The Demon King and The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms Novels) By: Cinda Chima

The Demon King

Description

One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna has her own battle to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father's family. Raia aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her-plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

Opinion

I loved this book. I love the characters of Raisa and Han and I love it that they meat but don't know it, like the readers were in on a little secret. This book was well written. The author created a different universe so well it was like the Lord of the Rings in some ways. I could perfectly picture everything that Chima described. When I first bought it I was a little worried because I didn't know if I would like it and here I am upset because I only bought the first two and have to wait to by the rest until later.

The Exiled Queen

Description

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 that 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.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa's paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

Opinion

So even though I knew this one was the last one I had and I would just be upset because I couldn't continue the story I picked up this book anyways. I was undoubtedly upset after putting this book down. It was great. I get so into the story that I cry when they cry and am happy when something good happens for them. I love the setting, the story and everything. I cant believe Han still doesn't know that Rebecca Morley is non other than the Raisa princess heir that he blames for his mother and sister's death. If he knew that would he still blame her? It seems to me like it's a stroke of luck that he started to like her and she him. If he plans on wining over the wizard counsel and joining them at so early it would benefit him to have the princess heir to speak good of him. I'm happy that their paths have crossed more. I sense more great things happening. Although, if they get TOO much attached will history repeat itself? Will Han Alister be another Demon King and Raisa another Hanalea? Over all I think all of you should give this book series a try because it's amazing!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series

Opinion

If you like paranormal romances then this is the series for you. This series has everything. It's the harry potter series of romance. Without teenagers of course. These books have gorgeous guys, suspense, fighting, and everything you could think of to make a book great. This is one of my ultimate favorite series. I'm hoping they plan on making a movie out of it. Yeah the books are a little inappropriate for theaters, but even if they cut out a lot of that stuff they would have a great movie series...just saying. If they make this into a movie series all my money would be going towards that. :) I'm major fan because I've probably read them more than 20 times at least.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Description

The Inferno remains literature’s most hallowed and graphic vision of Hell. Dante plunges readers into this unforgettable world with a deceptively simple—and now legendary—tercet:

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

With these words, Dante plunges readers into the unforgettable world of the Inferno—one of the most graphic visions of Hell ever created. In this first part of the epic The Divine Comedy, Dante is led by the poet Virgil down into the nine circles of Hell, where he travels through nightmare landscapes of fetid cesspools, viper pits, frozen lakes, and boiling rivers of blood and witnesses sinners being beaten, burned, eaten, defecated upon, and torn to pieces by demons. Along the way he meets the most fascinating characters known to the classical and medieval world—the silver-tongued Ulysses, lustful Francesca da Rimini, the heretical Farinata degli Uberti, and scores of other intriguing and notorious figures.

This edition of the Inferno revives the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow translation, which first introduced Dante’s literary genius to a broad American audience. “Opening the book we stand face to face with the poet,” wrote William Dean Howells of Longfellow’s Dante, “and when his voice ceases we may marvel if he has not sung to us in his own Tuscan.” Lyrically graceful and brimming with startlingly vivid images, Dante’s Inferno is a perpetually engrossing classic that ranks with the greatest works of Homer and Shakespeare.

Opinion

The inferno was harder to read for me than Shakespeare is. I can read Shakespeare like it's a normal book and the only side effect is that I start to speak in Elizabethan. It's weird, but with Inferno I think it's harder because you really have to know what is going on at the time that it was written. Dante makes remarks about political figures back in the day, and it gets really exhausting to have to go to the end notes at the back of the book to figure out what he is saying. However, that being said, I really kind of enjoyed this book. If you want to know what hell is like.....well here you go. This book is filled with aw and horror added together to get the reader to actually picture hell and Satan.

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Description

The End Games, T. Michael Martin’s stunning debut novel, both horrific and profound, takes place in rural West Virginia after a zombie apocalypse.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his baby brother, five-year-old Patrick, have managed to stay alive by following the Instructions of a mysterious Games Master. They spend their nights fighting the Bellows, grotesque, flesh-eating creatures.

