SHAPESHIFTER'S QUEST by Dena Landon

Title: Shapeshifter's Quest

Author: Dena Landon

Summary

Years ago, the King had the shapeshifters confined to Carlbine Forest. Every birthing season, the King's priests enter Carlbine Forest and place a tattoo on the cheek of every infant; if any shapeshifter with a tattoo attempts to cross the forest's boundary, the ink in the tattoo will poison them.

But when one of the Elders has a vision that the shapeshifter Brytha will have twins, they make preparations to hide the first of the twins from the priests.

Now Syanthe is eighteen, and she is the only shapeshifter without a tattoo.  Though she has been ridiculed for her difference, the time has come for her to pay her debt.  The King's death magic is leaking into Carlbine Forest, and if Syanthe can't find a way to stop if from spreading, the shapeshifters will die with the forest.

My Impression

I really enjoyed how this book played with the concept of magic. While shapeshifters and death magic aren't new to the fantasy genre, this is one of the first times I have seen them both appear in one book as a sort of opposition to each other: the shapeshifters promoting healing and nature, while the King's priest promoting violent, death, immortality, and the unnatural. I honestly couldn't predict where the novel was going, or how Syanthe could even begin to fight the destruction.

I also liked the little bit of romance that appeared in the book. While the romantic element isn't central to the book (and I would have honestly liked to see more between them), I appreciated that these two characters had obligations that took priority over their romance. When it came down to duty and the fates of their own homes/community, they both chose the community.

My one problem with this book: the ending. The book does a good job of tying up the story arc pretty well, and I wasn't unhappy with how things ended; however, the book leaves a lot of uncertainty about what happens next.  Though the events of the book are clearly a step in the direction towards saving Carlbine Forest and the shapeshifters, there is no guarantee that suddenly everything will be okay.  Syanthe also makes some significant discovers about shapeshifters, but because they are not part of her main quest, there is no resolution to these discoveries.  Basically, this book is in need of a sequel (or two), but since this book was published in 2005, I'm not sure if that is a possibility.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I first saw this book in my high school library. It was on the shelf of "New Arrivals" and I loved the cover/title.  It was a book that I read in one day because I got hooked.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

EXILE by Anne Osterlund

Title: Exile
Series: Aurelia #2
Author: Anne Osterlund

Summary

Aurelia has been exiled by her father after refusing to marry the man he selected for her. Though she isn't sure if her refusal has lost her the throne, Aurelia is finally free.  Now she is traveling across Tyralt with a group of guards and Robert as her guide, determined to meet her people.  

Though Aurelia seems to believe she's safe, Robert thinks otherwise.  He knows that Aurelia was born to be a leader, that she has the natural ability to connect with people, and that Melony isn't likely to allow Aurelia to live.

As they continue their journey, Aurelia learns that her kingdom is very different than she imagined, and that there is a lot of evil and danger that the people face every day.  And Aurelia is the crown princess, which means she is in even more danger than she imagines.

My Impression

I loved  this book.  Aurelia has become an even stronger person than she was in the first book of this series.  Though she has always been a pretty independent character, Aurelia made the decision to not have her life decided for her, and that she will not allow fear to make her into a coward.  She also has to accept the betrayal of her sister and the death of the man who tried to kill her at her own hands, both which she struggles to admit are not truly her fault.

There was also more development in the romance between Robert and Aurelia. For a majority of the book they are alone on their journey, which means they have to learn to trust each other completely in order to survive, especially Aurelia who is used to being in charge.  I liked being able to see from both characters' perspectives as they try to navigate their friendship/romance and determine what their true feelings are for the other person.

This book also showed a better look at Tyralt and the political situation that has developed as a result of the king's rule.  There are treaties that have been broken, laws that are not being enforced, and invasion that all make it seem much more important that Aurelia eventually becomes queen.

One problem I had with this book (which is more a problem with the publisher) is that the book ends in a sort of cliffhanger.  It is clear that there is much more to Aurelia's story, but as of now there is no third book to be published.  I know this is a book I will re-read many times; I just wish I could see where Aurelia goes from here.

Why I Picked Up This Book

After reading Aurelia, I wanted to see what happened to Aurelia and Robert.  I really hope that Anne gets the opportunity to continue their adventure, because their journey is far from over.  I want to know what happens next!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
My Rating: Five Stars

AURELIA by Anne Osterlund

Title: Aurelia
Series: Aurelia #1
Author: Anne Osterlund

Summary

Aurelia Lauzon is the next in line for the throne of Tyralt. Though she loves her kingdom and her people, the last thing Aurelia wants is to be forced into a political marriage and kept in the castle.  She doesn't like the court games and the rules that come with being a royal, she would much rather be free to travel the kingdom.

It's clear that Aurelia is destined to be a great ruler, especially to her childhood friend and son of the king's former spy, Robert Vantauge.  It has been four years since he last saw Aurelia and he moved with his family to the frontier, and though he is glad to see his friend again, his visit is more than just a chance to catch up.  Someone is trying to kill Aurelia, and Robert has been assigned to investigate who is responsible, all while keeping Aurelia ignorant of the danger she's in.  But Aurelia isn't one to sit around and let someone else solve her problems, and she will risk a lot to help Robert uncover who is determined to kill her.

My Impression

Aurelia is definitely a character I felt I could connect with.  She is clearly strong-willed and has her own opinions how to best run Tyralt, ones that sometimes stray from tradition.  She is not afraid to defend her people and she is wants to be able to understand them.  As the book goes along, it is nice to see that Aurelia's confidence and will is somewhat bravado, and that she has to put on a facade to hide her insecurities and self-doubt.  I liked being able to see the multiple dimensions of Aurelia's character, and how she makes the best of her role as Tyralt's future leader, even when parts of it don't appeal to her.

