Series Sunday: The Goddess Test Trilogy by Aimee Carter

These books blew me away! I actually finished the series after the final book came out back in February, but haven't reviewed any of the books yet. The books are based in Greek mythology and add a new take on the traditional myths. I ate up the each book right after I got them. Let me tell you, with books that good (and with that much of a cliffhanger) it is really painful to wait a year for the next one! The plot is intricately woven, nothing is coincidence, and everything has its consequences. They're different from the typical YA books, which is really nice. It doesn't have the typical love triangle, nor is the general plot even close to other YA's. The books are an amazing read that you don't want to miss.

The main character is Kate Winters. She is a strong and humane character. When
she makes judgements, she considers the all the aspects. She doesn't just think about what that person did, she looks at the whys and considers where they're coming from. She has an incredibly strong, no-nonsense, will. Nothing gets past her. She doesn't forget when someone wrongs her or those she loves, but she is spectacular at forgiving. Sadly, often the people she gives second chances will just come back and hit her harder. Yet each time, she manages to stand up taller and faster. Once someone has lost her trust, they won't get it back, and she'll sacrifice everything to protect those she loves. Henry is the male protagonist and love interest of Kate. Throughout the first two books, he has trouble admitting his feelings to her. He has been wronged and let down so many times in the past, so severely, that he's scared to open up to her. It's obvious to
everyone but Kate that he loves her so much, that he's scared to death of loosing
her. But after some time, and realizations, he comes to know that not loving Kate at all is so much worse than the chance of loosing her. Though he drives me batty at points, Henry has a good heart and a strong will. Like Kate, things don't get past him and he doesn't forget, even things best forgotten. He is less empathetic than her, but even still, he very much understands human nature. Another character is Ava. She is Kate's best friend and, though she makes an idiot of herself at points, she is always there for her in the end. James is another of Kate's friends. He doesn't get her as much, but makes each moment she has with him memorable.

The plot of these books is a fast-moving, non-stop, jet from pages to reality. I can't help but see the story play out right before my eyes. The characters are vivid and complex. After reading them, I can't get the books out of my head for hours. The pace is amazing and the romance is heart-stopping. I love this author's take on the gods of Greek mythology. Instead of showing the demi-gods or any of the more human offspring, it's from the point of view of the immortals themselves. There's also an anthology that has much needed backstory for many of the characters that simply doesn't fit in the books, but that readers need to know for motivations to be clear. The story is profound and deep. I can see myself rereading the series for years to come. I give it five stars!

Unhinged Speculations #1

This post was inspired by a YouTube video by PolandBananasBooks here. In this post, you will see my sometimes, well, unhinged, speculations about upcoming books. Things from character identities to plot points to prophecies. I will do later posts with more Unhinged Speculations and proving/disproving previous ones. Warning: A) there may be spoilers  B) if you have not read the book/series you may not understand the Unhinged Speculation, and C) there may be much ranting. Now! Let the Unhinged Speculations commence!

The Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan
In the last book in the Percy Jackson series, a new great prophecy is introduced. It states:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call

To storm or fire the world must fall

An oath to keep with a final breath

As foes bear arms to the doors of death

After reading the first three books (The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, and The Mark of Athena) readers know that the seven from the first line are Leo Valdez, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Percy Jackson, and Annabeth Chase. The second line says that the world will fall to storm or fire. This immediately points to Leo, the son of Hephaestus and fire user, and Jason, son of Zeus. So does that mean that Jason or Leo will destroy the world? I think not. The enemy in these books is Gaea. Well, the world is earth. The latin root for earth is terra. Gaea's Roman name was Terra. That being said, it implies that Jason and Leo will not destroy the world, but Gaea. The third line makes no sense. It's seems that someone is keeping a promise and will die. As foes bear arms to the doors of death is being slowly explained. Jason, Frank, and Hazel are Roman. Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and Piper are Greek. This sets up the foes. They will go to the doors of death with weapons. They will most likely be cooperating, but will have to fight to close the doors of death. There is obviously a final battle coming, and it's not going to be pretty. For readers, keep your eyes open for the release of The House of Hades which comes out this fall and will hopefully prove/disprove some of these theories.

