Idols: Review

Synopsis:

The Icons came from the sky. They belong to an inhuman enemy. They ended our civilization, and they can kill us.

Most of us.

Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas are the four Icon Children, the only humans immune to the Icon's power to stop a human heart. Now that Los Angeles has been saved, things are more complicated - and not just because Dol has to choose between Lucas and Ro, the two great loves of her life. As she flees to a resistance outpost hidden beneath a mountain, Dol makes contact with a fifth Icon Child, if only through her visions. When Dol and the others escape to Southeast Asia in search of this missing child, Dol's dreams, feelings and fears collide in an epic showdown that will change more than just four lives -- and stop one heart forever.

In this riveting sequel to Icons, filled with nonstop action and compelling romance, bestselling author Margaret Stohl explores what it means to be human and how our greatest weakness can be humanity's strongest chance at survival.

***

What I like:

1) Dol, Ro, Tima and Lucas working together as a team: It kind of annoys me that they do not get along in Icons. But now they're close friends, and they will protect each other. I kind of like the strong connection between each other because lately I'm tired of teammates working against each other.

2) A new character: I'll try not to include any spoiler here. While I have this love-hate relationship with this character, I still like this character's appearance in the book. It makes everything so much more intense and complicated. Idols desperately need some more complication. 

3) Ro: While Lucas is a really nice girl, it's Ro that I truly love. I love this wild side of Ro, where he will do anything (including burn down the whole world - literally) to save Dol and his friends. And he's surprisingly deep, for a guy who is so hilarious and snarky. I really hope that things will end well for him in the end.

What I don't like:

1) Everything is so straight-forward: It's supposed to be a good thing at times, but I like sci-fi dystopian novels with a touch of mystery. Besides the new character which complicates everything (but only at the end), every task that Dol and her friends makes are so... sane. Too sane, considering they're in a ruined world where they have every right to not be sane. 

2) The extra com-links: I understand it's a side-line that has everything to do with the story, I just find them extremely annoying. Especially when they're written in capital letters. Like what's the deal with it? It makes my head pound just reading about them. It's uncomfortable. 

Overall:

It's actually a much better story than Icons because it's much more developed. However there are still things that can be done in a better way.

Rating: 6.5/10

Dangerous Creatures: Review

Synopsis:

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

***

I may not be a big fan of The Caster Chronicles, but I certainly like this book. The never-ending wit and fun and the shockingly vulnerable moments made my day.

This book is a spin-off of Beautiful Creatures. It's about Ridley Duchannes, and if you have read Beautiful Creatures before, you certainly know that she's the ultimate bad girl. A Dark Caster. A Siren. But then if you have read Beautiful Chaos, something about her isn't as simple as a Dark and cause chaos. I love her complexity because she's so dedicated to be Dark yet she's not as Dark as she thought she was. Her wit is awesome too, and I would like to have her attitude, that no one can boss her around and she makes her decisions. I kinda want to be that independent and strong girl. 

There's also Link, the kinda goofy yet sweet ex-boyfriend of Ridley. We get to see a lot more of him in Dangerous Creatures. However, I don't know what to say about him. He's sweet and caring and stronger in mind too. But that's about it. He's a little too two-dimensional to me. And though I still ship Link and Ridley, I ship Nox and Ridley more.

Oh, and speaking of Nox, he's gotta be my favorite character in this book. Lennox Gates, Dark Caster extraordinaire, and the penultimate person you should be meeting. But then his emotions runs deeper than his Darkness, and oh, there are a lot of really sweet moments of Nox and Ridley. I really want to see more of Nox in the sequel, if there's one.

Dangerous Creatures has seriously exceeded my expectations and I enjoy this book very much. I hope there's a sequel so that I will see more of it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Dangerous Dream: Review

Synopsis:

We've got some magical news for all you caster kids: "Beautiful Creatures" authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl are going back to Gatlin for an all-new spin-off series called "Dangerous Creatures"!

The series follows fan favorite characters (and on-again-off-again couple) Link and Ridley as they embark on fresh (and sure to be epic!) adventures. The series kicks off with the enovella "Dangerous Dream," available for download on December 17, followed by the release of the first book, "Dangerous Creatures," on May 6, 2014.

***

Well, so Dangerous Dream is the start of Link and Ridley's story. The two of them are always awkward, on and off together. Even though Ridley is always telling herself that she's a Dark Caster and she can't and won't love Link. This is the story of their graduation. And the aftermath of it.

