Book Review: HIDDEN

Title: HIDDEN
Author: Sophie Jordan
Other books by Author: FIRELIGHT, VANISH
Publication Date: 09/11/2012
My Rating: 4.5/5--Really good!  Worth your time!
Plot in One Word: Dragons
Good if...you want something magical and action packed

A dangerous journey.
Shattered bonds.
Undying passion. 

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted her fate long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning. . . . 

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

My thoughts... 
HIDDEN is book #3 and the final installment in Sophie Jordan's FIRELIGHT series--books about shape-shifting draki (dragons) who in their demanifested state look like humans.  They live in their own 'prides' separate from the regular world.  In book #1 Jacinda and her family leave the pride to live among humans where she falls for a hunter (one who hunts and kills her kind for their pretty skins and the magical properties of their blood).  In book #2 her family is forced the return to the pride where dynamics change and more of the draki nature is revealed to the reader.  I gave both books #1 and #2 five star ratings.  Loved them both!  And book #3 is pretty close to being equally as great!  

All these novels are all fast paced, exciting, action-packed reads.  The characters are likable, the supernatural element unique and oh-so interesting, the twists and turns unexpected and plentiful, and the romance an added bonus.  Book #3 reveals more about the hunters and the enkros (the ones the hunters sell the draki to) as Jacinda poses as a prisoner to save Miram who was captured in book #2.  

I'm sad this series is ending here.  Yes, I really enjoyed this novel, book #3, and as I said before it was pretty close to being equally as great as the first two novels.  It was on par... I'm just can't give it a full five star rating because I don't feel like the series is 100% finished.  This novel wasn't the full conclusion I was looking for.  There's still so much more to learn about the draki, about Tamara and her future, about the new character 'the grey one', about the future of the pride, about Cassian!, about other prides, about Will's family, about Jacinda's mom, about...  (I could keep going on and on with this list.)  SO as great as this novel was it left me still wanting so much more.  I do hope Sophie Jordan writes more stories perhaps from other characters' perspectives.  Tamara's story or Cassian's story would be awesome!  That being said, I still loved this novel!  A must read!  (But be sure to read #1 and #2 first!)   

Overall recommendation: Read it!

Book Review: VANISH

Title: VANISH
Author: Sophie Jordan
Release Date: 09/06/2011
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Dragons
Good if...you want something magical and romantic

   An Impossible Romance.
   Bitter Rivalries.
   Deadly Choices.
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.
Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

My thoughts...
As the second novel in this series, I was happy to find this one just as good as the first! I read it greedily just as I did with #1.  Some of my favorite features were: 1.  The fast pace.  2. The twists and turns.  3.  The characters, especially Jacinda.  4.  The romance.  Not lacking between Jacinda and Will.  I even liked the new developments to Cassian's character, his tenderness and softer side, and the possible love triangle that's begun to develop.  5.  The myth arch.  The dragons.  Their talents.  The sister's new abilities.  Even the effect Will's blood holds over him.  All great additions to an already great story!

I will say make sure you read FIRELIGHT before reading this one.  I doubt it would make much sense without the first one.  I think it was good thing too that I recently read the first one.  Also, I feel like this story ended a bit too soon.  A great deal was resolved, but it ended just before the build up of another great action scene.  That would be my only complaint.  I have to wait a year to know what happened!!  But I have to know so bad that I most definitely will buy book #3.  I wonder what it's cover will look like.  :) 

If you haven't already; check on my review of FIRELIGHT :)

In My Mailbox #33

'In my mailbox' is run by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

VANISH by Sophie Jordan

An Impossible Romance.
Bitter Rivalries.
Deadly Choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

I just read FIRELIGHT and loved it. So I had to get VANISH right away!!! I can't wait to read this one!

Book Review: FIRELIGHT

Title: FIRELIGHT
Author: Sophie Jordan
Release Date: 09/07/2010
My Rating: 5/5--Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Dragons
Good if...you want something intriguing and romantic

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My thoughts...This book was mesmerizing, impossible to put down, and one of my new favorites.

You know, I've had it sitting on my shelf for forever now--collecting dust--while something held me back.  It's funny because the dragon/shapeshifter plot was the one thing that drew me to this book and simultaneously it was also what turned me away from it.  I guess I liked the concept, but felt perhaps it was just too good to be true, hard to live up to.  But surprise surprise!  That so wasn't the case!  This novel exceeded all my expectation and then some.  :)

Let me start with the characters.  Loved them!  Jacinda is fiery and spunky and lovable.  While Will is sweet and caring and so swoon-worthy.  Then the mythical element to this story.  Loved it too!  The twists and turns kept coming and certainly kept me on the edge of my seat as a reader.  All I know it that I'm putting in an order for the 2nd novel, VANISH, right now!  I want to read it as soon as possible!  That's how much I loved FIRELIGHT!

If you liked FIRELIGHT; then you might like...

TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

**Special note:  You might be wondering why I just compared this novel to TWILIGHT.  I did it mostly because there were a couple moments of Twilight-ness towards the end of the novel when the romance picked up.  If you're a Twilight lover you'll like this, and if you're a Twilight hater...don't worry, overall this book is nothing like Twilight and Jacinda is nothing like Bella. **

SEPTEMBER {Upcoming Releases}

VANISH by Sophie Jordan
(FIRELIGHT #2)
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?
Release Date: 09/06/2011

FATEFUL by Claudia Grey
Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.
Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .
Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over. Release Date: 09/13/2011

FROST by Marianna Baer
Leena Thomas's senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate -- confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena's anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena's own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste's brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. FROST is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological...well, which answer would let you sleep at night?
Release Date: 09/13/2011

AFTER OBSESSION by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.
Release Date: 09/13/2011

AS I WAKE by Elizabeth Scott
Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them--and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.  Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust. Release Date: 09/15/2011

HALF-BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure-bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1: Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's got a major crush on the pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.
Release Date: 09/15/2011

THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.  Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist. Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
Release Date: 09/27/2011

In My Mailbox #28

'In my mailbox' is run by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a way to showcase any new books (borrowed or bought) that you got in the past week. Here's what I got:

FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan (AMAZON)

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand (AMAZON | MY REVIEW)

BALLAD by Maggie Steifvater (AMAZON | MY REVIEW)

VAMPIRE BEACH by Alex Duval (AMAZON)

GONE by Lisa McMann (AMAZON)

NEED by Carrie Jones (AMAZON | MY REVIEW)

CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones (AMAZON | MY REVIEW)

I got all these books today for $18!!!  It feels like Christmas.  And if I could have carried more, I would have gotten more.  How?  The Borders near my husband's work in D.C. is closing.  80% off!  And since it's in a buisness area/the teen section is the basement, the YA books were vertually un-touched.  I recommend you go if you're in the area.  Great deals.  Also, anyone ever read VAMPIRE BEACH?  That one was kind of a long shot, but we'll see. 

Cover Art: VANISH

Yes, we all know I read books for their covers.  And here is another--just released--beauty.  In case you haven't seen it yet...

Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Book #2 in the FIRELIGHT Series
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.  Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

Release Date: 09/06/2011