Book Review: Miss Mayhem

About the book

Title: Miss Mayhem

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Rebel Belle #2
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

Expected Publication: April 7th, 2015

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Speak

Edition: Paperback

Purchase Location: Rome

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant. Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever.

My Review

So … my first reading progress update on Goodreads says: "I'm not eyerolling as much as I did when reading the first book so I guess that's a good sign, right? :3". I think it’s safe to say that it was a good sign. I remember not enjoying the first book at all. I think the plot was just kind of weird to me, without any real subtext and I didn’t like the style too much. Which makes me even prouder to tell you that I picked up the second book anyways, and actually quite liked it.

This book was filled with a lot of suspense, turning events and a lot of tension. I’ve come to like (okay, maybe that’s a strong word, let’s go with appreciate) Harper’s character a little better. In Rebel Belle she annoyed me quite a bit which isn’t a good thing for a book, when you don’t like the protagonist. However, it seemed to me that she matured quite a bit and took things more serious. She feels like she has to have everything under control, although that’s clearly not possible and the plot put a lot of obstacles in her way.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews of my friends who feel like they’ve been disappointed, let down even. I’m happy to say that this book actually made the whole series more interesting and against my expectations actually surprised me in a good way. I’m definitely going to pick up the last book in the trilogy Lady Renegades, but I’ll have to wait until the paperback version from speak gets released.

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

I was so glad to see Bee return, however, I think Rachel Hawkins made it way too easy. I would have liked to see more about her background story. What happened to her exactly when she was away? How did she cope with things? How does she take in the world she’s come back to? I mean really, all the book told us was basically: Oh yeah Bee’s back. She didn’t like her Paladin training. But she’s stronger and better now than Harper. And she’s in love with Harper’s ex-boyfriend. But she doesn’t want to be a Paladin. I was a little disappointed with that turn of events. It was just a way too shallow description in my opinion.

The ending had me really upset. I need the next book to read on what happens. It didn’t make sense to me how David actually managed to leave, because it was clearly said that he couldn’t. I thought maybe he’d die trying or whatever, instead he “just walked over” the town line. I think this made for a pretty good cliffhanger, though! :)

Other books in the series

Rebel Belle #1 (My Review)

I'd like to know

Have you picked up the Rebel Belle series? What are your thoughts on the books so far? If you've read the third book, please don't spoil me! How do you go on with series where you didn't enjoy the first book all too much? I'd love to read your thoughts on this in the comments! :)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes

Welcome to the official (very spontanious) Shadowhunters Week here on my blog. To start of I'd like to share with you my review of City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) which I finished rereading last week. This book does not count as part of my readathon, but should inspire me (and maybe you) to read more in the series.

About the novel

Title: City of Ashes

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Magic

Published: March 25th 2008

Read: Reread: April 2016, Read first: 2014

My Rating: ★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Walker Books

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Can't remember :(

Goodreads Summary

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Book Review: Lady Midnight

About the novel

Title: Lady Midnight

Series: The Dark Artifices #1

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Magic, Angels

Published: March 8th 2016

Read: March 2016

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions… Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it? Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

Book Review: Rebel Belle

Title: Rebel Belle
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Rebel Belle #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Romance, Mythology
Published: March 3rd 2015
Read: February 2016
Rating: 3.5 ★

My Copy

Publisher: Speak
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Kinokunyia, Singapore

Goodreads Summary: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts. Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth. With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Other books in the series:

 

Miss Mayhem (#2) & Lady Renegades (#3)

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My Review

First of: this book was fun to read. It was fast-paced, interesting and you don't have to think a lot about possible plot twists because they'll happen without any foreshadowing. You get sucked directly into the plot from page one and it doesn't leave you any choice in the matter. Action from the very beginning and no end in sight. 

So this beauty queen gets involved in a life-and-death situation. Naturally she would scream, cry about her broken nails and run away, right? False. The protagonist Harper Price totally took me by surprise in acting very maturally in such a situation. Now this is the part I had the most problem comprehending. When you see your school janitor die in the girls bathroom and somehow manage to kill your history teacher in a matter of seconds, would you just go on with your life and think: Well, I guess I'm a superhero now. Gotta go and safe the world. Would you? I think not. But that's exactly what Harper did. Her whole coping with the situation seems very unbelievable about the story and bothered me throughout the entire book. Not even dystopian heroes think of themselves that highly and they have to worry about a lot worse enemies than another teenage girl with magic. 

This first book reminded me a lot of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. Although it has nothing to do with Angels the female protagonist becomes the protector of a young boy and doesn't know what she has to do or what lies ahead in her path. And of course she falls in love with the wrong boy (but I have to admit I'm still not sure about which guy I prefer).

Now I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories and I couldn't stop myself thinking that maybe Harper's boyfriend was the bad guy (back when you didn't know who belonged to the good side and who to the bad). I even started suspecting Mary Beth, Harper's best friend. But luckily, the author didn't have that much of a deceitful treacherous touch in mind. The worst case scenario at the end of the first book though makes me wonder why I didn't see it coming. And then again I wasn't that surprised. 

