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The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1)
The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1)
Julie Kagawa | 2012 | Young Adult (YA)
10
9.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
For those who haven't read the first few books of The Iron Fey Series, I recommend you do it before reading The Lost Prince. If you need the order of the series, here's a list, including the 3 e-books, which can also be found in paperback (maybe hardback?):
<ul>
  <li>The Iron King</li>
  <li>Winter's Passage*</li>
  <li>The Iron Daughter</li>
  <li>The Iron Queen</li>
  <li>Summer's Crossing*</li>
  <li>The Iron Prophecy*</li>
</ul>
*Also in The Iron Legends

For those who have followed Meghan's journey from the beginning, remember that cute little boy who was kidnapped and replaced by a changeling? He was later rescued by Meghan. That little boy was Ethan Chase, and 12 years later, after trying to avoid the fey at all costs, the fey comes for him again. All he wants is a normal life learning Kali and be an ordinary guy, even if he can see the Fey.
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I was doing this all day.

*Happy Dance*

Nope. The entrance to the amazing Faery World woven in the awesome works of Julie Kagawa was not randomly picked 2 years ago when I first spot the book at the library. I just made a beeline for it. Maybe not literally a beeline it was actually in Book Battle Club, which I couldn't join (aww)... but the cover and title caught my attention in a nanosecond. And thus, I enter the NeverNever in the likes of daydreaming. (I emphasize Imagination here) ^_^

So, reading the entire series from left to right and hopefully later it'll be right to left... when I saw The Lost Prince in stock at my local bookstore (make that e-book store), I went into immediate squeal-a-thon mode (silently so no one sees me as a crazy girl) and was doing a happy dance the entire time I was reading it. Especially when Puck came in. Puck just somehow always make everything absolutely hilarious with his pranks. The others do too... Puck just has that special Prankster badge hovering around him 24/7. :)

Then there's good old Grimalkin. "I am a cat." Yep, the "obnoxious furball" is back to guide Ethan Chase and Mackenzie (Kenzie) St. James through the NeverNever. I love Grimalkin because he reminds me of Alice in Wonderland's Cheshire Cat, the way he disappears and then appears from place to place. Good thing he doesn't speak in riddles... or does he?

All in all, the book was a page turner. The new cast of characters are just as interesting as the old ones, even if I dislike Ethan in a way. I did grew to like him later though. :) Although I wish the book didn't really end yet, but like all books, even the good ones, eventually come to a stopping point :'(. The good news is that the series isn't over (yay!) so I'm pretty sure I can come and visit my fellow fey friends whenever the next book comes out. But while I'm waiting, I'll go traveling around other worlds. Maybe I'll even re-read the series if I miss the NeverNever too much... or indulge myself in other works of magical realms.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-lost-prince-by-julie-kagawa/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
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Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Caraval in Books

Oct 1, 2017  
Caraval
Caraval
Stephanie Garber | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.1 (97 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great magical world with dark undertones
What I loved the most about the book was the setting of Caraval. It’s so beautifully descriptive it feels like a magical place. You’re taken back to the feeling when you were a wee little one and you’re in Disneyland for the first time in your life. It’s that magical feel good feeling that comes back to you when you’re reading the book. At the same time you know things aren’t what they seem and there’s some dark undertones to Caraval. It’s hard not to get swept away (as they have warned you) because everything seems so real and fun.

I loved the plot throughout the book. Like Scarlett, you had doubts as to whether things were real or not. By the time you finished the novel you were still doubting what was real and what wasn’t. Scarlett was at times frustrating and irritating. She hesitated at the wrong times and didn’t listen to anyone when she really needed to. Argh. You wanted to jump in and drag her to point her to the right direction. I didn’t really see her well with Julian because I really saw Julian as more of a means to an end because he guided her throughout the game. However I have to admit, I liked it when he called her ‘Crimson’ it suited his personality at the time (I hope he doesn’t stop calling her that, it adds more to their characters.)

The last few pages of the novel though. Wow. You’re blown away and you’ll have your heart wrenched and torn out of your chest and then it’s put back in. Yet it doesn’t feel the same anymore and you’re left with more questions and wanting more. OH MY GOD I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK! I NEED ANSWERS!