The Lunar Chronicles-Cress by Marissa Meyer

In the first book in the Lunar Chronicles, the character Cinder finds out that she is not only a cyborg, but a Lunar and a princess. In book two, Scarlet, the character Scarlet finds out that her grandmother was part of an experiment done by Cinder's stepfather on Cinder and her grandmother. Her grandmother had also sheltered Cinder as a child. The fourth book of the series, Winter, is about princess Winter of Luna. Her step-mother is the evil Queen Levena. Winter refuses to manipulate bioelectricity like her step-mother. Both characters have a connection to Cinder. But book three, which releases next January, is about the character Cress, and, as far as readers know, she has no solid connection to Cinder. In Cinder, Dr. Erland is Lunar. He came to earth after his daughter, who was a shell, was killed by Levena. Cinder is talking to Dr. Erland when he says this.

"And so my little Crescent Moon was taken away, like all the others. She would be about your age now." ~Page 243

After reading that line, I got to thinking. A nickname for Crescent Moon might be Cress. And Cress is about Cinder's age, as Crescent Moon would be. I have further proof of this from two things. First, here is a tweet I sent to the author last night.

Then there is even further evidence again provided by the author. This morning, the first chapter of Cress was released online. In it, Cress is called Crescent. The full quote is:

"My dear, sweet Crescent, you have earned the trust and respect of Her Majesty, the Queen. You are welcome to return with me to Luna and be accepted as one of us."

This shows that her name is Crescent. She is repeatedly called that throughout the chapter. There is another quote that gives another hint at who she is:

"Unlike Cress, who was a true shell, Linh Cinder had the Lunar gift."

This shows that Cress is short for Crescent and that she is a shell. With these in mind, I confidently say that I believe that Cress is actually Crescent Moon, the daughter of Dr. Erland. She was imprisoned by the queen and was then forced to spy on the Earthen nations.

Ruby Red Series by Kerstin Gier

I didn't get this theory at first. It was pointed out to me by someone else and now seems fairly obvious. In the series, Gwen's parents are Grace and Nicholas Shepard. Nicholas died when Gwen was young. Her cousin Lucy Montrose and Paul  de Villiers ran away and stayed with Grace and Nathan right around the time Gwen was born. We learn in the book that Gwen's mother fudged her birthday by one day so that no one would know that Gwen is the last in the time traveling Circle of Twelve, the Ruby. From that, we know that Gwen has a mother who is willing to fudge the truth in order to 'protect' her (whether she was right to do so is still undetermined). Lucy and Paul could both travel through time, and disappeared into the past after leaving Grace and Nathan's house. So, Gwen is a time-traveler who was born at the same time that two other time travelers disappeared. Note, time traveling is a gene that skips generations. Read these quotes and try to figure out what I'm implying before I tell you my theory. From book one Ruby Red:

"'We shouldn't have abandoned her. She needs us! We've no idea if our bluff will word ... and no chance of ever finding out now.'

'We'd have been even less use to her dead.'

'If we could only have hidden away with her somewhere far off, under other names, until she was old enough to-'

'They'd have found us anywhere we went; we've discussed that a thousand times already. We didn't abandon her. We did the only right thing: we made it possible for her to live in safety. At least for the next sixteen years.'

'I know you're right. It just hurts so much that we'll never see her again.'"

~Conversation between Lucy Montrose and Paul de Villiers after they travel into the past, Ruby Red

"'She looks just like you,' she said suddenly.

He knew at once who she was talking about. 'No, she looks like you, Princess! It's only her hair she gets from me.'

'And that way of tilting her head to one side when she's thinking something over.'

