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Girls*Heart* Books: Series review
Showing posts with label Series review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Series review. Show all posts

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan: Series Review & Giveaway




Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.


One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.
Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set–has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.


For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE Rick Riordan fan. In my opinion, the man is a genius and I don't throw that word around a whole lot. My niece actually introduced me to his work when she was reading the Percy Jackson series a few years ago. The rest, as they say, is history.  So thank you again to my niece because Riordan has provided me with some of my very favorite reading material EVER.

The Kane Chronicles series is told from the dual perspectives of siblings Carter and Sadie Kane.   I love the format; it's presented as tape recorded accounts of their adventures together that Riordan transcribes. They're brilliantly written; full of humor, action and suspense. Also, they are books you can share with younger teens and not feel uncomfortable about what they may read. My favorite kind of books to get lost in, really.

Riordan provides another stellar cast of characters for readers to fall in love with in this series.  No one is perfect and everyone is interesting, which is normal for Riordan's creations. The growth of the Kane siblings characters, in particular,  as the series progresses is huge and helps to move the plot along keeping the reader invested in their developments. Carter seems to have the most responsibility sitting on his shoulders as the oldest of the two, but Sadie has more than her share as well and neither of them shies away from their obligations. There is no whining 'why me?' which makes me very happy. Carter and Sadie have lost most of their family, yet, they keep pushing forward, determined to do what they must to save their world. 

The Kane Chronicles are packed with action and suspense, both sad and hilarious, sometimes all at once, and full of the importance of the bonds of family and friendship. I loved every moment of these books and I sincerely hope for a continuation at some point in the future. A must read! 
My Rating:



And now for the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway





Rick Riordan is an American author from Texas famous for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian). He attended the University of Texas at Austin in 1986, where he double-majored in English and History He also wrote The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles) and, most recently, The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus). He also wrote the Tres Navarre series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series. He also wrote book one of the 39 Clues (The Maze of Bones) and co-wrote book eleven (Vespers Rising) published by Scholastic Corporation.

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Monday, September 24, 2012

The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa: Series Review & Giveaway

The Iron Fey saga follows half-human, half-faery Meghan Chase as she fights to claim her magical birthright.

Meghan’s journey begins in the mortal world, when her half-brother Ethan is kidnapped. The mission to rescue the innocent child draws Meghan into the Nevernever—the magical world—where the never-before-seen Iron fey are raining destruction upon traditional faeries. Meghan’s quest is fraught with unimagined dangers, unpredictable powers…and an utterly forbidden love.       
 Where do I begin with this amazing series? This was another that sat on my to read list for far too long before I finally had the chance to pick them up. I have to thank my lovely friend Touya from The Reader's Garden for badgering me until I was completely enthralled with just the idea of reading these books. I devoured all four volumes in a week.  Then I went and read all the novellas, (yes, out of order, sorry guys). I couldn't pause between books to see which one went where. That was last month and even with my busy reviewing schedule for the blog I am currently re-reading The Iron King.  I was already experiencing withdrawal from Julie Kagawa's brilliance. 

The Iron Fey series is written by the fantastically talented Julie Kagawa and consists of four full length novels (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight) and three novellas (Winter's Passage, Summer's Crossing and Iron's Prophecy).  It is centered around 16-year-old Meghan Chase as she learns about her true heritage and is pulled into the Nevernever to save her brother and finds herself immersed in the surreal  landscape of the fey. 

This series is the complete package; it has everything you could possibly hope to find in a book. We have a strong willed, loyal female lead in Meghan. Ash more than fills the role of the oh-so-swoon-worthy yet deadly prince. Puck is the consummate best friend and prankster, cracking jokes while always having Meghan's back.  And of course, we cannot forget the seemingly all-knowing guide/ally, Grimaulkin, who just happens to be a cat. There are more than enough villain types to go around as well. 

This series is emotionally charged and pulses with danger and suspense. I found myself completely drawn in from the very beginning and it still hasn't let me go. Julie Kagawa has created this beautifully terrifying universe and populated it with interesting and dynamic characters that will ensnare your heart and mind. I am very glad I waited until all four books were released before reading it-honestly, I don't know how I would have survived the wait between books. I am very excited about the spin off series ( tune in later on this week for my review of The Lost Prince!) 

Do you love stories of the fey, laughing, crying, being terrified and excited all at the same time? If so, this series is tailor made for you. The Iron Fey is a powerhouse production, completely enchanting and highly addictive; I dare you to read it and not love every moment. 

My Rating: 


And because we love you guys, we're throwing in an impromptu giveaway! 
 


Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn't getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.


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