Greatly recommended. Immerse yourself into the world and enjoy. You’ll probably get carried away like I did. Get ready for some good twists that are gut wrenching. You’re not left the same after reading it.
  
The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1)
The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1)
R.F. Kuang | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
47 of 220
Book
The poppy War ( Book 1)
By R.F. Kuang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away

I was really nervous going into this book as I tried to read Babel and really hated it!
But this was another level I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed part 1 but the part 2 was even better and that ending was definitely worth it. This didn’t hold back on the details either really really good read. So much to take in and I love anything to do with the gods.
  
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum, Lorena Alvarez | 2014 | Children
9
7.8 (20 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Book was Published by George M. Hill Company with an advanced publication date of September 1900. The public heard of it at a book fair in Chicago around July 5th to 20th with its copyright registered by August 1st. The books sold out quickly and the second editions went just as quickly as the first. When Hills company became bankrupt in 1901, Bobbs-Merrill Company resumed publishing the book. By 1933 there were more than a million copies printed and by 1956 the sales had grown to three million printed. Because The Wizard of Oz was so popular it became the first in a thirteen book series.

I had known about the wizard of oz ever since I was a child but this was due to the 1939 Movie by MGM of the same name starring Judy Garland. As such I didn't read the book until I was nearly an adult. The book is highly different to the movie with Dorothy having to do more to get home and for both the Wizard and Oz as a whole. The major differences between book and movie is the fact that the Ruby slippers from the movie are silver in the book and the flying monkeys are controlled by a magical cap and Dorothy having protection from Glinda the good witch of the north. I have to admit I am a stickler for details and I prefer the book rather than the movie, despite the movie being good. I recommend this book to everyone and give the book a 9/10

Lyman Frank Baum was born May 15th 1856 in Chittenango, New York to a devout Methodist family the seventh of nine children of Cynthia and Benjamin Baum. Only Baum and five of his siblings survived to adulthood. Lyman hated his first name despite being named for an uncle and liked his middle name better, he was known as Frank for most of his life. Baum married his wife Maud Gage on November 9th 1882 and by 1888 had moved to Aberdeen, Dakota Territory where he operated his own store for a while before turning to writing full time which he loved to do since he was a child. By the time of his death on May 6th 1919 Baum had written the thirteen book Oz series, a plethora of other books and several musicals and radio plays. Baum had died of a stroke and passed away in his sleep, he's buried in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. L. Frank Baum certainly has my respect for both his writing of the Oz series and the craziness that his life had been.
  
HF
Hello From the Gillespies
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
McInerney's new novel, Hello from the Gillespies, takes place in Australia, and focuses on Angela Gillespie, a displaced Londoner, living with her husband on a station in the Australian outback. Every year, Angela sends out a sunny Christmas card (now email) with the title "Hello from the Gillespies" chronicling life with her husband Nick, their three daughters, and young son. This year, though, her life has gone a bit awry and the typical happy words don't flow. She ends up writing a bitter (but true) diatribe (think way personal journal entry) and not sending it. When she's called away to tend to her injured son, she doesn't close down the computer. Her husband finds it later that evening--and knowing how much the Christmas letter means to his wife--sends her innermost personal thoughts out to a 100 of their closest family and friends without even reading it.


From there, the story unfolds in somewhat predictable ways - I mean, you sort of know how the tale will end. There's a little bit of an outlandish twist, as well. However, having read previous McInerney books, I think that's a bit of what you come for. Some comforting, family tales that are believable despite their craziness. The novel is completely engrossing. Personally, I was fascinated by the relationship of her older twin daughters (having two year-old twin daughters myself and wondering what they'll be like as adults - hopefully not as confused and wayward as Angela's girls, although they had good hearts!). McInerney is wonderful at creating completely different and believable characters that you can completely picture - each of the daughters and the son, "Ig" were perfectly drawn. Overall, I think McInerney captures the ups and downs of marriage and family life quite accurately and poignantly and reminds us never to take things (or our loved ones) for granted -- even if our day-to-day lives aren't quite as fantastical as the Gillespies. I'd rate this 3.5 stars on 5 star scale.

(Note: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)