Untamed by A.G. Howard

Title: Untamed
Author: A.G. Howard
Page count: 288
Date published: Dec 2015
Publisher: Amulet Books
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Summary (from Goodreads):

A post-Ensnared collection of three stories—available in both print and e-versions.

Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland. 

In Six Impossible Things, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after Ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa’s mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and rescuing the man who would become her husband in The Boy in the Web. And Morpheus delves into Jeb’s memories of the events of Splintered in The Moth in the Mirror, available in print for the first time.

This collection expands upon Ensnared's epilogue, and includes some deleted scenes to provide a “director’s cut” glimpse into the past and futures of our favorite Splintered characters.

Oh, this was a gem. It's like opening the highly-anticipated present on Christmas Day. You scream, giggle, and shake like you're having a seizure because you're just that excited. I know when I finished Ensnared that I would never get enough of the characters (especially Morpheus), and I was sooo thrilled when I heard that A.G. Howard was making a collection of novellas after the events of the third book. These novellas are centered around Alyssa's life after she leaves Wonderland to live a normal human life with Jeb before spending eternity in Wonderland as its queen and as Morpheus' wife. 

I enjoyed all three novellas in Untamed although I have a few qualms which I will mention later. The first novella, The Boy in the Web, follows Alison, Alyssa's mother, as she delves back into the memories of Thomas, her husband. The reader learns more about Thomas' past and how he meets Alison for the first time. Morpheus comes into play as well: Alison was his "friend" so to speak, until she betrays him to save Thomas. We learn a lot about Alison pre-Splintered and her and Thomas' relationship. Alison comes out of Thomas's memories feeling broken but realizes that she did everything that she could to save the man she loved and her daughter. The novella leaves off on a sweet note with Alison and Thomas deciding that they will start new memories together as husband and wife. 

In The Moth and the Mirror, Morpheus journeys to the memory train to find out Jeb's weaknesses by watching his memories. This part of the story is a little redundant since most of them are scenes that we've already witnessed in the other books. It was nice to view them again, though, and it gives the reader an idea behind Morpheus's mindset throughout the rest of the books. 

Now, what we've ALL been waiting for:

In Six Impossible Things, the reader follows Alyssa as she lives her life in the mortal world with Jeb and then her life with Morpheus in Wonderland. They marry, have children, and grow old together. They create a legacy together and love each other until Jeb passes away. This novella is bittersweet. I originally hated Jeb in Splintered and didn't care too much for him in Unhinged but I found a common ground in Ensnared. And while I adore Morpheus and wished that Alyssa had chosen him and only him, I can give Jeb the benefit of the doubt and allow him this novella without grumbling. It was sweet to see their children grow up and have children of their own. None of them knew about Wonderland; Alyssa and Jeb kept it a secret. However, Alyssa leaves hidden clues about Wonderland that will ignite the Wonderland curiosity. If they ever go looking for Wonderland, they will find Alyssa there; immortal and beautiful forever. The ending made me tear up as Jeb does finally die. Their last conversation was sweet and heartbreaking. Even if I didn't initially want them to be together, I have to respect their relationship and the love that they shared. Because even if their love is different from the love Alyssa shares with Morpheus, it was real. 

After Jeb's death, it is time for Alyssa to return to Wonderland. Even as she is racked with grief from the loss of her human love, there is an excitement that resonates within her. Her Wonderland side. She is old and wrinkled when she comes to Wonderland and at Morpheus' side. She is self-conscious and afraid that he will not love her anymore. But even as she grew older in her mortal life with Jeb, Morpheus would visit her in her dreams every night. He watched her grow older until she was gray and wrinkled. He loves her just as much as he did when she left Wonderland. They marry, Alyssa turns back into her youth, and they fly away to a burning love session that makes me want to fall into a puddle. Alyssa and Morpheus have their first child (the one who is prophesied in Unhinged? Ensnared?) Alyssa gives birth after showing her netherling child memories of her fun in Wonderland so that he might want to come out. This part of the novella is the best, of course. Anything that has to do with Morpheus is the best. Besides, seeing Morpheus as a dad was just toooooo cute! I love that new fatherly love that I got to see. It was a side that I hadn't got to experience before this and I'm so glad that I got to! I love their life together and know that they will fall helplessly in love with their eternity together. 

