Mary, Bloody Mary & Beware Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer

Mary Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer : 4 / 5
& Beware Princess Elizabeth  by Carolyn Meyer : 4 / 5

Goodreads (Mary bloody Mary) : Anne was a witch; I never doubted it. Month upon month I lived in terror of poison being slipped into my cup. Yet an hour before the blade bit into her flesh, they say she prayed for my forgiveness. Would I have forgiven her? No. Never. Mary Tudor's world falls apart when her father, King Henry VIII, abandons her mother and marries his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Banished to a cold lonely castle, far from family and friends, Mary wears rags instead of silk and longs for her old, privileged life at the court. Her humiliation is complete when Anne orders her to serve as maid to her half-sister, Elizabeth, the new princess and heir. Yet even as she sees her future snatched away, Mary is determined to reclaim her destiny... Blood is thicker than water- unless the kind decrees otherwise.

Goodreads (Beware Princess Elizabeth) : Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure? Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her mother has been beheaded by Elizabeth's own father, Henry VIII; her jealous half sister, Mary, has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love interest betrays her in his own quest for the throne. Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this second novel in the exciting series explores the relationship between two sisters who became mortal enemies. Carolyn Meyer has written an intriguing historical tale that reveals the deep-seated rivalry between a determined girl who became one of England's most powerful monarchs and the sister who tried everything to stop her.

My review : Don't know if I already mentionned this on my blog but i'm kind of an history geek and I just love british civilization so i'm always excited to read a book based on history. I want to read more historical book in 2012 by the way (I'm going to sign up for a challenge this year if I can) ! I'm fascined by the Tudors dinasty. I got these two books for christmas as well as a book about the Tudors in general and the dvds about the tv show that I rewatching during my christmas break so I was really in a "Tudors mood" when I was reading these two books. Well at first I was a little disappointed when I discovered that these two books were focusing on Mary and Elizabeth's childhood but thiking about it afterward it was a really good and new thing ! Mary and Elizabeth's childhood were not easy. Mary was humiliated by Anne Boleyn her father's new wife especially after Henry divorced Mary's mother Catherine of Aragon and seperated the two of them. With Mary Bloody Mary we can try to understand why she became the infamous figure of Bloody Mary and the severe and cruel actions when she took when she was queen and that was really interesting. I've always loved Mary I I don't know why... I know that she did horrible things when she was queen in the name of the catholic faith but I has always been drawn by her. Beware Princess Elizabeth was an awesome book as well. It was even better than the first one I think. In this book we get to see what happenned after Henry XVIII died, the short reign of her brother Edward and the dreadful reign of her sister Mary. It was also interesting to see how Mary treated her when she was on the throne and how Elizabeth grown into a woman who was going to be one of the most famous and loved queen in the history of England.
These two books are also very good because they contain a lot of historical facts. Carolyn Meyer indeed knows this period very well and I learned many things while reading them.
I wanted also to read this book because I've always been fascinated by the story of these two half-sisters and I was happy to learn more about it. Fun fact : My name is Marie and my little sister name is Elisa from Elizabeth ;). So I recommend these books to everyone who want to know more about Mary and Elizabeth Tudors.
I really liked these two first book in the young royal series. I think i'm going to read more books by Carolyn Meyer this year I especially can't wait to read her book about Mary the Scots which is going to be released this year.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Rating : 5 / 5

Goodreads : When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

My review : Wow. This book is unique. I'm so happy that I finally read it. I received this book for Christmas in 2010 and I don't know why I didn't read it sooner. This is such a wonderful and magical book ! I recommend it to everyone who love fantasy and fairy tales books ! I don't know why I don't hear a lot of praise about Brightly Woven because it totally deserves it ! I want to buy a million copies and just give it to everyone I know !  I was so hooked that I read it in a day even if I had finals a few days later. This book as a kind of odd fairy tale tone that was lovely and poetic. The writing style is just beautiful and quite impressive since the author Alexandra Bracken is really young. At first I didn't know what to think about this book because it's not easy to follow at the beginning there is a lot of actions and no links between them sometimes but it's also a part that I love in this book when I think about it now. I really wish I could create such a story. And I loved the characters especially our two main characters North and Sydelle that we follow through the book. Sydelle is a weaver and I loved the parts in the book when she was trying to repair North cloaks, to see her passion doing that... Talking about it the idea of the cloaks is totally awesome !
And then there is North... definitely one of my favorite characters of 2011. His past and the whole story behind his curse is heartbreaking.
As for the end it's an open ending so we will never know what happened because there isn't going to be other books. Normally i'm not rather fond of this kind of ending but it just fit perfectly here (same thing at the end of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater). I can't wait to read more books from this author !

