Book Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

You know a book is especially good when you finish it in less than a day. Either that, or it's a really short book. And I think that's all the more impressive when it's a sequel, since most of the 'hooking' (think fishing) happens in the first book. I practically devoured "Sweet Peril", the sequel of "Sweet Evil" by Wendy Higgins (see my review here!), in a couple of sittings, eagerly sucking in all the wickedly delicious romance and crazy action--and I want more!

Six months have passed since Anna was nearly killed at the Dukes' summit. Six months of trying to appease the demon whisperers who keep tabs on her by polluting souls--even if it means earning an unwanted reputation as the school's party girl. And all the while there's Kaiden, the son of the Duke of Lust, never straying from her mind. When an unexpected angel visits her with an age-old prophecy, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, the son of Wrath, to seek Nephilim allies. Their goal: to win freedom, even if it means putting up a fight against the powerful Dukes.

Sequels are always great for character development. Sure, we get a picture of who the characters are in the first book, but it's in the sequel that we see them really grow and develop as people. Anna starts off in "Sweet Evil" as a naive, Southern girl who's nothing but a goody goody, but in "Sweet Peril", we see her as the strong yet reluctant daughter of the Duke of Substance Abuse (kind of a lame name, but okay). What I really like about Anna is that she's always honest with herself. Despite the fact that she hates the work that she has to do as a Nephilim, she knows her weakness for alcohol and drugs, and tries to resist those temptations. She's also honest about her feelings for Kai and Kope, which I think Ms. Higgins did a great job in developing throughout the novel. Instead of constantly second-guessing herself and ending up playing around with both boys' feelings, Anna remains pretty sure of what she wants, and thank goodness for that!

Speaking of Kai, holy moly, the heat of the romance in "Sweet Peril" would have shattered a thermometer. Kai himself is just such an amazing character--probably one of the more swoon-worthy guys in YA novels I've read about in a long while. His hidden vulnerability and his true feelings for Anna are so carefully (but quite obviously) masked under apathy, and I just loved the way we saw more of his true emotions and everything as the book progressed! I didn't exactly find myself falling for Kaiden in "Sweet Evil", but after what I read...count me in! Trust me, if you liked him in the first book, you'll be drooling and begging for him in the second. I just went back to my old review on "Sweet Evil", and saw that I'd written that the interaction between Kai and Anna wasn't believable. But after reading about how much he cares about Anna and a couple of steamy scenes (c'mon, you saw it coming), I was more than convinced!

The storyline of "Sweet Peril" was so full of exciting happenings that I couldn't put the book down. The tensions are definitely higher than they were in "Sweet Evil", I think, and it was especially exciting to follow Anna and Kope as they travelled to Damascus, Australia and London, and even more exciting to meet other Neph. Seeing the twins Marna and Ginger and the laidback and totally lovable Blake again was fun--I kind of want friends like them now! New characters like Zania and Flynn just added to the fun and spice of the already great cast of characters as well. So much happens in the book, even when, in a way, it's really just leading up to the final showdown in the next book!

"Sweet Peril" is a thrilling roller coaster of a ride, where you end up falling in love with the amazing cast of characters even more deeply, and just get caught up in the whirlwind romance and escalating tensions as Anna and her friends prepare for the imminent fight against the Dukes. I absolutely cannot wait for the final installment, "Sweet Reckoning". I'll just have to twiddle my thumbs and tear out my hair until next year.

Rating: 5/5

Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

To me, one of the greatest things about urban fantasy is its ability to take the world as you know it and completely transform it into a place of otherworldly magic. That's probably one of the reasons why I fell head over heels in love with "The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare, which, obviously led me to a fit of squeals and shrieks when I found out a couple years ago that a sister series "The Infernal Devices" was coming out! Even more demons, angels and Shadowhunters, oh my! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end--in this case, in the form of "Clockwork Princess", the third and final book in "The Infernal Devices" trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy--aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding with Jem, the silver-haired, gentle boy she's found herself falling in love with, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain is lurking from a distance, but he only needs one thing to complete his army of merciless automatons: Tessa. As she deals with Jem's fatal sickness and her conflicting feelings for Will, Tessa knows that it's only a matter of time before Mortmain comes for her, and she'll stop at nothing to protect the two boys she loves and the family she's grown into at the Institute--even if it means making dangerous choices that could threaten the survival of all Shadowhunters.

