I have had a really long love affair with the books written by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I adored the first two books in the Chronicles of Nick series and I feel book three, Infamous is the strongest book in this series to date.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an audio book copy of this novel and the narration is done beautifully by Holter Graham. I got a completely different experience with having the book read to me rather than reading it to myself. If you have the means I wholly recommend allowing Holter to woo you with the book. Anyway, let’s cut to the chase.

Nick found out the truth about his ‘uncle’ Ambrose and is having a bit of a John Conner, Terminator moment. He has enough on his plate with the 2 jobs, school, his mum and his virtually nonexistent social life – but to then find out your older self has come back in time to try and get you to fix your life so you don’t turn into a heartless evil monster; is a little more than even Nick can take.

To add insult to injury, some loser is targeting people at school, telling secrets and doctoring explicit photos. Not to mention making up vicious lies. Nick is caught up in the maelstrom of hate and it will take trust, willpower and the best efforts of Nick’s friends, to keep him from a fate worse than death.

I now know why Nick feels so awfully henpecked throughout this series by his overly protective mum. I hope all mothers don’t sound like that when we are in the throes of a stress attack over our children. Even I wanted to yell at Cherise for not letting her son explain himself. Funnily, when reading in my head, she never sounded quite that manic.

We still have the cheeky repartee that is typical of Nick, but I was surprised by a certain scene with Kody that had me doing the ugly cry. Battling your personal demons isn’t easy for anyone, and Sherrilyn approached the subject with dignity. The monologue was beautiful and I’m sure if more people had friends like Kody in their lives, the world would be a different place.

Your jaw will hit the floor with some bits and for the most part, this is a book that should come with a choking warning, Talon sounding like a Valley Girl, need I say more.

I tell you it is going to be a really hard thing to wait for the next installment of the Chronicles of Nick with the book, Inferno not due until March 2013. That’s an eternity away!

If you’ve read Infamous, please, tell us what you thought.

http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/book-series/chronicles-of-nick/

Audio Book Info

ISBN 1427214891 (ISBN13: 9781427214898)

Macmillan Audio Narrated by Holter Graham

Book Info

Paperback, 358 pages

Published March 13th 2012 by Atom

ISBN 1907411550 (ISBN13: 9781907411557)

by Johan Harstad, Tara F. Chace (Translator)

It’s been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA’s unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space–and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band’s ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it’s her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space… no one is coming to save them.

In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

Hardcover, 355 pages  Published April 17th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

To help promote interest in NASA, a lottery is held in which 3 teenagers from around the world will be chosen to make a trip to the moon. The complete trip only takes about 3 weeks. To my knowledge, training, traveling and returning would have taken much longer in real life but this book really shortens it to speed up the plot.

Each winner has a different reason they want to go. The story is told from several different perspectives. In my opinion the book is really divided up into two sections; before the flight, and the time on the moon. For me the story didn’t really begin until they took off. I enjoyed the suspense and the interactions while they were on the moon, much more than the time they spent preparing. During the last half, the reader gets more emotion and connection with the characters and the suspense of the story really starts building once they land on the moon. The mystery and fear really push the story forward and it finishes with some great twists. However, by the time I was really getting sucked into the story the events felt a little rushed.

I do have to say that this book got me interested in finding similar stories. I have always been a fan of films where space ships go to far off planets, get caught up in a deadly situation and have to overcome obstacles to get home. For the most part I enjoyed the novel and will most likely pick up something by this author again.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a proof copy of Fated in my mail box and on opening the package, the brilliance of the cover hit me full force. It’s rich and appealing. The girl on the front looks like a force of nature, and there is so much movement in the picture, it’s almost like she’ll fly from the cover, followed by the ravens appearing from strands of her long dark hair. She has a dream-catcher earring and feathers entwined in other parts of her hair, giving me the immediate feeling this was going to be a book with Native American mythology themes. In this case, you can judge the book by its cover.

Daire Santos’s sweet sixteen turns sour when she has an emotional meltdown, after her visions of glowing people, crows and other assorted gruesome things. Instead of institutionalizing her, Daire’s mother sends her to a place called Enchantment in New Mexico to live with Paloma: the grandmother she’s never met. She is surprised to find the crazy old lady can really help her to hone her skills as a seeker, and her abilities are a family legacy and not just a freakish defect.

Who are the mystery boys in her dreams? How will she endure the first day at Milagro High? What can she do to save this town from the evil men running it?

I liked so many elements of this book that I’ll have to list but a few and ask you to add to my list in the comments when you have read Fated for yourself.

I find in so many Young Adult novels that there is usually a parental figure that seems to have dropped the ball, and we’re asked to dislike them for their insensitivity toward our hero. This is not the case in Fated. Daire’s mother, Jennika, was a young mother and did her best to provide for her daughter. She makes an unexpected decision in sending her daughter to her grandmother rather than to an institution. She is aware, observant and fiercely faithful. It is refreshing to have such a positive portrayal.

I am enchanted by the setting of Enchantment. It seems to be a place where getting back to basics is a given thing for all its residents. The great equalizer being that everyone is in the same boat to a certain extent, and life really is what you make of it. Daire is out and about in nature and not stuck in her room being a pensive brat. She finds joy on the back of a horse, and happiness with the people she learns to trust and call friends.

The Native American mythological themes of animal totems and the power of the elements make for a beautifully intense layer to the storyline. Alyson Noël puts value in the legacy of family. She writes about respecting your elders, which isn’t necessarily exclusively part of the Native American ethos, but it was nice to revisit this in a way that wasn’t preachy.