I like the fact that the first part of the novella is told in Ethan's point of view I spent about half an hour thinking back of what happened in Beautiful Redemption. And the graduation is pretty humorous. Even though Link and Ridley is always the more interesting couple, Ethan and Lena will always hold a place in my heart that nothing can replace. 

Ridley's part of the story is the catalyst of Dangerous Creatures, because of a game. A dangerous game. A game that reveals the unknown after the Order of Things is broken. The Darkborn. Wow. I'm curious to see what will happen with that.

Rating: 6.5/10

Name and Cover Reveal: Icons #2 by Margaret Stohl

The sequel of the post-apocalyptic novel Icons by Margaret Stohl has a name AND a cover!

Idols. I don't know what that means. It doesn't have a synopsis yet. I guess there will be one soon.

Idols will be released on May 1, 2014 according to Hachette Book Group but July 8, 2014 according to Goodreads.

TBR #3: Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Reblog from MTV:

Authors of bestselling Caster Chronicles series, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl presents the spin-off series of Caster Chronicles, featuring our favorite dark couple Ridley and Link! It's set in the same universe as Caster Chronicles. The series is called "Dangerous Creatures", and of course we know what "dangerous" means *wink wink* .

A novella and a book is announced. The novella is called Dangerous Dream, while book one is also called Dangerous Creatures.

About Dangerous Dream (Dangerous Creatures #0.5):

We got a cover here! It's just as gorgeous as those in Caster Chronicles and it's more plain, surprisingly! Simplicity :)

Synopsis (which is an extract from mtv.com):

We've got some magical news for all you caster kids: "Beautiful Creatures" authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl are going back to Gatlin for an all-new spin-off series called "Dangerous Creatures"!

The series follows fan favorite characters (and on-again-off-again couple) Link and Ridley as they embark on fresh (and sure to be epic!) adventures. The series kicks off with the enovella "Dangerous Dream," available for download on December 17, followed by the release of the first book, "Dangerous Creatures," on May 6, 2014.

***

December 17, 2013! Same as Shatter Me #2.5 (which features Adam Anderson Kent. Yeah, no spoiler)! It's going to be a crazy day :)

Now, it's time for the real thing. Dangerous Creatures, the first book of the spin-off series. It doesn't have a cover. YET. I can't wait to see what it will be.

Synopsis:

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

***

Caster Chronicles is set in an apparently sleepy town hiding powerful secrets and magic. Dangerous Creatures is set in New York City. I can't wait to see how dark New York City can become in Dangerous Creatures :) Though I think I had a taste of how dark and mysterious New York is in The Mortal Instruments.

Dangerous Creatures will be released on May 6, 2014

Three books, released on May 6. Madness. But I like it. 

Icons: Review

Synopsis:

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

***

I guess I can't get into any May releases until May 21, huh? Icons doesn't disappoint me. But it definitely isn't one of my favorite reads. It's like there's something more to this book but I just can't find something that fills up the vacancies of whatever that is supposed to be there. Although I know perfectly what's going on in the book, my emotions just refuse to attach completely to the book. Sure, I know what's exciting and what's not, but I don't actually feel anything strong.

Reading Margaret Stohl's book is actually quite interesting, since that I read Caster Chronicles series which is written by her and Kami Garcia, it's nice to see her strike out on her own and develop a dystopian new world destroyed by aliens known as Icons. It's a brilliant concept because I'm a fan of alien-apocalypse (until The 5th Wave nearly destroys it). Mysterious yet so close to our characters. And you're raised to believe that nothing is strong enough to hold against them. A really terrifying new world. Just what I love.

But the characters... hmm, not so much. First is Dol. I don't hate her, because there's simply nothing to hate. She's trusting and self-sacrificing. But other than that, I don't think there's any other thing stronger to make her likeable to me. She's really flat to me. Ro, on the other hand, is a strong character. I like him, but there are times that I'm annoyed by his recklessness and rage because he fights without even thinking. Lucas... well, he's a little bit complicated. I don't hate him, either. One hand he's a undesirable character and on the other he's a nice boy. And neither of these are strong enough to make him an obvious character, despite his constant appearance. Tima has her past, but I won't judge her that soon because I feel like there are something more about her that we don't know yet.

