Book Review: The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Legacy (Goddess Test #2.5)
Author: Aimee Carter
Pages: 395
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 0373210752
Source: Netgalley

For millennia we’ve caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aime e Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before….

Henry/Hades’s solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope….

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages.

REVIEW

Hera – her part was very intense. It was like a stand off between her and Zeus. Reading it was very interesting especially since Hera wanted equality but ironically she feels the need to rule te counsel. Pride and greed are indeed deadly virtues, deadly especially for women since they’ll do whatever just to get what they want but in the end will always be the crying party. It was mind games with the two of them, tricky but very black and white.

Aphrodite – her part was somewhat heartbreaking. Heartbreaking for loving someone who will never love her more than she loves him and for choosing someone just because the former couldn’t give her what she wanted. Aphrodite seems like a confused, love-struck, and a very bitchy and whiny teen. She wanted everything easy and by her way. This continues through the story of Persephone and you’ll really see her bitchiness there.

Persephone – this was hardest to read because I like Hades. From the moment of their marriage to her being with Adonis was a heartbreak. I just can’t stand her, that or maybe I am a little biased towards Hades but seriously, everything with her was one side. She kept saying that she’s trying but really all she does is whine and complain that she never had a choice, that she is not in love with Hades, that she’ll never have freedom and it goes on and on BUT without considering the feeling of her husband and her family.

Hermes – A god who gave love but never really felt loved back. His stint with Persephone was short lived and didn’t really struck me as genuine. It was like a fling that both needed out of loneliness and the need to be loved. His story was beautiful, finally Hermes now experiences what it feels to find something important and lose it without any fight. Made the man out of him!

Hades – A my favorite god out of the bunch. This part is really painful to read. From the part of Persephone to Ingrid until the other girls, Hades felt heartbreak to heartbreak. Even if the love is not the same with each girl, you can still feel that he’s losing hope. I love how The Goddess Legacy gave me information on the before Kate came.

Carter has this unique talent of giving readers the perfect story to make reading worthwhile. It was a magnificent journey and I didn’t feel like it was a “filler” before the third book comes out. This was like the hidden chapter of the Goddess Test series. I loved every story and every page of it. Each character had their own highlight and Carter has this uncanny ability to make her readers connect with her characters. This is the reason why I am following the series and this is also the reason why I highly recommend it. If you haven’t had the chance to read it, please do. It is worth every minute you invest in it.

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Pages: 464
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Source: Netgalley

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina’s tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they’ve turned the final page.

REVIEW:

There are a number of books that can keep a reader interested – fascinated – hooked – and eventually falls in love and Seraphina is one of those books for me, no doubt.

The world building was just phenomenal – it was very detailed and vividly presented to the readers that it can be very overwhelming at first but I don’t think that’s a reason to be challenged in reading Seraphina but rather a motivation and an experience worth remembering. I just can’t imagine the research done for the background and creation of both the story and the world Hartman created.

The pacing of the story was just right – it wasn’t rushed for agitation to arise nor was it too slow for boredom to manifest. Hartman took her time to present everything and that is the exact reason why each element was at their places in eactly the right time.

The characters were fun to read, each can be individually characterized – with a magical theme, the characters were amazingly believable. Orma is a definite favorite as well as Fusspots – actually it was fascinating to read about the characters in Phina’s head (stopping myself from revealing too much of the book)

The ending was epic and disappointing at the same time. Not disappointing in a way that things were not resolved but rather disappointing of where the author was directing the love angle of the two characters. Let’s see though where Hartman will go on that one – definitely a lot of controvery and dilemma for the future story. The ending did answer a lot of the questions presented at the beginning and Seraphina can be a stand alone book but is definitely part of a series. Looking forward of what Hartman can offer with the next installment. Highly recommended!

 

Book Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Title: Shadow of Night (All Souls trilogy #2)
Author: Deborah Harkness
Pages: 584
ISBN: 0670023485
Publisher: Viking Adult
Source: Netgalley

Shortly after Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont timewalk to London, 1590, they discover that the past may not provide a safe haven after all. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy Matthew Roydon, the vampire falls back in step with a group of radicals known as the School of Night who share dangerous ideas about God, science, and man. Many of his friends are unruly daemonsn – the creative minds of the age who walk the fine line between genius and madness – including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Matthew, himself, is expected to continue to spy for Queen Elizabeth, which puts him in close contact with London’s cutthroat underworld.

Together, Matthew and Diana scour the bookstalls and alchemical laboratories of London where they follow the elusive trail of Ashmole 782 – and search for the witch who will teach Diana to control her powers.

REVIEW

Harkness has did it again with Shadow of Night, book two of the All Souls Trilogy. I have read and reviewed A Discovery of Witches last year and I immensely enjoyed it and Shadow of Night didn’t disappoint.

Shadow of Night immediately picks up from where A Discovery of Witches left off and the idea of living in old London was a dream come true for a historian like Diana. The couple are still on the mission of looking for Ashmole 782 and their journey didn’t stop at the present but rather continued as they travelled into Matthew’s past time.

Shadow of Night introduced a lot of interesting characters that are somewhat overwhelming for me. The descriptive presentation was also a lot to grasp it can be very difficult if you don’t have the dedication and love to pull through the novel. It was information overload at some time which is also why I had a hard time getting into the story but that didn’t affect my “relationship” with Shadow of Night.

A romantic plot wouldn’t be complete without the drama and Shadow of Night had those, plenty of those actually. Harkness really played with Diana and Matthew’s character and I must admit that it was absolutely enjoyable to read. It made Harkness’ characters more multidimensional and not just Matthew and Diana/vampire and witch. The sub-plots were as exciting as the main plot and like other seconds in trilogy, not all questions were answered in Shadow of Night but that’s another reason to wait for the final installment right?

What I greatly admired in Shadow of Night is the world building. I adore novels that can give me a picture of what I should be seeing and I admire authors that can provide the details efficiently and effectively. Harkness has gone beyond my expectations for Shadow of Night. Highly recommended trilogy to follow and Harkness is one of those authors that readers should give high praises for providing us with a novels worth keeping in our bookshelves.

VERY MINOR THING: I am not feeling the cover of Shadow of Night though. It lacks that appeal like A Discovery of Witches but as I said this is a minor thing. 🙂 They don’t match either. *sigh*

All Souls Trilogy

1. A Discovery of Witches

Book Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Pages: 384
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 0373210493
Source: Netgalley

So wrong for each other…and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

REVIEW

Pushing the Limits has become one of my favorite reads for 2012. The author wrote a heartbreaking love story between troubled teenagers – two broken teens who found love in spite the circumstance against them.

Echo is a troubled girl because of an incident in her life that created a void in her memories. She can’t remember what happened and because of this Echo has a hard time trying to adjust and move on with her life. Noah on the other hand is our resident bad ass in the story. Another troubled teen, Noah got separated with his brother after his parents died and because of this, Noah is having unfocused with his life and priorities. Echo and Noah didn’t know each other but eventually got connected by sharing the same therapist (who I adore btw, such a kiss ass therapist). Eventually the two connected and that’s where the itty gritty part of the story starts. Two unconnected teenagers, different cliques, different personality yet along the way found each other to love.

This is not your typical YA novel and definitely not your typical romantic story either. It is emotionally charged and written with the right mix of pain, love, hope, closure, and more. I definitely felt Echo’s struggle and sympathized with Noah dilemma. Both teens are faced with issues that are very difficult but in spite of what they are facing both Echo and Noah are strong characters who matured and faced their issues and demons bravely. I don’t want to talk more about the whole story since I believe you’ll enjoy the book more if you read it.

I promise you Pushing the Limits won’t disappoint. The flow of the story was perfect, the characters felt genuine and nothing felt unnecessary. In addition to that, the ending answered all my questions and an gave me that sense of relief that I often feel after finishing a satisfying book.

If anyone would ask me about Pushing the Limits, I’d just tell you that you HAVE to read the book. No doubt about that. Pushing the Limits is highly recommended!

Review: Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Title: Dark Companion
Author: Marta Acosta
Pages: 356
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Netgalley

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She’s even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper’s cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something’s not quite right about the school — or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She’s also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school…and be bound to Birch Grove forever?

REVIEW

When you’re a foster kid and you don’t have anybody or anything but your wits, intelligence and street smarts – what have you got to lose when you are offered a scholarship in an elite school offered only to the best of best? In Dark Companion, we meet Jane who accepts an offer to be given everything she ever dreamed off but little does she know that Birch Grove Academy for Girls has its secrets. What will Jane do and how will she deal?

I never did know what to expect with Dark companion, it had that mysterious feel to it which made readers crave for it more as each page turn. It was captivating and it definitely hooks a person’s attention from beginning to end. The story and concept is very intruiging but it started slower than I expected, and as I was deeper into Jane’s world and got acquainted with the other characters I had a very difficult urge to put the book down, as the story picks up you’ll eventually finish it without realizing it.

Here’s one quote that I loved:

“What makes you angry Jane?”

“Pretty much everything.” I said casually, as if it wasn’t true. “Life isn’t fair, so you have to play the best game you can with the card you’re dealt.”

That’s just lovely. Okay, characters.

Let’s start with Jane. She was very simple, a black and white person, you know what to expect from her but she’ll surprise you with how matured and practical she is with life. Her friends in Birch Grove Academy was a mix of seriousness, hilarity and curious teens. Mary Violet is a crowd pleaser from the moment you meet her and her antics are to rad for. It’s all French and poems with her. (READ her poems) those will give you laughs, I can guarantee that. There are only two boys in this story – Lucky and Jake – who are the headmistress’ sons. Lucky was weird right off the bat, next! Haha kidding. He was very self centered and arrogant, had a very low opinion regarding him from the start given that he was the eye candy of every girl and was described handsome. Face value could just go a long way while Jake on the other hand is the one you should be rooting for. You’ll definitely feel the chemistry there ’nuff said.

The plot, twist and how the story ended wasn’t what I was expecting. You may have an idea on what the book is like but if you divulge into the world of Jane Williams you’ll realized that it wasn’t what you thought it was. It was part realistic and part gothic, dialogues and characters were definitely believable and bottom line is that Acosta wrote a very entertaining and great read for every reader to enjoy and recommend. It may not be for everybody to enjoy but what I can guarantee is that it is a read that’s worth your time and opinion.

Leaving this quote here:

There are always things we don’t recognized due to inexperience, as well as those things which we consciously or unconsciously choose not to see because theey don’t fit our expectations and desires.

Book Review: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Title: Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1)
Author: Michelle Rowen
Pages: 348
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 0373210477
Source: Netgalley

I don’t do dangerous. Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that’s me. But I just couldn’t pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me…something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It’s like part of me is missing-and I don’t know if I can get it back.

Then there’s Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he’s keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he’s what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me.

REVIEW

The conflict between angels and demons is in action and Samantha is right in the middle of it.

Every novel needs an interesting prologue or first chapter asides having a fascinating blurb in order for readers to pick up a book – Dark Kiss had all those. Another is a cover, that’s another check for Dark Kiss and of course you need a mysterious title, another check.  With all those elements, Dark Kiss became a quick and enjoyable read unfortunately the concept wasn’t unique enough to make it stand out from the rest. I actually thought as if I am watching another episode of Supernatural (which I totally adore and watch every episode) but that was also the same reason why I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Kiss. It had everything that I crave – angel vs. Demon, conflict, confusion, drama and action all rolled into one.

At some point, the story became predictable and that sucked but as I said since I am enjoyed reading Dark Kiss I didn’t mind it much to put the book down which was a good decision since halfway through the story it definitely gets better.

There’s one scene that I did enjoy most –

“Honestly, Bishop. You should have found me before this. Why did you wait till I came here?” His jaw was tight.

“I want to handle this on my own.”

“Nice thought. But everybody needs a bit of help sometimes.”

Samantha is a strong character. I liked her a lot. Very dedicated to the cause in spite not knowing what it is and who to trust. Bishop on the other hand seemed vulnerable (actually he reminds of Castiel in Supernatural) but that is very important to the story so I just had to deal. Kraven on the other hand I loved very much – sarcastic and funny. Stating that, I wonder why do supporting characters seem to be almost everybody’s favorites? Hmmmm I need to figure that out. Moving on, I haven’t read much about Roth, Zach and Connor but hoping to in the next book. Anyway, the last few chapters was soo good. Questions were answered and a few more left hanging for the next book. What Carly did and what became of her that was unexpected- I can definitely see a vengeful Carly in the future but who knows?

All in all – enjoyable read but still lacks the attitude to make it stand out among the rest of novels with similar stories. Can recommend it especially if you enjoy the points I stated above – danger, angels, demons, conflict. If you love those, you might want to pick this book. 🙂

Related articles

• Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen – Kindle Young Adult Paranormal Romance Review (kindleebookdeals.com)
• Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen (thebookhookup.com)
• Review: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen (bookarooju.wordpress.com)

Book Review: Afterwards: A Novel by Rosamund Lupton

Title: Afterwards: A Novel
Author: Rosamund Lupton
Pages: 400
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
ISBN: 0307716546
Source: Netgalley

There is a fire and they are in there. They are in there…

Black smoke stains a summer blue sky. A school is on fire. And one mother, Grace, sees the smoke and rush. She knows her teenage daughter Jenny is inside. She runs into the burning building to rescue her.

Afterwards Grace must find the identity of the arsonist and protect her children from the person who’s still intent on destroying them. Afterwards, she must fight the limits of her physical strength and discover the limitlessness of love.

REVIEW

Afterwards is a story about family & friendship with the complications of tragedies that can break ties, un-credit people and make you double think about what you really believe in your life and the people around you.

This is the first book I have read from Lupton and my experience so far is “so-so”. Afterwards seems like a great book with a mysterious cover and promising storyline but there are holes in the story that a reader will certainly notice.

1. Explanation – when Grace and her daughter were being treated in the hospital, they somehow experience an out-of-body phenomenon which helps them follow the development of the tragedy in spite being in critical conditions. Okay, so my problem with this here is HOW was this happening? There wasn’t anything to prepare the readers about this part of the story and it was just laid there by Lupton and that can be quite confusing. It’s like the author decided to make this story interesting by doing something such as this which is not working for me in this case.
2. Narration – I had a hard time following Grace’s thoughts. The narration was not really working for me for some reason. I enjoyed the story more when Grace just watched as the events passed by.
3. Development & Disconnection – I just felt that the characters weren’t developed enough for the story. It was like reading bits and pieces and not getting the whole piece. And what sucks is that I have read Afterwards a few days ago but I can’t remember the story anymore. It didn’t have that needed appeal to me to make it memorable like it did to other readers.

Enough with the things I didn’t love about Afterwards, let’s see what I did like about the story:

1. Mystery – Lupton had a great idea and wrote a story that isn’t as predictable as some novels are. The ending wasn’t what I expected and the person to blame was also not the person that I thought would do it. This is where the story excelled, the “shock” effect of who did it, why they did it and how they did it.
2. Emotionally tugging – I did say above that I didn’t connect with Afterwards as I hoped I would BUT that doesn’t mean that the story didn’t provide readers with tear jerking moments. It did have its highlights – here and there – and although it might just be here and there, I’d say that’s a plus point for me since little emotion is better than nothing at all. A smile there, a tear there is much better than a blank face skimming through pages.
3. Writing – Lupton can indeed write well. Her writing style basing on Afterwards can be troubling at first but once you are on the wagon, it can be a ride of excitement and anticipation. Pacing was slow at first but the mystery of the story is worth the slow start. I haven’t read Sisters, Lupton’s praised book before Afterwards, so I may not justify Lupton’s skills but so far I am not closing my doors to any novel from her in the future.

People who have read Afterwards had mixed emotions. Not everyone is a fan but there are definitely a hefty number of readers that enjoyed this book. Here are some reviews that might help you decide if Afterwards is for you –

• Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (nochargebookbunch.com)
• Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (jottingswithjasmine.wordpress.com)

You can also read excerpts of Afterwards HERE.

Book Review: Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Title: Between You and Me
Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Pages: 288
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 1439188181
Source: Netgalley

In Between You and Me, twenty-seven-year-old Logan Wade has built a life for herself in New York City, far from her unhappy childhood in Oklahoma. But when she gets the call that her famous cousin needs a new assistant, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Logan hasn’t seen Kelsey since they were separated as kids; in the meantime, Kelsey Wade has become one of Fortune Magazine’s most powerful celebrities and carrion for the paparazzi. But the joy at their reunion is overshadowed by the toxic dynamic between Kelsey and her controlling parents. As Kelsey grasps desperately at a “real” life, Logan risks everything to try and give her cousin the one thing she has never known—happiness. As Kelsey unravels in the most horribly public way Logan finds that she will ultimately have to choose between saving her cousin and saving herself.

REVIEW

I just finished Between You and Me and I have to tell you guys I have mixed feelings regarding the book. There were parts that I liked, there were moments I was soo frustrated I didn’t want to finish it.

When your wrapped with wealth, power and popularity – what does one do to keep up with its pace and what are the things one is willing to sacrifice to maintain and keep it? Between You and Me gives us that look-see of what it has to take to be a celebrity and what it means to be always in the limelight. This novel is inspired by the life of Britney Spears (NOTE: I have never liked the singer but was intantly curious).

Okay so onto the story, here’s what I like:

• It was written well. When it came to pacing, progression and story line I don’t have anything bad to say. I have never read a single novel from both authors and it was amazing at how fast I finished reading this book. From the moment you read the first few pages, beware! It is a very quick read and you are given information back and forth so be sure that you buckle your seat belts.
• It is a story about THE pop star, who doesn’t want a glimpse of it? Everyone Most of us loves to gossip – that’s a fact. Granted that it is only “inspired” but reading the story gives you a different take on the whole Britney Spears’ hullabaloo.

Okay so what don’t I like about the book:

• It was very tiring to keep up. It was very emotionally draining to read about Logan-Kelsey-their family-everything else. Logan was an awesome character, very strong and dedicated but at the end of the day one should have the idea on when to say no and when to stop with all the drama and craziness. I was loving and hating her at the same time. Lastly Kelsey’s parents. Read the book you’ll understand why.

It takes a lot to be successful but it’s a different idea if you are successful and in show business when everyone is keeeping an eye on what you do and judges you on the results of your actions. Between You and Me gives us a different view behind a persons situations – it doesn’t just pertain to popular and important person – but it concerns everyone of us.

Before you give judgement to a person and what happened to them, be sure that you know most of the facts or at least you have an idea on what’s happening leading to a particular scenario scenario. Better yet, keep your opinion to yourself.

