Saturday, July 30, 2011

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton


Angelfire (Angelfire, #1)
Hardcover: 453 pages
Release date: February 15th 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
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Goodreads Summary: When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul. 

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

It took me a longer time to finish this due to procrastination and perhaps a little lack of interest. It turned out to be different from what I expected. The premise was intriguing and the cover compelled me to give it a shot.

I have a neutral feeling towards the book. I don’t love it but I don’t think it’s too bad either. I have no problem with the writing and I liked the idea of reapers and angels. Ms. Moulton executed a good way of retelling the angel folklore while giving a twist to it. It’s also comforting to know that the author believes in God as much as I do. What redeemed the book for me is the action-packed plot. Almost half of the book was gripping and full of action. I’m glad I finished it and went against my earlier judgment.

Ellie was a kind of person I could connect to. She’s a normal teenager coping with her normal life while being the Preliator that protects the humankind. Little did she know that turning seventeen would change the constants in her life, finding out about her numerous lifetimes and real identity. I admire Ellie for her resilience despite the pressure she’s facing. Trying to prevent the end of the world is especially hard if you have a jerk dad. Fortunately, the dark and brooding Will, her guardian for five hundred years, was there to protect and look after her. One of the few other things that made me continue reading this is the mystery behind these two characters. I liked that their constant interaction brought Will’s tough guy façade to wear thin. His resolute fidelity with Ellie was really admirable. There were also flashbacks of Ellie’s past lifetimes, revealing the causes of some of her deaths.

It’s quite disappointing that Will and Ellie aside, the characters lack development. Ellie’s mom is likeable, but other than her, no one really stood out in a good way. Her father’s horrible, that I can very much confirm. I hope Ellie’s bad relationship with him gets resolved in the next books.

The story wasn’t very remarkable either. There were times that I almost gave up on the story (especially on the first part) and thought of it being cliché. The romance was forbidden, which wasn’t surprising either. I also found the ending too plain. There are questions left unanswered and I admit that I was expecting a cliffhanger.

Regardless of its flaws, I still feel like giving the sequel a chance. I want the answers to my questions and I hope that I will get them in the last two books of the trilogy. If you loved Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Fallen by Lauren Kate, I recommend this novel to you. 
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On My Wishlist (6)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where we list all the books we desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It’s also an event that you can join in with too – If you want to know more, click here.


Epic Fail

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
Paperback: 228 pages
Release date: August 2nd, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Goodreads Summary: Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?
At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.
The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms, #2)



The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2) by Cinda Williams Chima
 Hardcover: 586 pages
Release date: September 28th, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Goodreads Summary:You can't always run from danger... 
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen. 

Other Words for Love

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
Hardcover: 368 pages
Release date: January 11th, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Summary: When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York--and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. 

When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?


What's on your wishlist for this week? 

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