This book follows both Robert and Aurelia, alternating between the two characters so the reader knows things that one of the other characters may not know.  I liked the alternating perspectives because it added to the depth of both characters.  At the same time, since both characters had no idea who is trying to have Aurelia killed, there was still plenty of suspense as Aurelia and Robert work together, and occasionally alone, to catch the murderer before they succeed.

I also like that the mystery is pretty tangled.  Robert and Aurelia have multiple suspects for who might be the one trying to kill Aurelia, but I wasn't able to guess who was really behind the entire thing until Robert and Aurelia did.  I liked that I was kept guessing and that I didn't feel like the characters were missing the obvious.

Though I really liked getting to know the characters and the suspense of the attempted assassinations, I wanted a bit more action to really go off of.  The main villain is faceless until the very end, and there were only a few moments in the book where I was really on the edge of my seat.  I would have liked to see a bit more of the dark side of the politics in Tyralt, as well as more about the mysterious Outer Realms, which Tyralt refuses to accept immigrants from.   Very little is said about the places outside of Tyralt and their relationship with Tyralt's king.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I've always loved reading fantasy books, and I am always on the look out for fantasy books I haven't read.  I discovered this on Goodreads, where it was recommended based on other fantasy books I read.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Four Stars

SUNLIGHT AND SHADOW by Cameron Dokey

Title: Sunlight and Shadow
Series: Once Upon a Time
Author: Cameron Dokey

Summary

Mina is the daughter of Pamina, the Queen of the Night, and Sarastro, the Mage of the Day.  With her birth, a prophecy was given that her marriage would change the world in a way that would remove and give power to her parents.  So her parents made a pact that, for the first sixteen years of her life, Mina would live in the darkness with her mother; on the day of her sixteenth birthday, she would be given to her father and he would select a husband.

But when Mina's father breaks his oath, it takes all of Mina's strength, and the help of some friends, to find her heart's desire.

My Impression

I have never encountered The Magic Flute, so I am not sure how closely/loosely this story follows the original.  I liked this story for that fact, since it had familiar feel of a fairy tale but was at the same time new, even though some of the plot was predictable.  

The thing that I had the hardest time with in this book was the switching perspectives.  There are a total of five narrators for this story, and each one tells the story from a first-person perspective.  Though I really liked seeing inside the heads of various characters, the shifts are not clearly marked in the book, so it often took me a couple sentences before I realized that a different person was "speaking."

Why I Picked Up This Book

I have always had a love for retellings of myths and fairytales, so the Once Upon a Time series, and with it this book, have been on my "to read" list for a while.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Romance

My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in more books from this series? Click here to see a list of the other books in the Once Upon a Time series and my reviews of them.

BEAUTY SLEEP by Cameron Dokey

Title: Beauty Sleep
Series: Once Upon a Time
Author: Cameron Dokey

Summary

Aurore is the daughter of  the king and queen, and on the one month anniversary of her birth, the kingdom comes together to celebrate her christening.  But one important person was not invited, and when she arrives she places a curse on Aurore: that in her sixteenth year she will prick her finger and her drop of blood with seal her death.  Even when the curse is modified to only cause a hundred-year sleep, Aurore's parents are overly cautious and determined to keep her safe, something which Aurore tries to fight as much as possible.

My Impression

My favorite part of this story is the development of Aurore's life between the placing of the curse and the inevitable pricking of her finger.  Dokey's development of this time made it a lot easier to love Aurore as a character and feel sorrow that she has been placed under this curse because of events outside of her control.

While I like some of Dokey's retellings more than this tale, I still really liked seeing Aurore as more than just a helpless girl who fumbles into the curse's fulfillment.

Why I Picked Up This Book

I had already read two other books in this series, Scarlet Moon and Midnight Pearls, and I have always had a love for fairy tale retellings, so I decided to read the rest of the series.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Romance

My Rating: Four Stars

Interested in more books from this series? Click here to see a list of the other books in the Once Upon a Time series and my reviews of them.

THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy (with a bit of Romance)

Summary

Celaena Sardothien, also known as Adarlan's Assassin, has spent the past year as a slave in the Salt Mines of Endovier.  After leaving the mines one day, Celaena is offered the one thing she has dreamed about since the betrayal that made her a slave: her freedom.  In order to win her freedom, Celaena must agree to become the Champion for Prince Dorian and compete against other Champions for the position as Champion to the King, a position that she would then have to serve for four years before being given her freedom.  But Celaena knows that "champion" is just another way of saying "assassin", and she isn't sure that she wants to be a puppet to the cruelty of the king.

When Celaena arrives in Rifthold, she begins training with Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, to rebuild her weakened strength...but the competition isn't the only thing she has to worry about.  There is an evil inside the castle and Champions begin mysteriously dying, and if Celaena can't figure out what is going wrong, then she could be next.

My Impression

One of my favorite things about this book is how the reader is not spoon-fed the history of Erilea (the world in which the book takes place) or the history of the character.  By the end of the book, I had many questions about the details of events leading up to Celaena's imprisonment in the Salt Mines and even how she became an assassin, because there are only very small hints given throughout the book; it was believable that I didn't know Celaena's story since she is not about to rattle off her entire life story to people she doesn't completely trust.  I also loved Celaena as a character.  As a seventeen-year-old who has clearly seen a lot of violence and death, she is still remarkably strong.  It is clear that she is a survivor, though she is not without her flaws.  I hope there is a sequel to this book, because I really want to know what happens to Celaena and if she ever gains her freedom.

Why I Picked Up This Book

Over the summer I worked in the books department of an entertainment store, and I would occasionally spend part of my shift scanning the "Teen" section for interesting books.  The title of this book really stuck out to me and after reading the back cover I knew it was a book I wanted to read.

My Rating: Five Stars