'She's beautiful isn't she?'

She nodded. 'Isn't it strange? Two months ago we held her in our arms as a newborn baby, and now she's sixteen, and half a head taller than me. And only two years younger!'"

~Conversation between Lucy Montrose and Paul de Villiers in the past, Ruby Red

If my guess is correct, in both instances, they are talking about the main character Gwen. That being said, I believe that Gwyneth Shepard is actually Gwyneth Montrose-de Villiers, Lucy and Paul's daughter. Both quotes imply this as well as minor lines throughout the first two books. The third and final book, Emerald Green, releases in October and this theory will either be proved or disproved!

Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead

At the end of Bloodlines, readers find out that the main character Sydney is a witch. This role is developed through the next two books and she begins to use magic as well as date a vampire. The problem is, Sydney works for the Alchemists. The Alchemists are dedicated to keeping vampires a secret and hate them, along with magic. Alchemists suspected of working with vampires are sent to 'Reeducation' and come back in a zombie-like state. Sydney, is using magic AND dating a vampire. Her younger sister and fellow Alchemist Zoe shows up at the end of the most recent book, The Indigo Spell, and it's a recipe for disaster. The author Richelle Mead has warned readers that, while the next book, The Fiery Heart, will be hotter than ever, it will be like one of her previous books, Shadow Kiss. Knowing how that turned out, readers have the right to be worried. My worry? I worry that the Alchemists will find out about Sydney and send her to Reeducation at the end of The Fiery Heart. It's bound to happen eventually. The Alchemists will accept the fact that she's a witch and is dating a vampire as soon as the sky turns purple and is made hedgehogs (Cassandra Clare reference, lovers of The Infernal Devices will know).

My second Unhinged Speculation has to do with Sydney's mother. Sydney can use magic and I'd guess that it's a trait that's passed down in a family. Sydney's father is a die-hard Alchemist and hates all things magic, so that rules him out (unless he's a REALLY good actor). Sydney's mother on the other hand is a mechanic and is much more carefree than her father. My bet is that Sydney's mother is a witch and didn't tell anyone. And if not, a girl can dream!

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

In The Selection, rebels attack the palace quite often. They are opposed to the king's rule and want him off the throne, as far as I can tell. The queen of Italy visits the palace in The Elite and speaks with the main character, America. If what she says is any indication, the queen agrees with the rebels. That being said, I believe that the queen is working with the rebels, or at the very least is rooting for them. America opposes the king as well, and when the queen of Italy speaks with her, she makes it known that she likes that. She says that she will do everything she can to help America win if she'd like and to call her if she needs her. The queen then proceeds to give America a phone number.

My second Unhinged Speculation relates to America's father. He makes it known fairly obviously that he is opposed to the king as well. At one point, he visits the palace. America tells him about a diary she has that belonged to Gregory Illéa, the founder of the country, that came from a secret library in the palace. Very soon after, the rebels attack, and what do they do? The rebels steal books. Because of that, I believe that America's father is working with the rebels or is an informant of some sort for them. He is proud of America when she goes against the rules and supports many rebel ideas when at home.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

The final book in The Mortal Instruments series, City of Heavenly Fire, releases next year. I don't have any strong Unhinged Speculations for this book, but do have a few small ones. In the final book of the prequel series, Clockwork Princess, the main character Tessa, is speaking another character after the event of the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments, City of Lost Souls, during the epilogue. Readers do not know if this takes place during or after CoHF. Things are discussed in the epilogue that do occur in CoHF though, a Herondale-Lightwood-Fairchild kinda thing. I believe (more like hope) that the characters in TMI will learn about who Brother Zachariah actually is and will help him find the cure he's looking for.

