Stormglass (Glass #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Opal is an older, more experienced version of the girl who saved the city four years ago. She is studying at the Keep under the Master Magicians to learn more about her glassmaking powers- a type of magic that has never been discovered before Opal. When traumatic deaths terrify the Stormdance Clan, Opal is the Masters' first choice. She is sent to the cliffs to witness the mystery of Stormdancing- a type of magic as misunderstood as her own. Opal, putting on a brave face, is not sure she can solve the cause of the tragic deaths. But she delves headfirst into the investigation, risking her own life to help the clans. Soon she realizes that this magic is close to home: dangerously close.

My review:
I was nervous about this book because I loved Poison Study so much, and I hoped Stormglass would pull me into the world just as much. Once I started reading, I was not disappointed!
I have to say, I was not disappointed because I stopped comparing the two series immediately. Opal was quite different, her magic was different, and I loved her just as much as Yelena.
The story was captivating, and I enjoyed learning about a new clan with previously undescribed talents. I wish there would have been more Stormdancing and dancers, but alas, tragedy. In particular I enjoyed Kade, although I thought I wouldn't at first.
The glassblowing was cool to read about as well! It was something I had never thought much about, but Snyder obviously has researched it a lot. Opal's talents made her interesting to read about and gave her real depth.
Speaking of, I enjoyed Opal being the main character. She has grown up so much, but is still not entirely confident in her abilities. She has fears, but doesn't let them keep her from accomplishing great feats for others' benefit. She is selfless, determined, and tough to keep down. She also makes a lot of wise decisions, and is quick when it comes to solving a mystery. I love how prone to action she is, but also somewhat reluctant to leave home. Opal is a very 3-dimensional character.
The plot doesn't stop moving-- ever! Opal spends weeks on the road, constantly moving and learning. I read through it quickly trying to find out what would happen next and why.
There were only small things that kept this book from a 5/5. Every once in a while I would find a sentence that was worded awkwardly, or a description would lose me. I felt like the author was writing AT me. The way she described Opal's feelings was not very subtle or natural. I like when I don't have to be told how the character is feeling exactly, but can just decipher her through context and actions. This book was not done that way. It sometimes gives Opal's emotions an awkward forcedness. (If that's a word?)
With all of the other amazingness that Snyder has written, I did not have time to dwell on the negatives. The characters, plot, and world were too cool! I loved this first book, and I can't wait to read the rest!

A note: If you haven't read the Study series, you should probably do so before reading the Glass books. (Don't fret, you won't regret picking them up!)

4.3/5
Shay-la

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Tessa has been brought to London by tragic circumstances. Determined to start anew with her brother, she is instead captured and held in a world she had no idea existed. Forced into practice sessions, she develops powers unlike anything seen before, even in the Downworld-- a community filled with magical creatures. Even when Tessa is rescued she cannot escape the Downworld. The Shadowhunters need Tessa's magic to solve a clockwork mystery that threatens even the mortal world. Vampires, warlocks, and demons scare Tessa, but not as much as the fact that she may be one of them.
My review:
This was not what I expected. It was written very differently than The Mortal Instruments, which I liked. However, the story was lacking something. Depth? I have no idea. All I know was that I was left wanting.
I enjoyed the setting a lot, I love Steampunk and London settings, as well as Era novels.
I also liked the characters, for the most part. I think Tessa was brave, smart, and witty. I also think she was underwritten. All we know about Tessa was that she likes reading, is a girl, and has a brother. And she hates chocolate. There was not enough of her voice in the story.
I also liked Jem. He's hot, strong, funny, and very very wise. He plays the violin, has an exotic background, and a tragic past. Most of the time, broody serious guys hold no appeal for me, but Jem is a positive force in this otherwise bleak situation for Tessa. He always helps her, and never hurts her. There isn't a selfish bone in his body.
Then there's Will. And that makes me sad, because I know I'm supposed to like him. He's supposed to be a troubled boy who takes life too lightly and jokes too much simply because his insidey parts are sad. But I call BS. He's a jerk to Tessa, hot and cold, and does a horrible job of being mysterious. He isn't a horrible person, but he thinks he is. Boo hoo. Another Edward complex. Sorry, but he needs to get over what happened when he was twelve and stop being a little pansy girl.
Team Jem.
Henry and Charlotte are soooo awesome! Henry is probably my favorite character. I wish he would have been in the story more often! Jessamine was hard to read, but I have a feeling I will end up liking her a lot.
The plot moved quickly, and maybe that was what was missing. There was so much happening it felt like only a day had passed since the beginning. It didn't feel natural. Tessa got sucked right in, and stayed there. However, the book was never boring.
Because I knew about the Downworld already, it didn't feel like an introduction to a new world. It felt like the same story with different characters. Tessa did not hesitate to learn everything about the Shadowhunters, so she already knew a lot about them. I didn't feel like I was learning along with her. I was looking forward to a new look on this world, but it ended up feeling like a rewrite where the names were changed (and it's easy to see what Jace's name would be), and women wore dresses.
I know it seems like I just tore this book apart, and I suppose I did. But there were things that I liked, like the writing, Tessa, and the fact that it took place in that time/place. It redeemed the book a lot. This was not a bad or boring read. I just did not get addicted to the story like I had expected to.
If you have not read the book, please don't let the bad deter you. I am glad I read it, and I will keep reading the series! A lot of readers loved this book!
3/5
Shay-la

