Review: The Shadowhunter's Codex

The Shadowhunter's Codex
Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis
TMI companion

The Clave is pleased to announce the newest edition of the Nephilim’s oldest and most famous training manual: the Shadowhunter’s Codex. Since the thirteenth century, the Codex has been the young Shadowhunter’s best friend. When you’re being swarmed by demons it can be easy to forget the finer points of obscure demon languages or the fastest way to stop an attack of Raum demons. With the Codex by your side, you never have to worry. 

Now in its twenty-seventh edition, the Codex covers it all: the history and the laws of our world; how to identify, interact with, and if necessary, kill that world’s many colorful denizens; which end of the stele is the end you write with. No more will your attempt to fight off rogue vampires and warlocks be slowed by the need to answer endless questions from your new recruits: What is a Pyxis? Why don’t we use guns? If I can’t see a warlock’s mark, is there a polite way to ask him where it is? Where do we get all our holy water? Geography, History, Magic, and Zoology textbook all rolled into one, the Codex is here to help new Shadowhunters navigate the beautiful, often brutal world that we inhabit. 

For my reviews on all things Shadowhunter click here.

Ultimately, the top prize for best project to appease fans series companion ever goes to The Bane Chronicles and Percy Jackson's Greek Gods. HOWEVER, The Shadowhunter's Codex is a close, close second.

While I'll never claim The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices are written works of genius plot-wise, they are THE BEST BOOKS EVER when it comes to characters and fun and world-building and FEELS. If you are a fan of Cassie Clare's books, you will LOVE having this book on your collection.

For starters, The Shadowhunter's Codex is GORGEOUS. The jacket is soft and 3D and ridiculously detailed and PUUUURRRRTYYY. When you strip the book its hardcover is swirly blue and black and has a little golden Mortal Cup.  

The interior is decorated with illustrations by a slew of SERIOUSLY TALENTED artists. They were cool and pretty and creepy all at once. And of course, Cassandra Jean doodling all over the thing as Clary. 

Secondly, Clary, Jace, and Simon have added their sarcastic comments on everything, making the read good fun. Also, Magnus and Clary each put in a letter, and every once in a while Luke or Jocelyn have some input through Clary. Basically, it's a nice catch-up with the crew. 

A lot of the actual content you know already, but don't let that bore you into putting the book down. Towards the middle there is a whole lot of info we never knew from the regular Shadowhunter books, not to mention a well-done Table of Marks, a map of Idris, and interesting appendixes.  

All in all, the Codex is a funny and quick and absolutely drool-inducing good-looking read. SO ABSOLUTELY worth adding to your Cassandra Clare shelf. Believe me, you'll be showing it off to your fanpeople friends. Rating:


Have a great week!
Love,
Esty

Review: Isabella's Heiress

Isabella's Heiress
N.P. Griffiths
Adult, Paranormal

Newly dead and struggling to cope with her new reality, Emma Elliott is thrust into a dark and desperate vision of London.

In her fight to survive she meets friends, both old and new, and uncovers a world inhabited by two warring clans of angels, one bent on the ultimate destruction of mankind, the other committed to our salvation. A way out presents itself but with the forces arrayed against her Emma starts to wonder why, of all the people who have found themselves in this position; she is being singled out for such special attention.

As time passes more questions arise for Emma. Who is Isabella, the woman she is constantly mistaken for? Who are the mysterious Cado Angelus who cast a shadow over Emma's every move? And what part does Emma have to play in the events that will soon unfold in her world and ours. 

I received this book for an honest review from the team at Authoright. Thank you!!

I had thoughts all over the spectrum for this one. Leggo:

- It was BIG. Now, sizable books are SO my cup of tea, but if they're not yours avoid this.  In the case of Isabella's Heiress, it was both a pro and a drawback - it worked in the sense that we got to explore Emma's life in the Twilight plane and before, and a lot happened. However, the novel started off very slow and only picked up about halfway through.