Untamed was charming, heartbreaking, funny, sweet, and down-right lovely. I enjoyed every moment of it. I want there to be more to the story; I just love Wonderland and its characters so much. If A.G. Howard ever decides to revisit Wonderland, Alyssa, Morpheus, and their children, I'm soooo in.

Until next time, 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page count: 404
Date published: August 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

Summary (from Goodreads):

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

[Initial thoughts immediately after reading]

I've heard so many good things about this series. At one point it seemed like everyone on my timeline had either read this series or was reading it. I knew that I wanted to read it but never had the opportunity to because I was always busy with another book. But I got this book for my birthday [thanks Alyssa] and I was super pumped. So here I am, jumping on the bandwagon as well. 

Can I just say that I love Celaena Sardothien? She's rough, brash, arrogant, stubborn, impulsive, and quick to anger. But at the same time she's also loyal, driven, cunning, and wise beyond her years. And if you're lucky enough to gain her trust and become a friend, she'll do anything to keep you safe. Yes, she's an assassin, and yes, she has killed many people. But that doesn't mean that she's heartless. In fact, out of all the characters in Throne of Glass I think that Celaena is most quick to put her heart on the line. 

[Initial thoughts; end]

Celaena's goal is to win the competition, become the King's assassin, and earn her freedom. If she loses she goes back to Endovier where she'll die. If anyone has the right for motivation, it's Celaena. She's willing to do anything to win this competition. But winning it's going to be as easy as it seems - especially when competitors begin dying off one by one. Horrific deaths. As Celaena searches for answers, the mysterious killings are not the only thing she has to worry about. Others in court are determined to have her ruined or, if it comes down to it, killed. 

Celaena isn't stupid. She knows that people can't be trusted at court. Most have their own hidden agendas. Celaena has had her fair share of betrayal and she isn't willing to let that happen again. But as she learns the ropes of court and spends more time in the castle, she begins to settle down. Sure, Celaena is a wildfire - fiery and ready to burn everything at a seconds notice - but she learns to slow down and enjoy her time at court. And the food and books. Especially the books. 

As she learns to navigate the whims of the court, she begins to make allies. Maybe even friends. The Eyllwe princess, Nehemia, takes in interest in Celaena and the two hit it off immediately. I rather enjoyed their relationship. Both are very strong female characters and they don't take crap from anyone.. one can imagine how interesting that is in court. The reader knows that both girls are hiding secrets and it starts to hinder their friendship but I believe that their relationship is lasting. Nehemia has a fire about her that I haven't seen in YA princesses in other books. It doesn't bother her to hurt people's feelings. She doesn't care about following the rules of tyrannical kings and queens. She is driven - hell-bent on saving her country from the King who is trying to take over her country - and I admire that about her. She's not a ditzy, glamorous, annoying brat and it could have been easy for her to fall right into that stereotypical column. Paired with Celaena passionate nature and Nehemia's loyalty, the two make a really great team. I look forward to seeing their relationship grow in future books. 

If you don't already know this, this book has a love triangle. The ill-fated element that most YA authors use in their books is also used in this one. The romance in this book was rather weak. I didn't feel much chemistry between Celaena and Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, and Dorian, the Prince. Both relationships seemed strained, although if I had to pick I'd choose Chaol as their relationship was more natural and slow-progressing. I'm hoping that the romance element will get better as the series progresses. 

My favorite aspect of this book would have to be Celaena and how awesome she is. I really like how strong-willed and cunning she can be. She doesn't care about hurting feelings or making enemies. She's smart and knows that many people can't be trusted. I really like that she has to fight her way through the book in order to become the King's Champion, but I wish that I would have gotten to see more of the trials. The action was a little lacking in this aspect. 

