My Non-Review of the Twilight Saga

Since the Twilight Saga was a big inspiration behind the name of my blog, it feels weird sometimes not having reviews of the books somewhere on my blog. 

I started this blog a few years after reading Breaking Dawn, and while I've read all of the books several times since then, I've never felt like I could properly review them. Why? Well, I could probably review New Moon, Eclipse, & Breaking Dawn just fine. When it comes to Twilight, it gets a little tricky, because the way I felt after I finished that first book was like nothing I've ever felt after reading any other book up to that point. I don't know what made it different or special. I'd read some pretty amazing books before, but I guess for that time in my life, for whatever reason... it was what I needed. I felt completely immersed into the world of sparkly vampires, and if I'm quite honest, it never really let go. 

While I obviously loved the whole series, the first book will always be what amped up my reading addiction to overdrive. I've always enjoyed reading, but I felt the love reignite all over again after reading Twilight, and that fire hasn't dimmed. Hence, why I started blogging and am still blogging. *wink* 

I've long since come to terms with my crazy Twi-ways, and I'm good with it. :-P

I may change my mind one day, re-read the saga... again, and write the reviews for each book. Maybe. Not yet though.  

I have reviewed a couple of Stephenie Meyers other books though...

Book Review of Ready to Run by Lauren Layne

Ready to Run (I Do, I Don't #1) by Lauren Layne
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: August 22, 2017
Publisher: Self

The Bachelor meets The Runaway Bride in this addictive romance novel about a reality TV producer falling for her would-be star: a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.

Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the perfect candidate for Jilted, a new dating show about runaway grooms: Luke Elliott, a playboy firefighter who’s left not one but three brides at the altar. The only problem? Luke refuses to answer Jordan’s emails or return her calls. Which is how she ends up on a flight to Montana to recruit him in person. It’s not Manhattan but at least the locals in Lucky Hollow seem friendly . . . except for Luke, who’s more intense—and way hotter—than the slick womanizer Jordan expected.

Eager to put the past behind him, Luke has zero intention of following this gorgeous, fast-talking city girl back to New York. But before he can send her packing, Jordan’s everywhere: at his favorite bar, the county fair, even his exes’ book club. Annoyingly, everyone in Lucky Hollow seems to like her—and deep down, she’s starting to grow on him too. But the more he fights her constant pestering, the more Luke finds himself wishing that Jordan would kick off her high heels and make herself comfortable in his arms. 

Ready to Run is the first book in the I Do, I Don't series by Lauren Layne. While I would never have the nerve to keep badgering someone like Jordan does to Luke, it was pretty fun to watch their interactions. I loved the bantering. Jordan's best friend, Simon, was a hoot too. I thought this story would take place during the reality show somewhat, but it didn't, and I didn't mind. Getting to know these characters in a small town setting was nice. It was more fitting. I always enjoy Lauren Layne's books. They allow me some much needed escape time where I can just shut my brain off and jump into her stories.

