Book review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

5 stars for COHF

A Twitter friend and fellow book lover gifted me a copy of this book as I would have had to check it out from the library and she didn’t want me to have to wait (thanks @JennJustReading!)  For personal reasons I put off reading the book for a couple of months after its release.  After the collateral damage in book 3 I was terrified that Magnus was going to get offed.  And that I just couldn’t take, so I put off reading it.  And then one day it just seemed natural to open my Nook and start reading. 

          I’ve read several YA series and so far, this by far has the best overall series ending.  Cassandra Clare has the gift of story weaving and by using this gift she brought characters from the Shadowhunter world together in this book.  It was just beautiful.  Especially because in books 4 & 5 I got really sick of all the drama between Clary and Jace and really just wanted to know what was happening with Magnus, Alec, Izzy, & Simon.  COHF completely made up for all the irritation of books 4 & 5.  There was closure for some story arcs, as well as hope for new story arcs and new characters to love.  Can’t wait for The Dark Artifices to release next year!

Below this line lie SPOILERS.  You have been warned.

          Really have to hand it to Cassie Clare for tying up the Sebastian/Jonathan story arc in such a way that it brought emotional closure for Jocelyn, Luke, Clary, and Jonathan himself.  Did not expect that and it was really touching to see the Jonathan that he could have been if Valentine had not been a narcissistic monster.

          Collateral damage in this book was limited to Raphael, Jordan, and Simon’s memories (which will be discussed below.)  Jordan’s death was shocking to me because so much had gone into his plot, but it definitely fit and was believable.  There’s hope for Maia at the end of the book to find happiness of her own.  Raphael’s death didn’t move me much, I was just grateful it was him rather than Magnus.

          Then we move on to the OMG of Simon and the genius of Cassandra Clare.  As any reader of the series knows Simon had been utterly miserable since becoming a vampire.  The only good thing to come out of it in his mind was Isabelle seemed to take more interest in him.  I really have to wonder about that, because Izzy proved to still be interested in Simon after he was human, but Simon seemed to really think it was the vampiric change that interested her.  I cried when Simon lost his memories and Izzy and Clary lost their connection to him.  (Not as much as when I thought Jem died in CP2 because I SOBBED when I thought Jem died.  Ahem.)  But.  It was just so well done as he now gets to come back as a Shadowhunter and he can still age and be part of his family and do all those things he lamented not being able to do as a vampire.  Yay Simon!

          Jem!  Tessa!  Jessa!  I swear Jem, Tessa, and Magnus had the best freaking lines in the book.  Or perhaps it’s just because they’re my favorite characters in the series.  Also loved the explanation on how Zachariah became Jem again (or as Izzy referred to him – the hot Silent Brother.)  So very much hoping for more Jessa in The Dark Artifices.

          May I bow down to Cassie Clare for creating Magus Bane in the first place and then gifting her readers by having him in all the Shadowhunter books so far?  Thank CC for the growth of Alec or I may have punched through my Nook into his thick skull.  Absolutely loved the way Magnus handled the situations in the book (of course) as well as the benediction to his freaking Demon daddy who ruled Edom.  More Magnus!

          Good things to come in the later Shadowhunter novels.  Emma Carstairs & Julian Blackthorn are going to be great main characters.  Crossing my fingers for more Magnus, Jem, & Tessa, but we shall have to see what the great Cassie Clare gives us.

Book review: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

3.5 stars for The Hobbit. I was a bit conflicted on how to rate this because so many people rave about it, but I didn't think it was a great as, say The Hero and the Crown. But I did like it overall, so I went with 3.5.

Things I didn't like so much: the lack of detail in the book. I've been thoroughly spoiled by Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies and I really loved all the extra stuff in the films. Also really hate that the dwarf lads died. (Despised is a better description. It bothered me so much that I'm writing a fanfiction where they don't.)

Things that were pretty awesome: the elves; Beorn; Gandalf; and the multitude of songs that J. R. R. Tolkien took the time to write.

It's definitely worth the time to read, but it left me wanting more.

Book review: Holidays are Hell (novella anthology)

3.5 star overall.  Did not read the Lynsay Sands novella, but the other three were well done. 

First off, The Kim Harrison short. I'd heard of this short from others who'd read the Rachel Morgan series, but this was my first chance to read it. It was really, really well done and made me want to go back and read the whole series again (starting from book 6, because NOBODY in their right mind wants to have to read through what happened to Kisten again.) When Pierce came into the series I had a gut reaction that he needed to be punched. Repeatedly. I'm interested to see if that's going to change since I read this version of Pierce from a younger Rachel point of view. We shall see.