I'm excited to see what's going to happen in the second book considering the events that took place in Throne of Glass pave the way to make the second book even more thrilling. As you will learn as you read along, there is a magical element to this story line as well. The darkness is coming.. The lives of everyone might fall onto the shoulders of Celaena. We shall see!

Until next time, 

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Title: The Rose Society
Author: Marie Lu
Page count: 395
Date published: October 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
My rating: 4/5 stars!


Summary: (from Goodreads):

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all. 

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her. 

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

This book is dark. Adelina gives into the darkness, her true nature, and lets go. Marie Lu takes our characters to the brink of destruction and, just when they are teetering on the edge, brings them back just to do it all over again. Adelina tried to fight the darkness inside her in The Young Elites. But in The Rose Society, Adelina embraces it. It becomes a part of her every decision, action, and emotion in this book. And while I enjoyed the Adelina who tried to keep the darkness at bay in the first book, I love the Adelina who has given into the darkness in this one. 

Adelina was betrayed by her group of friends, The Young Elites, and has now since left with her sister in an attempt to create her own army to get revenge. At the beginning of the book, Adelina and her sister are looking for a special Elite named Magiano. Ever the trickster, Magiano has agreed to join Adelina if they play a little game. A dangerous game. The results of this game leave Adelina with blood on her hands and a new name: The White Wolf. As her name spreads, so does her strength and control over others. She manages to round up a fairly formidable group of Elites. Her group will go on to become The Rose Society. 

Meanwhile, Raffaele learns of the impossible: a way that could bring back Enzo from the dead. The only drawback is that Enzo must be tethered to someone else. Someone to control Enzo. And when Adelina finds out about this, Raffaele has more on his hands than just making sure he keeps his friends safe. The Rose Society is coming for Enzo. The Rose Society is coming for revenge and destruction. 

Let me just tell you, I love the dark suspense that is the majority of this book. Adelina is portrayed as someone who is on the edge between good and evil. There are so many young adult books where the author claims that the main character is evil but they never do anything bad. Adelina is the opposite. She kills people. She revels in pain and torment. She enjoys hurting others. This is how a main character who is a villain should behave. Don't give me this whiny, baby-ish character who never does anything bad but claims to be evil. Show me the evil. Do something bad. That's what I like to see if the author is going to turn the character over 'to the dark side' (Star Wars reference, indeed). Adelina is the perfect example. She does horrible things. I was even surprised at the lengths Marie Lu went to portray Adelina as this character who has embraced the darkness within. The author doesn't sugar coat it. 

What I really like about this book is the pacing. The chapters go by quickly and the plot is fast paced and super addictive. While The Young Elites left me bored in places, The Rose Society makes up for it in tenfold. There is always something going on to keep the reader hooked. I can honestly say that I was never bored reading this. That's pretty rare for me.. I have the attention span of a bumblebee. 

The action and suspense has a lot to do with how quickly the book progressed and the fast pacing. There was always some kind of obstacle that Adelina had to pass. Nothing was handed to her on a platter. She had to work to get anything done in this book, and I think that also fed her darkness. She was willing to go to extremes to get what she wanted. This made me keep reading because I wanted to know what Adelina was going to do next. She's half crazy, for heavens sake! Who doesn't love reading about a main character like that?

There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book but there is one thing. Enzo. I never liked him in the first book and I especially don't like him in this one. He was always up Raffaele's butt and that still hasn't changed. I won't say who Enzo is tethered to but either way it's a mess. Adelina obviously still has feelings for Enzo but after everything that she did after his death in the first book it's going to be awfully hard for him to forgive her. And, let's be honest, Enzo isn't the most forgiving person. He'd just as soon kill someone before forgiving them. This is a train wreck waiting to happen considering Adelina is giving in more and more to the evil within her. Needless to say, their relationship is a disaster a work in progress. 

