The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard by Kiera Cass

Description:

Two novellas set in the world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Timesbestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time.The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated third novel in the Selection series.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know.

Review:

The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard by Kiera Cass

4 out of 5

If you would like to see the reviews of the 2 short stories in this book, please look at the previous book review posts.  For this review, I'm reviewing everything else in this book, which is also author's notes, playlists, and tons of other extras.  

I loved to finally get to see the family trees and to get the author's notes with them.  Getting an explanation on top of knowing why things happened as they did helped to add depth and get a better understanding of a lot of characters.  The fact that a lot of last names were changed during the installation of the caste system is so horrible.  

I loved reading the list of the caste system.  I have been trying to keep it all straight in my head, but it definitely helped to now have a list.  

I loved reading the Q & A with Kiera Cass.  She seems like such a friendly person.  I couldn't help but like her even more after reading the Q & A.

The only reason that this compilation doesn't get a 5 star rating is because there is No Map!  I need a map, please!  Since a lot of areas got renamed after Illea was created, it would be nice to know exactly what areas we are talking about.  

Overall, this is a great compilation of stuff.  For all fans of the Selection series, I hihgly recommend this book.  And for those who haven't gotten sucked into this beautiful world, y'all better get on it!

Happy Reading!

Cana

The Guard by Kiera Cass

Description:

Before America Singer met Prince Maxon . . . 
Before she entered the Selection . . . 
She was in love with a boy named Aspen Leger.

Review:

The Guard by Kiera Cass

4 out of 5

I have never really liked Aspen.  So, I delayed as much as I could reading this novella.  Now I will say that by the end, I didn't dislike Aspen as much as I did before, but I still don't like him.  

I liked that Aspen isn't such an ass, like I had originally though.  He wants to protect those he loves, which in his mind means pushing them away a lot.  I don't like it, but it makes him more understandable.

Oooh... More secrets.  Between the King's Office and the Mail room, many secrets are being shared and destroyed.  I wonder what else we'll learn in The One.

Oh how I wish that Aspen would go after Lucy.  I think they would make such a cute couple, especially since he seems to make her calm, to ease her nerves.  

I think my biggest problem with this story is how blind Aspen is, how whiny he is, and how judgmental he is about Maxon, especially when he is doing a lot of similar things. 

Overall, this was a good story.  I definitely recommend this novella.  
Happy Reading!

Cana

Happy Birthday to me!

I'm 30 years old today!   

And here's to another year of books, love and fun!

Happy Reading!

Cana

Happy Doctor Who Premiere Day!

Yay!  It's Doctor Who Premiere day!  Yay!

If you are as much of a Doctor Who fan as I am, you have been waiting for this since Christmas!  9 months is a long time to wait.  

So, I hope all of you have a good Saturday, and if you haven't watched Doctor Who, you really need to give it a shot!

Happy Reading!

Cana

The Prince by Kiera Cass

Description:

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...

Before Aspen broke America's heart...

There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...

Review:

The Prince by Kiera Cass

4 out of 5

So, I'm not normally a huge fan of short stories & novellas, primarily because they leave me wanting more.  Yet, I will admit I have been dying to read this short story just so I can get a better grasp on Maxon.  And let me tell you that this was so worth it!

Daphne, the Princess of France, might only be a blip in this story, but she definitely makes an impression.  I think that she definitely knew how to play on Maxon's insecurities and since he had hurt her, she was definitely aiming for the heart to hurt him.  

I had already felt bad for Maxon before this book, but this feeling just increased.  His father has made him feel so insecure about a lot of things.  He hasn't gotten a lot of interaction with people his own age, and to suddenly (though knowingly) be thrust into a situation where he is surrounded by 35 girls all vying for him, it can be more than overwhelming.  It can be absolutely dangerous.  

I loved getting to see Queen Amberly through her son.  She is always so encouraging, no matter what the results are.  I love that.  

I did love the bonus "Exclusive Extended Ending".  Some secrets were hinted at, and how/why Maxon decided to keep America in the Selection.  I think this was a perfect extension to this little novella.

I wish there had been a bit more of this story.  Maybe a bit more before his birthday, to see what was normal before the Selection.

Overall, this is a wonderfully quick read.  I think it is a great prequel to the Selection series, a great refresher before reading The One, and just a plain good read.  I definitely recommend this novella!


Happy Reading!

Cana

The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter

Description:

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive, but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he thought was forever beyond his reach until now. 