Last Sacrifice (VA 6-- Finale!) Richelle Mead

Rose has been framed. The queen is gone, and Rose has been wrongfully imprisoned. Her once allies are gone now, and she feels utterly alone. Only, there is a plan. A plan she, for once, has not concocted. On another whirlwind adventure, there are too many problems Rose can't solve. She finally has to realize that she can no longer do it all alone, and there are people behind her that are willing to make that sacrifice.

The conclusion is here! I picked up the book, filled with dread. Book 5 has ended technically the right way, so why aren't I happy? There are too many pieces not in place! And this better all come together! That was the attitude I had when I began reading. I was terribly afraid of Richelle's power over my sanity.

No prologue! A promising beginning. But is it a ruse? It seemed like the book was constantly promising something brilliant, and I was constantly peeking over my shoulder. I was sure the darkness was going to come and steal away all of Rose's progress! I had invested a ton of time into these characters, and I was perilously close to losing it all!

The book kept me enthralled, just like its predecessors. Of course I loved it, Rose was there! Past the beginning, there was not a lot of violence, but there were a lot of internal battles. Rose came about a LOT of epiphanies. She had a lot of struggles to overcome that all the fighting in previous books didn't allow time for. I was glad to see deeply into Rose's character; she has developed so much.

Of course, there was a lot of romantic tension too. No spoilers, but I got pretty frustrated with a certain Russian guy. It made for great reading, though. Nothing like going back to first base with your soulmate to amp up the expectations. It was weird, being caught in a love triangle, because c'mon. We know who wins. Although I almost found myself conflicted, because both dudes are so great, and I could see Rose loving both of them.

On the negative side, this book was blendy as well. I was confused as to which part of the book was the climax, the turning point, what-have-you. There were many! It's not necessarily a bad thing, just confusing. It seemed to lack structure. It left me conflicted, because everything was great in the book! I loved every second! But there was something about the way it was put together that made the events less profound than I thought they should have been. There was, like the previous book, a LOT of falling action at the end. No piece was left unplaced, and while I respect that, it was a little unnatural feeling. Forced?

But this book was still fantastic! Despite what may be not-award-winning writing, there is so much to love in these books! Richelle Mead has created a fantastic world, with intricately made characters and astounding detail. I completely admire the way, even in the last book, readers are still learning about the vampire world. There were new settings, and new characters. There will always be more to learn.

I hated that this book had that negative side, because I loved this series so much! I loved watching Rose's character develop, and all the myseteries revealed. It has become my favorite series, with no competition! My favorite book was Blood Promise, no doubt. But the first book is almost tied with it, because it was so fabulous, and started it all.

I won't tell you how I felt about the ending, because that would give everything away. I still love Richelle Mead, and the city is not burning, however. So that should tell you all you need to know!

It's all over, and I'm really sad. The effects of the books will take awhile to fade, and I still haven't really come to terms with the fact that I won't get to read about Rose and Dimitri anymore! :'(

So, if you haven't read the series, do it. You will not regret one second you spend reading Vampire Academy! It will change your life! :)

Book rating:4.3/5

Series: A million/5

Shay-la

Spirit Bound (VA 5) by Richelle Mead

The end of Blood Promise left us all heartbroken and wanting more. How are things going to get better? HOW, I ASK YOU? Well, in response, Richelle Mead gave us Spirit Bound.