Next was the Marjorie M. Liu short. I've read one of her books before and like her writing style well enough. This short was fun to read and it'd be great to read more about Six and Joseph in the series Liu writes. Really enjoyed the non-traditional vampires that Liu works with here and it would be very interesting to see the entire world again.

Lastly was the prequel for Vicki Pettersson's Zodiac series. This was....a bit difficult because I have read ANY of the authors' books, so it was kind of like getting thrown into the Hobbit halfway through and just figuring the rest out. But. It was still a good read and I'm going to be getting more of the Zodiac books when the budget permits.

My very favorite part of this was the collection name: because holidays ARE hell.

Book review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

3.5 stars for Unearthly. 

What I liked: Clara, her family, her interactions with her peers, and the Angel mythology which permeates the book. 

Issues that made me not rate the book higher: Angel bloods are supposed to be extremely rare and yet there just HAPPEN to be two of them (besides Clara's family) in the town they move to for Clara's purpose? Yeah that didn't really work for me. Also, Angela makes me suspicious.

Would love to get more back story on Clara's mom & <3 the romance between Clara & Tucker.  Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Book review: Ten Days by Olivia Mayfield

3.5 stars for Ten Days. This is a retelling of a short story by E. M. Forster according to the author's note. I've never read the original story so no idea how close to the original idea this one is, but props to Ms. Mayfield for the retelling.

This was also my first foray into the "new adult" category that has recently come out. I wasn't sure what to expect in regards to how different it would be from "young adult" literature, so this could be regarded as a learning experience for me. The sexuality was more than with YA, but less than that found in most adult romances. Basically, I think any 17 year old would be fine reading it, but that may not be the case in other new adult books. (And really it just depends on the maturity of the person reading the book.)

The premise of the story is that humanity has moved underground and is entirely dependent on a machine, which has taken on deity aspects throughout the book. It's kind of a standard story from what I remember of high school literature, but the heroine is likable and the reader can tell she is really trying to find her place in the world. I was a bit appalled by the sheer rampant death and destruction at the end, but I believe that was again an homage to the original story.  Overall the story was a pleasant experience and I'll be looking for more from the author.
            

Angel & Faith: Season 9 Book Review

This series comes after Buffy the Vampire Slayer:  Season 8 graphic novels.  I've been really looking forward to it and so far it has not disappointed.  Here are the reviews:



4.5 stars for Live through This. Breezed through it in one night & definitely did not regret the purchase. Angel is his usual mopey, humdrum self (I'm a Spuffy gal), but Faith really managed to bring it. I loved her evolution in Buffy Series 8 & she's making me root for her even more in this establishment. I don't think it's too spoilery to mention Giles very much has a place in this collection (since he's on the cover and all.)  For anyone who's a Giles fan, this series gives a ton of background info on our favorite Watcher.  Can't wait for the next compilation to come out ;-)



4 stars for Daddy Issues.  Didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first volume, but there was some GREAT back story on Giles. Plus, Drusilla (you have to read it to get the awesome factor of this.) Faith is and has been the major pull of this series for me...Angel is just too damn broody. I'm intrigued to see how this Giles resurrection may play out and don't for a minute believe something naughty didn't transpire between Faith & Giles during their time together. Plus....Willow!   Impatiently awaiting the next Nook edition ;-)



Family Reunion gets 4.5 stars And gets favorite status because it has all 3 of my favorite characters from the Buffyverse: Giles, Willow, & Faith. Now to be fair there is only a mention of Giles, but we've gotten so much background info on Giles from this series that I'm counting it anyway.

Connor's back in this installation and he isn't the least bit annoying (perhaps it was the lack of Cordelia.) The gang + Willow travels to Quor'toth to bring magic back to the world because it is slowly imploding without it. Willow agrees to give Angel the scythe of Slayerness to help in his quest to resurrect Giles because Giles died while holding it. Faith is wonderful and has really kept this series going for me as the Broodiness of Angel is not something I enjoy. (He's actually much easier for me to take as Angelus b/c he has a sense of humor along with the evil.)

