Book of the Month: Sequels and three-quels: Darkness, Kindled

The fourth and final book in the Fire Spirits series.  In a way I'm glad it's over, but on the other hand, I wish it weren't.  Let me explain:

I don't normally read all the books in a series right after each other, I try to cushion other novels in between.  Why?  So that when I finish reading the series I'm not in such a book funk that I can't pick something else up.  I get so immersed in the world, in the characters, that leaving them can become painful.  When I read Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue in a row I couldn't read anything else and enjoy it for about a month.  The drawback?  I don't get as involved with the characters, with the world.  I still get really passionate, don't get me wrong, but if I marathon a series I get in deeper.  So, yes, I wish this series weren't over because I would love more, but I'm so glad it is because I don't think I could take more.

This was a good last book in a series.  It wrapped up nicely, though I felt the climax was a little premature and the ending a little useless.  All the characters ended up in their perfect places, something you don't always get when dealing with life and death (I'm talking to you, Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, Richelle Mead, Julie Kagawa) and I love seeing happy endings.  I'm glad not all authors do them because then it would become really artificial, but seeing one or two every blue moon is nice.

This book gets four stars from me.

Check out the next book of the month starting later this week and feel free to read along!

What did you think about this months book of the month?  Comment and let me know!

Book of the Month: Sequels and three-quels, Borrowed Ember

The third book in the series is really breathtaking.  At first it's a little shaky, but the ending makes your heart stop.  It's a flash!-bang!-pow! kind of ending and I just LOVED it.  I'll try not to spoil anything, so it'll be a short review, but this book was really, really good.

The story took more time to tell, but all those dominoes set up in the first two books?, well, they fell and they really made an impression.  There are several fighting scenes in this book and they're written wonderfully.  I could picture them in my head, and, honestly, they looked like something out of Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon (which is very high in my book).  We also get pretty much all the answers we were looking for in this one.  Which means the next book isn't focused so much on "ending" but expanding in a new direction I didn't see coming.  I'm actually really excited to start the next one pronto.

The core cast of characters don't really grow, rather they begin to fill out into their parts.  One thing I hadn't really realized until this book was how complex the Jinn Kings really were.  They have their own personalities and own histories.  They're each unique and they really add to the story.  They're all complicated and some of them could probably hold their own stories.  Asmodeus (I know I didn't spell that right...) in particular really grows on you even though he's an evil SOB.  I think the Jinn Kings are my favorite part of the books, really.

This book gets 4 1/2 stars out of five.

Book of the Month: sequels and three-quels: Scorched Skies

So instead of reviewing all of the sequels together I’ll be giving each its own spotlight. The second book in the Fire Spirits series is Scorched Skies and it picks up almost immediately where the last one left off. While the first one was really about Ari discovering she was Jinn, this one is about her dealing with the threats of being one and it sets up the rest of the series nicely. You’re being warned now: If you haven’t read/finished the first book don’t read on. There are some major spoilers.

Charlie is now a sorcerer, something I’m really glad of because he’s not the “delicate flower” of the bunch anymore. Of course, that means Ari is. And she should be because she’s the one everyone’s trying to kill, and, actually, listens when people talk her out of bad situations and lays low when she needs to rather than put herself in undo risk (while I’m all for the tough-girl thing, it’s really annoying when they don’t listen to reason; I wish more characters did!). Back to Charlie, though, now he’s kind of shed his bad-boy image and is little more than a recovering drug addict. Nothing too special or lovable about him anymore. Which is also a conclusion Ari reaches, ending the love triangle when she chooses Jai. Jai himself doesn’t really grow in his character, except that he, too, realizes he wants to be with Ari and won’t let his family or job get in his way.

In the way of new characters there are only two big ones: Dali, who’s the villain of this story, and while not a great character, he does his job in the book; and Fallon, who’s the one to fill the hole Ari left in Charlie’s heart. I like Fallon, but I feel like her addition was very… unnatural. She totally needed to be there, but she didn’t need to show up when she did. I almost wish she hadn’t been introduced till book three where there is much more room for her.

There was a lot more of the hunter’s side of the Jinn world but it wasn’t really anything stunning. I liked it and all, but it wasn’t really necessary. Plot wise, there’s a major something at the beginning (I’m not spoiling THAT) that changes everything.

This book gets 3 ½ of 5 stars.

Book of the Month: Smokeless Fire

And here we are again with another book of the month.  This is the first in a series of four books by Samantha Young.  It's about Ari, a seemingly normal girl whose world is flipped upside down when she learns she is one of the Jinn.  Jinn as in Genies.  Her guardian, Jai, and best friend, Charlie, are in on the secret, too.

Let's all take a moment to marvel at this gorgeous cover.

The book is split into two parts.  Part one is, in my opinion, a lot better, although not as interesting as, part two.  The characters seem fresher and the plot moves smoother.  Part two is where all the paranormal stuff starts to happen, but I almost feel like that's all being forced.  Like a bad musical number is moving the plot along rather than actual plot.

The characters are all endearing.  Ari is a great main character, Jai is just smoking (and totally book-crushable), and Charlie is pretty awesome, too.  There's certainly tragedy in the story (all the characters have some sort of family flaw) but those things don't completely overwhelm their lives (besides Charlie, who's totally got that right).  The characters seem well thought out, although they don't particularly stand off the page.  Where the plot not as unique as it is they probably wouldn't at all.

Speaking of the plot, it's really cool.  You don't see to many stories about genies, especially in YA lit.  If nothing else, this is a total draw to the story.  Everyone's using used ideas (OK, not everyone) and this refreshing NEW idea will make hard-core readers happy.  I wish more time had been spent in the realm of the Jinn, but as it is, I'm happy with the originality.
I'm giving this book 4 stars.  It's by far, though, my favorite BotM (book of the month) so far!  I hope you all give it a chance and read it (if you haven't already) because it's certainly worth it.