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally or tear them apart?

Review:

The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter

5 out of 5

Yay!  The book we had all been waiting for!  Yes, I know I'm 2 years late, but I've been waiting since Paris lost Sienna.  And let me tell you, I wasn't as disappointed as I was expecting.

On a side note to the publishing company about book covers:  Please, for the love of Pete, please, please, please actually try to get the art department descriptions of what the characters look like.  Don't put a violet-eyed, exotic looking woman on the cover when in the book she is a hazel-eyed, average looking woman.  Come on!  Get with it!

OMGoodness!  More is revealed about Galen... And I also don't know how I feel about him going after Legion or how he gets her.  But I do find it interesting what potentially might happen.  

I loved when William threatened Zacharel about feeding him his liver, and his response is that it is too salty... Hilarious!  I think it didn't work as planned by William, but it definitely made for an entertaining bit of conversation in this book.

Oh, the babies!  Wow!  I personally wasn't expecting them to be so potentially evil and undeniably cute... And their names are definitely unique.  Not names I would have picked, but definitely unique.  

Viola & her (male) vampiric Tasmanian devil, Princess Fluffykins was hilarious! I could not resist laughing at her.  Even though she is a self-absorbed (thanks to her demon), she brought a light-heartedness to the story that we definitely needed.  And even with that, I wonder, will she get her own story where we find out what she has forced herself to forget?

Gosh, I! Hate! Cronus! &! Rhea! Their bloody bickering hurt so many people unnecessarily.   But, I must say that I was pleased with what happened to them.  I mean, it was definitely a surprise with what happened to them... I never saw it coming. 

I'm so curious about the Unspoken Ones... What are they going to do?  Who are they going after?  And will they ever be restrained again?

So what a big turn of events for Sienna.  I do wonder how this will effect the coming war.

So, I really want to now read the angel spin-off series!   I'm kind of excited to see what will happen to Zacharel.   

Overall, this was a good book, a great end to the overlying story arc of Sienna & Paris, and to finally get some resolutions.  For all the Lord of the Underworlds fans, this is a must read!  I highly recommend it!

Happy Reading!

Cana

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

Description:

It's never a good day when an ancient demon shows up on your toilet bowl. For Lizzie Brown, that's just the beginning. Soon her hyperactive terrier starts talking, and her long-lost biker witch Grandma is hurling Smuckers jars filled with magic. Just when she thinks she's seen it all, Lizzie learns she's a demon slayer-and all hell is after her.

Of course, that's not the only thing after her. Dimitri Kallinikos, a devastatingly handsome shape-shifting griffin needs Lizzie to slay a demon of his own. But how do you talk a girl you've never met into going straight to the underworld? Lie. And if that doesn't work, how dangerous could a little seduction be...?

Review:

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

3.5 out of 5

I love how Lizzie Brown cusses.  It is quite a bit like listening to an angry child.  And when she finally does use a real, adult cuss word, I was kind of shocked.  It also made me giggle.

I think that Pirate is my favorite character of all time!  He is hyper-actively funny, absolutely adorable, extremely hungry, and surprisingly mouthy.  He definitely made me laugh the most, and he was really the most consistent character out of the whole book. 

The Panos was a very interesting piece of magic.  Just the way a single stone on a bracelet can become whatever you need it to be to protect yourself, I think it sounds really useful... Or, as Lizzie proved, it could be a giant pain in the ass.

I really think that all these problems occurred in this book because NO ONE was upfront with information or explaination... Granted, it did lead to a lot of hilarious moments.  I just wished that someone had sat everyone down and explained things earlier than they did, because even I, the reader, got pretty confused on the whys, whats, and hows of this story.

I did find that the switch stars really did sound like Frisbees of death... Though, when it really needed to work, I think it fell quite a bit short of its target.   

I really found Andrea to be an irritating bitch (tee-hee, just like Lizzie said!).  But otherwise, she really wasn't necessary to the story, except to irritate me.

Okay, so my biggest issue with this book is how Lizzie suddenly trusts Gertie so quickly, and as if she has had decades of emotional connection with her.  I mean, the dumpster speech is a great example of the bull that happened unbelievably.  Argh!  It doesn't make any sense!

So, Dimitri... What do I get to say about him... Hmmmm.  OMGoodness!  There is a Yummy Griffin Shifter Alert!  I can't help but love his alpha, I'm-going-to-protect-you-and-have-you-as-well attitude that he exudes.  Then again, he was a bit of an ass at times.  Like when he was refusing to explain things.  And it also didn't help that he was a liar on top of that... But I still loved him.

