Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Snow White and Rose RedSnow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I love fairy tales and when authors re-tells an old favourite with their own spin on it my curiousity is always piqued.



The story is mainly about Rosamund (Rose Red) and Blanche (Snow White) who live with their mother at the edge of the forest that borders the Fairie realm. While the family makes their living off the herbs and plants they collect from the outer fairie territory, they've never offically met a fey creature and their mother intends to keep it that way. That is until a spell cast by two amatuer sorcerers is hijacked by a fey with dark motives and the essence of a fairie prince is stolen.



Suddenly the widow's worst fears are realised when a unique bear appears on her doorstop and even though the threat of the hangmans noose for witchraft has crept closer to her door, her daughters and herself do all that they can in a race against time to find the cure to the poor bear's enchanment. As Blanche forms an attachment with the mysterious bear, Rosamund strikes an unlikely aquaintance with a strange tinker who can make dormant roses bloom at a touch.



Now while this story wasn't bad it wasn't exceptionally great either. It had it all at the beginning, the story had a great start up but somewhere along the middle it lost me and I found myself putting it down time and time again to do something else. I felt that though the story was predictable the author could have done so much more with it, especially in the bits that seemed created as filler that would just drag on.



On the upside the banter between Rosamund and John was pretty entertaining, not to mention the funny yet sometimes utterly confusing comments from Robin. On the whole an ok read, just for curiousity sake.





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Burn Bright (Night Creatures, #1)Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Now this book is one big twist and the surprises don't stop coming. The closest I could come to describing this book in one sentence is: A dark tale set in a youth only utopian styled party island blanketed in enternal night where drugs come free, dream outfits are a locker away and dark secrets are hidden around every corner.



The story centres around Retra, a girl branded as a Seal with no rights what so ever who lives a seriously sheltered life in a place called Grave... the name pretty much says it all doesn't it? Following in the footsteps of her brother Joel, Retra leaves all she has ever known behind and escapes her suffocating community in the hopes she will be reunited with him on Ixion, the island of no Elders, no rules, no punishment. Only music, laughter and freedom.



In no time Retra finds herself changing as she forms friendships, makes dangerous enemies and unwittingly secures the affections and protection of a seriously hot admirer. But will she find her lost brother or lose sight of her sole purpose for coming to Ixion? As not all is what it seems on the island designed soley for the pleasure of the young...



It's a pretty good original read and you can never really guess what will happen next. I ended up cheering Retra on when she finally began to break out of her shell for the better. The ending isn't what you expected either. I'm looking forward to the next installemnt called Angel Arias.







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Sisters Red (Sisters Red, #1)Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's a little hard to put into words what I think of this book.

The story is split in the middle between the two viewpoints of the March sisters Scarlett ("Lett") and Rosie. The sisters who share one metaphorical heart. When Scarlett's M.I.A woodsman hunting partner Silas returns to the neighbourhood things start to heat up in more ways than one and a whole can of worms opens up for the sisters as they have to face a few tough choices and dangerous new foes.

Even though I was intrigued by the idea of a present day red riding hood tale I was still a little skeptical about the story at first and there's one area I plain didn't like, for example Scarlett slightly 2 diminsional character. Scarlett is horribly scarred & has one good eye while wearing an eye patch over her other thanks to a childhood nightmarish experience that has turned her into what she is today. She loves her sister Rosie, respects her hunting partner Silas... and simply LIVES for the hunt. No seriously, hunting Fenris (souless, lusty, male werewolves who eat young girls... I kid you not. The skankier clad the lass the better and dressing in shades of red sends them off the deep end) is her sole drive, her passion, her respite. Hobbies: Hunting Fenris. Goals: Wiping Fenris off the face of the earth, one Fenris at a time if need be. Sleeps better at night: After killing a Fenris or two. Loves: Her sister Rosie; Oh and hacking Fenris with her axe while occasionally stabbing it with a hunting knife... Am I sensing a theme here?

While doning the red hood and equipping the battle axe to save mankind is admirable and all, there is obviously more to life. Though her sister Rosie realises this as she begins to experience feelings that have been lying dormant till the reappreance of older sexy Silas, Scarlett's character doesn't seem to develope much besides going off the deep end once or twice when things begin to change around her... Then Scarlett just realises that while she shares her heart with her sister, the rest of her is devoted to hunting with room for nothing else. So yeah, I was somewhat disappointed in that regard.

Overall it wasn't a bad read and I did enjoy it. Besides the occasionally witty remark from Silas, it was entertaining to see the relationship between Rosie and Silas blossom into something neither of them expected. There's one particualarily funny bit with Rosie living a little in a community life drawing class and a crazy tango class. Not to mention it was pretty awesome to read about girls that lure and dispatch evil furry monsters with axes and knives.

I seriously hope there is a sequel to this book, even though the author advised that writing this book was near impossible. I know Scarlett will never give up the hood but at least give her a second chance at getting a life or at least a seriously hot woodsman of her own.



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