The plot is pretty smooth. Nothing too twisted, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. The ending is quite nice, but I can sense (Spoiler!) a love triangle blooming [groans] (End of spoiler). It's different from joining the resistance like many endings from many dystopian books. That's a nice thing because I'm tired of "oh, you are in danger and you run into the resistance and rebel against the government/aliens/whatever that's making the world bad" . But, like Reboot, the ending is too much of a rush to me because I think there can be more twists when it's near the epic part of the book. 

The only thing I like very much besides the settings is Margaret Stohl's writing. I can see more clearly how her writing skills are because... well, Caster Chronicles is co-written by two authors and the short story written by Margaret Stohl in Shards and Ashes is not enough to show her real skills. It's almost poetic and very emotional in one way (but I can't feel it. Not really. So it's my own problem then). I really like this quote, check this out:

This is your sorrow as much as mine. Your love, your rage, your fear. These are our gifts, and our gift to you.

See? Almost poetic. :) Although I think I can find better quotes than that...

I think I will read the sequel, but just because I enjoy her writing and I want to see how things will turn out.

Rating: 7/10

*By the way, do you know the book was originally called The Book of Sorrow? You will find out why in the book ;)

Gonna Read: May 2013

May 2013 is not a month for books. Mainly because APRIL (And October!) is the month(s) for books. Another reason is... I've got an annual exam at school to prepare and this can get really intense so I don't really have time for so much books...

Anyway. I really wanna read these books:

1. Icons (Icons #1) by Margaret Stohl

 Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.


Expected Publication: May 7, 2013

Book Trailer: 

2. Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He’s arrogant, domineering, and—To. Die. For…

Hunter is a ruthless killer. The Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe him too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job, that is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: Protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into a walking glow stick. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.


Expected Publication: May 17, 2013

(Hope that more steamy cover will be on the way)

3. The Runaway Queen (The Bane Chronicles Part 2) by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson

Magnus Bane has a royal role in the French Revolution—if the angry mobs don’t spoil his spells. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.

While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons…

This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, The Runaway Queen, is written by Maureen Johnson and Cassandra Clare.


Expected Publication: May 21, 2013

4. Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?


Expected Publication: May 28, 2013 







(Warning: Don't expected many May new releases reviews. There might be some more other reviews that are April releases or other books. But generally, there won't be as much review as in April or... January.) 

Movie Review: Beautiful Creatures

You probably wonder why I post this NOW when Beautiful Creatures was released a half month away. Well, because in here, the release day is March 28. So yeah.

Synopsis (from IMDb):

Ethan longs to escape his small Southern town. He meets a mysterious new girl, Lena. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.

***

I'm struck speechless. And not exactly the good kind of speechless.

Well, for one thing, the plot is... I don't know, almost completely different from the original book. There's just not enough Ethan/Lena moments in the movie. Yeah, I totally understand the movie will never be the same as the book. But... there are just too many difference to call it a movie adaptation. There are major difference, difference that can alter the plot of the whole story and change the plot development in Beautiful Darkness (that is, if there will be one Beautiful Darkness movie). Which... I will talk about later.

Okay, the actors and actresses can act. I won't say all of them are good at it, but they can surely act. That I will give them credit for. But... I'm sorry, they don't just fit in to my dream cast. I guess, that's the age old problem, so... nothing big to discuss here. But, yeah, they act quite well, despite my doubts on it.

There are big changes in the plot of the movie. And most of them are... WTF moments. (Huge spoiler ahead!) First of all, I don't understand the whole Ethan-forgetting-Lena-because-she-made-him-so thing. What's the point of this? Even with the ending, which is completely bizarre to me, there's just no way the plot can develop to the original (well, as original as it can get) way. Or will the thing that Lena tells Ethan that she claimed herself goes to the plot of Beautiful Darkness movie (if there's one)? Or were the crew not prepared for the sequel? That's just completely absurd. I'm not satisfied with this one.

And where's Hunter? I've seen no Hunter in Beautiful Creatures movie, and he's supposed to play the big part in Lena's Claiming... ceremony (whatever that is). And worse, he's supposed to play a huge part in the forthcoming three books. And Larkin... Larkin is supposed to be a Dark Caster disguising as Light in the manor. And... not that I'm complaining, but he's still Light Caster. Or is the whole thing put into Beautiful Darkness movie, if there's even one? There are more changes in the movie that I don't even want to talk about anymore. This is NOT a movie adaptation, okay? I'm completely disappointed on these changes.

