In My Mailbox 18

This was started by the fabulous Kristi who was inspired by Alea. If you want more information check out their blogs. All summaries are from the book jackets.

The Demon’s Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennan

Sixteen-year-old Nick knows that demons are real.

Magicians call up demons in exchange for their power. The demons can appear in any shape, show you marvels, promise you anything - until you invite them in and receive their mark.

What happens next?
First you get possessed.
Then you die.

Nick’s been on the run his entire life, ever since his mother stole a charm from the most feared magician of them all, and the only person he trusts is his brother Alan. Alan’s just been marked by a demon. Only Nick can save him, but to do so he must face the magicians - and kill them.

The hunt is on, and Nick’s going to discover things he never dreamed were out there…

Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr

Seth never expected to settle down forever - but that was before Aislinn. Unfortunately, forever takes on a whole new meaning when your girlfriend is a faerie queen…

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures that had always terrified her - but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she’d ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr’s third mesmerising tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other, in a world where one false step could plunge the Earth into chaos…

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.

Or are there?

Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.

Which is impossible.

Prentisstown has been lying to him.

And now he’s going to have to run…

I got some really great books this week and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Sophie

Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder

Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder

Pages: 441
Publisher: MIRA Books
Release Date: 16th January 2009

Other Titles in this Series: Poison Study (my review), Magic Study (my review)

The apprenticeship is over.
Now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder - able to capture and release souls - spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her in her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before.

Honour sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies and enemies. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself - and save the land she holds dear.

Fire Study is the action-filled conclusion to Yelena’s story. It’s the most exciting of the trilogy by far.

The action and adventure began almost instantly and continued throughout the entire book. Yelena and the rest of the characters didn’t stop. They were always fighting for their lives, escaping on their horses or planning their next attack. I felt exhausted for the characters! For some reason, I got a bit fed up of all of the fighting and at some points, I just couldn’t wait for Fire Study to end.

I liked some of the background characters more than I did the main ones (apart from Valek, of course!). I really loved Kiki. Her loyalty and love for Yelena was heart-warming, and for a horse, she’s pretty wise and very charming! I really looked forward to the interactions between Kiki and Yelena for this reason. The other character that I really liked was the Commander. His character continued to develop throughout the trilogy and the reasons for the way that he rules Ixia became apparent. Lots of shocking revelations were made about him that made me like him even more.

But what I liked most about Fire Study was the happy ending. At times it seemed like there was no chance of it ending happily, but it did. Rather cheesily, good conquered evil and they all (well, most of them) lived happily ever after. But I love cheesy endings so I was perfectly happy!

The Study trilogy will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading about a strong heroine learning who is whilst embroiled in magic and adventure.

Sophie

Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder

Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder

Pages: 419
Publisher: MIRA Books
Release Date: 16th May 2008

Other Book in the Series: Poison Study (my review), Fire Study

Confronting the past.
Controlling the future.

With an execution order on her head, Yelena has no choice but to escape Sitia, the land of her birth. With only a year to master her magic - or face death - Yelena must begin her apprenticeship and travels to the Four Towers of the Magician’s Keep.

But nothing in Sitia is familiar. Not the family to whom she is a stranger. Not the unsettling new facets of her magic. Not the brother who resents her return. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her rare powers, a rogue magician emerges - and Yelena catches his eye.

Suddenly she is embroiled in battle against good and evil. And once again it will be her magical abilities that will either save her…or be her downfall.

Magic Study is the fantastic sequel to Poison Study. I liked this one a lot more than the first one as there was a lot more romance. And I love romance!

The Zaltana’s home in the jungle canopy was amazing. It was basic and yet everything that they needed with only a few simplified modern technologies like Esau’s vine pulley lift. The jungle is loud, colourful and bursting with life.

The differences between Sitia and Ixia are startling. When Yelena was in Ixia Sitia seemed like a magical place to be, but when she got there and it’s reality was exposed, I immediately preferred Ixia. It’s sense of justice and organisation trumped Sitia’s winner-takes-all society that is much like ours. Although, I do love the magic and tree-top living of Sitia.

I loved the variety of magical abilities that we learned about in Magic Study. from healing to body swapping to starting fires with the mind. The variety of skills and abilities and the capabilities of the different magicians really illustrated how exceptional Yelena’s magic is.

I really enjoyed Magic Study and I’m looking forward to seeing how Yelena’s story concludes in Fire Study. I really want her to be reunited with Valek!

Sophie

Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder

Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder

Pages: 409
Publisher: MIRA Books
Release Date: 21st September 2007

Other Titles in the Series: Magic Study, Fire Study

Choose:

A quick death

Or slow poison…

Yelena has a choice - be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived.

Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. and who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?

When Yelena realises she has extraordinary magical powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death…

Poison Study is something that I wouldn’t normally read. That may be why it took me until about half-way through the book to engage with the characters and enjoy the story.

I don’t feel that I really connected with Yelena, though I did like and care for her. She is the opposite of me in nearly every way which may be why I found no common ground with her. But I did love her strength, bravery and her witty, sarcastic comments. These traits made her a brilliant heroine.

Right from the very beginning, the way that Maria V. Snyder described Yelena’s surroundings captured my imagination. Her beautiful writing and minute detail helped the story to come alive and jump off of the page into my mind. I also loved the magic that coated the world which could be pulled too tight or become too concentrated when the magicians used it. It’s very clever and something that I haven’t encountered before that I really enjoyed.

But Valek was definitely my favourite part of Poison Study. He is your classic bad boy with a heart whom every girl loves. I liked that there was more to him than met the eye and watching him soften towards Yelena made me smile. The supporting characters were also well-developed and each had distinctive personalities that really added to the story.

I really enjoyed Poison Study in the end and I’m looking forward to seeing what Yelena gets up to in Magic Study.

Sophie

Rachel Caine Signing

On Saturday I got my dad drive me and my sister up to Bluewater to meet Rachel Caine. She was really nice and signed all five of the Morganville books for me. I also got a Morganville wristband and a huge 'Morganville Resident' sticker. Here are some pics.

My wristband and sticker.

I hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Sophie