The ARC of Ready to Run by Lauren Layne was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Luke started to load up the gear and, realizing he was doing it alone, glanced over his shoulder to see where the hell his partner was.
Unsurprisingly, his friend was chatting up City Girl. Neither Charlie nor Ryan seemed to mind in the least that these two fancy pants had swooped into their town to capitalize on Luke’s past.
What was more surprising was that Jordan Carpenter was chatting right back, her smile seemingly genuine, her laugh real.
Luke ground his teeth.
He couldn’t say he’d put much thought into the woman behind the name as he’d been unceremoniously deleting her emails and voice messages, but if forced to assume, he’d have guessed aggressive shrew.
He suspected he was wrong there. Because while there was no mistaking the ambition in the woman, it wasn’t the cutthroat, ball-busting kind.
Her lean body might be all angles and long lines, but there was a softness to her as well. The way her hair did its own thing. The easiness of her smile, the quick laugh. The small but pert breasts.
Damn. He was staring.
He slammed the door shut. “Bander,” he shouted at Charlie across the lawn. “Let’s clear out.”
Charlie leaned into Jordan, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh, before walking away with a last wink.
Luke rolled his eyes. Really? This was happening?
“Hey, Elliott,” Ryan called. “You want to come over for a barbecue tonight?”
Luke crossed his arms and studied his friend suspiciously, waiting for the catch. “Who’s on the guest list?”
He saw Jordan and her purple-shirt friend exchange a look. Well, that answered that question.
Damn. Ryan never had been able to resist the urge to stir up trouble.
“It’s no problem if you don’t want to join us,” Jordan called out, lifting her hand to shield the afternoon sun from her eyes. “I’m sure your friends here can fill me in on everything there is to know about Luke Elliott.”
All about Luke Elliott’s romantic history was more like it. City Girl wasn’t even pretending to be coy about the reason she was here.
All former positive thoughts about her evaporated. Only the worst sort of human would use another’s failed relationships to advance her own career—for entertainment.
Luke turned away without another word, hauling himself into the driver’s seat of the truck as he waited impatiently for Charlie to get done shouting goodbye to every single person within earshot.
He drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel, refusing to even think about going to the BBQ tonight. If his friends wanted to stir up trouble, they could do so without his cooperation.
As for the two New Yorkers, they’d flame out all on their own. Weren’t East Coasters known for being impatient and fast moving?
Surely they’d be off to find some other glory-seeking asshole if he ignored them. One of the other guys could play the role for all he cared.
As Charlie hauled his ass up, Luke started the truck, his eye catching on Jordan Carpenter, who was watching him with a stubborn, determined look on her pretty face.
Damn it. She’d stir up all sorts of trouble unless he ran interference.
Luke pulled out his phone to text Ryan.
I’ll be there. Have beer.
Charlie leaned over, unabashedly reading Luke’s iPhone screen. “Ha. Knew it.”
“What?” Luke glared at his friend.
Charlie grinned wider, gesturing over his shoulder. “You’ve got a boner for the hot blonde.”
“Are you kidding me with this? She wants me to be the next bachelor.”
How were Ryan and Charlie not getting the absurdity of this?
Charlie shrugged. “So? Maybe it’d be good for you.”
Luke stared at his friend for a moment longer before putting the truck in drive. “The only thing that would be good for me is to push you out of this truck.”
Charlie was waving goodbye to Jordan and Simon. “See you tonight!”
Luke ground his teeth harder. He was already dreading the BBQ, but not going would only make matters worse. Clearly he needed to have a very blunt conversation with Jordan Carpenter.

Check out my reviews of some of this author's other books!

Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband (who was her high school sweetheart--cute, right?!) and plus-sized Pomeranian.

In 2011, she ditched her corporate career in Seattle to pursue a full-time writing career in Manhattan, and never looked back.

In her ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books. Check out my interview with Lauren Layne.

To learn more about Lauren Layne and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Release Day Review! Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury

Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury
Genre: New Adult (Fractured Fairy Tale/ Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: August 22, 2017
Publisher: The Parliament House

Once Upon a Time…

In the kingdom of Tranen, a king makes a promise to his dying wife that he'll only remarry a woman who possesses her golden hair. In time, the king's eyes are turned by his daughter. Realizing her father’s intentions, Princess Aurelia tries to trick him by requesting impossible gifts: dresses created by the sun, moon and stars, and a coat made of a thousand furs. But when he is successful, Aurelia sacrifices her privileged life and flees her kingdom, disguised by the cloak and a new name, Allerleirauh.

She enters the safe haven of Saarland der Licht, where the handsome and gentle Prince Klaus takes her under his care. Hoping not to be discovered by her father’s courtiers, Allerleirauh tries to remain hidden under her new identity when she finds unexpected love with Prince Klaus, even though his arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom approaches. Risking everything, Allerleirauh must face her troubled past and her fears of the future along her journey to self-acceptance in this triumphant retelling of the classic Grimm Fairy Tale.

Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury is a fairy tale retelling of a story I'd never heard of before. So, I quickly googled to get the gist, and there are several variations, but the main theme remains pretty much the same: The King wants to marry his daughter because of a spell or promise he made to his dying wife. In this case, he wasn't allowed to re-marry unless he found someone who had the same hair she did. Guess who the only person is that has that same hair? The King's daughter. Not cool dying wife. Not cool. 

The story is told entirely from Aurelia's point of view. My biggest issue was the rape scene. From reading the blurb, I was hoping she'd make her escape before her father had a chance to rape her. No such luck. It was one of the most painful things to read. I really wish we didn't get all the slimy details. And since, it's in Aurelia's point of view, I relived it with her through memories/flashbacks throughout the book. I can handle most things. Rape scenes, especially in a situation like this, aren't one of them. I know it happens, and that makes it so much worse to read about it in my fictional worlds. 

Otherwise, the story was pretty great. Aurelia was a wonderful character. I loved getting to see her progression from victim to coping and taking control.  Actually, all the characters were well built. Their world was thought out and convincing. The story was well written and easy to visualize. I'd like to read more by this author in the future!