Vald, the mad scientist demon, was not what I was expecting.  Which is always a good thing when reading about a villain.  I like being surprised by the villain occasionally, and I definitely was with this.  

So between Gertie, Phoenix, and Lizzie's adoptive parents, I find it amazing that she turned out as well-adjusted as she did.  I mean, they are all crazy on different levels, and had the potential of making a psychopath.

Okay, the roadkill magic was just really gross!  And coming from this farm girl, that is saying something.

Overall, this is a cute book, though it could have been better.  I will try the next book to see if it does get better.  I recommend this book for a mindless read.  
Happy Reading!

Cana

The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter

Description:

Once, Atlas, the Titan god of strength, was the Greek goddess Nike's slave. Now, he is her master. And soon these sworn enemies destined to destroy one another will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love….

Review:

The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter

5 out of 5

So, this was such a good short story.  To see another god that wasn't Cronus or Rhea was perfect.

So, Nike is more of a warrior than a princess or lady.  But she has always longed to be treated as such (what girl doesn't).  After being a guard, being a prisoner isn't one thing she like.  She really longs for freedom and revenge.  Still, I loved how strong she is as a character.  

Atlas was originally out for revenge, but quickly it changes to nothing but pure desire for Nike.  And boy is that determination hot!  I kinda wish that Nike hadn't held out for so long!

I did love how the god of strength knew how to romance a woman.  Not something you normally see from a "manly" man like Atlas.  

Best part was both Atlas' and Nike's decisions.  Atlas' sacrifice in doing what he had to do because he loved Nike was really awesome.  But I think the biggest decision came when Nike saw what Atlas had done to his house.  I think that was the best part of all of it.  

Again, this is another short story about the world of the Lords.  Yet in this one, there isn't really much of a hint at the Lords or the demons (with a small exception in the prologue).  I did miss getting to see the demons/Lords.  They are so much fun...

I did love how this story ended.  It was such a happy ending.  

Overall, this is a good and quick read.  I recommend it for everything one needing their Lord of the Underworld fix.  

Happy Reading!

Cana

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

Description:

He is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. She is the goddess of oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords -- and discover a passion unlike any other....

Don't miss this sizzling prequel to Gena Showalter's breathtaking new paranormal series, The Lords of the Underworld! Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful.

Review:

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

5 out of 5

OMGoodness!  Eekkk!  It is Beauty & the Beast in the Underworld!  Yay!  I mean, I love that fairytale, so of course I knew that I was going to love this story!

Geryon is more than he appears.  Though he looks like a monster, he creaves the life he gave up... Until Kadence comes into the picture.  Then he sees himself becoming a Guardian of the damned as a belssing, a gift.  And when he decides to save Kadence, it was a beautiful thing.  But it was also one of the saddest things.  

Kadence, though the Goddess of Oppression, is a very meek character.  Not what I would have expected.  It was almost as if she was oppressing herslef.  But when she finally does what she needs to do, to protect Geryon, she seems to finally find herself.  I did like that.  

This was one of the happiest and saddest happy-endings I've ever read.  Beautiful in all its happy/sad glory.  And I think that is what makes it so hard, that you already know what is going to happen before you even start this story.  

Overall, this is a wonderful short story that lets you see the beginning of the Lords of the Underworld.  Good story, and I highly recommend it!
Happy Reading!

Cana

Death's Academy by Michael Bast

Description:

The Death’s Academy entrance exam for Midnight Smith is quickly approaching. There’s just one problem: Midnight is the worst exam taker the academy has ever seen. If Midnight wants to ever step foot inside the school, he’ll have to join forces with the hated Guardian Angels, and together face the deadliest creatures in the world—the dreaded Unicorns. Becoming a Grim Reaper has never been more hilarious!

Review:

Death's Academy by Michael Bast

3 out of 5

So, I normally don't read middle school literature, probably because I didn't read middle school literature when I was in middle school.  But, it was a cute book.  

What I liked:

I loved the pictures scattered through the book.  I wish there had been more of them.  
Some of the classes at Death's Academy sound cool, but others sound a bit disturbing.  

Mal was a great character.  I wish I had had a best friend like Mal when I was that age.  She is creative, and intelligent, which I like.  

What I didn't like:

I didn't like Midnight.  He was disrespectful, he was a rule breaker, and was really a irritating character. Not a great example of what you would want your own middle schoolers to emulate.  

