Book Review #22: Carrier Of The Mark

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction

-Goodreads.com

* The Break Down:

To be honest, it wasn't the synopsis or reviews that brought me to this book BUT the cover itself. It mesmerized me completely. So naturally I picked it up and this is what I thought:

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER.

It's not that this book was terrible, but there were noticeable flaws that I couldn't get passed. For one the love in this book moved lightening fast. Really, this was a great example of some serious insta-love. I mean, she-sees-the-boy-across-the-parking-lot-they-kiss-the-next-week kind. It all just felt very rushed. Even after they had gotten together, there was never that lingering sense of romance that should have been there. There have been books that had insta-love but still managed to seem believable and intriguing, But it did not work here, In a blink of an eye or couple pages their entire relationship of developed. 

And since the romance is such a huge part of the book, It was hard getting past it.

The plot on the other hand had a pretty awesome sauce paranormal aspect. I really liked the concept of the elements and the Carriers of the Mark. It was a completely different type of paranormal. And there were a few scenes in which characters went crazy with the magic that I really found well, magical. But not everything was explained so I found myself lost quite a bit.  There's a lot of talk about genetics in this book and how the ability to command the elements is a recessive gene that has to be passed between certain sexual partners to pass on to their offspring, it was uber convoluted!

On to the characters: Usually I'm a huge fan of romance in my books but like I said before neither Adam or Meagan were connectable to me .They meet. He stalks. She swoons. She loves him. He loves her. Desperately. Passionately. Completely… after knowing each other for what? about two weeks? … WHAT! Also I really didn't see much depth to their characters beside the obvious story we were given. The character I found the most interesting was Rian, just because he was so troubled. I thought maybe he had more depth than the others. Adam felt cookie cutter-ish, and Megan was generic. Adam to me was strangely needy, even more so than Megan, which was very strange considering the immense power each held in saving the world. 

Overall, The Carrier of the Mark was a bit too cliche and abrupt for my tastes.  It all seemed very familiar. Don't get me wrong, Fallon had an amazing idea for the the plot but the execution was a bit off to say the least. That's just my spiel, if what I said didn't faze your belief in this book pick it up and tell me your thoughts in the comment bar below!! After all I am just a girl with an opinion on the internet.

Book Review 21 Sentinel

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself

-Goodreads.com

* The Break Down:

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A FRAGILE HEART. PREPARE FOR HEARTBREAK.

It’s done. My precious beloved Covenant series is over and I’m so sad to see one of my all time favorites escapes end. To say I had high expectations for the final novel of the Covenant series would be a lie; They were seriously sky high because of how much I loved every other book and it managed to exceeded every single one of my extremely and ridiculously high expectations. Armentrout gives you everything that you could ever want in the ending of ANY series. It was full of redemption,romance, fretfulness, action, and my personal favorite smart-assery. 

Alex, Aiden, Seth, Luke, Deacon, Olivia, Marcus, Caleb and Apollo. Please stand up and take a bow. Thank-you for giving me years of pure (no pun intended) unforgettable entertainment.

Alex , for one has come a long way from the first book. No longer the girl prone to stupidity, she really stands up and "pulls on her big girl panties" She’s a beautiful, fierce creature. Who really showed what it is meant to sacrifice.

'Blinking back tears, I looked away, working my throat until I was sure that, when I opened my mouth, it wasn't a sob. "I don't want to die."

"I know," Apollo said, and his voice was surprisingly gentle. "I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I haven't let you down yet have I?"

"The gods should be fighting. You know that, Apollo. This is their fight."

"This is everyone's fight," he corrected. "Because it is everyone's future."'  

OH GODS! the constant scolding  about Alex's sex life, had me rolling.

“Oh! You're one to talk!" I whirled on Apollo. "Seriously? If I was to Google 'irresponsible sexual activity', it would be your picture staring back at me!"

Apollo made a face at me—actually made a face at me like he was ten years old or something.” 

Aiden *(Pause to swoon) will forever own a piece of my heart. I know I have said this time and time again BUT authors have completely ruined every guys chance of being perfect thanks to characters like Aiden. He’s the rock that held this series together. His unwavering love and support for Alex took my breath away and made my heart ache with pure joy. He would go anywhere for Alex as proven in the end.