Other than that, Cassandra Clare said on Twitter that four characters die in CoHF. I truly do not know who it will be, besides Church the cat, because Cassie said that she does not kill cats in her books. I don't want any characters to die, but if I had to guess, I'd say Sebastian (I guess I would't mind him dying, he is the bad guy after all), Alec, Jordan, and Maureen. Not to say any of them will live/die/or otherwise go on in existence (in books with demons, werewolves, fairies, warlocks, and vampires, anything is possible). I can't say for sure though. Who do you think will be the four characters in CoHF?

So, that's all folks! Comment your own Unhinged Speculations and tell me what you think about these. Like? Dislike? Agree? Disagree? Who do you think are the four characters in CoHF? Will America join the rebels? Will the Alchemists find out that Sydney's been lying to them? Is my interpretation of the Great Prophecy accurate? Is Cress really Crescent Moon? Has Gwen's mother lied to her all her life? What do you think will happen? I would love to hear your opinions. And keep an eye out for more Unhinged Speculations to come!

Series Sunday: Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles

Swoon, squeal, squee, etc! I love these books to the ends of the earth. I read each one in only hours. I simply cannot put how they make me feel into words. If you follow the blog on Twitter, you'll notice I  first said ‘Just finished Perfect Chemistry by @SimoneElkeles! I preceded to dance around my room squealing. An amazing book w/ lots of feels. Loved it!’ I then said ‘Is @SimoneElkeles a magical-fairy-goddess or something? I just finished her book Rules of Attraction and I can't read any other books now!’ And, after I swiftly finished the final book, I stated ‘I've accepted @SimoneElkeles as my supreme ruler. I finished Chain Reaction in a few hours flat. I won't read another book for ages now!’ Yes, that's right folks. Simone Elkeles is a magical-fairy-goddess and my supreme ruler. She is the queen of contemporary. These books take feels to a whole new level.

Gah! There are so many characters. Book one is told from Alex Fuentes and Brittany's points of views. Book two follows Alex's younger brother Carlos Fuentes and Kiara. The final book follows the youngest Fuentes, Luis, and Nikki. Let me say this, the Fuentes brothers are really something. They have the most attitude I've ever seen, attract females by the bushels, and are trouble magnets. Each character comes with their own set of problems though. Alex is in a gang when he meets Brittany. Brittany is a popular girl with an overbearing mother and handicapped older sister (whom she adores). Carlos has gang issues, along with attitude to spare, and Kiara is shy and stutters. Luis was the golden child, until he learns some secrets from his childhood, and Nikki can't get over her past. The one thing every one of them has in common is that they will do anything to A) solve their problems and B) protect the ones they love. They also have a habit of falling for the one person who's best for them, but the hardest to love in the first place. Loyalty runs deep and so does love. The Fuentes brothers often say 'Mi familia comes first'. What often gets those three into trouble is the fact that the bad guys know that they'll do anything to protect their family. Each time, towards the middle of the book, I would get crazy mad at one or both of the characters. They have this crazy thing where they almost can't help but make idiotic decisions, all part of being a teenager I suppose. Yet I still love them.

These books are filled with action, romance, and real-life issues. It addresses things that most authors will skirt around. Oh, and you can't forget the español! Because the Fuentes family is from Mexico, there is a lot of spanish in the book. It's actually rather fun trying to decipher what they're saying. Just a warning, these are definitely for older readers. There is totally adult content in there. The plot in these books is amazing. It just keeps rolling. I was interested from page one to three hundred. I felt everything that the characters did and more. I sympathized with them and could see their stories in my mind. One of my favorite parts was the epilogues. Each book has one and they are CUTE to say the least. These books were fun, deep, interesting, and everything that a reader could want. I give the series a full five stars!

Series Sunday: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I liked these books. I've read better, I've read much worse. Maybe sci-fi just isn't my style. When I say these books are sci-fi, they are REALLY sci-fi. There's genetic alteration, communication chips imbedded in the characters ears, clones, a few aliens, oh, and did I mention the gigantic spaceship? Everyone lives aboard the giant spaceship Godspeed. There are the folks that take care of the ship, and then the lesser known...others. People from earth-specifically with science, medical, or military expertise-were frozen in cryo chambers and left there to be woken up when they reach their destination, Centauri-Earth. The idea behind this story is amazing and is well told. It could have been a bit better paced, but I was satisfied in the end.