First off, this book was really weird! Not weird weird, but definitely triggered a strange reaction in me. No prologue (hooray!) and not too much recap, though honestly, by book 5, Mead should expect her readers to remember what a Moroi is, right? Anyway, the end of 4 left a little trickle of hope inside readers, and I had great expectations for book 5. I knew what needed to happen! And anything less was going to lead to some horrible crimes (see review for book 4).

I loved the book. It was a huge adventure, full of heart-pounding action. As always, I was totally in love with Rose. She was impressive. I had to admit, she is a little too impressive sometimes, with things going a little too right for her, but I would never dream of complaining! She is a super heroine, and that it that! Right from the beginning, I know Rose is going to start trouble, and I was super pumped!

Also, hi Dimitri! You're scary now, but I still love you!

The thing I disliked the most was the setup of the book. It was like the previous, with the climax being right smack in the middle of the book. I felt it left wayyy too much room at the end for falling action. Kind of dull, but I still enjoyed reading it. I can see why some of it was necessary to the story, but almost wished it had been saved for another book or something? I'm no author. I also usually enjoy books in a series to have their own plots, and it came off feeling a little bit too blendy. I have already forgotten where book 4 ended and 5 began. Well, almost.

There was a lot of hope and heartbreak smashed between these covers. I was so full of feelings I lost touch with reality a little. It took me two days to finish because it was quite lengthy. It pretty much ruined any outside life I had, and I even started to narrate my own actions like Rose would do in my head. (Cmon book nerds, you've done it!)

Point is: another great addition to the series. Not the best one, but still great!

4/5

Shay-la

Blood Promise (Vamp Academy 4) by Richelle Mead

Rose is on an impossible quest. She know's it's impossible, but it's hers alone. She's across the world, and she's in trouble. There are many ways this could end, but they all involve death.

I tried, when writing the overview, to keep out spoilers. Which made it very vague. But, after Goodreads.com ruined the end of Frostbite for me by including the ending in the overview of Shadow Kiss, I couldn't stand to do that to anyone else. So, there you have it. I summed up the book in four short sentences.

So this book worked me up so much I started having chest pain, drove to the ER, and was diagnosed with a deadly disease. I'm kidding of course, but a part of me wanted to die half of the time! I thought I was going to explode from all the pent up emotion. I wanted to cry the whole book, and did the last half. The last two pages I was shaking my hands in the air and trying not to scream! Ahhhh! So instead I whined to all my fellow VA addicts. And now I'm going to whine again.

I seriously almost want to give this book a zero. I wish I could, and I would, if it wasn't so friggin' great. Because it was fantastic. What kind of book makes you want to explode the whole time? A great one. It was a bittersweet experience.

On the plus side, she's in Russia, which is pretty sweet. She's typical bad-a Rose on a mission. Even though I knew she was being foolish, I wanted her to. She was right, even though she was wrong, you know? Of course you do! It's Rose. Another plus was the new characters. Mead is constantly building on her addictive world, and there's alway something new to learn! I found out a ton about hidden dhampir worlds, Strigoi hunting, and spirit using. What I didn't learn, however, was how to pronounce "dhampir." And honestly, I'm faking "Strigoi" and "Moroi" too. I just guess while I'm reading and hope I never have to say them out loud and embarrass myself.

Okay, now the down sides. There was a prologue. Ugh! I skipped it again when I was sure I didn't need it. I can appreciate it being useful to people who waited a while between books, but I'm reading in fervent, rushed succession. So they are just annoying to me. There was a lot of recap, but it wasn't bad, and Rose is so far away from everyone that it wasn't too distracting. Also, if you've read the book, you know what the other downside is. I mean, WTF! Right? Ah!!!!

The book drove me insane. It dangles little nuggets of cheer in front of you, then BAM. You're dead inside. I would feel dead now if I didn't have the other two books. At first, I was like, WHY ARE THERE MORE! ROSE SHOULD JUST DIE NOW SO I CAN BE COMPLETELY MISERABLE IN PEACE!

But now I understand. I also suspected something like this would happen. And if the series doesn't end like I want it to, I'm burning down something. Then I'll have some very angry hotel staff on my case, and I'll try to fight them off Rose-style, and I'll probably end up in prison. "Oh hey look, there's Victor! Hey Mr. D! So you gotta tell me about this big secret?! I'll give you Lissa! Honestly!"

You get the picture.

I have some hope left, because none of my friends who finished are in prison and the world isn't in flames, so it can't be all bad, right? RIGHT?!