Quor'toth manages to bring out the BAD in the gang, and it's interesting to see how they all handle it. I'm literally waiting on the edge of my seat for the next issue which is SUPPOSED to bring back the King of all Watchers...I'm really hoping they manage to somehow take 20 years off him when they bring him back. Cuz I'm totally shipping Giles and Faith since season 8 of the Buffy graphic novels ;-)

Book review: October Daye series 1-6

So I read through the first 6 books in this series not once, but twice.  And in the interest of not having to do 6 different blog posts, I'm combining all six books into 1 blog post ( because it makes my life easier.)  I <3 the world Seanan McGuire has created here, although I wasn't hooked until the third book.  Without further ado, here are the reviews:



 3.5 stars. First outing with October "Toby" Daye series. Love the world building, fae intricacies, and Shakespearean references. Love Toby who kicks ass and takes names, but wish that she was better at taking care of herself (its the counselor in me.)

Other characters I <3 - Tybalt (hello yummy king of Cats), Sylvester & Luna, Dare, & the Luidaeg (she's the perfect blend of old power & nursery rhymes. I adore her.) Figured out the major plot about 3/4 through, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. And people will die in this series. People you will grow to love will suffer. It's not as dark as Game of Thrones, but it's just dark enough for me. Can't wait to read more ;-)

        

The second in the October Daye series gets 3.5 stars. In this book readers got to meet a Cyber Dryad, learn how a Bannick cleans, and see Toby's car blow up. We also get to learn more about Toby's maybe relationship with Connor (which I'm on the meh side of.) More fun awaits with Tybalt, the Luidaeg, and Quentin (of which all three characters I'm a huge fan of.) While I didn't guess all of the plot line, I guessed enough not to be totally surprised by the identity of the murderer. This was another fun romp into the realm of McGuire's Fae.



5 stars - Wow. I liked the first two October Daye books, but this one just blew them out of the water. Everything came together and meshed seamlessly in this book. And adding a Firstborn as a childhood bogey that Toby has to bring down? That was pure genius. I had chills by the third chapter in and had to take breaks for silly things like eating & taking care of the house/kiddos. You will not be able to put this one down.

I'm firmly on Team Tybalt for the series for many reasons, but the simplest is Connor simply couldn't keep Toby alive & Tybalt can. Until our girl can learn to take care of herself (which is looking impossible at this point) she needs someone who will keep her alive. Connor isn't that someone. Plus...King of Cats.

May! May is filled with the stuff of awesome and I'm hoping we get to keep her for some time. Also, Spike! Who doesn't love a little rosebush shaped cat?

There will be rescues, revelations, and many, many tears along the path to Babylon. This one hooked me for the long run with Toby & Seanan McGuire.

          

4 stars - It seems like loads more stuff happens in each book since book three...and I'm loving it. We've got a ton of characters by the end of this book that weren't there in the beginning & I do love my character driven plot lines ;-) So you'll get to meet Walther (very cool professor/alchemist), Raj comes back (he's just as fun as Quentin), we get MUCH more of May in this one (& she's a hoot!), and so many other interactions I can't remember just now. 

Toby does her very best to get herself killed (as usual, unfortunately. Her allies are getting ever more determined to keep her alive, so hopefully we'll continue getting books about her.) There is running (always the running with Toby. Maybe Seanan could write a Doctor Who reference in one of these for all us Whovians.), racing against time and poison, and endings you may not have anticipated.

Connor is well, he's meh to me because I think he's dwelling more in the past than in the present where Toby's concerned, but he doesn't totally suck here. Tybalt (who is my latest book crush and I swear Seanan based him on Mr. Darcy *sigh*) is clever, alluring, honest, and saving Toby's life...really too many times to count at this point. Here's hoping she wakes up and smells the pennyroyal soon.           

 

5 stars - Read through this twice before I could write the review. This thing will grab you, pull you into the Faerie world, bring to you tears and terror, and make you want to do it all over again. What a freaking ride!

So very much happens in this book it's hard to narrow it down enough to put into review format. You're going to get back story on the selkies, the Roane (sp?), and the Luidaeg. You're going to learn what madness can drive a person (or a pureblood Fae) to do. You're going to see the lengths Toby Daye is willing to go to for the protection and safety of those she loves. And if you have any emotions whatsoever you're going to cry. A lot. There's a ton of info. on the Undersea Fae in Toby's world here (that was pretty awesome) as well as a run in with a former member of Devin's family. You just need to read it.

Okay, spoilers below.....you've been warned.