The story is duel-POV. One of the characters is Amy. She is from earth and her parents were going to be frozen, so she decided to go with them. It's addressed that, while frozen, Amy can still think and dream. That wasn't supposed to happen and she wonders about it in the first book. It isn't brought up again and the question of what happened was never really answered. Amy starts off as a scared teenager, but matures and grows courage as the series progresses. She feels fear for her parents and newfound friends. She also learns what it feels like to be a scapegoat, as many of the people on the ship dislike her, including it's leader. Amy meets the second main character, Elder, right after she wakes up. Elder is going to be the leader of Godspeed someday, AKA Eldest. I don't like his character as much as Amy's. Maybe it's because he has never seen earth, therefore is less relatable. Maybe it's the way he speaks, the members of Godspeed have added many new words to the english language. Or it could simply be him as a whole. He was raised very different than many are. For example, he has been taught that the three causes of discord are A) Lack of leadership, B) Differences, and C) Individual thought. Readers, of course, think this is totally bogus and, eventually, so does he. His character does develop though. He learns who, and what, he is willing to do anything for, even die. Amy is one of those people. It becomes obvious fairly quickly that they like each-other and their relationship is built and tested throughout the series. There are many other characters, but none of them really stand out in my mind. I don't really like them or they simply are not complex enough.

Let me say this, the last book in the series was a real doozie. The author warned that she liked to kill characters off and that many would be in book three, but whoa! There were characters dying left and right. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure at least one person dies every chapter save the last three or so. The series wraps up better than I had hoped. While it's not a fairy tale ending, everyone more less gets something they want. It's a tad abrupt. There is enough of a wrap-up for it to be a conclusion, but another chapter or two would have been well-loved. Book two, A Million Suns, was by far my favorite book in the series. If you're a geek (like me!) and love things such as Star Wars and Star Trek, this is for you! Overall, I give it a four star rating.

The Collector by Victoria Scott

Wow, this book was good. Plus it's told from a male POV, which made it different than usual. The main character, Dante, is sure aware of his own self-worth. The story was well told and amazingly done. I couldn't help but love every character, even the bad guy-who happens to be the main character. Yeah, you heard that right. Why is he the bad guy? Well, Dante happens to be a demon and soul collector for hell. He works for Boss Man to collect the bad souls as well as tag a soul when one commits a sin. Dante being Dante gives the story a unique aspect that you simply don't find in most books. It's interesting to see from the 'bad guy's' point of view for once. The story really shows the whole 'don't judge a book by its cover' thing. Just because Dante works for the bad guy, doesn't mean he's completely evil nor beyond redemption.

Dante is a walking, talking contradiction. One moment, he claims he likes his job and is a bad boy, the next he's thinking about how much he hates being a Collector and regrets what he's done. Dante has been sent to collect a girl named Charlie's soul. Why? He doesn't know. But he does know that if he does this job, Boss Man will promote him, and that's what he wants. Dante is constantly conflicted about what he's doing though. He knows it isn't right, and wants to make amends, but won't sacrifice himself to do so. He is extremely arrogant, selfish, and, well, mean. At least, to start with. As the book progresses, so does Dante. It's amazing how one person has the ability to make him rethink his whole world. He learns life-altering things that can change everything. As secrets come out, he's pushed to his limits, and does things he never imagined he would.

The plotting of this book is superb. Just as it began to slow down after some action-packed/crazy scene, Dante plots some new antic that throws readers right back in. It takes place in a small town where not much is expected to happen, until Dante shows up. Victoria Scott takes readers for a wild ride on an action, romance, and rebellion filled roller coaster of a story. It's an amazing debut novel and a spectacular addition to the YA genre as a whole. Dante has girls swooning everywhere. It packs one heck of a punch and doesn't stop. I was flipping pages until I hit the very last one. The sequel, The Liberator, comes out in August and I sure can't wait. I give this book five stars!