So I have now babbled on for more than 500 words and I hope you’ll give Fated a chance to catch you in its thrall. You will not be disappointed.

Looks like The Soul Seekers second book, Echo, is due out in September 2012. I’m really looking forward to it.

Krista adds (audio book):

The narrator Brittany Pressley does a good job at giving a voice to Daire Santos. Especially, the interpretation of her feelings of confusion when she starts to see unusual things. And again the anger and fear when she is left with a grandmother she has never met. The narrator is able to easily portray the emotions of a distraught spoiled teen who is having her world turned upside down.

Since this is the first book in the series, there is a lot of building of character and world setting. Insights are given to the reader about what a Soul Seeker is and the Native American Lore and Shamanism that it’s based upon. There are not a lot of action or fast paced sections to the story. It is mostly about discovery and information. My favorite part of the story is the meeting of the villain. I was glued to the stereo for the entire climax.

Overall, the audiobook is a very good presentation of the emotions and entertainment that the book offers. Please feel free to listen to the sample below.

Fated by Alyson Noel – Chapter 1 (audio book sample)

Paperback, UK, 352 pages

Expected publication: May 24th 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books

ISBN 1447206800 (ISBN13: 9781447206804)

http://www.alysonnoel.com/

The New York Times best-selling Mortal Instruments continues – and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

©2012 Cassandra Claire, LLC. (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

One thing that I have come to rely on with Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series is her consistency. She has well-rounded and compelling characters that make me smile and also situations that break my heart.

In the newest instalment to the series, Jace has become bound to Sebastian. The Shadowhunters have taken sides on whether they should try to save Jace, or kill them both. Jace is unable to stay separated from Clary and they get a little bit of one on one time. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship is flourishing. Even with each and every hardship they endure throughout the series, their love is the strongest bond I have ever seen in a Young Adult novel.

By this far in the series we have been introduced to a lot of different characters. Simon is constantly finding new challenges of his own since he has become a “daywalker” – a vampire that the sun does not affect. But he is having problems at home, specifically with his relationship with his mother.

Besides my love for the relationship of Clary and Jace, I was very happy to see more of Magnus and Alec’s relationship in this one as well.

It’s a never-ending cycle of ups and downs when it comes to the relationships between these characters. Cassandra Clare is always finding new ways to put her characters on an emotional roller-coaster and have the readers join right along on the ride.

One thing that will always keep me coming back to the series is how I never see the end coming. I have never been able to call it right. Just when I think they are going to make it through their trials, she throws a twist in there, making me crave more.

When it comes to the audio-book I was very happy to see the solo narration from Molly C. Quinn. She does a fantastic job with this series. In the last book we got Simon’s perspective from narrator Ed Westwick and while he has a swoon-worthy accent,  I had a hard time understanding him (but I still recommend that audiobook in a heartbeat). When I read the books, I hear Molly’s voice in my ear, she is exactly as I would imagine Clary to be, she does wonderful job portraying the emotions of the characters.

City of Lost Souls audio book: listen to a sample

I was looking aimlessly through the library shelves again when I came upon two books by Kelly Keaton. I was gripped by the covers. They are beautiful with their serpent-like overlays and purple, black and white colour schemes.

Darkness Becomes Her has a blonde female face with vivid green eyes glaring out from it. A Beautiful Evil has the back of a blonde woman’s head and shoulders; her hair is morphing into a snake.

Darkness Becomes Her

Ari has always stood out with her silver hair and teal-coloured eyes. After 13 years in the foster care system, Aristanae Selkirk finally catches a break on finding her birth mother. Life for 17 year old Ari is suddenly pulled into razor-sharp focus when she is handed the box containing the personal effects of her deceased Mum.  Inside she finds a letter telling her to run.

Upon further sleuthing the trail leads to New 2; the now privately owned New Orleans. As luck would have it she finds a group of misfit kids, not unlike her, and her new friends will do anything to help Ari and make her feel at home.

Will Ari find the answers she is looking for before the evil her mother told her to run from, catches up with her? Can Ari handle the truth of her family heritage? What will she do next?

A Beautiful Evil

Ari has answers to her questions, but its lead to some unwelcome outcomes. Now it’s up to her to fight to bring back the youngest of her friends and overpower the person responsible for wiping out New Orleans 13 years ago.

Will the Novem stand together to help her in her quest, or will they turn their backs on what she will become?

Aspects of this alternate reality book cut a little close to our reality with the destruction of New Orleans and the political powers of the time not really working as hard as they could to rebuild it. Though in this reality, the Novem Council of nine rich families (made up of shape shifters, witches and vampires) have bought the place from the government and have worked at creating a haven for those not of the norm.

There are many strong points to enjoy, including the supernatural themes and a pleasant twist found in Ari’s family tree that I won’t ruin for you. The romance is smouldering, the action is quick and well-staged and the bad guys are monstrous.

Give Ari a chance. She kicks ass, even when she’s got every reason to curl up and hide from the world.

If you like Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series you will adore Kelly Keaton’s spin on New Orleans.

Kelly also writes the adult fantasy Charlie Madigan series under the pen name Kelly Gay.

http://www.kellykeaton.net

Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters #1)

Paperback, 273 pages

Published June 9th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Ltd (first published February 22nd 2011)

ISBN 0857071459 (ISBN13: 9780857071453)

A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters #2)

Paperback, 288 pages

Published February 2nd 2012 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

ISBN 0857074091 (ISBN13: 9780857074096)