Arcadia Burns, Kai Meyer (Arkadien #2)

Synopsis:

Following the brutal deaths of her sister and aunt, Rosa Alcantara has become what she never thought possible: the very rich and very powerful head of the Alcantara clan. Saddled with this immense responsibility, Rosa must now conduct all business matters--legitimate and not--while negotiating among the greedy, bloodthirsty members of her own family. Not to mention convincing everyone that her blossoming relationship with enemy Alessandro Carnevare won't put the family business in danger.

But loving Alessandro comes at a price. As Rosa continues to fall for him, she discovers the dark secrets of his family's dealings and how they intersect with her own painful past. She wants to believe she can trust Alessandro, but they're so different: Alcantara and Carnevare, snake and panther. How can she love someone whose family wants her dead?

When Rosa and Alessandro uncover an ancient conspiracy intent on destroying both clans, they will do anything to stop it. Racing to put the pieces together, evading their relatives' murderous feud, and learning what it means to control the most influential families in all of Sicily--the two teens must risk everything to love each other and survive.

After reading Arcadia Awakens earlier this year, I couldn't wait to get the next Arkadien book in my hands. Author Kai Meyer has resulted to be one of my new discoveries this year, and I love everything by him that I've read until now, and I can't wait to read more things by him. 

Just like I thought when I read the first book, I liked the story way more than I thought I would when I first knew what the story is about. People turning into animals, a Romeo-and-Juliet-type love story, betrayal and friendship, Mafia clans... this story has everything anyone could ask for. The idea for this trilogy is great, really original, which is what makes it good. 

In this second part, the story is mainly focused on Rosa's past and what happened the night she was raped, the night she erased from her memory. When she travels to New York looking for some answers that her mom can maybe give her, she'll find out more than she imagined she would, not only about her questions but about that fatal night. When everything seems to turn up to be about the Carnevares, Alessandro's family, both teens will have to trust each other to help themselves. This second book is also about Rosa and Alessandro's relationship, forbidden because they belong to families that have been enemies for centuries; and also about getting to know how to control their transformation to animals, both Rosa into a snake and Alessandro into a black panthera. 

I love how Kai Meyer writes, how he gives the exact amount of information needed, not too much action, but enough more relaxed scenes to make it believable. While the story is getting more and more complicated with TABULA and Rosa's discoveries about her dad and her grandmother Constanza, Alessandro's always there for her, like a rock that can't be moved by the ocean, no matter how strong is the wind. 

I must confess that I expected Alessandro to betray Rosa at some point, because he's capo of the Carnervares and he's the one who really knows what his family expects from him. I don't really know why I expected that, but I'm more than glad that Alessandro has appeared to be the best boyfriend anyone could ask for, with his true "I love you" and his soft paws and panther fur. 

I love how Kai Meyer makes her characters deep, as in with second intentions or who seem to be different people than what they really are. Everything seems to go in one direction and there's suddenly a twist that makes everything complicated again. And the introduction of new characters has been perfect, not too many and introduced at the best moment, which is something that I really admire, because I hate it when dozens of characters are presented in a couple of chapters, and I hate it because that's what I unconsciously do when I start a novel. 

So, anyway, everyone should read the Arkadien series, and I can't wait to read the next one! Kai Meyer isn't that well-known worldwide, but it's only matter of time until everyone knows the name and, when vampires, werewolves and angels stop ruling the world, it will be the turn of the Arcadians.

VA: Blood Sisters trailer

I'm really, really sorry. I'd apologise all day, but I feel like I spend the whole day apologising, and every time I write a post... 

I really wanted to post this as soon as I saw the trailer, but then my Internet stopped working, and then I went away and stuff... But I'm back now. 

The trailer was awesome! No words to describe it, except of that expression that's used nowadays "asdfghjkl", which means "wow". 

Every time a movie is being made about a book I love, I try to be ready for the worst, I never expect it to be as good as I had in mind. And it never is as good, but it can get close. Like for VA, I was really worried about finding the perfect Dimitri, because there was no way someone could be that perfect, just like I thought in TMI. The thing is that Danila seems good enough for my Dimitri, while I don't find Jamie good enough for my Jace. But that's only my opinion. 

So, anyway, I'm quite happy about the VA cast, and the movie looks awesome already! The trailer shows plenty of important scenes, like the first one in the book, the one when Lissa is kidnapped, the one with a Strigoi Natalie, Dimitri and Rose training... And the lust charm. Yes, that's the important one for the fandom. 

I just need to say that I'm extremely excited to see this movie, and that I can't wait till February 14th!! Even if I know for a fact that I'm going to have to wait more, because here in Spain we usually wait more than I would've liked. 

If you haven't watched it yet, do it! If you haven't read the book, what are you doing with your life? :) Just read it, and then wait for the movie! 

Want advice? Always read the book first. 
If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_TxtG1CVw

TMI: CoB is out!