- The plot: Definitely was original, which was refreshing. It also has a lot of crossover potential; I had debated whether to categorize it as YA or Adult. I decided to go with Adult for a few reasons, the first and foremost being that there are a few harsher elements that I would recommend for an older audience. Torture, rape, and family disasters play roles, but small ones, therefore prompting me to say that it could work for teenagers, too. The other reasons I chose Adult in the end are Emma's age (not mentioned, but twenty-something implied) and the frankly, the lack of romance that all we young ones seem to want (if you are an exception to this understandable but ridiculous rule, by all means pick up this book). 

-Characters: Nothing remarkable on this front. Emma is realistic, brave and guilt-ridden, but not as kind and smart as we have come to expect from our protagonists. I liked the character of Father Eamon, and feel that Sister Ignacia could have been an interesting person to hear more about. 

-Setting: I ADORE London, and it was part of the reason I decided to read this book. However, I wish the idea of the Twilight plane was explained more. What do the inhabitants do all eternity? Is it London for all the initiates or is that just how Emma perceives it? What do the Cado Angelus and the Cordoban Council really want? What does the church have anything to do with this? What did the prophecy say and who issued it? The whole background story was murky and unclear, and I was left with more questions than answers.

Overall: As you can tell from above, I was really ambivalent about Isabella's Heiress- there was a lot I liked and a lot I didn't.  I think, though, that good structural editing and proofreading could fix most of the problems I had with this book(:
Rating:


Hope you've been having a wonderful holiday, be it Easter or Passover!
Love,
Esty

Review: Mortal Danger

Mortal Danger (Immortal Game #1)
Ann Aguirre
YA Paranormal

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

If you could hear me right now, I'd be making a long whiny sound.

Pretty sure many of you saw this on Netgalley and picked it up. Hey, it's Ann Aguirre, right? Enclave was pretty good. Pretty cover, typical YA paranormal set up that usually promises fun. AND YET. I was thoroughly disappointed with Mortal Danger.

World building- SUCKED. I had NO IDEA how this all worked, who the heck these people are, what the stakes are, and why I should care. Neither did Edie, it seemed. But she went along with everything compliantly.

Insta love- of the worst kind. He's gorgeous. How can I live without him? This happened within hours of their first meeting. UGHHHH. On his part, he had been watching her for a while beforehand, but it beats me how the things he saw would make her desirable in his eyes.

Characters- Edie was not annoying, exactly, but she made no sense at all. She made total turnarounds within seconds. She also believed herself better than others who asked for beauty because she needed it for a purpose- to get revenge on her tormentors. Gee, how noble of you.

On the flip side, she was able to pity the bullies she came to enact her revenge on, and even sort of become friends with them. While that might sound like a good thing, when I read what they did to her I was sickened. It was so horrible that I have no words. I don't find it realistic that anyone who lived through what she did could stomach the presence of the perpetrators for even a moment, let alone feel sorry for them.

The rest of the characters were likable, but annoyingly one-dimensional. And Kian lacked any sort of unique personality.

Writing and pacing- nothing to remark on. So, not good.

Will I read book #2? Heck no. Recommended? Nope. Rating:

Review: The Iron Queen

The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3)
Julie Kagawa
Paranormal fantasy

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

You can read my reviews for books 1 and 2 here.  If you've read those you'll see that each time, I came at these books expecting to love them but then was disappointed. 

The cover is beautiful, the premise is original, everyone seems to adore the series. And yet, I could only just tolerate the first two. However, The Iron Queen redeemed the series for me- I don't love it yet, but I can tell that I will by the end of book 4.  

Meghan started off as annoying as ever, treating Puck like trash but then running back to him for help the second she needed him. Her concerns were ASH ASH ASH. 

But then, miraculously almost, she experienced what we call 'character development'. ROUND OF APPLAUSE PLEASE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Took her three darn books. Seriously, Ms. Kagawa. She starts to care about BOTH of her companions and the kingdoms relying on her, and goes lengths to secure her human father's safety and mental health. She takes charge when she can and yields results. It was fun and refreshing, if a little unbelievable at times when she beats people with way more skill and experience than her at sword fighting. Whatever- I'll take whatever improvement I can get.

Ash opens up much more, and we can see that there's A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONALITY in that 'piece of ice he calls a heart' (Thank you, Puck). Speaking of Puck, he (and I) finally begin to accept that Ash and Meghan will be together and he stops trying to woo her. 

