the girl is torn apart in every book and bounces right back due to the mark. Sure this book starts talking about the effects the mark has on her, but I need more of a handicap than what is provided. If we had seen more effects earlier I think it would have made me enjoy the series more. I do have to say though, the ending of this one...Saintcrow really leaves me craving to read the last book.

I knew when I began reading to expect nothing of Jorg's traits in Jalan. In fact I found that he was close to being the polar opposite of Jorg. It's amazing to see Jal's acts of cowardice being mistaken for bravery. You can see him starting to change though, in subtle ways, whether it's by his attention to certain details or reactions to scenarios. I thrive on character development and I can't wait to see just how Jal grows. It was nice to see characters from the previous trilogy pop up. We even see Jorg briefly : ) and Snorri's encounter with Rike was priceless.

Really Cassandra Clare you're going to divide a short story into two separate stories? Why even bother having Simon in it at all? If you want to tell the story of a Herondale then do it, don't hide it within another that is supposed to be about Simon. And good God, the repetitive use of language. How many times can you repeat words in a paragraph? This story told us nothing about Simon. We only see him fall out of a tree and write a note. Yay, awesome I spent money on a worthless tale! I don't give a flying hoot about Jack the Ripper. Ok so we hear a bit more about Jace's family. Give Jace his own series of short stories. Don't play on the fans love of Jace to sell your damn short story you didn't have enough material to go off of before your deadline hit. What the hell happened to the phenomenal story telling we saw in Mortal Instruments? Where's the hook, the emotional bond we were able to develop with the characters? I question if it is even worth it to buy the next one. Put some damn effort into these and make it worth my money.

Eh these short stories aren't as good as I had hoped, they don't even come close to the style of writing from Mortal Instruments. For the life of me I can't figure out why Clare needs a co author for short stories when she wrote two whole series by herself. Maybe that's why these aren't as good, because she isn't the only writer behind them. I do want to know what happens to Simon though so I will keep reading.

When I heard Cassandra Clare was writing a series of short stories about the characters from Mortal Instruments I was beyond excited. Maybe my expectations were set a bit too high, or it may take a few short stories for this to catch on for me because I didn't enjoy it. Now I didn't hate the short story, but I felt like it wasn't the Simon I've grown to love. Ok I know he lost his memories, he isn't the well developed character he became by the end of the series, but he was too kiddish for me and so was George.

This one took me a lot longer to read than the previous novels, my interest wavered quite a bit and I ended up reading multiple books while trying to finish this. I think there were just too many new players on the board that I didn't connect with. The main story line which deals with Victor purifying Veldaren was great; watching him evolve in order to truly understand the dark belly of the city and take on the Bloodcrafts was intense! However, some villains were pretty pointless. Take Widow for instance, I just didn't see how she added to the story and while her big reveal was disturbing I felt like it was tacky writing aimed too directly at creating a creep factor. I did like that we learned more about Zusa's past and saw the relationship she has with Alyssa evolve. While we have come to recognize these characters, Dalglish is still providing ample amount of character development and Nathaniel is beginning to take a bit of the spot light. I would like to hear more about him in future novels. I do have to say that the end really brought everything together and made me anticipate the next book as new alliances formed out of not necessarily desperation, but close to it. Hopefully the next will be better and more inline with the previous books.