December TBR

    Hello guys!  December is upon us and I'm really excited!  Not only is Christmas my favorite holiday, but my birthday is also this month, so I have multiple reasons to celebrate.  That being said, December is a great reading month because of the excess downtime from holiday break.  I'll also have at least a couple opportunities to acquire new books, so I've kept my TBR list light this month.  It will also be subject to change, depending on what mood I'm in and what books I get.  I didn't have any particular theme for this TBR, just books I've been interested in reading for awhile.  I'm still in a fantasy mood, although still slightly hungover from finishing The Mortal Instruments series.  I will try to think up a theme for next month, but for now here's a look at what I'm planning on reading this month.

(goodreads.com)

    Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima is the first book in a new series which takes place about 20-25 years after the events of her Seven Realms series.  Also, LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS COVER!  I was given an ARC copy of this book to read after I expressed interest in the Seven Realms novels.  If you haven't read any of The Demon King books, please go out and fetch them immediately.  Also, if you haven't read them, the following synopsis will be a bit spoilery, so fair warning...  Flamecaster follows a young prince named Adrian sul'Han, or Ash for short, as he tries to fight for his family against the cruel king of Arden.  His path crosses with a prisoner from Delphi named Jenna and they both need to work together to stay alive and destroy the king.  The king of Arden has his sights set on conquering the last free Queedom of the Fells, but Queen Raisa won't go down without a fight.  I'm already about half way through this book and it's already breaking my heart into pieces, (which is technically a good thing).  I don't know if I'd suggest reading it right after finishing The Crimson Crown like I did, but to each his own.  Eager to finish this one and see where it goes from here.

(goodreads.com)

    Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta is the second book in the Lumatere Chronicles and the sequel to Finnikin of the Rock.  This book takes place three years after the events of FOTR and follows Froi, who was originally a slave and a thief in the first book.  Froi now fights for the Queen and Finnikin.  He is sent on a secret mission to the kingdom of Charyn and discovers more than he bargained for.  I originally wasn't planning on reading the rest of this series any time soon, but I've heard really good things about this book in particular, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I didn't particularly like Froi in FOTR, so I'm hoping that because he's been trained more, he'll be a little easier to understand.  Here's to hoping!

(goodreads.com)

    I had planned on reading Shadow and Bone last month, but got swept away in The Mortal Instruments, so I put it off until this month.  I very much wanted to read this book, so I'm glad I kept it in mind.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is set in the nation of Ravka, (which seems to be based loosely on Russia), which has a flesh-eating demon problem.  Many people are forced into the army to fight against the darkness, which is the case with Alina Starkov.  Alina is able to save her friend from death, only to be taken away to be trained at the royal palace as a member of the Grisha, a magical fighting elite, led by the Darkling.  She must tap into her untamed power to save her country.  I've been interested in this book for a long time and the premise still grabs me, so I'm excited to start this book, which will probably be right after I finish Flamecaster.

(goodreads.com)

    Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is another female assassin book that takes place in England I believe.  Ismae escapes an arranged marriage only to be taken in by a guild of female assassins in a convent who work for the God of Death.  On assignment in the court of Brittany, she finds it difficult to stick to the task at hand when it involves murdering the one you love.  This book was recommended to me after reading Cruel Beauty, although I'm not sure why.  I have no major feelings for this book, but I'm in the mood for more assassins.  I feel like I'll either love it or hate it, so let's hope it's the former.

(goodreads.com)

    The Invasion of the Tearling was another book that I was supposed to read last month but set aside in favor of The Mortal Instruments.  This is the second book by Erika Johansen in which we find our main character, Kelsea, ruling over her Queendom of the Tearling.  The events of the first book have overflowed into this one and the Red Queen is seeking vengeance for Kelsea's defying her rules.  Kelsea also has some secret mystery power to see into the past and future, which was revealed a little in the first book, but not expanded upon, so I hope there's more of an explanation of that.  I kind of get that it's a regressed future society, but I'm not sure to what extent.  We'll see if I like this one more than the first.

(goodreads.com)

    I want to read The Bane Chronicles solely because I literally can't get enough Shadowhunters in my life right now.  Also, I want to know why Magnus is no longer allowed in Peru.  Can it just be January already?

(goodreads.com)

    The Warrior Heir is the first book another series called The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima that I was introduced to recently.  As if I needed yet another lengthy series to take up my life.  This series actually came before Chima's Seven Realms series, although this is still fantasy.  From what I understand, this book starts off in the real world of Ohio with a normal teenager with a health problem.  He soon finds out, through a series of unfortunate events, that he is actually a member of a secret race of magical warriors called Weirlind.  He is sucked into their world to battle for two warring houses.  The premise seems very Percy Jackson or Harry Potter-esq to me, (normal teenager, revealed to have secret/hidden ties to magic, goes on a quest involuntarily, becomes a part of their world, has to choose between the world he knew and the one he fits in better with now, etc.).  There's a bunch of books in this series, so if I get sucked in it'll be for awhile I bet.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, I wanted to re-read my original copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, (since everyone else seems to be reading it this month as well).  I don't have the illustrated copy in my possession, (yet), but I do have my original hardcover copy that I got when I was in about 4th or 5th grade.  I always feel like watching or reading Harry Potter around Christmas time for some reason and apparently I'm not alone in this.  I haven't re-read them in a very long time, so I'm curious to see what it'll be like for a 26-year-old to read this middle grade book now.  I may also watch the movie right after I read the book, just to better catch the differences.

