The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Genre: steampunk, science fiction
Series and Book #: Steampunk Chronicles #2
Pages: 408
Summary:

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling—or dangerous.

 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade—the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.

 

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper’s elusive trail. And they’re about to discover how far they’ll go for friendship.

 

More than ever, Finely Jayne will rely on the powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley…and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily—whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

 

Now, to help those she’s come to care for so deeply, Finely Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much….

 

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I loved the plotline of this novel. Jasper was a character only lightly touched upon in the first novel unlike Emily, Finely, Griffin, and Sam. Since he is a member of Griffin's crew, it only seems only fitting we should have a better glimpse into who he really is.

If Kady had the goal of making Mei's deception elusive, she certainly did the job. Initially, I thought Mei truly loved Jasper. It was only until Wildcat made the comment to Finely she didn't trust Mei that I started distrusting her. Even after that, Mei was an on again/off again character. I couldn't really decide what to believe. It wasn't until the very end it was blatantly obvious Mei didn't share Jasper's feelings.

In The Girl in the Steel Corset, Kady created a love triangle between Finley, Griffin, and Jack Dandy. What happened to that? Finley obviously loves Griffin more than she loves Jack. The love triangle seemed to only be necessary in the first book, when Finley had a hard time uniting the two halves of her personality.

Its a good sequel to the first novel. The book picks up pretty much where The Girl in the Steel Corset left off. The ending was satisfying. Kady sometimes will repeat herself. It was distracting. There are some bits that I hope will find themselves in the third installment of this series, or else there are some questions that need answering.

The Cover: The Steampunk Chronicles must have some of the prettiest covers I've ever seen. Everything about it is gorgeous. The plain background draws the eyes to the lovely purple of the dress. The gigantic collar around her neck just makes me cringe, especially after reading the summary.

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Genre: fantasy, paranormal romance
Series and Book #: Caster Chronicles #4
Pages: 451
Summary:

I’d had nightmares about him before. Before I knew him, or at least knew he was going to be Ethan. But this wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen in any nightmare. It was real.

 

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

 

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan’s return, vowing to do whatever it takes—even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

 

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

 

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I don't really know why there is a fourth book. I think Kami and Margaret could have made it a trilogy and called it a day. Beautiful Redemption seemed like a novel they tacked onto the end because there were some loose ends that needed tying. There weren't any crucial moments in this book that there couldn't have been tucked into the first three novels.

Other than the apparent pointlessness of this book, it was fine. I liked both Ethan's world the dead and Lena's land of the living. I would have liked if there had been more challenges in the labyrinth leading to the Far Keep. It seemed really easy to pass through. Kami and Margaret made it seem like it was a feat no one dared face. Lena wasn't weighed down by grief for Ethan's loss. She was a bit manic in her search for any evidence Ethan was trying to communicate. I guess I would be, too, if my boyfriend had died and told me he would try to speak to me in the afterlife.

Many previous characters were found in this book. I am so glad that all the relationships worked out in the end. Ridley and Link, Liv and John, Lena and Ethan...it seemed everyone got their happily ever after. Amma found her peace, as did Ethan's dad, Marion, and everyone in Gatlin. As cheesy as it may seem, all these characters deserved happiness. I have loved them so much. This was an amazing series that I will never regret reading.

The Cover: I don't really understand the staircase.

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Genre: fantasy, paranormal romance

Series and Book #: Caster Chronicles #3
Pages: 518
Summary:

This summer has changed everything, in both the Caster and Mortal worlds, even if the folks in Gatlin didn’t know it.

 

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impacts of Lena’s Claiming. Even Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals is affected—and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What—or who—will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

 

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn’t by Lena—and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself—forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most days he’s too afraid to ask.

 

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.

 

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"When I first met you, that's what I remember. I looked up at the sky and thought, I'm going to love this person because even the sky looks different."

Lena from Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, page 494

 

I hate Ethan for not telling anyone about his dreams or about his getting "sick" (if you call losing part of your soul getting sick, I guess). Because I think a lot of pain could have been avoided if he just had been honest with Lena! The panic in Gatlin is fun to watch. Throughout the series its been made clear that a lot of the citizens of Gatlin are pretty superstitious. Since there are signs of the apocalypse its a welcome change of pace to witness the city suddenly readies themselves for the second coming. Especially since Link has changed, Ethan is slowly losing his mind, and Lena can't control her crazy powerful magic. It's seriously chaos.

In this book, Ethan and Lena's relationship has solidified to the point Lena can stand to let Ethan go, but only because she knows he will do everything in his power to bring her back. Amma, on the other hand, goes to great lengths to change fate so that he won't die when previously she was a firm believer in the Order of Things. Roles are reversed and its great that throughout the series, Kami and Margaret have been able to offer a broad view of the characters personalities. It makes the characters very realistic.

 

*WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!* Seriously, though? The ending? Really, Kami and Margaret? REALLY? DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUSH ETHAN OFF OF A WATER TOWER? WHAT POINT ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE??????

 

Anyway, I don't know what to say except that Beautiful Chaos is just as excellently written as the first two books of the Caster Chronicles. 

 

The Cover: I don't know what to say other than that it's perfect just like the others 

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Genre: fantasy, paranormal romance
Series and Book #: Caster Chronicles #2
Pages: 503
Summary:

Some loves are meant to be. Others are cursed.

 

Ethan Wate used to think of his small Southern town as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along.

 

Together, Ethan and Lena can face anything, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away. Haunted by strange visions, Ethan finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

 

Now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back.

 

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The second book is just as good as the first! I'm so upset I wasn't able to continue this series until now, long after I've read Beautiful Creatures. That was such a long time ago.