What I found extremely impressive in "Clockwork Princess" was, of course, the way Ms. Clare played out the love triangle between Tessa, Will and Jem, romance being one of the ever-present elements of the series. Usually you see the whole annoying thing where the heroine constantly wavers between the two boys, with melodramatic spiels on how she thinks she loves Boy #1, but wait, Boy #2 is not too shabby looking himself. Which, inevitably, leads to kissing both boys and messing around with them. But in "The Infernal Devices" trilogy, you get a romantic conflict that's dealt in a pretty mature manner, which I am ever grateful for. Tessa's a responsible, strong and loving heroine who's a delight to follow throughout the novel, and, on a completely different and not-so-salient note, all the more likable now that I know how she looks like! I mean, how beautiful is the cover? But I digress. I don't entirely know how I feel about how the love triangle turned out, but I definitely know that it was very clever of Ms. Clare, very clever indeed! Plus it's quite fitting considering everything that's happened in the series, and surprising in a pleasant, warm way.

And, like any other novel in the rows and rows of books on shelves, the characters in them are of utmost importance. "Clockwork Princess" is chock full of engaging, wonderful characters who really end up forming an expansive, protective family you can't help but warming to. There's the iron-willed yet caring Charlotte, her kooky and adorable husband Henry, Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood, Will's sister Cecily, the brave and scarred Sophie, even Bridgett and Cecil! And, of course, Tessa, Jem and Will. I liked how the novel jumped around between different points of view of the characters, because you really get to know them all so intimately. There's so much to say about all the characters, but I don't want to go on and on and bore you, so I'll just stick to the two ever-important boys, Jem and Will. The bond between the two parabatai is so palpable and unbreakable, despite the fact that they're as different as night and day. I loved the way their pasts were revealed in "Clockwork Princess", and how each of their pasts made them who they are in the present. But one thing I especially love is Will's humour. My goodness, it had me chortling at one point--in fact, I have to share it:

"Mr. Rochester never courted Jane Eyre," Tessa pointed out.

"No, he dressed up as a woman and terrified the poor girl out of her wits. Is that what you want?"

"You would make a very ugly woman."

"I would not. I would be stunning."

For some reason, that had me giggling! Like Jace from "The Mortal Instuments" series, Will is just so full of dry, sarcastic wit that just gets me going and makes him that much more likable. Jeez, no wonder Tessa loves both of them.

One of the more disappointing elements of "Clockwork Princess" was the plot. While it did remain sufficiently engaging throughout, I felt like the plot was a little stretched out and lingered too much in unnecessary places, such as Will's ride to Wales. I definitely think the novel would've been more exciting (though, I deceive you not, it's plenty exciting!) if it had been a little more fast-paced. I sometimes found myself skimming over some parts, which is never a very good sign. Another thing was how quickly the climax seemed to be done and over with. There wasn't much of a struggle in the final scene between Mortmain and Tessa, and it was just poof-kill-and done! So maybe that could've been a little more well developed, since, after all, this is the very last book of such an amazing trilogy.

Overall, "Clockwork Princess" is the not-to-be-missed final installment to "The Infernal Devices" series, with a great cast of characters and beautiful, compelling writing that had me tearing up--something that books I've read recently haven't made me done in a while. It's bittersweet to be saying goodbye to these people you've gotten to know and grown to love, but the wonderful, magical thing about books is that you can always go back and revisit them! I highly recommend "The Infernal Devices" trilogy, as well as "The Mortal Instuments" series if you haven't read that yet!