Yeah, I know I'm a couple of days late for this, and it's not that I've been waiting to post it till I saw the movie, because I haven't yet but... I don't know, just needed to post this.

City of Bones was out in every English-speaking countries on August 21st, and I still have to wait until the 30th, and then I'll try to convince my parents that going to see the movie is a life or death decision. 

Just wanted you to know that I still haven't seen it and that I'm really, really excited to do so!!

The Indigo Spell, Richelle Mead (Bloodlines #3)

Synopsis:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

I finally read it!! Just like every novel by Richelle Mead, I read it in English, which is why I have to wait until I go to an English-speaking country to buy the books. I've spent the last five weeks in the US, which gave me the perfect opportunity to go buy it as soon as I could. 

I love Adrian since I read VA, and even if my true love will always be Dimitri,  Adrian deserved a happy ending, and I think that's one of the main reasons why Richelle decided to write Bloodlines. And I adore Sydney, for her intelligence and her beliefs, for her love for coffee and cars, and for Roman and Greek architecture, for her devotion to her duties and her friends. For everything she is. 

So in my trip back from the US, I read the book in 6 hours. 6 hours enjoying every sentence, every scene, every chapter. I love how Richelle Mead has made me love her books. 

I liked how the characters from the Vampire Academy series are never forgotten in this spin-off, how Dimitri and Rose got the happy ending they deserved after everything they went through, even if now, when they appear, they don't seem to be like the complicated characters they once were to me. Adrian is getting his deserved prominence in the story, where Sydney has become the new Rose. The only thing that I thought was too forced in the story was the short time that's taken Adrian to forget Rose but, you know, who wouldn't fall for Sydney? And I just want to add, since I haven't posted anything about this series before, that Sydney is the best main character anyone could ask for. In every way. I love everything that's happening to her and the new person she's becoming. So now let's just wait with excitement for The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4), coming this November!!  

If you have read the rest of the Bloodlines series, this is clearly a must-read. If you have read the Vampire Academy series, this and the rest of the Bloodlines series are a must-read. If you haven't read anything by Richelle Mead, all her books are a must-read. I'm not being really objective here, only adoring her because I feel like I know her, her tweets and her books. And even if you're not into the vampire-like books, give it a try, because that's only the background. 

The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

Synopsis:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I can't believe it took me so long to read a Percy Jackson book. I have wanted to for so long... but just had lots of things to do or simply had lots of books to read. But I finally did, even if it was a long time after I saw the movie. That's something I hardly ever do, because I hate having someone in mind when I try to picture the characters in my head. But that's something every bookworm feels, right?
Well, after reading the book, long after watching the movie, I was completely confused. I felt like the book and the movie had the same name and the same main characters, both plots went about demigods and about a missing lightning, but that was when the similarities stopped. The story is not the same!! How can Rick Riordan let this happen? I someone did that to one of my books, my complaint would be huge...

I loved the book. It was awesome, way better than I expected after watching the movie. Easy to read, really well-written. The movie was good, on the other hand, but different. The movie was way more simple, perfect for a younger aundience, while the book was more interesting because the story was more developped and complicated. 

I really like how Riordan develops his characters, how nothing is as simple as it seems, but not with too much fantasy, just the perfect amount of everything. IGreat imagination, I just found really weird that Percy in the book is 12 years old. I feel like that's part of trying to make a series as good and long as Harry Potter, allowing the character to grow up and stuff. But I feel like Percy and his friends don't act like twelve-year-olds. Never. What 12-year-old kid would cross the US while looking for something that they don't know it's there for sure? 

Just so you know, the book is amazing, and I just hope the rest of Rick Riordan's work is as wonderful. The movie was nice, but it was a different story. I'm kind of glad I didn't read the book before the movie came out, because I would've been so, so, so upset... But the book, which is what I'm talking about here, was great. Everyone should read it, no matter how old they are. 

Wings Series, Aprilynne Pike

Synopsis (Wings #1):

"Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words. 

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings."

Laurel discovers she is a faerie, sent among humans to protect the gateway to Avalon. Thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

 

This amazing fantasy series consists in four books; Wings, Spells, Illusions and Destined. I could've written a post on each one of them, but I read the first one a couple of years ago and instead of writing three posts about the three books I read this month, I can just write one about all of them. 

Let's start by saying that the books are about faeries. I wasn't sure when I first read Wings whether I would like this or not. But then I thought that we've been reading about vampires, werewolves, witches and wizards, about demigods... Why not faeries? Let's give it a try. 

So I did. And loved it. After reading the four books, I decided that these books deserve to be way more well-known and that Aprilynne Pike's writing and imagination deserves more praise. 

I really enjoyed reading the Wings series, and the only bad thing I can say about it is that some things were too predictable, but that's it. 

