Poison Study Review

361 pages

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear....

Review:
I thoroughly loved and enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down. The story was fascinating and drew me in almost immediately.  There was never a dull moment in this novel. There are a lot of unexpected twists and  an unexpected romance too. Yelena is an amazing character who shows strength and defies the odds. Yelena is always looking for a solution to her problems instead of just sitting back and letting things happen. It is especially interesting when she develops magic because that brings even more danger into her already danger-filled life. I liked this book because the plot is completely original and it contains magic, adventure, torture, and all kinds of action within the pages. This book does not disappoint as a fantasy novel. I definitely recommend this as a must read book.

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Witch Review

464 pages

Mirei's extraordinary magic makes her the most powerful witch alive. By some she is hailed as a miracle, while others proclaim her to be an evil abomination...and vow to destroy those who champion her.
Now the different factions of witches engage in a bloody war, with magic, treachery, and murder. But both sides may be fighting for nothing. For the power that the rebel witches fear, the magic that Mirei alone possesses, is killing her.

Review:
As the second book in the series this one did not disappoint.  Merei is more of a complete character which I enjoy in this book. There is action and adventure throughout this whole novel. It is definitely easier and more fun to read than the first one. I enjoyed the fact that you can clearly see female dominance as characters in the book. The difference in views amongst the witch characters is exciting. The fact that not everyone is comfortable with Merei's discovery creates a lot of conflict and interest. I feel like I was able to connect with Merei as a character easily. I do feel like the ending should have been better and more adventurous but it was still good to read. If you've read the first book Warrior, then you definitely need to read this!

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The Forest of Hands and Teeth Review

310 pages

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review:
I loved this book! It is soooo creepy and adventurous that I couldn't put it down. Mary is a strong female heroine who questions things about the way she lives in the village and is ready to explore and break boundaries. The love between Mary and Travis in this book is deep even though Mary at the same time is a character who doesn't let love stop her from experiencing life. The Sisterhood control the village with an iron fist but Mary always believed that there is a world outside the village and that they aren't the last existing people like the Sisterhood has told them. Mary dreams of seeing the ocean even though most people in the village don't believe it exists. The Unconsecrated are the creepiest part of this book. Fences have been built to keep them out but they will never stop trying to get in. They definitely add to the adventure part of this novel. This book is an exciting read and I recommend it to anyone fond of dystopian novels.

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Witches of the East End Review

272 pages

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache. For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them. With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Review:
Well this wasn't the best book I've ever read but it definitely wasn't the worst (ie. pretty little liars series). It seemed like this book took a long time to pick up and when it finally did the action was over in a matter of minutes. I felt like Melissa de la Cruz was trying too hard to direct this book towards adults and ended up with a writing style that just didn't seem to fit and wasn't as enjoyable as she usually is. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters especially because she kept switching it around. I was also a bit confused with who or what the characters were because they were called witches yet they were tied into something completely different by the end of the book. Hopefully the next book in the series moves at a better pace and is more interesting.

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Warrior Review

405 pages

When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. But what happens when the doppelganger survives? Mirage, a bounty hunter, lives by her wits and lethal fighting skills. She always gets her mark. But her new mission will take her into the shadowy world of witches, where her strength may not be a match against powerful magic. Miryo is a witch who has just failed her initiation test. She now knows that there is someone in the world who looks like her, who is her: Mirage. To control her powers and become a full witch, Miryo has only one choice: to hunt the hunter and destroy her.

Review:
This book was definitely a good one. Full of magic and adventure, I think that Marie Brennan did a good job telling a story from two different points of view. You can definitely see Mirage and Miryo as two different sides of the same coin.  I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story which I actually couldn't figure out until clit was revealed. There were times in the book where I felt they gave too much information and detail that didn't really add to the story but I ignored that and kept reading. Mirage was also a much more interesting character than Miryo as she was more the ideal of a typical book heroine. It could also be because Mirage had most of the focus in the book. However, I was able to connect with Mirage as a character more. This book definitely had an ending I didn't expect which created a great end to a great book. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel.

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