Hands down best character is Grimalkin. When the answer has been obvious to me for 150 pages Grimalkin loses his patience with Meghan and says, annoyed

"Really, human. Sometimes I despair." 

....

HE UNDERSTANDS ME

And he goes on throughout the book with many sarcastic remarks, much like me in this review. 

One last problem. The novel contradicted itself in some places and just plain didn't make sense in others. Like how a certain person survived in the end? Whaaa

Okay, okay. RANT OVER. In the good, I did enjoy this novel in spite of myself. I guess that's why I continued all the way to book #3. But the best news is-

BOOK 4 IS ALL ABOUT PUCK AND ASH. TOLD FROM ASH'S POV. 

I could throw a party. 
Rating: 3.5 stars. If you know how to cut pictures, please enlighten me.

Review: The Iron Daughter

The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2)
Julie Kagawa
Paranormal, Faeries

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

You can read my review of book 1, The Iron King, here.  So as you know, I was overall disappointed with the first book of this series. There was too much insta-love. And I'm not just talking about Meghan and Ash, but also Oberon (Meghan's fey father) and Meghan. The latter I felt needed a lot of delving into because it'll be important to Meghan's future in the Nevernever. 

I enjoyed this sequel a little more than the Iron King, but not so much that I'm running for book 3. Honestly, quality wise it wasn't much better- I'm  just familiar with the characters and the world now. The series isn't character based- as in, it's not the character's PERSONALITY and DECISIONS making things happen, but rather random obstacles thrown their way. The big motivation for Meghan in this installment is ASH ASH ASH. Even when he broke things off with her, he was her number one consideration. IT WAS SO ANNOYING. This isn't Mockingjay, when Peeta and Katniss legit LOVE each other and want each other alive for completely selfless reasons and those are unquestionable facts because we were right there for the whole process. Not to mention in Mockingjay there was an actual reason to worry about Peeta. Here I just couldn't buy anything Meghan did because the reason she did those things was her love for Ash WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN BUY IN THE FIRST PLACE. 

Another thing I didn't buy was Ironhorse's undying loyalty. I understood when he said he would accompany her for reasons X, Y and Z but not when five minutes later he wants to sacrifice his life for her. We were given a hint at then end for the reason of this but I wish it could have come earlier and prevented my frequent eye rolling throughout the novel. 

AND THE LOVE TRIANGLE- *growls* it's obvious who she should be with and it's obvious who she will be with and unfortunately they are not the same person. 

Once again, I felt that this book was brimming with possibilities but fell short. Fans of Julie Kagawa, do forgive me, but I think that in the hands of a different author this series would be INSANE. We could have some amazing Puck/Ash dynamic- I was sure we'd get tons after we found out the mutual history but unfortunately was disappointed. The prom scene could have been EPIC but ended up being rather boring. So much build up and not much pay off.

Ending: EYE ROLL

Rating:


My apologies for being AWOL this week. Missed you guys! Life should be easing up now and hopefully I'll be back to normal. 
Hope you had great holidays!
Esty

Review: The Iron King

The Iron King 
Julie Kagawa
YA Paranormal, Fantasy 

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I was soooooo sure I was gonna love this. I mean, look at the above! This is exactly the kinda thing I would adore! Sounds like Wicked Lovely, or the Mortal Instruments. Brooding hot guy, hilarious best friend, faery world- it's exactly my cup of tea. 

Except it wasn't. I was so excited but it fell flat. The characters were just so.... one-dimensional. Like, nothing they said or did showed any personality at all. If I didn't know who was speaking, I would never have been able to tell the voices apart. The only exception to this rule was Puck. Good God, I loved that boy! He made me laugh and and cry each in turn. He was the only redeeming person. Ash, much as I wanted to be obsessed with him, didn't charm me. He was nothing special, honestly. There was only one bit where he really talked, and even then it was just like reciting his personal history. It wasn't that he was devoid of feeling- he (and everyone else but Puck) were devoid of personality. (I don't know, does that make sense??)