Speaking of relationships, The Rose Society introduces a love triangle. Yep, we have another love interest for Adelina. Magiano, the Elite that Adelina was looking for in the beginning of the book, becomes a potential candidate for Adelina's heart (or what's left of it). I like Magiano so much more than Enzo. I feel that Enzo feeds the darkness in Adelina while Magiano keeps it more at bay. Magiano isn't perfect by any means but I do think he has a sense of morality that could keep Adelina grounded. Keep her sane. He's sweet to Adelina and cares about her safety and I think that's something Adelina has never experienced before. So of course she's terrified of it. I still have hope that they could find their way to each other. Besides, Magiano is so fun to read about. He always has something snarky to say and he's always ready to create mischief. 

Adelina's relationship with her sister, Violetta, is rocky at best. I know that both sisters love each other very much but there is so many things betting against them. With Adelina being paranoid and hungry for destruction and Violetta being the one person who can take away Adelina's power, their relationship is always tense. It's like Adelina is a cobra - ready to strike at Violetta at any moment. Adelina feels bad about these feelings because she does love her sister. She's constantly at war with herself. Violetta, on the other hand, is the sweeter, less violent of the sisters. Adelina does all the dirty work while Violetta is more on the sidelines. And while I root for them to mend the cracks in their relationship, I know that it's going to hit the fan. Adelina and Violetta's relationship reminds me of Klaus Mikaelson and his siblings. Klaus is very paranoid and constantly looking over his shoulder for betrayal, even from his siblings. Yet, at the same time, he wants the trust and loyalty of his brothers and sister. If you've ever watched The Originals or The Vampire Diaries then you'll know what I'm talking about here.

Now I must talk about the ending, as it is one of my favorite parts about the book. The ending is nail-biting. Both books have been leading up to this point as Adelina and her Rose Society take on the Inquisition Axis and Teren. Teren is as psycho as ever and Adelina is going to need all the help that she can get to take him down. But little does she know that she's going to be fighting a two front war: the Inquisiton and Rafaele and the Young Elites. You can guess that it's going to be crazy with the Young Elites, the Rose Society, and the Inquisiton Axis all at each other's throats. People are going to die. Many by the hands of Adelina. And when the fighting is all over, Adelina will have stepped into the beginning of her doom. She has completely embraced the darkness and madness within and there's no going back from that.

The last chapter did not surprise me. Adelina is ruthless but she is an amazing character. I look forward to see how Adelina is going to handle all the bad decisions she makes in the last couple chapters of this book. Like I said, she can't go back now. She has destroyed everything. 

Until next time, 

            

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Heart of Betrayal

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Page count: 470
Date published: July 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.


I was pretty excited to find the Heart of Betrayal sitting on the "New Teen" bookshelf at my library. I snatched this baby up in a matter of seconds and didn't let it leave the safety of my arms until it was checked out under my name. I really liked the first book, The Kiss of Deception, and was pumped to go back into Lia's world. [You can find my review for The Kiss of Deception here if you're interested] I really had no idea what I was getting into when I first started this book because the summary leaves a lot to the imagination.

The Heart of Betrayal leaves off immediately after the events of book one. Kaden is the assassin and  Lia arrives at Venda as a prisoner. Rafe has sacrificed his freedom and became a prisoner as well in an attempt to help Lia. Lia has no idea what's in store for her. She only knows that her village by the sea is long gone and what has taken its place is very dangerous.

I'll start off saying that I really really liked the setting of this book. Terravin was nice for book one but I'm glad we get a new setting for book two. I'd wanted to know more about Venda since it was mentioned in book one. Pearson does a good job of satisfying that want. We learn a lot about the way Venda society runs and its government per se. That was something that the reader wasn't informed of with Terravin in book one. 