"And because I love you, I am willing to die to save you from that. Don't you dare take that decision away from me." 

Seth has always provoked conflicting feeling for me during this entire series, but in the end, I believe we finally got to see the very best of him. He not only does whats right but he also does whats needed from him. We see that Seth's guilt for the things that he did but we also his redemption 

“I wasn’t lying. I never wanted something like that to happen. Out of everything I have done and caused to happen... it’s the one thing I can never ask forgiveness for.”

 Not many characters are redeemed. but Seth proved himself in this book and made all the hope I had for him worth while. But don't get me wrong. SETH WAS STILL SETH. Snarky, kick-ass, arrogant…. swoon worthy.

“We need a plan," he replied.
"Wow," Seth folded his arms. "That's a unique concept."
"Seth," I hissed, shooting him a look.
"That's okay," Apollo replied, smiling at Seth in a wholly creepy "hide your kids" kind of way. "When you least expect it, I'm going to turn you into a pink flower that smells like cat pee.” 

Together these 3 characters finished out the book with a bang. Not to mention when you have a Titan and the 12 Olympians in the mix is becomes a pretty BIG bang.

READ THE BOOK!

There was just SO MUCH about this book I could't possibly fit into this one post so do yourself a favor and READ THE SERIES. I am 100% certain you will love it. From the beginning to the very last page, I was on an emotional twist of emotions. The plot of the series came into full circle as we were introduced to the new world of pures and halfs.

““They’re going to tell stories about us.”

Aiden lowered his head, kissing me softly, deeply, and so lovingly that tears pricked my 

eyes. “They already are.”” 

And just for kicks, here are my Aiden, Alex and Seth?  Who did you picture? Comment Below.

Book Review #20: The Glass Throne

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 three 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

* The Break Down:

Throne of Glass introduces the reader to a beautifully crafted world. A world full of secrets and monsters just lurking just out of sight. The effortless reading makes it is easy to forget the world around you. The moment I read the summary for this book, I knew it was something I was going to fall in love with. This book is perfect for fantasy fans and it will successfully distract you for hours on end. The story line is enthralling and will keep you guessing and all of the characters are astonishing in their own way.

Celaena is in one word: kick-ass. She is incredibly strong and determined and she does not break easily. She fights through terrible circumstances and overcomes a difficult childhood only to become a feared and a notorious assassin.  She survives a year in a place where most people only last a month and when she is offered a chance at freedom she does everything she can to make sure it happens. She is an admirable character, despite some of the questionable actions in her past.

Normally love triangles drive me up the wall. I usually can easily pick which guy I like more, but I could not do that in this situation. I had an extremely hard time choosing between Dorian and Chaol. Both characters were intriguing and lovable, but each in their own distinct way. Chaol is the Captain of the Guards and he is a very closed off and serious person. However, there is also something sweet and protective about him. On the other hand, we have Dorian who is the Crown Prince. He is cocky and slightly arrogant and enjoys teasing Celaena, but he is also extremely funny and can be incredibly sweet.  I really enjoyed both characters and because they were so different it is hard for me to decide. For the majority of the book I was leaning towards Dorian, for obvious reasons BUT then Chaol would do something to tug at the heartstrings.

 So here I was at the end of the book even more confused.

 Notably, as I read the book, I had sudden feelings of deja-vu, and in the back of my mind there was something familiar about it and here it is:

If Graceling and The Selection had a baby this book would be it. How? Well lets just make a list of all the ways:

1. There is a notorious assassin who is forced by the King to do his dirty work.

Remember Kasta? the King who made her kill the threats of the kingdom

2. A gorgeous Prince.

Both Prince Maxon and Prince Dorian had me a least swooning over

3. A competition with 24 contestants to "fighting" for the Crown.

The word "fighting can be taken in two ways. In The Selection, the women fight over Maxon's heart. While Celaena is fighting to protect the Crown

4. A complicated love triangle

The love triangle between : Dorian, Chaol and Celaena : Aspen, Maxon and America; left me breathless

5. A female lead who would really doesn't want to be in said competition.

It's safe to say both America and Kasta, and Celaena had no aspirations of being in the positions that they were forced into.

Overall, The Throne of Glass is something that readers should look into. Fans of Graceling and The Selection will enjoy this book immensely. So do yourself a favor and pick it up.