Series Sunday: Shadow Falls Series by C.C. Hunter

I have to say, this is series might very well be the love of my life. It is everything someone could want in a book series. There's magic (lots of it), supernaturals (plenty of 'em), heartbreak (painfully so), love, forgiveness, life lessons, and most important, family. These books really push forgiveness and family. The characters, of all ages, make mistakes. More often than not, they own up to these mistakes. Many of the families in the story are pretty messed up. There's distrust, contempt, and misunderstanding, but there's also love, acceptance, and forgiveness. It's a story about magic, don't get me wrong, but it's also a story about real issues. That being said, there's something very special about these books. Unlike most, if you strip the books of the magic and the supernatural, you still have a story. A story about a girl who struggles with who she is, her family, and her friends. A story about a girl who can find the strength

in herself to overcome these things and be the best woman she can be.

Kylie Galen is the main protagonist. She is an amazing role model for young women. She is exemplary at many things, but struggles in others. In the beginning, she is caught at a party and is then sent to Shadow Falls camp for teens with 'issues'. Kylie's parents are getting divorced and she is not happy about this in the least, but as she learns new things about Shadow Falls and herself, she grows up. Kylie matures tremendously over the course of the book. She goes from regular, slightly outsider-ish, normal girl, to extremely strong, heroin of a woman. Her friends help her along the way. And she does not shy away from this help. The other characters are just as amazing as Kylie. Of course, there is a love triangle. One of the boys is Lucas. Readers meet him a
few chapters in, and get a big surprise. Kylie knew Lucas when they were children, he lived next door. Lucas is werewolf, and has obviously staked his claim on Kylie's heart. BUT! There's also Derek. He is half-fairy, and meets Kylie on the way to Shadow Falls. He is nice, and funny, and is very much the opposite of Lucas. While Lucas puts off the bad-boy vibe, Derek is good through and through. The role of my favorite character is a tie between Kylie's new friend at Shadow Falls Della and the head of the camp, Holiday. Della is a vampire and has spunk to spread around. She doesn't take anyone's attitude, but has plenty of her own, which will often get her in trouble with her and Kylie's roommate, Miranda. Miranda is a dyslexic witch. Her and Della are constantly arguing in the most hilarious ways. Miranda has multi-colored hair and plenty of ingenuity. For example, she has a toad following her around. It happens to be
her piano teacher who she cast a spell on that whenever her thinks, well interesting, thoughts about young girls, he is turned into a toad. Holiday is a fairy and is amazing. She is the voice of reason in the series, and helps all the characters tremendously. The head of security is Burnett. He's a vampire who won't admit it, but is in love with Holiday. He *might* get turned into a kangaroo at some point... Other characters include Perry, Steve, Fredrika (Kylie's arch-nemisis), Sara, and Kylie's mom (deemed the Ice Queen in book one), along with plenty of ghosts.

The series is well plotted and never has a dull moment. I'm able to read these books in a few hours flat, I love them so much. Each book, along with contributing to the overall story, has a story of its own. Kylie can see
ghosts,which makes for some interesting encounters. Readers can't help but love the characters and each of their stories. Everyone has a backstory, some crazier than others. There is a fairly obvious antagonist who has not-so-obvious evil schemes. Pacing is amazing and I can really feel the characters. Like I said earlier, strip the story of anything supernatural and you still have a story. These are some of the most phenomenal books I've read and I highly recommend them. Keep your eyes peeled, the author said that there will be a spin-off series about everyone's favorite vampire, Della. Excited doesn't even begin to cover the feelings I got when that was announced. These books are so good, I just can't let them go. I give them a full five stars.