    So there you have it, my diluted December TBR.  I'm hoping not to change this list too much, since I'll probably have read most of the books on this list come Christmas time.  That way, if I do get books, I can read those and add them on as I go!  Next week I'll talk TV recaps and go over my Christmas book list.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

November Wrap-Up

    Hey guys, sorry I took an impromptu, (but not really), break from posting last week.  I figured it was Thanksgiving and I could use a little time off, plus I was able to finish the rest of the paperwork I needed to complete to finish my colloquium, FINALLY.  Fingers crossed I get the OK from my pseudo-adviser sometime this week that I'm officially DONE with this Masters degree.  I'm also preparing to start my new job at a local library!  I had hope that my commitment and determination would pay off and I'm glad that it did.  I can't wait to start this new chapter in my life!  I can't believe how fast November went by and in that time I read a whopping 12 BOOKS guys!  12!!  That's the most I've ever read in a month!  Granted, most of those, (9), were Shadowhunter related, but still.  I don't think I'll be able to repeat that list until probably this summer when I have more time.  Plus I'm still suffering from a slight book hangover after finishing City of Heavenly Fire...  That being said, here are all the books I read this month.  I will try to keep it as concise as humanly possible and leave spoilers out, but I'm not promising anything.  This is going to be a long one, so bear with me...

(goodreads.com)

    The Night Circus:  I was supposed to read this book in October for Halloween because it seemed like that type of book, but I ended up running out of time.  I'm kind of glad that I read this book at the beginning of November because it's still had that eerie vibe to it, but with some romanticism thrown in.  This story was beautiful and enchanting, to say the least.  As the only real stand-alone book I read this month, it brought something different to the table that the others lacked.  I really had no idea where the story was going the entire time.  As you read through each section, you only get snippets of each time line and from certain points of view.  The story also takes place over a 30-year span of time, so that added to the intrigue.  The writing style kept me wanting more and the way the author alternated between the past and present was really interesting and effective for the story.  Not one of the characters came out and just said what was happening; you had to figure it out and piece it together for yourself, which I appreciated.  After reading a lot of YA, you get used to that standard plot structure, so it was somewhat refreshing to not know what to expect.  Each piece of the larger plot was revealed gradually and casually over time, which added to the suspense.  All of the characters were dynamic and interesting, each having a part to play in this "game."  Although the beginning was a little slow for me, it picked up towards the middle and I couldn't stop.  I also really liked the setting, 1800s/1900s, all over the world, but mostly London and New York.  The love story was beautiful and very unique.  Everyone should want a Marco in their life.  I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess:  OH MY GOD THESE BOOKS.  I think I've mentioned this before, but one of my friends recommended The Infernal Devices to me after I tried and failed to get into City of Bones.  She told me this would hook me into the Shadowhunter world and SHE WAS SO RIGHT.  I read the first book, Clockwork Angel in October, so I wanted to finish the series this month.  Little did I know that this would spur the changes I made to the rest of my TBR list for November...  Clockwork Prince takes place after the events of Clockwork Angel, in which Will is attempting to rid himself of his "curse" through Magnus, who can summon the demon he needs to bargain with.  The book deals with Charlotte fighting for control of the London Institute, the Lightwood brothers training Tessa and Sophie to fight like Shadowhunters and everyone trying to figure out what Mortmain is up to.  I was actually moved by the introduction of Cyril, Thomas's brother, because he looks just like him.  I also really liked that Sophie had a chance to shine despite her deformity.  Because Will is still trying to figure out what's wrong with him, Jem and Tessa end up developing a connection that is apparently so strong that it results in engagement.  I think it's adorable, but I never saw Jem as a romantic interest for Tessa, at least at this point in my reading.  There is so much betrayal and heartbreak in this book!  Will wasn't as much of an asshole in this one, but he's still easily my favorite character in the whole series.  I will eventually make a list of all the Will Herondale quotes that amuse me and post it somewhere.  Tessa is also more tolerable in this book, which was nice.  The revelation about Will at the end was excruciatingly painful and my heart broke for him.  We also get to learn more about Will's family, which was a nice touch.  Overall I Clockwork Prince 4.5 out of 5 stars.
    Clockwork Princess DESTROYED ME emotionally.  Easily one of the best books I've read this year, on the same level as ACOTAR.  I can't even with this book.  I laughed and cried so much that I couldn't sleep.  Jem goes through hell in this book.  While Will is away trying to save Tessa after she gets abducted Jem apparently dies, leaving Will in inconsolable pain.  This is exactly how I felt: Jem dying and Will leaving him/saying goodbye...NO.  Will feeling Jem die and then going on a murderous rampage....NO.  Will saving Tessa and confessing his love for her...YES.  The battle where Brother Zachariah is revealed to be Jem and I COULDN'T KEEP THE TEARS IN MY EYES.  Saying goodbye to Jem a second time when he leaves to be a full-fledged Silent Brother...NO.  The worst part of this book, emotionally, was the damn epilogue.  I read the entire thing sobbing uncontrollably.  This book has action, romance, sabotage, sacrifice, secrets, family, etc.  It's everything I could have asked for in a book, and especially for the ending of a trilogy.  It caused the worst book hangover I've had since The Deathly Hallows.  5 out of 5 stars and then some.  ALL THE FOREVER FEELS.

(goodreads.com)