The ARC of Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

“I won’t ever let them near you again, Aurelia. I swear it,” he promised as his grief-filled eyes met mine. “You must know I love you. It never mattered to me whether you were a princess or not. It matters not to me if you think you are soiled, because to me . . . you are more . . . You are more than what has happened to you, and you always shall be,” he said softly as his hand slid to my cheek. Carefully, his thumb wiped a tear away. “You are this wonderful, head-strong, and brave woman,” Klaus continued. “No one has any right to ever try to take such a thing away from you. It should only ever be admired and cherished.”
More tears began to spill over my cheeks as relief flooded me. Klaus would not turn me away; instead, he accepted me. I rested my forehead against his shoulder, as I felt his arms slowly wrap around me.
“Tell me what you wish for me to do, my sweet Aurelia, and I will do it.”         

Check out my review of another book by this author!

Chantal Gadoury is a young author who is originally from the countryside of Muncy, PA. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney trivia, enjoys painting and has a interest in British History. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, writing novels is a dream come true.

To learn more about Chantal Gadoury and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Teaser Tuesday! These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. 

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share  doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

“Whatever they've done to me, Tarver, whatever I am--I love you. Don't forget that.” 

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy. .

Do you have a blog? Post a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in the comments.

No blog? Post a Teaser in the comments anyway!

Playing Catch Up! How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Playing Catch Up has really been helping me through my ever growing TBR list. I'd like to welcome all other blogs to participate too! If you do, be sure to post your links in the comments section. I'd love to see your Playing Catch Up Reviews, and I'm sure others would too!! *wink*

Want to know more about Playing Catch Up? I'll tell you all about it here!

How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1) by Adriana Mather
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)
Date Published: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

It's the Salem Witch Trials meets Mean Girls in a debut novel from one of the descendants of Cotton Mather, where the trials of high school start to feel like a modern day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem’s past.

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with The Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself. 

How to Hang a Witch is the first book in the How to Hang a Witch Series by Adriana Mather. Although I love Paranormal Fiction, I typically don't like it when it involves witches and witchy type magic. Plus add in the ghost... All that in one book? It's just not what I prefer to read, and I almost didn't. But I like reading about the Salem Witch Trials. It's a sad and scary part of history that has always interested me. So, I decided to give this book a go. Boy, am I glad  did!

There are so many things going on within this story. There is a subtle romance. The magic was not too hocus pocusy, which I really appreciated. That's where witch books usually lose me. The ghost aspect wasn't hoaky. He was believable, and actually quite endearing. So many things went wrong, or right, depending on who you ask, in regards to the the Salem Witch Trials. This story brings some of that to your attention and allows you to draw you own conclusions and encourages you to think for yourself on how some things may have occurred in history, and it does so without affecting the plot and making you feel like you've missed out on something. All of this was cleverly woven together, bringing the past into the present. It shows how, as a society, we really haven't changed much. We like to think we're so much more civilized, but we're still trying to "hang witches" in some form or fashion. It surprised me with the level of emotions it brought out while I read. 

I was extremely impressed with this story and all the detail and thought that went into it. Sometimes, you can just tell when a book is close the the author's heart, and that's how this one felt. With good reason too, the author has a pretty personal tie to someone who was at the heart of everything going on during the Trials. Her last name will give away who. I listened to the audio version. It was narrated by the author herself, which I think added to the enjoyment, because I feel like I was hearing the story the way she meant it to be told, and she told it well. 

Chapter One

Too Confident

Like most fast-­talking, opinionated New Yorkers, I have an affinity for sarcasm. At fifteen, though, it’s hard to convince anyone that sarcasm’s a cultural thing and not a bad attitude. Especially when your stepmother can’t drive, ’cause she’s also from New York, and spills your coffee with maniacal brake pounding.

I wipe a dribble of hazelnut latte off my chin. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I love wearing my coffee.”

Vivian keeps her hand poised over the horn, like a cat waiting to pounce. “All your clothes have holes in them. Coffee isn’t your problem.”

If it’s possible for someone to never have an awkward moment, socially or otherwise, then that someone is my stepmother. When I was little, I admired her ability to charm roomfuls of people. Maybe I thought it would rub off on me—­an idea I’ve since given up on. She’s perfectly put together in a way I’ll never be, and my vegan leather jacket and torn black jeans drive her crazy. So now I just take joy in wearing them to her dinner parties. Gotta have something, right?

“My problem is, I don’t know when I’ll see my dad,” I say, staring out at the well-­worn New England homes, with their widow’s walks and dark shutters.

Vivian’s lips tighten. “We’ve been through this a hundred times. They’ll transfer him to Mass General sometime this week.”

“Which is still an hour from Salem.” This is the sentence I’ve repeated since I found out three weeks ago that we had to sell our New York apartment, the apartment I’ve spent my entire life in.