Rating: 4.5/5

*News flash!* I just found out that there'll be a brand new Shadowhunters series called "The Dark Artifices" in 2015, centering around one Emma Carstairs (Jem's relative?!). Hopefully things won't become repetitive with the whole Shadowhunters/demons/angels business. Geeeeee I'm excited!! I can't wait. (:

Movie Trailer Release: City of Bones

I cannot express how excited I am for the "City of Bones" movie to come out! Ever since I read the novel years back, I've been a loyal fan of Cassandra Clare's books. I read the first "The Mortal Instruments" series, and was incredibly, ecstatically giddy when I found out that Ms. Clare was extending the series from a trilogy to a series of six books! I also ran to the bookstore Road Runner-style when I found out that a spin-off series called "The Infernal Devices" was coming out, which has the same concept of Shadowhunters and demons, but set in London in the 1800s. Needless to say, I am in love with Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter books. So, when I found out that "City of Bones", which is the first book of the "The Mortal Instruments" series was being adapted into a movie, I think I bounced off the walls in pure excitement.

Lily Collins is playing Clary, and Jamie Campbell Bower will have to live up to the name of the breathtaking Jace. I was a little disappointed when I heard of the casting choice for Jace, especially when I discovered that Alex Pettyfer was offered the role but that he rejected it. He was literally the Jace in my mind!! Jamie just looks a little bit too mousey, in my opinion, but he doesn't seem all too bad in the trailer, I guess. Ooh, but here's a fun fact: Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower are dating in real life! Hopefully the chemistry will definitely be there.

Anyway, I've been blabbing on too much. Without further ado, the much-anticipated trailer for the "City of Bones"!

Book Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

That is one seductive cover. That was my first thought when I picked up this book. The black and red, the rugged guy caressing his jaw, the fanned out dress--everything about the cover oozed dark passion. Unsurprisingly, "Sweet Evil"by Wendy Higgins is about sin in all its forms: greed, pride, envy and, of course, lust.

Sixteen-year old Anna Whitt is your typical good girl. She doesn't drink, doesn't do drugs, doesn't swear--the whole package. The one thing that sets her apart from everyone else is that she was born with a sixth sense to see and feel other people's emotions. And, despite her goody two-shoes nature, she knows there's an inexplicable pull towards danger within her. Everything changes when she meets danger incarnate in the form of Kaiden Rowe, who reveals to Anna her true heritage.

I really liked the new take on the angel/Nephilim story in "Sweet Evil". The deadly sins are physically embodied by demons, who live disguised among humans, and their entire society as crafted by Ms. Higgins is ruthless, cruel and intriguing. The plot was engaging and fairly up-there, though I wish there had been more of a climax or a moment where my heart  revved up to 100 miles per hour. Overall, though, it was fun to read.

The characters were all rendered believably and were likable, which is key especially in YA novels. I didn't find Anna annoying at all, which is a possible danger at times for 'goodie goodie' characters who come to face danger and evil. Everything about her was realistic, and following her as she was pulled into the dark world of demons was fun and interesting. I also almost, almost fell for the tormented, sizzling Kai. The one thing that prevented me from gushing over him was the fact that there wasn't enough believable interaction between Anna and Kai, especially in the beginning. Why did Kai fall for Anna so quickly? Don't get me wrong, there was some definite tension between the two, but I wanted more!

Every character in "Sweet Evil" had their own quirks and their own story, which drew me in and made me invested in each of them. I particularly liked Marna, because she's actually sweet and friendly, despite her horrible past and the work that she has to do as a daughter of the Duke of Adultery. The dynamics between the Kai's group of Nephs--Kopano, Blake, Ginger and Marna--was realistic and enhanced the relationships and events that unfolded.

"Sweet Evil" is an alluring beginning to what promises to be a fun trilogy. I can't wait until the second book, which seems to be tentatively titled "Sweet Peril". Check out the book description here (spoiler alert!).

Rating: 4/5