    City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass:  Because of Clockwork Princess, I immediately forfeited the rest of my planned TBR for November and ran out to borrow the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series because I CAN'T STOP.  These are the first three books out of the six in this series and takes place in 2007 and 2008.  City of Bones introduces us to Clary Fray, whose mother is an ex-Shadowhunter on the run from her ex-husband, the evil and deadly Valentine.  Clary, through a series of unfortunate events which result in her mother's kidnapping, ends up running into Jace Wayland and his team of Shadowhunters, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, (all descendants of the original Shadowhunters from The Infernal Devices, which makes this series even more fun to read).  In the first 20 pages or so we see Church, an immortal cat who was saved by Jem in one of the other books, so I'm immediately hooked after that.  I went over the similarities and differences between this book and it's movie/TV show counterparts in a previous post, so if you're curious about my thoughts on those, go check them out.  Overall I loved the book, even though I pretty much already knew what happened from watching the movie.  The world building in the book was spectacular and the setting in New York City was an interesting perspective that gave the author a lot to work with.  I wish some of the scenes from the book had made it into the movie, but hopefully the TV show will do it more justice.  I gave the first book 4 out of 5 stars.
    The second book, City of Ashes, deals with the aftermath of the Shadowhunter showdown with Valentine and the revelation that Clary and Jace are actually brother and sister.  If I had to pick a least-favorite book in this series, (which I wouldn't), it would be this one, just because it does read like a middle book and focuses mainly on the conflict between the Clary and Jace trying not to be in love with each other.  This is the only book where incest is OK with me because it's NOT REAL.  I felt the worst for Simon throughout this book because he got dealt the worst hand.  We also get introduced to a bunch of new characters, mainly vampires and werewolves.  There is a lot of contact between the Shadowhunters at the institute and the Downworlders.  Jocelyn is still unconscious from the first book, so Clary is living with Luke.  Because of Clary and Jace's new relationship with each other, they try to stay away from each other, which results in Simon going after Clary.  Jace is on the outs at the Institute because of his involvement with his father Valentine.  Jace is implicated in a lot of stuff he didn't do and nobody trusts him, (as usual).  We see a lot more of Magnus in this book, which I love because I need more MALEC in my life.  Simon becoming a vampire was the hardest to read because I just felt bad for everyone, not just Simon, but Clary and Isabelle too.  Clary's growing into her powers and ends up saving everyone in the end.  One of the mysteries of this book was Jace's true parentage, which is revealed in the next book.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
    City of Glass was awesome to read.  It gave the first look into Idris, mainly the city of Alicante, the Shadowhunter home base, hidden to mundanes.  If you thought there was drama in the last book, this book tops that.  There's more incest, even real incest this time, with the introduction of Sebastian, who is revealed to be Clary's real brother and mostly demonic.  There was action, but we really didn't see much of it due to the focus on the lake scene.  I think reading how Clary has grown as a Shadowhunter through these three books in particular was enjoyable for me because at this point in the series, she's really come into her own.  I didn't particularly like how the author handled Jocelyn's return.  I thought Clary was a bit too dramatic and took out way too much on her mother at one time.  Everyone's self-loathing was at an all-time high in this book.  Again, Malec forever please.  At the end, Jocelyn reveals the truth about Jace's parentage and EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE.  I gave this book another 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire:  I thoroughly enjoyed these last three books in the series, more so than the first three I think.  Even though they are all connected and go together, I feel like they are split up three and three.  After the abrupt death of Valentine at the angelic hands of Raziel, you'd think there wouldn't be another antagonist running around who's just as bad, but you'd be wrong.  Sebastian is our new villain for these three books and boy, does he give Valentine a run for his money.  Crazy shit is happening this time around!  Also, the sexual tension is ridiculous for the next three books, so get used to that.  There are also a lot more references to the past, (The Infernal Devices), especially with the introduction of Brother Zachariah, (I literally squealed with joy when I read that he had come back).  Clary gets to test out her improved fighting skills as well.  The premise of City of Fallen Angels is about Jace coming to terms with his vulnerable status after being brought back to life by Clary through the angel Raziel.  Jace keeps having nightmares in which he murders Clary, so although they can now be together without it being weird, it's still weird.  We get introduced to the Praetor Lupus, (Simon actually mentions Lupus as an autoimmune disease in this book and I couldn't believe it!), and one of it's members, Jordan Kyle.  Simon and Jordan become friends and it's so cute!  Everyone has to deal with Lilith, who is a raging bitch in this book.  In the end, poor Jace gets taken over by a now resurrected Sebastian, as if everyone's lives couldn't get any worse...  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
    City of Lost Souls was interesting.  Jace, under the control of Sebastian, ends up kidnapping Clary and taking her all over Europe, which is actually kind of nice.  Despite the fact that it's not entirely Jace in there, he still loves Clary and will do anything to make her happy and keep her safe.  I actually even kind of liked Sebastian for a minute in this book because he seemed almost normal.  All throughout this book, I really just wanted someone to tell Alec about Will because he kept coming up and I was like SERIOUSLY JUST TELL HIM I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WILL AGAIN IT'S BEEN TOO LONG.  But it never happened...  Magnus was the star in this book, in my opinion, although the Malec breakup was torture.  The sexual tension was AWFUL in this book, like just BONE already, OK?  Towards the end of this book my heart broke, not because of anything to do with the main characters, but because of what Brother Zachariah, aka Jem, said about love and immortality, (I can feel my heart ripping apart again just thinking about it).  And JACE HAS WILL'S COPY OF A TALE OF TWO CITIES THAT WILL GAVE TO TESSA AND I'M SOBBING.  I can't even...  4.5 out of 5 stars.