The one thing I liked was the world and it's rules. I've seen a lot of different interpretations of the fey- In Apprilynne Pike's Wings, the faeries of the various of the differ seasons differ in power. In Wicked Lovely there are 4 courts. The Iron King's theme was similar to that, with two different courts (kingdoms) who thrive on the imagination of humans. I thought that was pretty great. The twist is this- humans are imagining new things now. Technology and development, therefore creating new fey- iron fey. Yay originality!! That was cool. 

I've decided to give the Iron Fey series the benefit of the doubt. I'm assuming the reason the characters didn't go anywhere was because the author was busy with world building. I feel like the series has a lot of potential and that the plot will thicken and the characters will develop and I'll be happy. Hopefully. 
Rating: 2.5 stars


Still no internet, still hanging at friends' houses to blog. Oh well.
Love, Esty

Review: Hidden

Hidden (Firelight #3)
Sophie Jordan
Fantasy/Paranormal

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

I read the first two novels before I started blogging, so unfortunately I can't link you my reviews. I can tell you though, that I really enjoyed them.  In Firelight, I fell in love with Will and was wowed by the new world and the complex situation. In Vanish, I fell in love with Cassian and was swept with all the action and the new developments in regard to Tamra and her (Jacinda's) (well, Tamra's, too.) mom. 

In all respects, Hidden disappointed me when compared to the first two novels. It was quick and wasn't as emotional as the others, and usually it's the conclusion that's jam-packed with feels. There were some new surprises, but nothing that really caught me off guard and shocked me (More like, 'Oh. Okay. That makes sense' kinda reaction). When I said quick, I meant that all the events in this novel occur in some 36 hours. 

That's not to say it wasn't good. I still had a hard time putting it down and couldn't wait to read what happened next, but I wasn't as hooked as I wanted to be. I had a hard time but I was able to put it down.

The end wraps everything up nicely, including Jacinda and her love life, Tamra and her love life, Will vs. Cassian (though my ship lost:/) the twins' dad's disappearance,  her mom leaving, the pride's rule, etc. basically all tied up. My one problem is that I was hoping for a big explosive scene in which Jacinda (with Tamra- she's my fave character) stands up for the things she's been fighting for throughout the trilogy and gets them. There wasn't such a scene. And she was kinda unconscious for all the good stuff. *sigh*

 All in all? Finish the series, but don't get hyped. If you have yet to read Firelight, I still recommend it. The first ones were great. Rating: 2.5 but till I figure out how to do half stars...


Summer vacation is here!! Enjoy and stay safe:) Love,
Esty

Review: A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire
Bella Forrest
Paranormal Romance

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

A vampire book whose author's name is Bella. Huh. 

I received this book for review and had no expectations whatsoever for it. I'm please to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sophia's story was fun and compelling, and I found myself fascinated with almost everything about it. 

The setting and back story- the novel takes place on a secured island called The Shade which the vamps conquered for themselves to hide in from the hunters (unknown enemy). The descriptions of The Shade were beautifully written and conjured up spectacular images in my head. Also, I was interested in the history of the place and the identity of the hunters- we only get little clues in A Shade of Vampire. It gets me excited for book 2:) 

The characters- Sophia was a relatable teenager suffering from a classic case of in-love-with-your-best-friend. I liked how she stays realistic and faces her fears throughout the book. I wouldn't call her badass, but cool enough. 
Derek, Lucas and Vivienne (main vampire characters. Siblings) each had all sorts of feelings and agendas, making for a great and sophisticated cast. I do wish we got to hear more from Vivienne, though. That girl knows more than she lets on, and I need some more info on these visions of hers! 

The language- like I mentioned above, something about the writing made me really like it. It flowed and just made me think pretty thoughts. Make of that what you will. 

Lastly, the points of view- A Shade of Vampire switches narrator between Derek and Sophia. I enjoyed seeing them each as they see themselves and as they view each other. It made for an interesting contrast. 

One nitpick: It was too short for my liking. I prefer having a basic understanding of the word and/or the magic system and the characters by book 1. A Shade of Vampire, being only 100 pages on kindle, did not satisfy that need. 

Rating: 4 stars. 

Love, Esty
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