But the brothers may not survive much longer. The Bellows are evolving. And the others in The Game don’t always follow the rules.

The thrilling plot twists and intense action scenes are combined with insights into human nature and environmental devastation, creating a fresh and unforgettable novel.

Opinion

I usually don't like zombie stories. I just don't get what's so scary about creepy crawly dead people. I read this book however because all the blogs I follow were saying it's a really good book. I took them to their word and read it.

I LOVED IT!!!

I don't really mind the zombies because that's not really what I focused on. What I focused on was the relationship between the older and younger brothers. Their love for each other is so astounding that it's almost heartbreaking. I just didn't know how the book would end.

(spoiler alert)

So in the beginning is where they tell about why it's called the end games. The book description was kind of a hoax if you ask me. They explain at the start that Michael is just making the apocalypse a game for his little brother so that his little brother doesn't freak out and hide inside himself. Which is really sweet. I don't know why they just say that on the description, they tell you early enough anyways.

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Discription

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

Opinion

I liked this book. I didn't exactly love it but I liked it. I loved the way they ended things. For a while there they made me think that Nora was going to lose everything and that was it, the end. There is a couple things that I didn't really care for though. One, I didn't like the fact that Vee, even though they amended this problem at the end, kept losing the ones she loved. I mean what the hell. If I was Vee I'd be seriously pissed at Nora, but that's me, and I'm not Vee. Second, there was one thing they said at the end that really pissed me off. It was something about someone's funeral and they were talking about how there was hardly anybody there and they were happy about it.... I'm sorry but nobody, no matter how awful they are, deserves to be that ill thought of that no one goes to their funeral....I mean...that's just harsh. Other than those things.....The book was well written.

Hush Hush Becca Fitzpatrick

Just finished Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I've read it so many times that I don't feel like re-doing an analysis for it, but when I finish the last/new one I will. SO.....yeah. Just wanted to tell you all that some critics were coming soon.

Keri Arthur Riley Jenson Guardian Novels

Opinion
I am reading this series right now, and all I can think about is how much I want to read Harry Potter right now. You can tell it's a really good book series, though because I haven't quit reading it just to read Harry Potter. It's unique because they combine vampires and werewolves together to make a dhampire. Nice, I think anyways.

Pth, stupid generation

So, I had originally planned to read this romance series then go to a teen series (hush, hush series just made a new book "Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick" I love those books then of course I just HAVE to read the Harry Potter books again. I love those books. In AP English all the books we read the class connects it to Harry Potter some how. It's funny, we connected Macbeth to Voldemort, lol. I blame them....ok so maybe I connect just as much as they do, and yes the Macbeth to Voldemort connection WAS actually my idea, but still.....Now I want to read those books again. I will, of course, and then Ill read the Becca Fitzpatrick books but grr, it's so inconvenient. So many books, so little time.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Description
An all-new series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys:

Opinion
So I got to the end of this book and i was really loving it. The only thing is that this book ended and it really didn't have anything to do with Blue and the foretold dangerous kiss of hers. I was really confused so I read the description again.....and then I reallize that it's a series.....Grr. Now I'm really upset because the next one isn't out yet and wont be out until September 17th.....again grr. This book was AMAZING!!!! I loved it. I don't see how she could (hasn't yet) fallen in love with Gansey. He's kind of egotistical...I dont know maybe he'll change. And when you find out about Noah?! OH MY GOD! Sorry guys, cant tell you that part you'll just have to find that out by yourselves. Then Adam....I don't know.....I see a lot of ego in Adam also. He gets beat by his dad a lot and he doesn't want to save himself by moving in with Gansey because he doesn't want "charity". I think he should try for some charity, because his home life isn't that great. OH, and what is this crap that Blue will tell Gansey about the kiss she cant have but not Adam? She's technically dating Adam right now and not Gansey. Seems kind of unfair to not tell the guy that wants to kiss you why he shouldn't do so. I don't know....I'm really excited for the next one though.