I'm not a fan of Connor. He reminds me too much of people I know in my real life and I wouldn't choose to put anyone with him who had an ounce of independence. But...Connor does good in this book. And I was actually sad for and because of him (for once.)

Tybalt! If I wasn't already team Tybalt I would be after this book. <3 the chemistry between Tybalt and Toby that every other character in these books is aware of except for Ms. Daye herself. (To be fair I think most of that is because Toby knows as a changeling she doesn't have any real chance with him...or does she?)

I can't wait to find out more about the mysterious Arden the Luidaeg mentioned as well as what happens in a year when the Luidaeg calls the selkies' time due. This series just gets better and better!

5 stars - Again, read through this twice before writing the review as I just wasn't ready to leave Faery quite yet. Toby is acting with absolutely no regard for her own life in the beginning of this book and her friends fear for her. I believe it was stated that they believed she was trying to join Connor and they were opposed to this idea as they really wanted to keep her around. ITA with that and just lapped up all the Tybalt goodness in this book. One of the things I love so much about Tybalt is he calls Toby on her shit. He doesn't put up with it and doesn't bow to her. They fuss and squabble, but always have each others' backs. If you're a Tybalt fan you need to read this book. Yesterday.

Other things that happened: holy crap Etienne (Sylvester's stick in the mud knight) becomes a real person! That was pretty awesome to see. Quentin and Raj get to hang out (they're always fun.) Someone in Tybalt's court is trying to overthrow him, and Duchess Riordan raises her snotty ambitious head into the game. It's non-stop pretty much from the time Toby runs into some kids in an alley until the end.

The Luidaeg makes a few appearances, but not as much as in One Salt Sea. There are areas of Faery coming to light which haven't for centuries and we get to see just how much damage Toby can take in her new and improved Fae body. Can't believe the next book doesn't come out until September, 2013!

          

Book review: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong 3.5 stars

This was not my favorite book of the series mainly because I had so many unanswered questions at the end of the book. Pleased with the relationship settlement among the characters overall...the young adults showed some pretty great levels of maturity. I would love to see a continuation of this series with the Project Phoenix kids and the Project Genesis kids as the main characters. That would be the perfect opportunity for Kelley Armstrong to answer any questions her readers had about Cabals and the purposes the kids choose to pursue.        

Book review: Insurgent 4.5 stars

 The world as Tris knows it has changed and now those who are left are scrambling to survive. Tris/Beatrice and Four/Tobias are traveling together with some other survivors to try and stop Erudite from taking over the world as they know it. What they can't know is that there is a far bigger issue on the horizon.

I have to give Veronica Roth props for showing the effects significant trauma can have on a character. Tris struggles throughout the entire book to come to terms with events that happened at the end of Divergent. And she is expected to help lead a rebellion against those trying to take power while dealing with her own version of PTSD. It can be likened to those who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan who are facing horror everyday, but still expected to fulfill their duties and operate as normally as possible. The feelings and emotions Tris felt in this book are not that far off from actual trauma reactions and if for no other reason I think people need to read this book.

Going to avoid getting spoilery because I don't want to give anything away, but I did want to mention what I found the funniest part of the entire book. During their visit to Amity, Tris gets into an altercation with Peter (no one should be surprised by this) and is given a drug the Amity use to keep their people "happy." Tobias was rightly pissed off when Tris got high as a kite and when the drug finally wore of he had the best line in the entire book. Can't wait for the conclusion later this year!

Book review: Divergent 5 stars

Review of the second book (Insurgent) coming soon ;-)



5 stars for Divergent, the first Veronica Roth book I've read. I'd heard good stuff about this book from my fellow Twitter book worms and I LOVED the cover art so when I was flying out this weekend I grabbed it for the plane.

Inevitably it seems all other YA Dystopian books are compared to The Hunger Games. I've read both and the only comparison I will make is the ending of The Hunger Games made me almost physically ill and I generally do not enjoy the feeling of bile rumbling in my stomach at the end of a book. While Divergent is Dystopian it never made me feel physically ill and I just bought the second book whereas I won't touch the rest of The Hunger Games trilogy. Take that as you will ;-)

I don't want to get too spoilery so I'll try not to really get into detail on the characters. I will say that Beatrice/Tris really seems the exemplify the inner struggles most 16 year old girls go through in trying to decide what they really want out of life. Granted, most 16 year olds these days aren't going to have to make the same decisions Tris did, but she shows many characteristics of teens in today's world.