Lia is forced to learn the tricky ways of the Vendan court. With little influence, Lia must be smart and witty in order to keep herself alive. She must remain useful to the Komizar, the man who rules Venda, or risk her life. Same goes for Rafe as well. Both must learn how to navigate the Komizar and Kaden. Every day increases their risk of being murdered. Time is running out for Lia and Rafe.. even with Kaden's help to keep them (more so Lia) alive.

I loved the constant tension that resonated throughout the chapters and the majority of the book. Every decision that Lia made could cost her. The stakes were much higher in this book than it was in The Kiss of Deception, and I very much liked that. Lia had to grow up really quickly. I already felt that she was pretty awesome in the first book but now I just find her amazing. If the first book made her seem loyal and hardworking, this book made her seem wise and strong-willed. Lia was careful with everything that she did - knowing that her every move was being watched by the Komizar and Kaden. The Komizar is a ruthless and cruel man. He wouldn't have a problem killing her if he no longer felt that she was beneficial. Lia made sure that she was important enough to the Komizar and Venda that her life would be spared. 

As a character, the Komizar was easily one of my favorites. I thought he was interesting and had a reason for everything that he did. His methods are often cruel and cannot be justified but still. He fought and schemed his way to the crown. In doing so, it's all too clear to him that anyone can plot against him for their own agenda. He's paranoid, crazed with greed and power, and has a temper. None of this is a good combination for Lia or Rafe but is a great thing to read about. Komizar is someone that is meant to be feared and tiptoed around for fear of making him angry but what I loved about Lia was that she was able to stand up to him in her own ways. I think this made Komizar even more hungry for control over Lia, Venda, and his subjects. Power-hungry and bent on absolute control will never be a good thing. 

Since I'm talking about characters, I might as well mention the point-of-view switching that the author uses. This is nothing new if you've read the first book. We get the POV of Lia, Kaden, Rafe, and Pauline. I much enjoyed Lia and Rafe's point of view. Pauline's part in the book was rather small but I feel that she will be more important in the third book. Kaden's point of view, however, I didn't like.

Kaden spends all of this book waging war inside himself. On one end is his loyalty to Komizar and Venda. On the other side is his feelings for Lia and his desire to keep her safe from harm. You can probably tell that this isn't going to go well. Komizar is not a man to underestimate. If he wants Lia to suffer, she will suffer. Either Kaden must listen to the man who treats him like a brother or go against his ruler and do what he feels is right. Because of his constant struggle, Kaden is moody and whiny. While I can tolerate it to some extent, I can't justify the woe-is-me behavior attitude that he shares for all of the book. Make a decision, Kaden! I don't want to spend the entire book reading about you going back and forth between Komizar and Lia. Pick who you're going to side with so we can move on from this. The constant back and forth annoyed me.

Rafe, however... me likey. Me likey a lot. Between the two love interests, Rafe is portrayed to be the noble one - the prince who gives up his freedom so that Lia won't have to go into Venda alone. Most of the time I'm more drawn to the dark, mysterious, snarky, and brooding type of guys like Kaden but, well, you know my reasons why Kaden fell short for me. But while Kaden didn't live up to my book crush potential, Rafe did. He was just so good in this book. I think that he truly loves Lia for sacrificing everything for her. While Kaden couldn't decide what he wanted from life, Rafe had decided long before that he was going to do whatever it took to keep Lia safe. I respect that. He's loyal and kind. Also very protective and brave. All of these are qualities that I like in a love interest. I would have liked to see more of the book in his point of view just because I liked him so much. 

As for the ending.. it was great. All of the tension and build-up that happened throughout the book boiled over at the end. Everything happened at once. Fighting ensued. A character dies. Other characters run away. Some are split apart. The way the book leaves off gives me an inclination that the third book is going to be a roller coaster ride from start to finish. It's going to be intense.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I liked it better than the first book. Exploring Venda and Vendan culture was really interesting and even better than the coastal town Terravin. I enjoyed the antics of the court and the back and forth between Komizar, Lia, Kaden, and Rafe. Definitely worth reading if you liked the first book!

Until next time,