    Last, but not least, City of Heavenly Fire.  I was torn reading this one because I really didn't want this journey to end.  I wanted to prolong my suffering until January when I can have more Shadowhunters and then March when Lady Midnight comes out, but oh well.  I cried in the first 200 pages of this book, again because of Brother Zachariah, when he saves Jace and becomes cured, thus returning to his mortality.  They talk about parabatai and Will and I cried real tears.  I wasn't expecting Brother Zachariah to turn back into Jem so soon, but I'm kind of glad it happened when it did.  There was a lot of action and danger in this book, which I appreciated.  Everyone is back in Idris because of demons overrunning other institutes.  We also get introduced to Emma Carstairs, Jem's descendant and a future member of the Los Angeles Institute, along with the young Blackthorns, (this book sets up Lady Midnight, which is the sequel book to this one and takes place in 2013, five years after the events of this book).  We get a lot of back-and-forth points of view, from Clary and the gang to Emma to Simon, etc.  Malec is everything!  Clary and Jace finally proved their love to each other, in a cave in the middle of a demon realm...how romantic!  A lot of characters died as well, which was so sad.  I cried again towards the end when Magnus and Simon were going back and forth to see who would sacrifice themselves so the group could go home.  The ending wasn't nearly as powerful and heart-wrenching as Clockwork Princess, but I'm glad Tessa got to talk to Jace and I'm glad Tessa and Jem ended up walking out together, (and taking Church with them).  I really can't wait until the next book comes out.  I haven't been able to shake the Shadowhunter fever out of me.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Exiled Queen, The Grey Wolf Throne and The Crimson Crown:  After finishing The Mortal Instruments series, I didn't want to read anything else, but I forced myself to keep reading, if only to cure my book hangover.  Although I'm still sort of stuck on it, I've found that I'm slowly recovering due to this series.  I read The Demon King awhile ago and I was still interested in finishing the series, so I decided to read the rest of them this month to help get my mind off of The Mortal Instruments.  This series follows a young princess-turned-queen named Raisa as she tries to right the wrongs of past generations of Gray Wolf Queens.  She runs into a street rat named Han Alister, who discovers he's a wizard descendant from the Demon King himself, an ancient story that began the laws of the land they live in today.  Han and Raisa's paths cross more than once until they're hopelessly in love with each other.  The Exiled Queen takes place mostly in Oden's Ford, a neutral country where students go to learn either wizardry or military skills.  Raisa fled her homeland to escape an arranged marriage to Micah Bayar, a wizard with ulterior motives, fueled by his powerful father, The High Wizard.  Raisa is accompanied by her best friend and Captain of her guard, Amon Byrne, who was once in love with Raisa.  While Raisa is studying to become a better queen, Han and his best friend Dancer are trying to fit in with the other noble wizards, being ex-street lord and clan bred respectively.  I liked the change of scenery of this book as we leave Fellsmarch Castle in favor of traveling south to Oden's Ford.  I thought the back-and-forth of perspectives worked well for the story line.  Amon is King Awkward in this book, especially with Raisa and especially after he announces his betrothal to another woman.  I'm glad Raisa was able to make real female friends who won't stab her in the back like they do at court.  Han is all about magical revenge and learning as much as he can before he has to go on his secret mission.  There was a lot of tension between Han and Micah, as usual.  Crow was an interesting character, but he was very mysterious, which made me nervous for Han.  I had a hard time figuring out if he was good or bad.  Raisa ended up getting kidnapped, albeit not forcefully, and sent back to the Fells, with Han in close pursuit.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
    The Gray Wolf Throne saw Raisa fight for her life and her way back home as she's pursued by a million assassins.  There's a lot of traveling in the first half of this book, but not as much as there was in The Exiled Queen.  I don't enjoy the travel sequences, but understand they're necessary.  At least she gets shot at in this one.  Han rescues her at the cost of his own health, (as usual), and then he finds out that she's a princess and IMMEDIATELY gives her the cold shoulder.  I really wanted to hit him for being absolutely unreasonable to Raisa after it took her all that courage to tell him the truth.  Especially after she found out her mom was just murdered, I mean COME ON.  I have no idea what Han's plan really is, but he seemed confident enough.  The way Raisa just walked right up into her mom's memorial service like BAM.  The awkwardness was so rewarding, especially because I felt like I could see the look on Lord Bayar's face.  The tension between Han and Raisa was awful after her reveal.  Poor Amon too!  He's all alone now, the precious cinnamon roll.  Even though I knew Amon had no chance with Raisa, especially because he gets physically ill when he touches her, I was still somehow torn between him and Han.  Near the end, everything got really crazy really fast.  Dancer confessed about his father and I was like WHAT?!  Han gave Raisa a replica of Hanalea's betrothal ring and it was SO ADORABLE.  Raisa was crowned Queen of the Fells and all is great but NO WAIT it's not.  4 out of 5 stars for this book.
    The last book, The Crimson Crown, was a great ending to this series.  Everyone was all over the place.  There was action, romance, suspense, betrayal, (I think there was a chapter in each of these books titled "Betrayal" or something).  Han is one smooth operator in this book, even right at the beginning!  There isn't really a break from the action; everyone is always doing something.  The setting varied from the Clans to the castle to the battle to the slums to the wizard fortress.  Han threw some major shade towards the wizard council in this book!  At one point, I was like, "OH NO HE DIDN'T."  It was one of those things where you're reading it as it's happening and you're like OH NO, this is going to be so embarrassing!  Han's such a smug little POS that it works for him, which makes me love him even more.  Raisa really can't catch a break in this book.  At one point she's just like, "SCREW you guys, go kill yourselves for all I care," (seriously, she said almost those exact words).  I honestly didn't think Han could pull off his plan, especially after he got imprisoned.  Poor kid...  In the end, I'm surprised everything worked out.  It was almost too easy for everyone.  Dancer uses his power, which is apparently extremely rare, even among wizards, Han saves everyone and Raisa agrees to sacrifice herself for the millionth time.  The ending seemed a bit rushed to me, although I'm glad it was a happy one.  Like, where was Han when Raisa went to meet him in his warehouse?  Did he actually write the note that led her there or is Nightwalker just really good at replicating handwriting?  I didn't get that part at all.  This series got progressively better with each book and I appreciated the slow build to the end.  I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars.  Now I get to start the next series, which takes place a generation after the events of this one.