The special effects... I can't say they are cheesy. Because they are not. They are quite good actually (not the best I've seen. But good enough). But they just don't quite fit for the movie itself. It's not as mysterious as I thought it would be. I mean, I know making the board catch on fire is surely a Lena-thing, but it's a little weird for the whole kissing scene. And there are not enough supernatural moments in this movie. I guess it means not enough special effects?

Look, I don't know what you guys think about it. But I'm quite disappointed with this movie. It's supposed to be... not exactly a remake, but a base of this movie. And the movie's supposed to base on the whole storyline. The ending shouldn't be that different. The acting skills of the cast is probably the only thing that I actually appreciate in this movie. I think the crew can do better than that.

I know I need to separate my judgement of the books from my judgement of the movie. But the ending is still just as absurd to me even if I do my best to separate them. And the supposed-exciting part isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. And if you want me to compare between the books and the movie, I will say I love the books way more.

Rating: 4.5/10

Trailer Thursday: Icons by Margaret Stohl

I would love something more alien by Margaret Stohl, the NY Times bestseller of Caster Chronicles series. This is a very curious one. Icons.

Synopsis:

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

***

Icons will be released on May 7, 2013

Flashback Friday: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

***

Beautiful Chaos set right after the events of Beautiful Darkness, of how Lena claimed herself once more and became herself again. This book has a really happy beginning, with Ridley becoming Mortal (a surprisingly bitchy yet cute Mortal) again and Link dating Ridley. Ethan and Lena had made up and was having a good time together at school. Smiling is always the expression I wear whenever I read the first few chapters of the book.

If you read Beautiful Chaos, you know that something really weird happened to Ethan. And I have to tell you: Among the four books in the series, the weirdness level is the best in this book. Ethan was forgetting things. Important things. And he was changing his taste, behavior. Yep, even though Ethan is the Wayward, part of the supernatual world. But still he's Mortal. So Ethan, a Mortal boy, having weird and paranormal problems? Not what I expected when I first read it.

I always love how Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl started out the books. It didn't start right away. Instead it's some sort of emphasis about the book and Gatlin. In this book it's Sugar and Salt, and there's the-end-of-the-days talk. The sorta cliffhanger leaves me a wave of emotions, especially if you are re-reading the book.

Another thing I love about the series is those Shadow Songs. In Beautiful Creatures it's 16 Moons. In Beautiful Darkness it's 17 Moons. And in this book, it's 18 Moons. I don't know why there's no 19 Moons Shadow Song in Beautiful Redemption (I think I have a brief outline of the reason, but I'm not gonna tell you XD). Among the three songs, 18 Moons is the best. Yep, those songs give Ethan warnings about what will happen next in his life. But 18 Moons carries the prophecy of the most dangerous stuff in it. Maybe that's why I love this song more than 16 or 17 Moons. I love danger.

Heartbreak is a constant in Beautiful Chaos, because... well, the synopsis has already said that there won't be a happy ending in Beautiful Chaos. And yeah, seeing Lena broken-hearted is worse than seeing Ethan having that kind of problem. Ethan is an innocent boy (well, at least more innocent than the Casters). He deserves better. But I guess I'm slightly relieved that there's a fourth book or I will go nuts because of that ending.

I'm a little sad the series is already over in 2012. Well, this is not my favorite series. But it has a good setting and characters. I think I won't see anymore Kami Garcia/ Margaret Stohl works. So I'm looking for their series (all by themselves). Legion by Kami Garcia and Icons by Margaret Stohl.

Rating: 7/10

Shards and Ashes: Review

Synopsis:

Gripping original stories of dystopian worlds from nine New York Times bestselling authors, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world.

***

This review only contains the short stories by Veronica Roth, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl and Beth Revis. And the review might contain spoilers
  
1. Hearken by Veronica Roth

  Hearken is written by NY Times #1 Bestseller Veronica Roth. I have to say the writing is just as beautiful as in Divergent and Insurgent. Her ability of writing the indecision of Darya, the main character of this story is beautiful. And there are the quotes which make people think. A lot. In this way, the story is successful.

