7. Fae/Faerie: soooooo...I have a bunch of books about faeries. I'll recommend them all, but the main one I'll talk about, is Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.
Description (book 1): "Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries.
Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears
their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were
as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One
of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying
to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the
Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her,
summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the
Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that
have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the
line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and
the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in
Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale."
Recommendation: Dark dark dark...No matter how many times I read about faeries, the ones that intrigue me the most are the dark foreboding kind. They'll kill you in your sleep, have you as an afternoon snack, pretend to be your friend one minute and make you their eternal slave the next. This is how Marr portrays the faeries in her series. I loved the struggles Aislinn goes through in order to stay away from faeries. I also like how each book focuses on a different character in Aislinn's life. So many view points, so many faeries. The line between betrayal and alliance is very fine. I think it's safe to say my inner goth loves these books.
sidenote: You should also read the Wonderous Strange Trilogy by Lesley Livingston (amazing cover art), the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike, the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, the Need series by Carrie Jones (seriously creepy pixies), the Faerie Walker series by Jenna Black, and the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White (also gorgeous covers).
Want to read: I think The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton sounds really intriguing.
8. Fantasy: I must choose two. Firstly, the Théâtre Illuminata: Act 1, 2, & 3 by Lisa Mantchev.
(the three images above are the cover art for each book in the series. Jason Chan is the artist. I love to just stare at them. Aren't they gorgeous???)
Recommendation: This series is super fun, especially if you love Shakespeare and going to plays. Beatrice is a great female protagonist, clever to no end and has amazing hair. It's a fun interpretation of so many characters from plays like The Little Mermaid, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Each character's speech and tone is written very well. It took me a bit to understand the layout of the théâtre (think magical instead of literal and it will make sense), I really enjoyed walking alonside Bertie, the faeries, and her crazy hot love interests (Ariel all the way).
Secondly, I would have to recommend The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
(I seriously love these covers)
Description (book1): "When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
Description (book 1):
"All her world’s a stage
Enter Stage Right
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith (Bertie): Our heroine.
Nate: A dashing pirate who will do anything to protect Bertie.
Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, and Peaseblossom: Four tiny, mischievous fairies, and Bertie’s loyal sidekicks.
Ariel: A seductive air spirit. Disaster follows in his wake, but Bertie simply cannot resist him.
Welcome to the Théâtre
Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found
behind the curtain. The actors are bound to the Théâtre by The Book, an
ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of the actors,
but they are her family. And she is about to lose them all because The
Book has been threatened, and along with it the Théâtre. It’s the only
home Bertie has ever known, and she has to find a way to save it. But
first, there’s the small problem of two handsome men, both vying for her
attention. The course of true love never did run smooth. . . ."
Recommendation: This series is super fun, especially if you love Shakespeare and going to plays. Beatrice is a great female protagonist, clever to no end and has amazing hair. It's a fun interpretation of so many characters from plays like The Little Mermaid, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Each character's speech and tone is written very well. It took me a bit to understand the layout of the théâtre (think magical instead of literal and it will make sense), I really enjoyed walking alonside Bertie, the faeries, and her crazy hot love interests (Ariel all the way).
Secondly, I would have to recommend The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
Description (book1): "When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting
with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of
demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who
looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. 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 ordinary mundanes like Clary and her
mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters
would like to know....
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating
and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy
takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end."
Recommendation: yes! read it. (I remember thinking the concept of shadowhunters sounded kind of strange when i first read the description. Shadowhunters are seriously anything but strange. They're awesome!). These books are really intriguing, lots of mystery (it left me guessing with slack jaw many times). The characters are all loveable, the villians are hateable (is that a word?), and each book leaves you wanting more. And if you love vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, faeries, warlocks, angels, magical warriors, and other assorted characters (like humans), then you'll love it.
Want to read: I can't wait to get my hands on City of Lost Souls (book 5 in the Mortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare.
Want to read: I can't wait to get my hands on City of Lost Souls (book 5 in the Mortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare.
9. Ghosts: Okay, so this is slightly sad. I don't have much on ghosts. I do have a couple of book series where ghosts aren't the center of the story but they do pop up now and then. First is the Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong.
I love these covers. They are very sumptuous in color saturation and shadows.
Description (book 1): "Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens.
At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?"
Recommendation: This series is full of nearly non-stop excitement. The character voice of the teenagers is really believable so all the emotions they experience and the extreme situations they go through (cause who sees dead people) are really heightened and exciting. There's a little bit of romance but it doesn't take center stage. It felt like just the right amount and was also a refreshing balance for all Chloe's horrific encounters. Armstrong is really good at describing each scene, especially (spoiler) when describing a werewolf's transformation. Generally I loved how creeped out I got, how each character accepted their unique abilities or lack there of, and the results of their decisions. Plus, the villians...hate them SO much. (don't you just love to hate the bad guy?)
Secondly, is the Evernight series by Claudia Gray.
Description (book 1): "The Evernight series, four books from HarperCollins beginning in May 2008, follows the story of Bianca Olivier.
When the story begins in Evernight, Bianca has just
left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new
student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where
her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost
predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.
Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true."
Recommendation: I love a good forbidden romance. This series has just that. Bianca and Lucas aren't really supposed to be together, but you know nothing is going to stop young love. I don't want to ruin the general premise by giving away any spoilers, but I will say this series is full of paranormal characters. And as far as ghosts go, there are wraiths in Gray's story. But like I mentioned before, they aren't the main focus (at least not in the first book or two). I really enjoyed the budding romance between Lucas and Bianca. I enjoyed Bianca's journey in learning who she really is, beyond the expectations of who her parents, teachers, and friends thinks she is. This series also takes a good look at overcoming prejudices, though they be paranormal prejudices. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Want to Read: Not sure....help?
So that's it for now. Next on my list I'll be talking about: Gothic, Historical Romance, and Mythology books. oooooooo.....Happy reading!
-Hope your day is bright
Olive juice
Description (book 1): "Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for disturbed teens.
At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems…? Chloe realizes that if she doesn’t uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse…? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?"
Recommendation: This series is full of nearly non-stop excitement. The character voice of the teenagers is really believable so all the emotions they experience and the extreme situations they go through (cause who sees dead people) are really heightened and exciting. There's a little bit of romance but it doesn't take center stage. It felt like just the right amount and was also a refreshing balance for all Chloe's horrific encounters. Armstrong is really good at describing each scene, especially (spoiler) when describing a werewolf's transformation. Generally I loved how creeped out I got, how each character accepted their unique abilities or lack there of, and the results of their decisions. Plus, the villians...hate them SO much. (don't you just love to hate the bad guy?)
Secondly, is the Evernight series by Claudia Gray.
Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true."
Recommendation: I love a good forbidden romance. This series has just that. Bianca and Lucas aren't really supposed to be together, but you know nothing is going to stop young love. I don't want to ruin the general premise by giving away any spoilers, but I will say this series is full of paranormal characters. And as far as ghosts go, there are wraiths in Gray's story. But like I mentioned before, they aren't the main focus (at least not in the first book or two). I really enjoyed the budding romance between Lucas and Bianca. I enjoyed Bianca's journey in learning who she really is, beyond the expectations of who her parents, teachers, and friends thinks she is. This series also takes a good look at overcoming prejudices, though they be paranormal prejudices. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Want to Read: Not sure....help?
So that's it for now. Next on my list I'll be talking about: Gothic, Historical Romance, and Mythology books. oooooooo.....Happy reading!
-Hope your day is bright
Olive juice
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