    OK, I think that's everything!  Believe it or not, this was me condensing these book reviews so that it's not ridiculously long, but I still don't think I did a very good job.  Thursday we'll chat about my December TBR, which will be a lot shorter, but won't include comic books this time.  Since I had to leave my job at the comic book store to start my job at the library, I won't have access to as many comic books, so it'll have to be on a limited basis.  They have some graphic novels at the library, so I'll have to take a look and see what I can come up with, but until I come up with a plan, I'll go back to just books for now.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Nerd Alert!

    Hey guys!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  I'm coming at you this week with very few ideas, so don't be surprised if I end up not posting Thursday.  That being said, I'll be doing a movie-book comparison today for The Mortal Instruments series.  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in a previous post, but after finishing The Infernal Devices prequel trilogy, I had to get my hands on The Mortal Instruments and read through that series pronto.  As you might imagine, I'm already on book five of six after acquiring all six books a week ago Monday.  I can't seem to put it down and, as a result, I've watched the film version of City of Bones about three times last week in addition to checking out the TV clips for the new Shadowhunters series coming to ABC Family this January, (soon to be Freeform).  So this will be a comparison between the book series, the movie and what I've seen of the TV series thus far.  Let's get into it.

(goodreads.com)

    For those of you who don't know, I'll give a brief synopsis of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which both the movie and TV show are based off of.  Clary Fray is your typical city teenager, until she stumbles into the Pandemonium Club and her life changes forever.  She witnesses what she thinks is a brutal murder, only to discover that demons lurk in the shadows of our world.  Our only defense against these creatures are Shadowhunters, part human and part angel, who are brought up for a single purpose: to destroy demons.  Clary gets sucked into this world, while, unknown to her, her mother is captured by the same man who may hold the answers to her questions about her lost life.  After everything she's been through, Clary discovers that demons, vampires and werewolves, among other things, are very real and not part of the fairy tale her mother made her believe.  Clary has to decide whether or not she's going to accept her destiny.  This series has six books and is a great introduction to the Shadowhunter world, however, I would recommend reading the prequel trilogy The Infernal Devices before reading The Mortal Instruments to give you a better sense of the world and it's past.  I promise you won't regret it!

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    For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the movie adaptation of the City of Bones novel.  What I loved the most about the movie was the casting.  I think they got every character spot on, including personalities and mannerisms.  It's very rare that a book-to-movie adaptation can do that, but I think this movie did it fairly well.  I thought Jace's character, played by Jamie Campbell Bower, was incredible and definitely loyal to the character of Jace in the books.  He exuded Jace everywhere, so it will be hard for someone else to take his place, (more on that when I get into the TV show).  As for Clary, I thought Lily Collins did a fantastic job, although she didn't stand out quite as much to me as Jace did.  The first three quarters of the movie were pure gold.  Even with the minor changes they did to adapt the book to screenplay, (like the scene in the greenhouse with Jace and Clary), I thought were done well and respected the book.  I actually liked some of the movie alterations better than what happened in the book.  The last quarter of the movie was a mess, I have to admit.  Although I love Jonathan Rhys Meyers, (SWOON), I didn't think he was what I had pictured for Valentine.  He looked too young in contrast to Jocelyn, (played by Lena Heady), and I didn't always believe him.  The end also seemed rushed and didn't stick with the book at all, so they lost me there.  However, when I read the books, I'm picturing this cast as I read, not the one from the TV show.

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    As for the TV show, there is one thing I'm more disappointed about than anything and that's Jace.  The actor, Dominic Sherwood, has a GORGEOUS English accent and they TOOK THAT AWAY FROM HIM.  One of the reasons I loved the Jace in the movie adaptation so much is because he was stunning and attractive, partially because of his accent.  Dominic has an accent, but his character is apparently sporting a very American accent, due to them being in New York.  I will point out that not a lot of Shadowhunters are actually from the places where their institutes are located.  That being said, I was very disappointed that they didn't let Jace keep his accent for the TV show because I feel like that would give him the sort of edge he needs to really be the Jace we deserve.  I'm also not a huge fan of Clary in the TV show.  She seems headstrong and brave enough, but she also seems kind of annoying, like bold enough to go where she doesn't belong and touch everything that says, "DO NOT TOUCH."  He hair also bothers me, because it's so obviously fake, where Lily Collins' hair was more realistic.  It also looks like they changed up a lot in the first scenes of the TV show, compared to the book.  I'm already worried that the TV producers are going to change too much and deviate farther from the original path of the novel.  I still can't wait for it to come out, (I mean, check out that clip!), but I still have my doubts.

    The books have been amazing!  Since I read Harry Potter as a child, I knew how it felt to want to be something else instantly, like a wizard.  I've always wanted to be a wizard because of how much Harry Potter touched me.  I haven't felt like that in a long time.  Now, reading The Mortal Instruments, I feel like I want to be a Shadowhunter.  It's the same feeling I thought I would never have again.  This just goes to show that books have a power all their own.  But what do you think?  Are you as obsessed with Shadowhunters as I am?  Are you looking forward to the TV show?  What did you think of the movie?  Let's discuss in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Author Spotlight: Cassandra Clare

    Hey guys!  So today we're going to be doing another author spotlight about Cassandra Clare, since I'm reading all of her books right now and LOVING them!  I'm trying to do at least one author spotlight a month and I know that hasn't happened yet, but I'm trying to keep up with them.  Usually I try to feature authors that I'm really into at the moment so that I can talk about them more.  I will say, there may be some mild spoilers ahead, especially if you haven't read any of her books so far.  Fair warning!  Now, let's get to it.

    Cassandra Clare is a YA author, most notably famous for the Mortal Instruments series, (which I am currently devouring with gusto).  She has a multitude of other novels within the "Shadowhunter Chronicles," which include prequels as well as sequels to the Mortal Instruments series.  I'll explain them below, in chronological order.

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    The Infernal Devices is the prequel series to the Mortal Instruments and takes place in London during the late 1800s.  The series follows Tessa Gray after she travels to London from New York to visit her brother, but gets kidnapped by Downworlders, (terminology for magic folk, like werewolves, warlocks and vampires, etc.).  Through a series of events, she meets Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs, both Shadowhunters at the London Institute under the tutelage of Charlotte Fairchild.  The first book in the series is Clockwork Angel, followed by Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess.  This series was fantastic to read first and I'm glad that I did.  It served as a great introduction to the series, although it came out after the Mortal Instruments series was introduced.  Now that I'm reading the Mortal Instruments, I have a greater appreciation for all the subtle hints about past characters and especially everything Magnus Bane has to say, (an immortal warlock who aids the Shadowhunters in both series).  The way it's written and the time period it takes place in really grabbed my attention.  Also, her descriptions are fantastic!  I could always picture what Clare was trying to show me as a reader.  Clockwork Princess TORE ME APART, but I'll save that explanation for my review later this month.