The biggest reason why I gave this novel such a 'low' rating was Harper's reaction to the whole thing. I was just bothered to much by the whole I'm-going-to-save-the-world-because-I've-been-a-superhero-for-five-minutes-now attitude. Otherwhise I quite enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it if you want some light-female-butt-kicking-action. 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Magic, Romance
Published: February 19th 2008
Read: February 2016
Rating: 4.5 ★ 


My Copy

Publisher: Walker Books
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Can't remember

Goodreads Summary: When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder commited by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons--and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Other books in the series

   

 

City of Ashes (#2), City of Glass (#3), Ciy of Fallen Angels (#4), City of Lost Souls (#5) & City of Heavenly Fire (#6)

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My Review

Okay. So I've always loved the Shadowhunting world. I've read all books already years ago before even the movie came out. I fell in love with Cassandra Clare's fantasy world from the beginning I opened the cover of City of Bones. You might know that there is a new TV series now called Shadowhunters which I absolutely love! After a few episodes I decided that I just had to reread the books because it's been years and I want to remember all the small details. In February I started with City of Bones and I got hooked again from the first word on. Now, in this post I won't compare the book to the series because in my opinion you have to compare the series to the books (and yes, there is a difference in that). But that's going to have to wait for another post (which will probably come then, when the first season is over). 

Rereading this book was one of the best ideas I had had in a long time. I absolutely loved getting sucked back up in the shadowhunting world again and I can't think of anything negative about this book. I like all the characters (except Valentine, the bad guy in the whole story who wants to take over the world and destroy most of it). 

There are a lot of characters who play an important role in this book series and the first book serves to create some kind of bottom layer to later build up on. As I know already everybody's ending, it's still very interesting to go back to the beginning where certain relationships haven't taken up yet, where the family relationships aren't that complicated yet and where you can tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are (well, except one plot twist who was well unexpected (the first time) about a certain shadowhunter who only played the part of a good guy). 

I really enjoyed how complicated-free this first book was. Everything's understandable and you can read it in under 4 sittings (because it still has a lot of pages and you might actually want some sleep inbetween). I definitely recommend this book to everyone who hasn't set foot in the shadowhunter's world because it's absolutely great!

I read this book as part of the Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2016

Trilogy Tuesday #2: The Infernal Devices

Trilogy Tuesday is a monthly event hosted here. Every last Tuesday of the month is dedicated to a trilogy series. This month's trilogy is:

The Infernal Devices

  

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About the Trilogy

Titles: Clockwork Angel (#1), Clockwork Prince (#2), Clockwork Princess (#3)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: The Infernal Devices

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Romance, Supernatural, Angels

Published: August 31st, 2010 - December 6th, 2011 - September 5th, 2013

Read: 2014-2015

Rating: ★★★★★ - ★★★★ - ★★★★★

My Copies

Publisher: Walker Books

Cover: Paperback

Purchased: Hugendubel

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What's it about?

(Goodreads Summaries)

Clockwork Angel Summary: In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Timesbestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Clockwork Prince Summary: In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them. Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Clockwork Princess Summary: A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray. Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever. As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army? Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

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My Review

I must say, I think this trilogy was even better than The Mortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare catapulted us back in time and doing this so swiftly that you could imagine and relate to everything perfectly. You had the exact image in front of you that she wanted to create and the time difference only made the books so much more interesting. The story itself was riveting and you could not put the books down until you read all three of them - and then you just sat there, heartbroken that it was all over. (Well, except that it wasn't/isn't because Cassandra still continues to write these stories today so that you still get new reading material.) 

The story about the parabatai Will and Jem and their joint love for Tessa is so heartbreakingly beautiful like nothing you've ever read before. Their undying (literally) friendship and love just makes you want to jump into the book and witness the events with your own eyes. Will, the mysterious poetry loving young man who hides behind sarcasm and tries not to come to close to anybody because he believes that he might hurt them, is such a great character. And Jem, who is deadly sick, but still tries to enjoy life to the fullest, is the perfect match for Will and the only person who can 'control' him. Tessa stole both of their hearts and throughout the entire series you - the reader - can't decide who she should pick (and the really great part is, that she didn't have to pick - read The City of Heavenly Fire to understand this). 

The plot was action-packed from the beginning, full with betrayal, heartbreak and tears. But there were also nice chapters where everything was just right for the moment and you could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tessa's life got turned upside down and she discovered a world where demons, downworlders and shadowhunters all tried to get a hold on her life (some to save her, some to destroy her and some to possess her). 

This is definitely a trilogy that's worth a lot of re-reads and I will probably do this sometime soon because writing about the Infernal Devices just made me miss it again.

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Why should you read The Infernal Devices?

I had read the Mortal Instruments books 1-5 before starting the Infernal Devices and that turned out really great because I understood a lot of jokes and references to today's setting of the shadowhunting world. Here are a few pointers that will convince you to continue with this series if you've already read a few of Cassandra Clare's books (If you haven't read The Mortal Instruments don't worry, The Infernal Devices are just as good without any knowledge of the shadowhunting world and the time setting is a century back, so you won't have missed out on anything important regarding the plot).

• A lot of puns and jokes from another Herondale
• Lightwood, Herondale & Fairchild ancestors
• Robo-fights and a lot of seraph blade swinging
• Love drama with no end in sight
• Another unbreakable parabatai bond
• Institute in old London
• Magnus
• Brother Zachariah 

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These themes are just suggestions. If you want to dedicate a post to another trilogy, please do so. Just don't forget to link back to this blog, so people'll know where this segment is originally from. Also, if you leave your link below, I'll definitely check out your post.

Upcoming Trilogy Tuesdays

March 29th: The Maze Runner

April 26th: Divergent

May 31st: The Hunger Games
June 28th: Unearthly