Overall:

I though that this was a very interesting world, what with the hoodies, halos, shorties, and such.  But for me, this story was not exactly what I would prefer to read.  Another plus is that this book is really clean, though it does hint at curse words and there is potty humor (not my favorite, but I do remember middle school boys being really big into that).  Overall, this was a cute read, and if you have a middle schooler, this book might be a great one for them.  
Happy Reading!

Cana

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Description:

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

Review:

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

5+ out of 5

So, I was extra excited to read this book.  I mean, I had been waiting 2 years for this book, and I couldn't wait to start this book!  I loved it!  And what a great conclusion!

So the beginning was really big.  Learning so much about what happened to Emily, the knights of Lazarus, ghosts, and everything else that Diana & Matthew missed while timewalking.  It is almost an overload of information.  But in some ways I think that was the best, because you know that it was an overload for Diana and Matthew.  

Gosh, I disliked Baldwin!  The ass is a bigger ass than I first thought.  Ugh!  But then he suddenly was an awesome character.  I'm not sure what happened, but I will say that Baldwin became one big surprise by the end of this book... And I can honestly say by the end, I did like him.  

So many secrets in a vampire's life... It really is the bread and butter of the vampires.  It is so sad to learn some of those secrets:  Ysabeau's actual creation & the beginning of her vampiric life; the truth about blood rage; & Matthew's son Benjamin.  You can't help but wonder that if the life is eternal (for lack of a better term), why keep all those secrets and burdens to yourself?  

Now, for me, I have been wondering about Annie and Jack since the end of 2nd book.  And we finally get an answer.  Poor Annie will not be seen again, which does make me a bit sad.  But then there is Jack!  And I couldn't help but cheer.. But then, it became poor Jack... And then Damn it!  I hate Baldwin!  Argh!  

There was so much researching in this book, much more than in the previous books.  Between the library, the lab, all the auction houses, and the Book of Life itself, we learned a lot more about the supernatural than we have before.  I liked that.

Wow!  About 1/2 way through the book, we get the big reveal about Benjamin & who his children are.  It had me surprised and shocked, because I definitely was not expecting that.  And what made it worse was how much I more I hated Benjamin after that reveal.  

So, I never really liked Miriam before this book, but boy did she grow on me.  She is one sassy vampire with a dry sense of humor that I loved!

OMGoodness!  I love Gallowglass.  I mean, between him and Ysabeau, he is one of my favorite characters from this trilogy.  I love him and wouldn't mind having him as my personal bodyguard.  And then there was his big reveal about his feelings, about Diana... Wooow!  I do so hope that he finds someone that will love him too (wouldn't be nice if he got his own book.... Hmmmm, nice!)

Now on to my other favorite character from this trilogy: Ysabeau.  I absolutely love her.  She is so strong, is a kick-ass warrior, and a loving mother & grandmother.  It all was great, but even better was seeing how she evolved from a witch-hating vampire to the supportive rock that Diana needed to succeed in her mission to save her husband and children. 

I was excited and scared when Diana told Matthew to start his own Scion, primarily because she knew if she didn't, he would possibly be forced to kill his own children.  But who knew what would have happened, and what struggles would happen because of them being separated.  But I was so glad it happened.  

I liked meeting Fernando.  He strikes me as a sassy gay man... Which did get me thinking:  Were there sassy gay men in medieval Europe?  But beyond this question, I think that Fernando is the perfect balance for almost every character.  He is the best friend for Sarah.  He is the common sense for Matthew.  He is the protector & educator for Diana.  He is the older brother for Marcus. He seems to be exactly what everyone needs when they need it.  

I loved Philippe's big reveal... And I think that Diana was not surprised.  The fact that he knew that she would be the one to carry his burdens, that put a lot of his scheming into perspective.  

When we finally understand what (and who) the Book of Life is, what it means to witches, vampires, & daemons, and what it means to humans too, was just so cool.  And when we see how it is linked between Diana, the weavers, the bloodrage-afflicted vampires, and the children born of those unions, it is beyond amazing.  

This was one ultimate ending to such an amazing trilogy, and yet, I'm dying for more.  I want more stories of the Bishop-Clairmont clan, and of their friends & family.  Overall, this is an amazing book, and it was the best one yet.  I can't wait to read more by Ms. Harkness (hopefully one day soon!).  I highly recommend this book & this trilogy!

Happy Reading!

Cana