Other characters that made good impacts on me: Four (really loved him), Tori, Tris' mom (whose name I don't think was ever mentioned), & Will. I never really connected with Christina or Caleb for some reason. They were just kind of...THERE in the story for me. There are some characters who are very easy to dislike and others who are more complex. The characters were quite diverse and overall I enjoyed reading them.

One last thing...you may never feel comfortable looking at a butter knife again.

Can't wait to read the next book ;-)


(This section comes from my recent second reading of Divergent.)  When I first read this book I was in quite a bit of physical pain from a nerve injury and interestingly enough it influenced the first reading. Everything I put into my first review still holds true, but I would like to add that both Tris and Four seemed older than their ages of 16 and 18 (respectively) in the book. In fact I would go so far as to say both displayed a level of maturity that would put them in their early 20's. Tris did strike me as a 16 year old when it came to interpreting relationships and I loved the slow and tentative way Tris and Four became more than just student and instructor.

Also, there have been criticisms that because of events that happened at the end of the book Tris didn't have appropriate emotional reactions. In light of those events I would posit to say that Tris acted just as any person would with the same type of training in a combat situation. You act first and react later. And that usually leads to PTSD symptoms and guilt (it's a natural progression into the 2nd book.) Getting reading to dive back into Insurgent after I go back over some of my fave Tris/Four moments.          

Book Review: Splintered by A. G. Howard 5 stars

I'm posting a pic of the cover, but the computer image doesn't do it justice.  



Goodreads: Splintered

Two things drew me to this book: Melissa Marr liked it enough to write a review about it and the cover is AMAZING. I probably would have bought it for the cover alone because it just captivated me. The colors are magnified beyond what you usually find in a YA novel cover and provided a playground for my eyes the first time I saw Splintered in a bookstore. Way to go, cover artist whoever you may be!

Upon opening the book I discovered another thing that made me appreciate it....purple ink! The hardcover is printed in dark purple ink throughout the book. LOVE IT! How many authors/publishing companies will thing to change the ink color in a printing?

Now to get into the meat of this thing...it's obvious the author has a love for the works of Lewis Carroll and she displays that marvelously throughout the book. I suspect the author also has at least a working knowledge of the mental health world in the United States....she may even have studied Psychology or Human Services at one point. There are several Jungian vibes to this book that with the combination of the previously mentioned criteria has made this a personal favorite. (I don't know if the author intended this or if I'm just reading Jung into it, but the result was fabulously provoking either way.) I don't want to give too much away with Splintered (which is rare because most of my reviews have a spoiler section) but you really do need to just read the book to appreciate the art of it. All of the main characters were well fleshed out and the world making was brilliant. Will definitely be keeping on eye on the works of A. G. Howard in the future.        

Book review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone 5 stars

So far this has been my favorite book I've read this year.  Laini Taylor reminds quite of bit of Neil Gaiman in her writing style (or at least in this book she did) and I fell in love with the overall product.

Goodreads: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

The only thing I knew when I bought this book and read it was that I'd heard tons of good stuff about it. There really were no preconceptions going in other than I hoped it would be worth the purchase. This book was so much more than I was hoping for. It's a fairy tale. It weaves a tale of cultural difference explosive enough to lead to war and interlaces it with a droll sense of humor. This book covers the cost of war on people and their families in a much more palatable sense than The Hunger Games without the added horror script that I couldn't stand.

I really can't say enough how impressed I was by the cultural aspect of this book.  There was a part where two characters were talking about creation myths from their two different cultures.  That was simply GORGEOUS and such a huge part of the world making IMHO.  How many authors will go so far as to create creation myths for their worlds?  (Note to self:  do that for fantasy story you're working on if it ever gets going.)

My absolute favorite part of this book, however, is Zuzana. Because every young or old person deserves to have a best friend as fervent as Zuzana. I have so much love for the sheer normalcy and happiness that Zuzana gave to Karou's life. Karou's family was also a favorite.