Sorry, this was more of a therapy session than a review, but I oddly feel a lot better now. And you understand. It was fantastic. If you haven't read the series, DO IT! (Command may be revoked later, depending on the ending).

4.5/5

Shay-la

Shadow Kiss (V.A. #3) by Richelle Mead

Rose has witnessed the inevitable and the impossible. She has become more than girls her age: a warrior, a guardian. But even Rose is not invincible. She begins questioning her sanity, her place in the world, and who she has become. Yet again, she is unable to focus on herself, because eerie events keep pointing to a horrible truth: nowhere is safe anymore.

I didn't waste time on the overview. Trust me, this book is full to bursting of plot, and it was thrilling to read. Most of the excitement was saved for very last, but I enjoyed the entire book and tore through it like a madwoman (hello, Dimitri was there!)

I don't really know how much opinion or review is necessary here. I love the series, love Rose and Dimitri, and the book did not disappoint.

There was a lot less to complain about than in Frostbite. Rose is mature and does an awesome job kicking butt the whole time. She managed to swallow her petty arguments most of the time, and I think I love her even more now!

Also, there was a lot of Dimitri in here. A lot. And it made me very very happy.

And then, it made me sad.

And then, ecstatic!

But alas, sad again.

It pretty much took me on a roller coaster that will be continued in the next book: Blood Promise, I think. Spoiler alert: *ugh!* End spoiler.

I'm thrilled about the next book. There was definitely a cliffhanger ending. It took a lot of self control to type this instead of going to pick up the next book!

Anyway, great book. Great story. I'm gonna go read the next one now!

4/5

Shay-la

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Love triangles, politics, and family drama are just a part of Rose's daily routine at St. Vladimir's. Lissa, Dimitri, and Mason are all she has time to think about until the day Rose sees first-hand the damage done to a Moroi family murdered in their own home. Someone is targeting the royals, and the usual Strigoi rules are no longer applicable. She doesn't have time to think about her personal life, but it burns to ashes around her anyway. She has to prove to everyone, including herself, that she can be mature enough to handle her guardian responsibilties, but her ridiculous love life isn't make things any easier.

For those who haven't read the first book, I will try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but no promises. :)

I finished this book today and didn't waste time busting out the laptop. I know this review is going to sound like insane babbling, but rest assured, the book lived up to its hype.
That's not to say it didn't take some time to "wow" me. Frankly, it sucked at first. (Ouch, that hurt to type!) I skipped the prologue because it was a badly-written recap that bored me to tears and made Rose sound like an idiot. It didn't set the stage at all. Then, it took a few chapters after that for me to really get back into my initial love for the story. It was a giant recap that I didn't need. One big pet-peeve I have is too much recap in a novel. It wasn't done well, it was blatant and didn't feel natural to read. I got distracted by all of it, and it really disappointed me. I hadn't noticed anything bad about Mead's writing in Vamp Academy 1, but this writing really felt awkward. I knew in my heart, however, that it would get better, and it really did.

After all of the details of the first book were more-or-less out in the open, the recapping stopped and I got to focus on the "now." The plot was really fantastic. It kept me reading quickly and I was dying to know what would happen!

And Dimitri was there. He makes everything okay. I was very frustrated with him, of course, but I was just happy to see him. I was like "OOH Dimitri! Hi! It's me! Shaylin! Hey...where are you going!?" Mason's cute, don't get me wrong. But he's not Russian or 24. I do love a good love-triangle though, if you could call it that. It's pretty one-sided.

Rose does stupid stuff a lot, as usual, but I love her. She's one of the best main characters I've ever found. Her dumbness frustrated me a little at times, but she's smart and always picks up quickly. It's so much better reading about a smart heroine. Refreshing, and I don't have to scream solutions into the Kinde nearly as often.

The end...(like, the last 20%) killed me. I was so tense, and reading so quickly, I think I might have stopped breathing at times. It was beautiful, action-packed, violent, romantic, and just perfect, really. It was a tear-jerker, I will warn you. I didn't cry, because I read the cover of Shadow Kiss, the next one, and it GAVE THE END AWAY! Don't read it!!!!!

Yay for this author! She has woven a brilliant world and brilliant characters. I will be reading the rest in rapid succession, and I hope they live up to their predecessors' genius.

4.2/5 (-.8 for the beginning, the rest was pretty fantastic)

Shay-la