Arabian Nights translated by Hussain Haddawy

Description

Husain Haddawy's rapturously received translation of The Arabian Nights is based on a landmark reconstruction of the earliest extant manuscript version. These stories (and stories within stories, and stories within stories within stories), told by the Princess Shahrazad under the threat of death if she ceases to amuse, first reached the West around 1700. They fired in the European imagination an appetite for the mysterious and exotic which has never left it. Collected over centuries from India, Persia, and Arabia, and ranging from vivacious erotica, animal fables, and adventure fantasies to pointed Sufi tales, the stories of The Arabian Nights provided the daily entertainment of the medieval Islamic world at the height of its glory.

Opinion

I was hoping to hear an old version of the classic Aladdin and genies, but was instead met by strange tales of mermaids and sea people, Demons, sex scandals, and murder. I enjoyed it....for the most part. I was a little upset that we didn't really get to hear a lot about Shahrazad and Shahrayar who was kind of the main characters. It was also a little repetitive with the whole "...but morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence" then the next chapter would always start with "sister please tell us another of your stories" and then the story would start again. After a while though I just learned to completely skipped that part and just went to the next part of the story.

The Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris

Opinion

I am reading this series because I watch the show True Blood (which is based off of these books). So, instead of writing all of my opinions of every single one of these books I'm going to do a broad opinion when I'm all done.....kind of like what I did for the house of night series (different because I did it for the house of night because I had read those books so many times, and for this series I have only seen the show not read the book).


Opinion

I really liked this series, but it's nothing like the show. First off, Lafyette dies right away, the maenad isn't really a big thing, Eric is the nice one, Jason is actually turned into a werepanther, and Jessica doesn't exsist. So.....yeah. OH, and what the heck is everything with Billith in the show? That never even happens in the series at all. No lillith blood that bill drinks and becomes billith, not there at all..... it's crazy. It's like they were sticking to it at the beggining and then they changed so much stuff that they had to make up there own story to finnish the movie series. So....yeah I like the books though. They are better than the series, but in a different way.

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

Opinion

It's kind of funny, because when I first read beautiful chaos about two years ago I kept saying they had to redeem themselves for what they wrote (because I didn't like it that much) and then they name the book "beautiful redemption"....just saying....kind of funny. Anyways, I really REALLY like this book. I like the new characters. I like how, in this one, we get to really meet Ethan's mom. I don't like how everyone seems to know about the caster world, even people who we never thought would know, and Ethan's dad still doesn't get let in on the secret...That kind of suck. Even when Ethan....leaves like he does, they never really tell Ethan's dad what happens. It all turns out wonderful. I'm a little upset that this is the last book, though....Yeah, really upset.

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home from the Great Barrier, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected -- and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What -- or who -- will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it's not Lena -- and the mysterious figure is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself -- forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and he's afraid to ask.

Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

Opinion

I always cry at the end of this book. And, yes, this book is mainly about Ethan. Though, there is a lot about Lena, too. I always get mad at this book. This whole time, through out all of these books, Ethan and Lena's love for each other is said to get them through anything. But then you get to this book, and it's like their saying "no, we were wrong, not everything" and you're sitting there pissed off and balling your eyes out.....or at least I ball my eyes out every time. I like all the things Ethan can do. That there is things he can do even though he's still mortal. Not a lot of authors make mortals have certain powers also. They usually twist it with the "oh they're not mortal after all" set up, but Garcia and Stohl didn't do that, which was cool. The first time I read this book I wanted to burn it. And if the series ended there I probably would have. But there is another book, and they better redeem themselves!!! Because what happened at the end (dont want to give it away) cant be the end.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Opinion

I liked this book, also, but I didn't like how this book was also about Lena. It seems like her situation is more important than Ethan's situation. I think it should be more balanced because Ethan just died kind of in the last book so it seems like they should pay a little bit more attention to him in this one. Maybe they do in the next one.

My Stories!!!!!

So I have posted on teenink.com several times now. Now, though, I have got a series going. Read them and tell me what you think of them. The first two are the series but the others are just some other of my work. