Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Release Date: September 1st, 2009
Pages: 336

Fifteen-year-old Billi San Greal never meant to make history. Co-opted, or rather coerced, at the age of ten into the modern-day remnant of the Knights Templar by her father, the Grandmaster, Billi's the first girl ever to be a Templar. Her life a disciplined round of weapons' practice, occult lore, and a heck of a lot of bruises, Billi would happily settle for being a normal high-school girl rather than a secret warrior out to defeat the Unholy.

When she meets seductive, exciting Mike, Billi is dazzled. At last here is someone she can confide in; someone who will make up for the coldness and fear of her life. But Michael is not just a heart-breaker, he's an archangel with a terrifying agenda: to unleash the Tenth Plague — the death of all first-born children - and kids are already falling sick.

As the Templars ready for combat, it's clear that Billi's destiny is interwoven with that of Michael. Now she must choose who she wants to be. If she chooses the path of a true Templar, living out her terrifying heritage, it will destroy everything that matters to her. And there are some things, as Billi will discover, that are much, much worse than death . . .

This book caught my attention when I was searching for another book I want. It sounds pretty interesting.
Sadly it doesn't come out until September.

Son of the Shadows

Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

Release Date: June 17th, 2009
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 608
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Second of the Sevenwaters trilogy of novels about the last days of heroic Ireland, Son of the Shadows takes up the story of the children of Sorcha, who saved her enchanted brothers, and Hugh, the Briton she married. Sorcha's daughter Liadan is a gifted seer and healer who thinks, in spite of her visions, that she knows what the future has in store for her--caring for her dying mother and then an alliance marriage to Eamonn. A chance meeting on the road carries her off to care for a dying man--one of the mercenaries of the sinister Painted Man, Eamonn's archenemy and a killer for hire. Liadan discovers that she cannot choose whom she loves and that she and the Painted Man are as bound up in destiny as her mother and father were before her.

This is the second book in the Sevenwaters trilogy. This book is just as good as the first one. The magical charm that Daughter of the Forest had is seen in the Ireland landscape once again in the sequel.

The new characters that are introduced are just as interesting as the first book’s. Liadan is just as head strong as Sorcha was, set on getting what she wants out of life: love, adventure, and family. She expresses herself and refuses to be swayed from her love for the Painted Man even though her family frowns on her choice. The Painted Man is also an ideal bad boy that girls fall for with the haunted past that has created the man he is.

This book is a great folktale, continuing the first magical story. The third book is only bound to be as great.

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Teaser Tuesday (1)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme held by Should Be Reading and here is my Teaser for today.

It was Alec who spoke first. "What''s this?" he demanded, looking from Clary to his companions, as if they might know what she was doing there.

"It''s a girl," Jace said, recovering his composure. "Surely you''ve seen girls before, Alec. Your sister Isabelle is one." He took a step closer to Clary, squinting as if he couldn''t quite believe what he was seeing. "A mundie girl," he said, half to himself. "And she can see us."

"Of course I can see you," Clary said. "I''m not blind, you know."

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Page 12

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Release Date: May 1st, 2006
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
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Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

The story is a new fairy tale in the making. Every kid who has read it would be ready to make or buy fake wings and pretend to be one of the bird kids in the Flock. Even though it is set for a younger age range, I even feel the need to act the same way.

The characters are new and refreshing. The spunky character of Max is witty and fun loving. Fang is a great counter-part with is silent and brooding manner though you can tell he really cares about the Flock in his own way. Nudge and the Gasman are great comic reliefs to the serious advantage to rescue the gifted Angel. Iggy is a personal favorite because he is just as capable even though he is handicapped.

This was a fun read, and it was easy. The writing was simple, not to difficult at all. It was also written in a way where you feel like part of the adventure. It is also the first in the series and is a great beginning to the story being told.

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