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Rating : 3 / 5

Goodreads : It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men. This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own. Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City. The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom. If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

My review : I'm so disappointed. Graceling is one of my favorite book of 2011 so I was eagerly waiting to read its companion novel Fire but this book wasn't for me... At first I was a little surprise because the world of Fire is totally different from the one in Graceling. No gracelings here but a dangerous world filled with colored monters. The idea is very original but... I wasn't hooked by the story, I thought this idea of monsters was really weird and especially... I didn't like the characters. Indeed we discover a whole new set of characters because this book happens several years before Graceling. Archer was the one that I hated through the book. What a jerk !!! And a lot of the other characters were useless... As for Brigan I was so disappointed... I was expecting a beautiful love story betwenn Fire and him as I loved Katsa and Po romance in Graceling but it was... non existent ! Brigan is absent most of the book and I didn't care about their relationship afterward. As for our heroine Fire she annoyed me SO much. And I think that's why I didn't like this book because the story was told from her point of view and I just couldn't bear her attitude and personality. Well I have to admit she is brave and determined but otherwise... she just cries all the time ! It was such a big change from Katsa in Graceling. I know that every human being has flaws and it was good to have a strong but fragile character but here... I just couldn't stand it. And there was a lot of repetitions like... I don't really want to know every time she has her periods ! I know this is kind of a big deal in the story since she is a monster herself but it was just too much ! A huge part of the book was about her being in the castle and waiting. It was so slow I couldn't wait to finish it. The only thing that I liked about her was her love for music and her violin (it reminded me of Jem in the infernal devices series).
Finally at the end of the book I was bored and the happy ending that I loved in Graceling in Fire just annoyed me here.
The good point of the book is that we get to know more about a character's past from Graceling.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Rating : 5 / 5

Goodreads : Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

My review : Why didn't I read this book sooner? I've heard such an amount of praise regarding Graceling for a few years and this book totally deserves it !
Graceling is probably one of my favorite book of 2011. It's such an amazing fantasy book ! I love fantasy it's one of my favorite genre and I should definitely read more fantasy book in 2012 (I will probably participate in a fantasy challenge this year if I can). I laugh, I smiled, I yelled... that's the meaning of a good book for me ! I was so attached by the characters at the end of the book that I didn't want to finish it. There is a lot of actions and suspence that you just cannot put this book down when you're reading it.
I liked the writing style. I was drawn by Kristin Cashore words. The historical context is difficult to situate. It's kind of a middle ages place and I liked that aspect about the book too !
I loved everything about this world of Graceling. Gracelings are people whose eyes are different from one another and they are graced with special abilities like hearing better ect... and our heroine Katsa is graced with killing. She is such a kick ass heroine I was really fascinated by her history and excited to follow her in her journey. I admire her she is such a feminist model !
But there is also a lot of other great characters and of course there is Po... Well at first I didn't know if I was going to like this character because let's say it his name is pretty weird (Po... teletubbies? ^^) and when I read the summary I didn't know that Po will take such a huge part in the book and especially that there was going to be some sort of romance between Katsa and him. So it was a great suprise because their romance is beautiful. I just want to read this book all over again when I think about it. The plot wasn't really tricky but the prose and the characters are really the major point about this novel. But I was surprised by Po's characters we really discover huge things about this characters through the book so I won't say anything in this review let's just say his ability is... well Kristin Cashore is a genius because writing something about a character with this ability must be really difficult !
Anyway I recommend it to everyone ! In fact I actually bought this book as a birthday present to two of my friends just after reading it because I wanted to share my love of Graceling.
I can't wait to read more about these characters in Bitterblue (please May come sooner!).
(Just wanted to say Kristin Cashore is so cruel at the end with Po when I read about it I was in class and I just wanted to yell ^^).

Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor

Rating : 3 / 5

Goodreads : Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My review : Everyone was talking (and still is) about this book a few months ago. It's for a lot of people their favorite book of 2011 but... it wasn't the same for me. I understand all the love around this book but... I wasn't hooked... Well I still have mixed feeling about this book. My love for this book was gradually changing through the book. From the beginning of the book to Karou's meeting Akiva I was really into it and I would have given Daughter of smoke and bone 5 stars. I loved discovering everything about this world and the characters. It's unique, original Laini Taylor's writing is truly brilliant and poetic. Karou is a great heroine I love her gift for art and her link with the chimera world. The setting was also what makes me fall in love with the story from the beginning. Prague ! It seems like such a beautiful city I really want to go there one day ! But then when she starts being with Akiva it's just... I don't know I wans't into their romance. And the whole thing between their relationship was really predictable and I figured it out quickly... And then there was a part about... a previous life. A kind of mythological one. I know it doesn't mean anything but I can't really tell you it's kind of the point of the book. And I didn't like this part. It reminded me of PC Cast books La prophétie maudite (don't know the title in english sorry). So yeah at the end I was reading pretty fast because I wanted to finish the book so I don't think i'm going to read the next one.