(goodreads.com)

    The Mortal Instruments takes place in the present day, (the book's timeline of events suggest sometime around 2007), in New York City.  There are six books in this series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire.  The series follows Clary Fray, who is the daughter of Jocelyn Fray, (who's last name is actually Fairchild, descendant of Charlotte from the previous series).  She witnesses what she thinks is murder, but is actually demon slaying by the Shadowhunters of the New York Institute, including Isabelle and Alec Lightwood, (also descendants from characters in the previous series), and Jace Wayland.  Jace takes a liking to Clary and tries to help her come to terms with her new life after her mother is taken by an evil ex-Shadowhunter/ex-husband named Valentine.  Although I haven't even read halfway through this series yet, I really like the contrast between the prequel series, which takes place in the 1800s and this one, which takes place a little more than 200 years in the future.  I also like that there are still characters in this series that come from the last series, like Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, previous ally to the members of the London Institute.  Clare's descriptions and world-building are just as good in this series and they are places I can actually picture, having been to New York City before.  The characters are also very similar to the ones in the Infernal Devices series, with an extreme resemblance between Will and Jace, (seeing as they are technically related).  One of my favorite parts about this series is the way Clare molds everyone together and gives them the wittiest banter to go off on.  Everybody's attitude is on point and I really feel like I should know these people.  From reading the summaries of the other books in this series, I can tell that there's going to be a lot of conflict coming on.  Traveling to Idris, the Shadowhunter capital of the world, battling demons and angels alike, accounting for supposed incestuous relations...  It should be a good time and I'm excited to finish as quickly as possible.  My main reason for reading this series now is because of the TV series set to come out on ABC Family this January, which has me equally excited!  The movie that came out in 2013 I thought was well done, but I didn't care for the ending all that much.  I wish they had cast the movie cast for the TV show cast, but that's neither here nor there I guess...

(goodreads.com)

    Clare has two new series to go off of the Shadowhunter Chronicles coming out in the next year or two.  The first is The Last Hours series, which will take place a few years after the events in Infernal Devices and will follow the children of Will and Tessa as well as the Lightwoods, among others.  I have no idea when this series is coming out, but I will be on the lookout for it.  Clare's other series, The Dark Artifices, will serve as a sequel to the Mortal Instruments series.  The series will follow a descendant of Jem Carstairs, Emma, and her friends Julian and Mark Blackthorn in Los Angeles at the Institute there.  I believe Emma's parents are murdered and she attempts to find out who and why.  The first book in this series is called Lady Midnight and is coming out in March of next year.  So excited!  Clare has written a few other books that relate to the Shadowhunter world, including The Bane Chronicles, which follows the life of Magnus Bane and his immortality, The Shadowhunter's Codex, (a sort of guide to being a Shadowhunter), and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, which is a collection of novellas following Simon Lewis from the Mortal Instruments series as he begins training to become a Shadowhunter.  This world is so complex and interesting, it's difficult to make the time to read everything that goes along with it!

    The reason I like Cassandra Clare, as I said, is her attention to detail and her ability to surprise you.  It's pretty typical YA fantasy, but it's a complex world with a lot of characters with attitude and personality.  I really like how she's twisted this world around in her favor and I really don't think there's another book series like it out there yet.  Here's to you Cassandra Clare for taking over my life!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

TV Recap

    Hey guys, sorry about not posting yesterday.  I totally forgot:(  I'm going to try to keep myself on track by putting reminders in my phone so that I can keep up with things.  I very rarely sit at my computer these days and with everything else going on in my life at the moment I've found it difficult to stay on track.  I am planning a little mini vacation for myself when the holidays come around, so that'll be nice.  ANYWAY, I meant to do a recap yesterday of the TV shows I've been keeping up with lately, so here we go.  Beyond this point are SPOILERS, so if you're not caught up, don't read!

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    Arrow was big last week because of Constantine making a cameo appearance.  My husband loved that show and when it was cancelled, he wasn't too happy.  Needless to say he's been given a second chance and it did not disappoint.  We left off with Team Arrow trying to figure out the best way to approach the now loose Sarah after attempts to talk her down failed.  Thea realized that her blood-lust was directed towards her, because Thea was the one who killed her under Merlin's influence.  Thea decided she wanted to let Sarah kill her in order to cure her blood-lust because Thea felt that she was the only one who understood what Sarah was going through.  Thea's blood-lust cannot be cured because the person who killed her is already dead and she can't avenge herself.  Obviously the rest of the team didn't like this idea, so Oliver called in some back-up in the form of an old friend.
    They showed flashbacks to when Oliver was back on his old friend The Island and Constantine happened to be held at gunpoint by his commanding officer.  Constantine took Oliver hostage and drove him to a location where he knew there was a magical artifact that he needed.  Oliver saved his life Indiana Jones style, which meant Constantine owed him a favor.  Back in the present, Constantine devised a plan that would allow Oliver and Laurel to go inside Sarah's mind to retrieve her soul.  In the end, everyone is successful and Sarah is returned to her normal state.  Diggle receives closure about his dead brother and Felicity discovers that Ray is still alive.  A lot happened this past week, so I can't wait to see where this goes.  I believe Constantine will be a crucial part of defeating Dahrk, but we'll see.