“Would you rather live in New York and not be able to pay your father’s medical bills? We have no idea how long he’ll be in a coma.”

Three months, twenty-­one days, and ten hours. That’s how long it’s already been. We pass a row of witch-­themed shops with dried herbs and brooms filling their windows.

“They really love their witches here,” I say, ignoring Vivian’s last question.

“This is one of the most important historical towns in America. Your relatives played a major role in that history.”

“My relatives hanged witches in the sixteen hundreds. Not exactly something to be proud of.”

But in truth, I’m super curious about this place, with its cobblestone alleys and eerie black houses. We pass a police car with a witch logo on the side. As a kid, I tried every tactic to get my dad to take me here, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He’d say that nothing good ever happens in Salem and the conversation would end. There’s no pushing my dad.

A bus with a ghost-­tour ad pulls in front of us. Vivian jerks to a stop and then tailgates. She nods at the ad. “There’s a nice provincial job for you.”

I crack a smile. “I don’t believe in ghosts.” We make a right onto Blackbird Lane, the street on the return address of the cards my grandmother sent me as a child.

“Well, you’re the only one in Salem who feels that way.” I don’t doubt she’s right.

For the first time during this roller coaster of a car ride, my stomach drops in a good way. Number 1131 Blackbird Lane, the house my dad grew up in, the house he met my mother in. It’s a massive two-­story white building with black shutters and columned doorways. The many peaks of the roof are covered with dark wooden shingles, weathered from the salty air. A wrought-­iron fence with pointed spires surrounds the perfectly manicured lawn.

“Just the right size,” Vivian says, eyeing our new home.

The redbrick driveway is uneven with age and pushed up by tree roots. Vivian’s silver sports car jostles as we make our way through the black arched gate and roll to a stop.

“Ten people could live here and never see each other,” I reply.

“Like I said, just the right size.”

I pull my hair into a messy ball on top of my head and grab the heavy duffel bag at my feet. Vivian’s already out of the car, and her heels click against the brick. She makes her way toward a side door with an elaborate overhang.

I take a deep breath and open my car door. Before I get a good look at our new home, a neighbor comes out of her blue-­on-­blue house and waves enthusiastically.

“Helllloooo! Well, hello there!” she says with a smile bigger than I’ve ever seen on a stranger as she crosses a patch of lawn to get to our driveway.

She has rosy cheeks and a frilly white apron. She could have stepped out of a housekeeping magazine from the 1950s.

“Samantha,” she says, and beams. She holds my chin to inspect my face. “Charlie’s daughter.”

I’ve never heard anyone call my dad by a nickname. “Uh, Sam. Everyone calls me Sam.”

“Nonsense. That’s a boy’s name. Now, aren’t you pretty. Too skinny, though.” She steps back to get a proper look. “We’ll fix that in no time.” She laughs a full, tinkling laugh.

I smile, even though I’m not sure she’s complimenting me. There’s something infectious about her happiness. She examines me, and I cross my arms self-­consciously. My duffel bag falls off my shoulder, jerking me forward. I trip.

“Jaxon!” she bellows toward her blue house without saying a word about my clumsiness. A blond guy who looks seventeenish exits the side door just as I get hold of the duffel strap. “Come take Samantha’s bag.”

As he gets closer, his sandy hair flops into his eyes. Blue. One corner of his mouth tilts in a half smile. I stare at him. Am I blushing? Ugh, so embarrassing. He reaches for the bag, now awkwardly hanging from my elbow.

I reposition it onto my shoulder. “No, it’s fine.”

“This is my son, Jaxon. Isn’t he adorable?” She pats him on the cheek.

“Mom, really?” Jaxon protests.

I smile at them. “So, you know my dad?”

“Certainly. And I knew your grandmother. Took care of her and the house when she got older. I know this place inside and out.” She puts her hands on her hips.

Vivian approaches, frowning. “Mrs. Meriwether? We spoke on the phone.” She pauses. “You have the keys, I assume?”

“Sure do.” Mrs. Meriwether reaches into her apron pocket and retrieves a set of skeleton keys rubbed smooth in places from years of use. She glances at her watch. “I’ve got chocolate croissants coming out of the oven any minute now. Jaxon will give you a tour of—­”

“No, that’s alright. We can show ourselves around.” There’s a finality in Vivian’s response. Vivian doesn’t trust overly friendly people. We had a doorman once who used to bring me treats, and she got him fired.

“Actually,” I say, “do you know which room used to be my dad’s?”

Mrs. Meriwether lights up. “It’s all ready for you. Up the stairs, take a left, all the way down the hall. Jaxon will show you.”

Vivian turns around without a goodbye. Jaxon and I follow her to the door.