I may be part of the minority who didn’t enjoy the story but give it a try, you might like it. As I said, I am part of a portion, there are reading who are loving it. In my opinion,  was just too tiring to read – as I have said above, it contained to much drama for my emotional compass to digest but asides that it is interesting. 🙂

Book Review: The Six by K.B. Hoyle

Title: The Six (The Gateway Chronicles #1)
Author: K.B Hoyle
Pages: 256
Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop
ISBN: 1449535798
Source: Netgalley

Darcy Pennington hates her life. She is an insufferably average teenager with no real friends, crushing social anxiety, and an indescribable sense of not fitting in anywhere. A change in her dad’s job forces her to attend Cedar Cove Family Camp the summer before her eighth-grade year, and Darcy once again finds herself on the outside of a social circle of teenagers, with her only advocate being an awkward girl named Samantha Palm. The only problem is, Darcy has no desire to be friends with her, but as the hostility from the other teenagers increases, she decides to return the friendship.

When Darcy begins to experience strange magical occurrences, she comes to believe she’s either losing her mind or on the brink of a discovery that could give her purpose in life. After unwittingly stumbling through a magical gateway to a new world called Alitheia, she convinces Sam and the other four teenagers to travel there with her, and despite their earlier hostilities toward her, they eventually concede leadership of their small group to Darcy. Once there, they learn the “arrival of the Six” was prophesied hundreds of years before, and that they must expel an ancient evil from the land. In the end their lives, and the fate of Alitheia, will hinge upon Darcy. Will she have what it takes to fulfill her mysterious purpose? Or will she fall prey to a deadly foe?

REVIEW

The Six. I was initially intrigued by the novel the moment I saw it in Netgalley and immediately requested it but for unknown reasons, I kept on passing through it in my reader and it became unnoticed for a couple of weeks. A couple of days ago, I started reading The Six and boy was I disappointed! Well, not in the way that you are probably thinking. I was very disappointed with myself for not reading the novel the moment I got it in my reader.

The Six is a story of Darcy and 5 of her friends who were prophesied to help Alitheia win against the baddies in their land. The Six has a Narnia vibe to it I must admit – it is similar when it comes to the parallel world concept, time stopping events and magical creatures but The Six has it’s own flavor to it. What I loved most about The Six was how the author created a world so enchanting and magical it was very entertaining to read and being a fan of Tolkien’s LOTR trilogy – The Six became memorable in my bookshelf.

Now for the characters, this is most likely the ever voiced opinion with regards to this novel – Darcy is an immature and selfish kid and I am not liking her one single bit. Actually that was also the main pull for me which is why I became so interested in the first few pages. so it’s win win. Darcy is negative from the start of the novel and I kept on figuring what her deal was and why she was like that. She also came of as a brat for me so I wasn’t really into her character although I would point out that as the story progress, her character matures a little but still not there. Her companions were also fun to follow. Each kid had their own personality and all 5 are very distinguishable from each other so you won’t have any issues following the story line. The magical creatures are also to look forward to. It would have been nice to learn a little more about these creatures though. Favorites would be Yahto Veli and Voitto Vesa, the narks (I can’t remember if I got that right, it’s narks right?). One person with two personality – literally. Narks has day and night counterparts. Their appearance and personalities changes as the time pass so imagine my confusion with their names as first. It’s Yahto and Veli (morning and night nark or the other way around, LOL) as the author explained in the story but to avoid confusion they use Yahto Veli or Vitto Vesa, whoever the nark is but still, it can get very confusing. In addition before I forgot, each kid also has a animal companion and forgive me, I forgot their names but as far as I can remember there’s a badger, lion, fox, bird (forgot what tye of bird) and a horse annnnnnnnnnd I’m forgetting one.  Geez, see with the intricate world created by Hoyle, one tends to get lost with it in a fun way.

Storytelling was superb. Hoyle has a gift for writing, it was very flawless and entertaining. I can really get a vibe  and see the story and the commotion, feel the emotions, the development. It has a balanced mix of fantasy and adventure with a little bonus of drama on the side. The ending was very intriguing and you’ll know immediately that it isn’t a stand alone book.

I got sucked in the story, got stucked in it and now I am wanting more. The Six is very recommended especially for people who enjoy fantasy and action. It is a mix of Narnia with a little Tolkien and a dash of Potter.