(movietralerreviews.net)

    Agents of SHIELD was also full of surprising revelations last week.  We see Agent May return to the team under circumstances beyond her control.  Andrew, her ex husband, was involved in an explosion that killed several members of the newly-formed Hydra group, sent by Ward.  May and Bobbi team up in this episode and it was awesome!  This was the first time Bobbi had returned to the field since last season, so she was still unsure of herself in the beginning.  May and Bobbi make a great team and May was able to talk Bobbi into relinquishing her fear.  Meanwhile, Skye, (I still can't call her Daisy...it's too weird), and the rest of the gang are trailing Coulson as he meets up with the leader of the ATCU.  They discover that she's putting the Inhumans she captures into a sort of stasis in order to bide time for finding a cure.  We also find out that she lost her husband to cancer and refuses to let the Inhumans deal with their troubling abilities without at least trying to help them.  Noble, but is she really doing the right thing?
    The real shocker in this episode, which I kind of saw coming, is the reveal of the human identity of Lash.  After Skye saw Lash turn back into a human a few episodes ago, she didn't want to let it go.  As they search for the answers, May is actually the one to find out the truth from a dying Von Strucker.  We see in a flashback to the explosion that Andrew is actually Lash and caused the explosion that killed everyone inside the store.  This also explains how he could have survived such an explosion.  We're probably going to be dealing with this revelation when May and Bobbi return from their mission.  May is currently the only one who knows about Andrew, so it's unlikely that she will tell anyone until she has a chance to talk to him herself, knowing the truth will set everyone into a panic.  Inhumans everywhere!

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    Flash was interesting last week.  I've been waiting for Barry to ask Patty out for awhile now, so I'm glad they finally worked that in.  Unfortunately, the poor bastard was blind for most of the date, thanks to a run-in with our newest Inhuman bad person, who looks identical to Linda Park, one of Barry's ex-girlfriends from last season and Iris's friend in the newsroom.  While they deal with Linda's doppelganger, everyone is dealing with working alongside the Earth 2 Harrison Wells.  Although this version of Dr. Wells is identical to the one Barry defeated last season, they have very different personalities.  No one is comfortable, but they have to learn to work together in order to defeat this season's villain, Zoom.  Dr. Wells even helps Cisco, (albeit not kindly), reveal his new powers to the rest of the team, shocking everyone, including Cisco.  In the end, Dr. Light is captured with Cisco's psychic help before she can kill Linda, Barry gets the girl after regaining his eye sight and Cisco introduces himself to an attractive barista, who will turn out to become Hawkgirl this season and continue on to the spin-off Legends of Tomorrow with The Atom and the White Canary from Arrow.  When every episode of Flash introduces a new character, you have to learn how to keep track of the ones who aren't temporary.

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    Lastly, Once threw us for a loop last weekend as well, introducing us to the original Dark One, aka Nimue, who was Merlin's lost love.  As Merlin and Emma search for the last ember of Prometheus in order to reforge the sword, (I will never get tired of saying that), to wipe out Emma's darkness.  While on their quest, Merlin recounts his past, including the day he discovered the Holy Grail and inadvertently created Arthur's future kingdom.  He also discovers he has magic and eternal life, which he uses to help the people in his ever-growing village.  There he meets Nimue, who has fled her town after a murderous lunatic set fire to everything and killed everyone in order to find the grail.  Merlin falls for her and they devise a plan to turn the cup into a sword in order to wipe out Merlin's magic so they can be together for one life.  Nimue ends up betraying Merlin for revenge against the man who destroyed her village and becomes the first Dark One, having taken the man's heart and crushed it.  The rest of the gang stage a break in of Arthur's castle in order to get the sword.  As usual, they're betrayed by Zelena and sent away before completing their task.  As we move back to present day in Storybrooke, we see that Emma has both pieces of the sword and is able to put them together.  She encounters all her past Dark Ones, including Nimue, who watch her put the sword back together.  Emma briefly recalls when Merlin told her as a child to "leave the sword alone," which she doesn't end up doing anyway.  We'll see what happens in the two-hour show this weekend, but I have a feeling Emma knows what she's doing.  Merlin and Emma talked about whether or not a dark force can overcome itself in the right circumstances and Merlin hints that maybe someday there will be someone strong enough to break the darkness for good.  I have a feeling it'll be Emma, but we'll see.

    So that's all I have for recaps this week.  For someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV, I'm finding that the TV I am watching is sufficient and engaging enough to keep my interest.  I've also been adjusting my November TBR to accommodate my new obsession, which is The Mortal Instruments series.  I read the first book in a day, so I'm hoping to finish the series by the end of this month.  I plan on doing an author spotlight tomorrow on Cassandra Clare, so more on that then.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

November TBR (Comics)

    I hope everyone had a great Wednesday.  Today I'm bringing you the second half of my TBR for November.  I'm keeping with the theme of "continuing series," so most of this list will consist of comics meeting that criteria.  Let's get to it.

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    "Remember, remember the fifth of November..."  Obviously I had to add V for Vendetta by Alan Moore in here since I haven't read it yet.  I will be watching the movie tonight as well, but I wanted to read the comic to get a different perspective on the film.  It's similar to what I did with Hellboy last month.  Similarly, the comic differs from the movie, but the plot remains the same: in a totalitarian version of a future England, fascism runs rampant and the city begins to rebel against the authoritarian rule of Parliament.  I can't wait to read this!

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    Fables is the first series I'd like to continue this month. Vol. 9 is where I left of in this series and I've been meaning to continue for ages but I've always been distracted by other things.  I'm really looking forward to picking this back up and finishing it.  I believe we will see conflict between Pinocchio and the other Fables as he continues to work with his father, who is also the evil Adversary.  We will also see Bigby come to terms with his father, the North Wind, as he and his family set off to find him.  It should be a good time.

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    I left off in Saga on volume four, which isn't too far behind I think.  I believe this is where Alana and Marko go into hiding (in plain sight?) while their daughter Hazel grows into a toddler.  I am in love with this series, so if you haven't picked it up yet, DO IT NOW.

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    East of West is one series I wasn't initially drawn toward, but was recommended to me by many friends.  Although I didn't like the first volume as much as the other comics on this list, I still want to give the second volume a try to see if I can keep going with it.  This volume will continue the story line from the first one, where Death will set out on a quest to find his son and prevent the Apocalypse from transpiring and the other three horsemen from succeeding.

(goodreads.com)

    Although I've already read the first two volumes of Wayward, (up to issue #10), issue #11 comes out on November 18th, so I plan on reading that one once it comes into the shop.  The perks of working at a comic store is that you get dibs on all the new stuff when it comes in without having to buy it outright!  I just wish this series would hurry up and put out more than one issue a month...  Plus, LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS COVER ART!!