The base of this story is Hearken, who can listen your life song or your death song. This is kind of mythical, considering we haven't heard anyone who can literally listen their life/death song. But then, they have to work for the government, so there's a more modern factor in the story. If this is a short story about mysterious abilities, this is a great story. But I think Shards and Ashes is an anthology of a dystopian world. That... there's few things that are related to dystopian stuff in the story. Based on this point, the story disappoints me a little.

Rating: 7.5/10

2. Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl.

Necklace of Raindrops is written by NY Times Bestseller Margaret Stohl. This is about the mysterious necklace of raindrops and the people holding onto it. The writing style of Margaret Stohl is different from Veronica Roth but just as beautiful. The words are simple yet can touch the deepest corners of your heart. They are beautiful and pure. I look forward to Icons, which is the first book of the Icons series.

In this short story there's a thing that none can ever imagine exist. It's the necklace, which is rumored to have great powers on people wearing them. The story reveals the true "nature" of those necklace, which is in fact, no more than a scientific stuff. But still, this is one crazy story. People risking their lives attempting to get their hands on those necklaces. And the great power that rest inside them is unfathomable in a good way. I love the idea of the story. And the last part of this short story is touching. Very touching. You will learn a lot from this one.

But, like Hearken, there's few dystopian elements in the short story. And like I said, Shards and Ashes is supposed to be an anthology of dystopian worlds.

Rating: 7/10

3. Burn 3 by Kami Garcia

Burn 3 is written by NY Times Bestseller Kami Garcia. Of all four short stories that I read in Shards and Ashes, I love this one most. Firstly, it contains almost every element that a dystopian story needs. The world is burnt by the sun and people can bare live in it. And once a big city in the world is nothing but dust and ashes. This is hell on Earth. It's a true dystopian story.

The idea of the story is not just any dystopian world. It's kinda like Breathe, where the essence of living is lacking. But the story contains more beautiful words. I always like Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Caster Chronicles. But this time, the story goes deeper. Yep, there are no quotes that inspire you or great emotions. But the effect is just the same because of the thrill of the story. This is one that you will never forget.

Rating: 8/10

4. Love is a Choice by Beth Revis

Love is a Choice is written by NY Times Bestseller Beth Revis. It's a story about Orion's past, in which that he lives in the dark and attempting to seek out all the secrets that Eldest is fighting so hard to keep. I always love the idea of Across The Universe, about the endless list of secrets that one single ship is hiding. The short story does not contain any particular beautiful words or sophisticated sentences. But I think it works just fine for me.

This story is about Orion's life in Godspeed after everyone was told that he was dead. Then he met a girl who just wants to rebel as much as he does. This is a great plot for the story. But I think the story is just a little bit too long for me, even if the story explains why Orion is so desperate to reveal all the secrets.

Rating: 7.5/10

Cover Reveal: Icons by Margaret Stohl

A brand-new series by one of the bestselling author of Beautiful Creatures, Margaret Stohl!

Cover:

What do you think about the cover? I think it looks electric!

Synopsis:

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

***

Icons will be released on May 7, 2013. 

(Do you know that the first book of Icons is originally called "The Book of Sorrow"?)

Two More Character Movie Poster

Here's it, two Beautiful Creatures movie poster featuring Ridley and Link!

Aren't you excited about the movie? Cuz I do!

Looks like I really need money to buy the theater tickets and the premiere tickets...

Another Beautiful Creatures Character Movie Poster!

My word is true then. There's another movie poster featuring Beautiful Creatures characters. This time it's Ethan Wate!

Well, he's not how I imagine exactly.

But I think he's good enough.

Except his eyes are not quite right...

Maybe there will be a Ridley poster or a Sarafine poster or a Macon poster?

Look forward to it!

Beautiful Creatures Movie Tie-In Novel And Character Movie Poster

Two new things from Beautiful Creatures:

1.

There's a movie tie-in novel of Beautiful Creatures. And it's available now!

With exclusive MOVIE POSTER!

You can buy it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Creatures-Kami-Garcia/dp/0316231673/ref=reader_auth_dp

I am so freaking happy and depressed.

Happy: Finally the tie-in version's here!

Depressed: Again I don't know if I'm permitted to buy a tie-in version of Beautiful Creatures since I have an original version at home just like City of Bones (Ugh)


2. Character Movie Poster!

Another poster's here! This time we feature our main character, Lena Duchannes (played by Alice Englert).

How is the poster? Doesn't she appears mysteriously?