Lena acts like an actual person mourning from serious loss. Albeit she is a Caster and has a more powerful way of displaying her emotions. Although this whole series is based on Ethan and Lena's relationship, their not being together didn't make the book collapse. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have added enough substance to the novel that it's not boring when Ethan and Lena aren't together. I think that is an excellent way to write a book, because a single relationship shouldn't be the sole purpose of a book. There should be adventure, mystery, and bigger problems than two teenagers who are having trouble in paradise.

There was so much going on but it wasn't overwhelming. I was able to keep all the details straight as I read the book. Ethan, Liv, and Link's treks through the underground world of the Casters were fun if not a good glimpse into the magical world Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl are writing about. They are very good at making their setting and characters truly realistic.

The Cover: The lettering is so lovely. Thank goodness they haven't changed the covers. I don't know if I would like any other covers.

Rapture by Lauren Kate

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Fallen Series #4
Pages: 448
Summary:

The sky is dark with wings….

 

Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth.

 

Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies…and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.

 

And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters.

 

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

 

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The final book of the Fallen series redeemed the series for me. Daniel and Luce have resolved whatever doubts they have had in their relationship, there is serious conflict, and Luce has gotten past her selfishness and is actually becoming someone I like as a main character.

Luce being an angel wasn't as big a reveal as I think Lauren Kate was intending. I had the inkling of the idea from the get-go. The dramatics were unnecessary, and I'm not entirely sure it needed to wait until the final book for it to be revealed. I realize that whenever Luce becomes aware of her holy heritage, she spontaneously combusts, and I know Daniel doesn't want that to happen ever again, but its already established this incarnation of Luce is different because she wasn't "claimed" to one side of the holy war. Since Luce figures it out in the fourth book, and nothing happens, I think it should have been brought to light earlier. Dragging out the series for this long was a little unnecessary.

Rapture was a good finale for this series. There's some true character development from Luce, there's actually a climax that made me really want to read the book, and the side characters were lovely. Dee, Arriane, and company will always be my favorite part of these books.

The Cover: Thankfully, they're back to normal. I think she's supposed to be on the Mount in Israel? Anyway, I like the return to the dark covers.

Passion by Lauren Kate

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Fallen Series #3
Pages: 420
Summary:

Luce would die for Daniel.

 

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way….

 

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime…going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel…and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

 

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history. Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames…forever.

 

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"You knew it when I followed you to the top of Corcovado in Rio, when you wanted to see the statue up close. You knew it when I carried you two sweaty miles to the River Jordan after you got sick outside Jerusalem. I told you not to eat all those dates. You knew it when you were my nurse in that Italian hospital during the first World War, and before that when I hid in your cellar during the tsar's purge of St. Petersburg. When I scaled the turret of your castle in Scotland during the Reformation, and danced you around and around at the king's coronation ball at Versailles. You were the only woman dressed in black. There was that artists' colony in Quintana Roo, and the protest march in Cape Town where we both spent the night in the pen. The opening of the Globe Theatre in London. We had the best seats in the house. And when my ship wrecked in Tahiti, you were there, as you were when I was a convict in Melbourne, and a pick-pocket in eighteenth-century Nîmes, and a monk in Tibet. You turn up everywhere, always, and sooner or later you sense all of the things I've just told you. But you won't let yourself accept what you feel might be the truth."

Fallen by Lauren Kate, page 357



I liked this installment of the Fallen series because we get to glimpse into Luce's past lives. Thankfully, she's looking for something more concrete in her and Daniels' relationship that isn't just blind passion. Also, Lauren Kate includes Daniel's perspective as he travels back in time to find Luce. Not only was I able to experience Luce's feelings, but also Daniel's, and it added some dimension to their relationship.

I wrote down the quote you can find at the beginning of this post when I was first reading Fallen, and I appreciated being able to recognize the places Luce and Daniel went because I'd heard them before. I have to give Lauren Kate props for her continuity.

Passion was my favorite novel of the bunch because I liked going back in time with Daniel and Luce. I, too, wanted to figure out how their relationship has developed over the ages. And trust me, the end is shocking, if not a bit crafty on Lauren Kate's part.

The Cover: Not my favorite at all. The Fallen covers are dark and the bright splotches of  clouds threw me off.

Torment by Lauren Kate

Genre: fantasy

Series and Book #: Fallen Series #2
Pages: 452
Summary:

Hell on earth.

 

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

 

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

 

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows into her previous live. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.

 

What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

 

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Oh my goodness, did this book fall to the Curse of the Second. I understand that Luce is frustrated and no one is answering her questions, especially not Daniel (who, let me add, is breaking his own rules), but I don't think that's a good enough reason to search for anything and everything that could lead her to her true identity. Especially when she's almost killed on one of her searches for answers. Plus, after all the warnings Daniel and her teachers at Shoreline have given her, you would think a girl would learn that its dangerous to be away from school property by herself.

Also, let's just talk about Daniel for a second. He's the one who has been drilling into Luce's skull that there are rules and they need to be followed and they can't see one another because its dangerous yet he still sneaks on campus and talks to her. How do you expect your girlfriend to follow rules when you can't even follow your own? And the revelation that Daniel hasn't been exactly exclusive in their centuries-old relationship is supposed to be surprising and heartbreaking? Yeah, sure, every seventeen years Daniel ventures out into the world in search of Luce's reincarnated soul, but that doesn't mean he's gonna be alone for those breaks. Besides, didn't Luce have a thing for Cam? And now the boy at school? She's not without sin, either.

Obviously I didn't really like Torment. As I said in my review of Fallen, I think Luce is a shallow character, and a bit selfish too. Maybe through her decision at the end of this novel will help her personality.

The Cover: I like the theme going for the novels. The backgrounds always reflect the setting Luce finds herself in and this time its on the West Coast ocean.