    There you have it, my November comic book TBR.  Have you started any of these series?  Do you remember the fifth of November?  What series, book or comic, are you trying to finish?  Let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

November TBR (Books)

    Hey guys!  It's already November, which is both good and bad news for me.  Good because it's that much closer to the holidays, which is always my favorite time of year.  Bad because I only have about a month to finish my colloquium, (yeah, it's still not done...).  I don't even have a solid due date for this thing, but I'm assuming the beginning of December since that's when the semester ends and grades need to be in for me to graduate on December 31st, (FINALLY).  That being said, I am almost done and I'm going to just pump this thing out and have it done hopefully before Thanksgiving.  I've found setting goals for myself really helps me keep everything in check.  Speaking of GOALS, (see what I did there?), I wanted my November TBR to have a theme so the theme this month is finishing series.  Most of the books I chose to read this month are series that I've started and want to finish, with only a few exceptions.  I've set my goals a little more realistically this month to only read 8 books, so we'll see if I can keep up with that.  Let's get started!

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    I actually started this book on October 31st, as it was supposed to be in my October TBR.  Since I ran out of time to finish it last month, I added it to this month because I've been waiting a long time to read this book and I wasn't going to wait any longer!  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is about two dueling magicians, Celia and Marco and all the lives that encompass their competition.  Although they are supposedly competing against each other, Celia and Marco can't help but fall in love.  The book takes place over the course of about 30 years and follows their lives together and apart through a circus constructed by them that travels over Europe and the Americas.  I am almost done, so I don't want to say too much more about it, but I love it!

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    Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess are the second and third books in the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare.  This series acts as a stand alone but also sort of a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series.  I read the first book I think last month and I really enjoyed it, so I immediately wanted to continue with the series.  As I think I explained before, I've tried to read the Mortal Instruments series in the past and couldn't get into it, which is why I started this series instead.  I had heard from multiple people that this series was a good introduction to the world and I was really drawn to the setting.  Clockwork Prince begins where the last book left off, with Tessa officially joining the ranks of the Institute of Shadowhunters in London after moving there from New York.  After the turmoil of the first book, we'll see a lot of political strife as the leader of Tessa's Shadowhunter faction, Charlotte, is being driven out of her post by instigators within the Clave.  As the Shadowhunters try to save their leader and their faction from demise, they are also trying to solve the mystery of the Magister, who has declared war on the Shadowhunters.  Should be an interesting middle novel.

    Clockwork Princess is the last book in the series and involves Tessa getting kidnapped and everyone trying to save her from the Magister.  Since I haven't read the second book I know very little about the third, obviously, but it should be a great lead.  I've found that although I'm not a huge fan of Tessa as a "heroine," I am intrigued by the relationships she's developed between Jem and Will, (especially Will), and the mystery involving Will's enchantment.

(goodreads.com)

    The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima is also one that I started last month with The Demon King, which follows two main characters Raisa and Han as they navigate their very different lives separately until coming together in the end to save the kingdom.  All together, I thought the world was very well put together and the characters were interesting.  There are magical beings like wizards working against clan members and other humans.  Towards the end of The Demon King, Han discovers something powerful about himself that he has to come to terms with and Raisa is sent into hiding by a powerful wizard's hold over her mother, the Queen.  They go into hiding together in the only neutral zone in the entire kingdom, where they hope to be safe.  In The Exiled Queen, Raisa attends a warriors academy in secret with her friend Amon, (SWOON), to learn how to become a better queen and Han attends the adjoining wizard academy to learn more about his gifts.  The Gray Wolf Throne sees Raisa attempt to ascend to her Queendom, only to be hunted and threatened with death.  She'll need Han's help to take the crown away from those who covet it for the wrong reasons.  In the final book, The Crimson Crown, Raisa attempts to keep the peace in her Queendom, but is met with hostility and the promise of war tearing her people apart.  She will need to work together with Han to restore balance to The Fells.  I'm invested in this world and I'd like to see this story played out to the end.  I've also come into possession of Chima's next series, based in this world and set a few years in the future, so I'm excited to follow it further!

(goodreads.com)

    The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is the sequel to The Queen of the Tearling, which I read a few months ago.  This sequel takes place after the events of the first book, in which Queen Kelsea took back her throne from her uncle and grew into some astonishing magical powers, helping to thwart a shipment of slaves to a neighboring kingdom.  With war looming overhead, she must devise a plan of attack and protect her people from this growing threat.  Apparently she also ends up connecting with someone in a timeline from the past, (time travel?), in order to find answers for her future.  It seems slightly more interesting than the first book, which was just getting good towards the end, so I'm hoping to enjoy this book better than the first.  I'm also not sure if this series will continue, but I'm assuming it will with at least another book.

(goodreads.com)

    Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is another book that has been on my TBR shelf for awhile.  It is the first book in a new series I'll be starting set in a world similar to Eastern Europe and Russia, but with magical elements.  It takes place in a kingdom called Ravka, which has been overrun by the shadow realm by beasts that eat human flesh.  Alina Starkov is a member of a regiment that is sent to attack The Fold to prevent the evil from seeping into her realm.  By a series of unnatural and unforeseen events, Alina is recruited to become a member of the Grisha, a magical elite fighting team made up of people with similar abilities to Alina, lead by the Darkling.  Since her powers have manifested, it is up to her to determine how best to use her untamed power.  This has all the elements that I usually go for in a YA novel, so we'll see if I'm attracted to this series like I am to the cover art.

    So there you have it, my picks for my November TBR.  Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?  What's on your November TBR?  Let me know in the comments.  I was thinking about doing NaNoWriMo this year, (which would have seriously diminished my book count), but decided against it in order to finish my colloquium.  I think 8 is a manageable number, plus I've always found it easier to add books than to take them away.  Thursday I'll be going over my Comic TBR for November, which will also be themed "continuing series."  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.