Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book 2 (Book 1: The Darkest Minds)

Novel Summation:

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

My Thoughts:

So I really like this series. It definitely has an X-Men vibe but very limited in super power abilities. I’m going to do a brief summary of the last book because when I started reading this book I was really confused as to the roles people played and the different groups and it wasn’t until three quarters into the book that everything sort of fell into place. There are different level of abilities and they are organized by code: green (technology kids), yellow (electricity), blue (telekinesis), orange (telepathy), and red (dangerous). There are camps that are essentially internment camps for kids but the adults think they’re rehab camps. There are two opposing government groups:  The Federal Coalition is opposed to Gray and his government and uses the Children’s League occasionally which is an organization that uses kids with abilities on their missions.  Ruby had escaped her camp with the help of the Children’s League (a woman named Cate) but ran away from them. She joined up with Zhu (a yellow), Liam (a blue?), and Chubs (a blue). Initially the group didn’t know that Ruby was an orange. They eventually made their way to a place called East River (a sanctuary for kids run by kids). East River was ran by a kid named the Slip Kid who turned out to be Clancy Gray, son of the President and an Orange.  The camp was attacked and Chubs was shot, Zhu went away, and Ruby joined the Children’s League, erasing her self from Liam’s mind (Liam use to work with them with his brother but left). The writing is really good except I don’t like the flash backs at the beginning since it confuses the reader and messes with the flow of the story. Some of the dialogue, in particular the lines Liam says to Ruby near the end are really touching.  So in this book we get introduced to how the Children’s League is run, the members, and the missions. We get introduced to Ruby’s team, Vida (a blue), Nico (a green), and Jude (a yellow). We don’t really get to know Nico much and Jude seemed to act a lot younger than he actually was (very naive). I initially didn’t like Vida but by the end of the book you sort of like her attitude and you get used to her sass. We also get introduced to Cole, Liam’s brother and there is something really interesting about him that you’ll find out by the end. We get some familiar faces like Chubs and Liam but everyone, including Ruby has changed and you definitely see it. Hopefully, Zhu will make an appearance in the next book. I kind of wish there was more diversity in powers but sadly there isn’t.

Future Books:

There will a third book in December 2014.

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book 4 (Book 1: The Lost Hero, Book 2: Son of Poseidon, Book 3: Mark of Athena)

Novel Summation:

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?
They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus

My Thoughts:

This was a great book. The book is really split into two perspectives: one is the journey of Leo, Frank, Jason, Piper, and Hazel accompanied by Coach Hedge and Nico as they go to Greece to the doors of death on earth’s side and then there is the perspective of Annabeth and Percy as they journey through Tartarus to the doors of death. There was no book specific prophecy and it mainly was a set up for the major Prophecy of Seven and the final book. I liked what they did with Leo’s character since they made him more than just a comic relief. They gave him depth by giving him a romantic interest and his demigod abilities to create all kinds of devices was impressive. For Frank he definitely stepped up as a son of Ares, conquering his fears and becoming a leader. Surprisingly I felt like Jason didn’t do too much in this book which was a bit disappointing because Jason and Percy are sort of top dogs. Jason did finally come to realize that he isn’t exactly all Roman would leads me to believe by the end of the series there will be a serious blending of the two groups. His moment with Nico was interesting. Piper also didn’t do too much but it looks like she’ll be fighting ready when the time comes. Hazel got a lot of attention since as a daughter of Hades there was her connection with Nico and since her mother was a witch she has other talents she can rely on.  Nico didn’t get his own point of view but you definitely get a lot more background. In Tartarus Percy and Annabeth have only each other to rely on as you can definitely feel the love but sometimes it felt too much. Annabeth kept going on about how Percy and herself has gone through so much to not be split apart now, which sure is true but she constantly is saying it. They don’t really encounter many monster challenges as I was expecting but instead it was the very environment that was against them. They do meet some surprising allies along the way. The whole Roman camp vs. Greek camp was always in the background but nothing definitive outcome came out of it yet.

Future Books:

The final book in the Percy Jackson/ Heroes of Olympus series is called Blood of Olympus and comes out Fall 2014.

The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. 3: The Morning Star by Robin Bridges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book 3 (Book 1: The Gathering Storm, Book 2: The Unfailing Light)

Novel Summation:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890. Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors. Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina’s focus remains on the sword. Russia’s fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow.

My Thoughts:

I love this series. It is beautifully written  and the setting is so captivating that takes you right into the time period and country. What I love about these books is the diverse range of character types and characters as well as the fact that you are transported to the locations Katerina goes to. We get a very clear picture on Egypt from that time period which was really neat but I don’t like the deviation away from Russia. I loved the very Russian feel of the first book and I just wished that this book could have remained in the country. Katerina for the most part seemed like a helpless heroine all the time. I liked that she wants to study medicine and her dreams are so strong that she is never deterred from fulfilling it but she also had a calling as a necromancer and she never answered it or wanted anything to do with it. George Alexandrovich was barely in the book and I wanted more of him with Katerina because they both seem so complete and stronger when they are together. I liked having more Danilo but he was blurred so much with Konstantin that it was hard to separate the two. A lot of the book felt rushed and a little bit of a cheat. For example the return of someone past dead made Katerina no long necessary, Danilo’s decision at the end, zombie creatures barely made any appearance or difference, why introduce the Gregori (though I like the lore) when they didn’t do much, and the battle wasn’t very big or epic like I hoped. I didn’t like the end of the book since it seemed boring. I do love this series and would definitely recommend it.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book 2 (Book 1: Throne of Glass)

Novel Summation:

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt. But her heart never wavers. After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king’s contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes. Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king’s bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she’s given a task that could jeopardize everything she’s come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon — forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.  Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

My Thoughts:

So I liked this book a lot. It wasn’t as action packed as the first one but it had more drama. The novel mainly focuses on Celaena’s feelings towards Chaol and an underlying hint of revolt within the city. Calaena was just as strong as she was in the last book, maybe even a bit more dangerous. She could be a little frustrating with her unwillingness to take any responsibility for the fate of many but her reaction was understandable. Still we knew she was meant for bigger things before she did.   Chaol is still strongly loyal to the Crown but when Celaena becomes involved we get to see him feel conflicted. He’s very passive that I don’t find it to be an endearing quality. I really like Dorian and we definitely get to see a more vulnerable side of him as he is dealing with his own issues but there was so little of him in the book. Since it was clear who Celaena was leaning towards romantically I had hoped Nehemia was a possible love interest but that didn’t work out so I was a little disappointed in the romance in this book. Celaena’s and Chaol’s relationship was gradual and I guess that was supposed to make it more realistic but sometimes love is at first sight is (like with Dorian). I’d recommend this series.

Future Books:

There will be another book coming out in 2014.