Can't wait to get Days of Blood and Starlight to see what happens in the aftermath ;-)          

Book review: Ever After 4.5 stars

Here's my review of Kim Harrison's just released Ever After (The Hollows #)

Good Reads - Ever After

Fans of The Hollows will love this installation in the series, but as always with Ms. Harrison at the helm there are no safety nets. Ever After is a more than worthy follow up to one of my faves in the series, Pale Demon and gives tons of growth in the Rachel/Trent will they/won't they saga. I read this thing in one day and now have to wait for next year for the next one to come out :-/ That's the only truly suckworthy part of the series IMHO, but it's worth the wait. <3 all the details Kim Harrison puts into this world. It's amazing the work she puts into that....it's like the woman can actually SEE the world as she's writing it. And who knows, maybe she can ;-)

Other thoughts on the general storyline:  it does seem as if there will be a pretty significant plot line with the vampires coming up in the last two books.  It will be very interesting to see how that goes given that Kisten told Rachel that vampires don't really lose their souls.  It seems Rachel is in fair weather again with her demon brethren and may have dubbed herself protector of a new generation of daywalkers.  


Okay, SPOILERville coming up, so don't read past this if you've not read the book yet!

Highlight to see the SPOILERS ;-)



That douchebag Nick is back and I swear he better meet an untimely end by the end of the series or I will be royally pissed! (I'm sure I wasn't the only fan to smile an evil grin when he was given to Newt, but still...the prick needs to die.)

That safety net I mentioned earlier? Yeah, what happens is almost, but not quite, as bad as what happened to Kisten. The only reason it's not as bad IMO is that you don't have to read the death scenes. But it was awful. Kick in the gut want to puke awful.

It seems that Jenks is becoming more of a shoulder to lean on for Rachel as Ivy is slowly becoming less of an influence in Rachel's life. This seems to be good for both of them as they're both growing and becoming less dependent on each other, but it's also slightly painful as the ending of a close relationship can be. <3 how Jenks is keeping it together both with Rachel & his kiddos. These two I think will be close throughout the end of the series.

Okay, I never really or truly thought Al could be a romantic possibility for Rachel until I read this book. And I still think if that were to happen it would have to be tempered with another influence.....Trent. There's this whole bruhaha about Trent getting back with Ellasbeth (aka Miss Drama Queen) but I don't buy it. Unless Trent gets what he wants because the man is FINALLY beginning to realize he has the right to be happy. And I'm starting to lean toward a poly relationship between Rachel, Al, & Trent. But....we will see what the next two books bring. I'm really, REALLY hoping to avoid anymore heart break in the last two books, but with The Hollows there is never any guarantee of that.          

Book review: The Taker 4.5 stars

Since the last book review I posted went over so well, I'm posting another one.  This is a fairly short book review because the book was very complex and writing about it was....complicated.  Here's a link to the book, and the review ;-)

Goodreads: The Taker

The Taker gets 4.5 stars and I don't know what you've heard about it, but it isn't anything you're going to expect. I spent 3/4 of the book trying to figure out what it was actually about...because this thing really makes you think while you're reading it. I finally decided the best description I can give without totally giving the complex story away (if that's even possible) is: this is a tale about yearning to be accepted. It will take you places you never expected to go and is not a book to take up lightly. It may even make you re-evaluate decisions you've made in your own life. Nicely done, Alma Katsu.          

Book review: The Hero & The Crown

I've debated for awhile on adding book reviews to my blog and figured...well why not?  Books have been my means for sanity at many points in my life, and they are old friends to be cherished.  Going to start my very first book review with a favorite from childhood ;-)


The Hero & The Crown from Goodreads

I was in sixth grade the first time I read this book. My English teacher had a copy of it on her bookshelf of lending...I must have read it at least four times that year. I read it again when I was working on my undergraduate degree, and now ten years or so later am writing my first review on it. Did I mention I named my daughter after the main character? Yes, it really is that good.

Some of the following may be considered spoilery, so proceed with warning...

I love the worlds Robin McKinley creates. This time around I read The Blue Sword first The Blue Sword and got that taste of Damar. That book was also rated 4 stars, but while I liked Harry, I genuinely love Aerin. Aerin is that girl that you always know who was teased because she was awkward, different, and unrepentant for being so. I see so much of myself in her from my youth, and now that I've read the book again I was able to see her from a completely different perspective. As a youth I could never understand how she was able to leave Luthe and go back to Damar. As an adult, I cherish the way she and Luthe handled their relationship....because it never really ended. And I see so many parallels between this book and The Last Unicorn that I never would have seen as a youth. There is love, loss, heroism, and true greatness in the characters of both The Last Unicorn and The Hero and the Crown. I really can't describe how glad I am to have found a copy of this book in the sixth grade as it truly made an impact on my life.