Megan Whalen Turner: The Queen of Attolia

I honestly can't explain how awesome this series is turning out to be.  I was reading this before my football game, in the locker room, rather than getting all psyched up for the game!!

Amazing. 

I was so excited about the next book, that I put a hold on it at the library.  I can't wait to see what Turner has up her sleeve for the next book!!

Seriously.  There is action, adventure, twists, turns, and surprise after surprise with this book.  I love Turner's style of switching character perspectives, because in the end it is such a giant reward when things fall in to place.  Awesome. Pure awesome.

Alexandra Bracken: Brightly Woven

I saw this on the shelf of the library--and was not expecting to totally fall in love with it.  I just needed to get through the initial 70 first pages or so, and then I was hooked.  Sydelle is an interesting heroine who has no clue what is in store for her when she meets North Wayward and is forced to journey with him to keep peace for her country. 

Little bit of magic, MUCH romance, and a good amount of action to keep things moving.  Excellent story, fun characters, an evil villain, and a rewarding resolution. 

Glad I picked this up.  It didn't feel like a 340+ page book.  But it is!  I am going to hope for a book two though!

Jessica Day George: Princess of Glass

Not super-amazing, but yet not-totally horrible either. 
Luckily I didn't have high expectations when I started it. 

The characters were fun, not very deep, but fun...
Princess Poppy (yes, one of the cursed dancing sisters from Princess of the Midnight Ball) is our heroine, and yet another curse comes within close proximity of someone she loves. 
Poppy's friend Marianne is just as brazen and fun as Poppy is.
Ellen-once Elenora--is now a maid and an easy target for The Corley. 
Prince Christian is handsome and fun and a good match for Poppy, but The Corley wants him for her purposes. 

The story is slightly lacking; part-Cinderella and part more of Princess of the Midnight Ball--multitudes of perspectives, a curse, magic, and an unsatisfying resolution.

Eh.

Megan Whalen Turner: The Thief

I hadn't ever expected to read this book.  But when two of your former students show up to your football game with wrapped presents and strict instructions as to which order to unwrap/read the presents, and to avoid looking for the third book at all costs until the second book was finished, I couldn't NOT read it!!

And to be honest, I wasn't totally thrilled with this book until about page 200.  And then I couldn't put it down.  And then the end hit me like I had just ran into a brick wall and because it didn't hurt enough the first time, I went back and repeated the action. 

I can't say much about the book.  The twist at the end should not be revealed until the reader gets to that page and experiences it with the other characters. 

I am amazed at Turner's ability to suck a reader in, and totally mess with the reader. 

Let's just say that Gen is the best thief ever.  We experience the story through his eyes/voice, and while I didn't love him, he did grow on me. 

I need to read the next book to get more of a grasp on the big picture, so I apologize for the very vague and unhelpful "review."  I liked the characters, when the action got underway, and the mythology throughout the book.  Some of the names/places/backstory are frustrating and confusing, but at the end everything becomes worthwhile!!

On to The Queen of Attolia!!