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Rating : 2 / 5

Goodreads : "Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."
Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.
It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.
Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.
But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

My review : I heard a lot of good things about this one but it didn't turn out to be what I was expecting...
I liked Roden's sacrice, the coven, her past and her struggles against the evils of being a vampire but otherwise... most of the book was about Lenah being a vampire in a high school. The plot was weak. All the high schools things were just boring. It reminded me of Halo by Alexandra Adornetto. Her romance with Justin was... well I didn't care about them ! The end was disappointing... So I don't think i'm going to read the next book.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Rating : 5 / 5

Goodreads : To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale. And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My review : LOVED IT ! This book was such a great surprise ! I didn't know if I was going to read this book because I knew that it was written from Ash point of view and as you know I'm not really into this character. But I wanted to give it shot because it's the last book in the series and I wanted to know how it ends. I'm so happy that I choose to read it because I absolutly don't regret it ! It might be my favorite book in the series along with the second one and I really didn't think that it would be possible because as I've just said it's written from Ash point of view ! But I kind of like having the story told from his point of view. It was interesting to have a male narrator. So yes I totally loved it. The plot was awesome. I love these kind of journey books. It was EPIC ! So Ash is on a journey to respect his vow to stay by Meghan's side and in order to do that he needs to be human (because she lives in the Iron Realm and he can't survive there). It's the thing that I like about this character. Honor and loyalty are such a big thing for him. And I love all this oath and knights things. It's very Middle Ages (my favorite period). In this quest he has some company : Grimalkin, Puck, the Wolf (and they are all characters that I LOVE in the series, each one has strong personalities so it makes the dialogues really funny sometimes) and another character... but I can't tell you the name because it would be a huge spoiler. It's a major suprise in the book I really didn't see it coming ! And of course there was Puck <3...
I loved all the challenges that Ash need to face and especially one about his future... Julie Kagawa's writing is really brilliant in this passage!
It was an awesome end to the series, I'm kind of sad that it ends but I know that I'll reread them. I loved reading this book it took me a week to read it because I wanted to read it slowly and appreciate it.
The Iron Knight is one of my favorite fantasy book of 2011 so you should all read the Iron Feys series !

(And also I wanted to say a word about this gorgeous cover ! All the covers of this series are beautiful but I especially loved the back of this one because it was featuring Puck. And it just looks so much like him ! The eyes, the smile... I'm in love <3.)

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Rating : 3,5 / 5

Goodreads : 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 impact 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.

My review : I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by this book... I was happy to be back in this world. This gothic Gatlin will all its superstitions, the Casters, and all these wonderful characters : Ethan, Lena, Link, Ridley ect... It was one of the first YA series with which I was really fan so yeah I have a special link with this series.But for this one I didn't know if I wanted to give it 3 stars or 4 stars because I wasn't into it. It wasn't slow but the plot didn't get me hooked like the first and especially the second did.
I don't know I heard so many good things about this third book I didn't think it was going to be like that. We didn't see Link and Liv very often and they are my favorite characters... I was also disappointed because I found the plot very predictable. Indeed I figured the whole thing out really fast...
On the other hand it was a good book because it was a lot more dark and twisted and the characters are changing, growing. I know it's a really mixed review. I also loved the end. I'm huge fan of these kind of tragic ending and yeah I was nearly crying when I read the final pages. This cliffhanger is just cruel.
Even if I didn't like this book as much as I was expecting I can't wait to read the next book. It'll be the final one and I want to know how this series end, there is still a lot of questions unanswered.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Rating : 4 / 5

Goodreads : It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. 


My review : This is Maggie Stiefvater's new book so of course I had to buy it since she is one of my favorite writer. And I loved this book. Well I was disappointed about certain points (and that's why I didn't give it 5 stars) that i'm going to talk about in this review. 