I specially love the way Aprilynne writes her characters's dialogues, more than descriptions, even if they were necessary. I love the way she tries to make us in love with both David and Tamani, and how she tries to choose. I didn't expect to cry at any moment, because it didn't seem like the kind of books that make me cry, but the epilogue of Destined was too much for me. I guess I wasn't ready to know how many things can change in a couple of pages. 

I mainly enjoyed the books because reading about faeries was something different, unique, and Aprilynne's writing was, in my opinion, young and fresh. Clearly recommended.

Beautiful Disaster, Jamie McGuire

Synopsis:

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I had heard awesome things about this book. The reviews on the Internet were great, and there were lots of Twitter accounts dreaming of Travis as we usually dream of Jace, Dimitri, Adrian, Edward, Patch, and many more. So I decided to give it a try, even though I had no idea what the book was about. When I finally found it, after looking in many bookstores, I read the synopsis and I thought "Well, this looks like one of those romance novels that you just use to spend a good time".

I wasn't that wrong. I mean, I was quite right. It is a typical love story, bad boy and good girl style. It has action, love, friendship... Quite nice. 

I was really enjoying it while reading, I loved it. It's not something I'll tell people that they must read, but if you have nothing else, you won't be disappointed. 

Except by the ending. Love stories are nice to write and to read. The "falling in love" part is easy, and then, halfway through the book, the main characters have a fight and everything falls apart, and you hope (you know) that they'll end up happily ever after. I hated the ending of this book. Not because of what happened, but mainly because it wasn't necessary to add that many scenes to prove the point. I can't say anything else without spoiling it, but if you want to talk just tweet/ e-mail me or leave a comment or whatever. Not only about this book, but about anything. 

To sum up, the book is really good, a good love story that we should read, but it's not a must-read for anyone. But you should read it to spend a nice day or two, because it doesn't take longer than that. 

Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #3)

Synopsis:

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.

I got Clockwork Princess for my birthday (June 11th), because my parents, seeing how much I wanted the book, decided that they wanted to be the ones giving it to me. So I had to wait until then while some of my friends and everyone on Twitter had already read it. And everyone was talking about how the book had made them feel... 

When I read it, I understood. The first half of the book went by pretty quickly, and I spent all that time wondering how it would end, who would Tessa end up with and... yes, who would Tessa end up with. 

I'm not writing spoilers here, but it's just... there are no words to describe it. If you've read it, you'll understand. Let me just say that I had never cried as much as I did with the last 30 pages of Clockwork Princess. Ever. So many things were happening, so many sad things altogether... I admire Cassandra Clare for the way she writes, and I will always admire her, because this ending was devastating. She clearly didn't want to disappoint anyone, not the people who love Will, not the people who love Jem, and she tried to make the best ending that she could. 

The problem with this is that there are only two possibilities concerning that ending; whether you hate it for what it makes you feel, or you love it for what it makes you feel. Same reason, different feelings. But awesome. 

The only way to really talk about this book is by crying while talking to someone who's already read it. So if you haven't read the ending chapter of The Infernal Devices, go do it right now. And if you haven't read The Infernal Devices, or even The Mortal Instruments, I don't know how can you live without knowing about the world of Shadowhunters that Cassandra Clare has made for us. 

Splendor, Anna Godbersen (Luxe #4)

Synopsis:

As spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new roles as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.

Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty - but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.

In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?

It took me years to find this book!! I read the first three of the series back in 2009, I think, or around that time, and it took me four years to find the last one in Spanish! I bought the first three in Spanish, so I wasn't going to read the last one in English... So I just waited. And waited. And the exact same week when I had  started to look for it in English on the Internet, I found it on a bookstore. I couldn't believe it! I was so happy, so excited, that everyone looked at me like I was crazy. But I didn't mind.
So I just got home and left everything else I was reading at the moment (something that I don't usually do) and read Splendor in two nights. Well, it was two nights till I had a chapter left, the last one on the series, the one that would decide if it was a happy ending or not, so I just decided I didn't want to finish because then I would already know how the series ended and it would be done forever... But I finally read it, cried for a while... 

I'm not going to spoil you the ending in case you want to read iy (which you should must), but Diana had been my favorite character since the very beginning, and I wasn't really sure what to think of her when I finished the book. I feel like everything I say about the book gives an impression about the ending, so I'm just not going to say anything else. 

In general, I absolutely loved the series, and Splendor was just the ending, as flawless as the rest, but an ending. Everyone should read that in their lives! Romance, historical fiction. Awesome. 

I'm back!

Sorry for being away for so long, but back in May and early June I was extremely busy with school and final exams and stuff, and as soon as I finished I left for five weeks, which I spent without computer, so I couldn't really update this. 

The good news are that, as I spent so long without my laptop, I had a lot of time to read, and I have a lot of books to talk about, and some series and movies. Lots of things! I'm going to try to upload soon, maybe more than one or two posts a day, because I really want to update this. 

And, by the way, thank you for whoever is reading this. I really appreciate it.