Jaxon watches me curiously as we go inside. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I’ve never been here before.”

“Even when your grandmother was alive?” He closes the door behind us with a click.

“I never met my grandmother.” It’s weird to admit that.

In the front foyer are piles of boxes—­all of our personal belongings from the City. Vivian sold everything heavy when she found out this place was furnished.

We step past the boxes into an open space with glossy wooden floors, a wrought-iron chandelier, and a giant staircase. Vivian’s heels click somewhere down the hallway to the left—­a sound that follows her around like a shadow. As a child, I could always find her by listening for it, even in a roomful of women in high heels. I wouldn’t be surprised if she slept in those shoes.

I take in our home for the first time. Paintings in gold frames hang on the walls, separated by sconces with bulbs shaped like candles. Everything’s antique and made of dark wood, the opposite of our modern apartment in NYC. This is some fairy-­tale storybook business, I think, looking at the curved staircase with its smooth wooden banisters and Oriental rug running up the middle.

“This way.” Jaxon nods toward the staircase. He lifts my bag off my shoulder and starts up the stairs.

“I could’ve carried that myself.”

“I know. But I wouldn’t want you to fall again. Stairs do more damage than driveways.” So he definitely saw me trip. He smiles at my expression.

This guy is too confident for his own good. I follow him, holding the banister in case my clumsiness makes a second appearance.

Jaxon turns left at the top of the stairs. We pass a bedroom with a burgundy comforter and a canopy that any little girl would go bonkers over. After the bedroom, there’s a bathroom with a giant claw-­foot tub and a mirror with a gold-­plated frame.

He stops at the end of the hall in front of a small door that looks like it could use a fresh coat of paint. The doorknob’s shaped like a flower with shiny brass petals. A daisy, maybe? I twist it, and the wood groans as the door swings open.

I gasp.

Adriana Mather is the 12th generation of Mathers in America, and as such her family has their fingers in many of its historical pies – the Mayflower, the Salem Witch Trials, the Titanic, the Revolutionary War, and the wearing of curly white wigs. Also, Adriana co-owns a production company, Zombot Pictures, in LA that has made three feature films in three years. Her first acting scene in a film ever was with Danny Glover, and she was terrified she would mess it up. In addition, her favorite food is pizza and she has too many cats.

To learn more about Adriana Mather and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter.

Book Review: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: May 23, 2017
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Would you trade your soul mate for your soul?

A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.

When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

Lord of Shadows is the second book in the Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare. I don't know what's going on, but after enjoying the first book, this one was such a disappointment. First of all, we're given many different character view points. I have no idea why nor did I have interest in some of these characters. Whenever something of interest started happening, we'd jump to someone else's perspective, then someone else's, and by the time it all came back around, my interest in their situation was long gone and replaced with aggravation. This happened a few times. Some view points were definitely needed, while other characters added absolutely nothing to the story other than an increase in word count. They were written like they were main characters, but they weren't all main character material. 

There were multiple love triangles and squares, yes squares, going one, and some characters fell into more than one triangle. I think some may turn into parabatai, because that bond is an intense love too. I can see how the emotions would be confusing, but holy angsty love triangles Batman! Sometimes less is more. (Actually, that phrase applies to much of this book.) I don't feel invested in many of the characters or any of the couples at this point. Even Emma and Julian fell flat during this book. Emma's reasoning for not being honest with Julian was pointless. Plus, I feel like I've read a similar story before with Clary and Jace.

There were many moments that seemed to drag on and on. This is such a long book already, and it needs substance, not fluff. I'm all about a long book, but make it a good one with a good plot. Where was the plot anyway? Did I miss it? It looks like we may be fighting the start of a Shadowhunter run Totalitarian type government, but aside from that, I'm not sure what was supposed to be going on here. Something would happen and I'd think, "Here it is. This is what we're waiting for." Then something else would happen to negate it or someone would die, and that ended whatever I thought was starting. Instead, everything revolved mostly around angst. Whatever the first book had, this book lost every bit of it.

I feel like some of the characters are trying to set us up for another series or trilogy as well. Is that a good thing? After reading this book, I'm really not sure.

Have you read the first book in this trilogy yet?

Check out my reviews of a few books from the Mortal Instruments series!

Have you read the Infernal Devices Series yet? I LOVED this trilogy! Check out my reviews!

Cassandra Clare was born overseas and spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of fantasy books. Cassandra worked for several years as an entertainment journalist for the Hollywood Reporter before turning her attention to fiction. She is the author of City of Bones, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Cassandra lives with her fiance and their two cats in Massachusetts.

To learn more about Cassandra Clare and her books, visit her website and blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.