So first I was so happy to read a new book written by Maggie because i'm in love with her writing... I loved it here even if it was different because it's a wold more tough but still mesmerizing. 
I especially loved the tone and the ambiance of the place where The Scorpio Races is set. This island Thisby, the fishermen, boats, beach, sand, smal village, nature, weather ect...
I also loved that we don't really know when it is happening. We know that it's in our present (represented by the tourists coming from the mainland and America) but it's an entirely different world in this island away from the present. They lived in a simple way, kind of away from civilization for some of them (especially with Puck and her brothers because they are really poor) with religion still really present...
I also loved  that there is a lot of celtic and faeries references. At first we don't really know what the capall uisce (so difficult to remember how to pronounce it!) is. I know the kelpie but here Maggie Stiefvater creates her own mythology (and that's what she explains in her author's note which is really interresting).
It was really interresting to know about The Scorpio Races, the festival just before ect... 

Again we have a double point of view just like in her others book with a male and female point of view. 
It was kind of weird at first to know that one of the main character Kate is nicknamed Puck (like in the Midsummer Night Dream and The Iron Feys series by Julie Kagawa which in those books is a male name). 
One of the best thing in Maggie Stiefvater books is her characters and I was not disappointed by them. I loved them all especially Puck's younger brother Finn. And of cource Sean <3. But also the horses obviously are really important characters in this book. 

But yes I was disappointed by certain things. First a huge part of the book is really slow. The book is about The Scorpio Races that are happenning at the end during a few pages and before that there isn't actions (except for the last 150 pages or so when I was really hooked). I know that Maggie's book are not known for having a lot of actions it's more about feelings and ambiance but here I really didn't see the point at first of the plot since also it's a stand alone novel. 
And second I was disappointed by the romance. If you think Sean and Puck are going to be the new Sam & Grace you'll be disappointed. The connexion between them is building slowly and there isn't much for most of the book (so it added to the slowness of the beginning). And I was surprised because Maggie said before the release of TSR that it was a book about "beach blood and kissing" and there isn't much of the last part (it's actually pretty non existent).
And maybe this book would be less tough with a little more romance because there is a lot of blood and death and the tone is often heavy for most of the book...
In fact this book focus more about the love between the characters and theirs horses (well especially between Sean & Corr and Puck & Dove) than between them. And I was really moved by that.
But there is some beautiful scenes between the two of them. I especially loved when they ride Corr perhaps my favorite scene of the book, there is a lot of tensions between them...
 Even if there isn't much romance this book is about the difference between wanting and needing, family, happiness and there is some beautiful quotes about it. 

I just admire Maggie Stiefvater and I really hope that some day I could write and imagine such stories. She won me and again I cried at the end just like in her other novels.
I have to admit that I wanted more of this book at the end and that my head is still full of this story...

Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie Perkins

Rating : 5 / 5

Goodreads : Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My review : I didn't think it was possible for me to love Lola and the boy next door even more than his companion novel Anna and the french kiss but well... it was ! Well done Stephanie Perkins ! Once again you totally got me !
What's really surprising and great about those novels is that when you see the cover and the blurb you can perhaps think that it's going to be a cheesy novel ect... Yeah I thought that at first and it's true that those novels are all about romance, relationships, feelings ect... There are contemporary novels (and it's not my favortie genre) without a lot of actions but... those novels are also unforgettable and I'm having a really good time when I'm reading them. Lola and the boy next door was no exception.
My favorite "part" of Stephanie Perkins books is... her characters ! They felt so real ! I loved Lola. I loved her parents and just the whole story behind Lola, eveything from her outrageous outfits to her history with Cricket. She totally won me ! Lola herself is a character I laughed with, cried with and connected with the most.
I ended up loving Cricket even more thant Etienne (I REALLY didn't think that was possible before reading this book). He was just so heartbreaking. The perfect guy ! Cricket Bell is awkward, intelligent and super cute. I loved that they were best friends when they were kids. They were each other's first kisses, made adorable presents for each other and even annoyed his twin, Calliope, with their closeness. It's the kind of innocent and honest relationship that we all love !
So yes Cricket is special and unique but Lola has a boyfriend. And at the beginning I really liked Max because he seems to really love her even if there is an age difference... But well at the end... I didn't care about him much because he is a total jerk.
Anyway the romance was really credible. I loved the characters, the relationship everything even the background with the houses (the neighborhood takes an important part in the book), San Francisco, Lola crazy outfits, her talking to the moon ect...
I also liked that we get to see Anna and Etienne from the previous book. I was just jealous of their relationship they are so perfect together !
All in all Lola and the boy next door is cute, sweet, lovely and magical... it's everything we had come to expect from Stephanie Perkins. If you liked Anna your will like Lola !!  I just can't wait to read Isla and the happily ever after now!!!