And how would you picture other character-featuring movie posters that will PROBABLY (yeah, you heard me, just probably) be released soon?

New Beautiful Creatures Trailer and Poster!

Hey, Caster fans! It's time for ANOTHER Beautiful Creatures trailer! Aren't you exited? It's darker. Way, way darker than the first one.

This time, there's Sarafine! But I think Sarafine should be dangerously beautiful...Right?

Oh, and there's another official poster for Beautiful Creatures other than the one above. Check it out:

Beautiful Creatures movie, based on the book Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, will be released on Februaru 13, 2013.

God, I'm so excited. Cuz 2013 is coming!

Beautiful Redemption: Review

The last review of the books released on October 23, 2012. This time features Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Summary:

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin.

But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.

Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena - and Gatlin - as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones' lives.

Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?

***

Well, it's... more peaceful than I thought it would be. I guess there is a good side and a bad side. The bad side is that it is not as interesting as I thought it was. I kind of want some more battle. Especially 1) Battle between Lena (and her friends) and Abraham, 2) Battle between Ethan and Angelus and 3) Battle between Ethan Lawson Wate ande Ethan Carter Wate. Don't get me wrong guys, I like the excitement in the battles. But maybe I want more. 

The good side about it is that I didn't suffer much heartbreak throughout the book. After Clockwork Prince, I can't stop wondering if I will suffer real bad in the other books. But this one is... "relatively" peaceful. I can think straight in this book, which I can't in Cassie's books.

It's good to read Lena's perspective because it's always Ethan's point of view in the previous three books. Not that a boy's perspective isn't good (in fact it's rare). But reading Lena's PoV is a fresh thing in this series. I guess that is needed in this book because we need to know how Lena get her hands on The Book of Moons.

For moments I wondered that if that Xavier guy's real name is Ethan Carter Wate. He isn't of course. But I can't help but wondering under these... circumstances. 1) He said that Angelus destroy a Light Caster which he loved. Do you remember thatn Genevieve was a Light Caster once? At that time I thought that it might be Angelus who added this page in The Caster Chronicles and destroy both of their lives.  2) He wanted to get his hands on The Book of Moons. This is the book that destroyed Genevieve and Ethan's lives. I guess even the real Ethan Carter Wate would like to stop The Book of Moons from hurting innocent people more. 3) He was trapped in the Far Keep. Both Ethan Carter Wate and Xavier were trapped in the Far Keep (Yeah, the reason is that simple). Even though he wasn't Ethan Carter Wate, I still... kinda like him

Ethan and Lena were together at last. I feel really happy for them. But for once I really wanna know the truth behind the mysteries in the book. First is Ethan Carter Wate's death. Was that not meant to happen? Was Ethan Carter Wate's death just because Angelus added a page in it? I am really interested in this. Was Genevieve not meant to be a Dark Caster? Is there even a truth?

Second is The Book of Stars. The Book of Stars is the Light half of The Book of Moons. And Genevieve had said that The Book of Moons was not meant to be in Mortal world. So how did The Book of Moons get into the Mortal world while The Book of Stars stayed in the Otherworld? Where did the two books come from? What's The Book of Stars about? And how did it end up in Xavier's hands? Another thing that interests me.

I don't know why I don't talk about Ethan and Lena's relationship much. Maybe because somehow I always know they will reunite just from the name of this book. Maybe because of the summary. I don't know. But the story ends. And I will... well, not quite miss is VERY MUCH. But still, miss it. I look forward to the movie. Hope that they will display the story well enough. I don't want it screwed up even though this is not my favorite series.

Rating: 7.5/10

Beautiful Redemption, Finale, The Lost Prince: Out Now!

It's the biggest day of October! Because it's the release of:

1. Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

2. Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

3. The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Now I'm torn between reading Beautiful Redemption, Finale and The Lost Prince first. Sigh.

Beautiful Redemption, Finale and The Lost Prince: 1 day to go!

It's twenty-second of October, and only 1 day until the release of THREE famous books by THREE (actually there's four) famous authors!

1. Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Summary:

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin.

But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.

Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena - and Gatlin - as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones' lives.

Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?


2. Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary:

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?


3. The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Summary:

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

This novel is one of Julie’s books that will have you demanding for the second one as soon as you finish your read.

It's time. FINALLY. I've been waiting for them like Krazi.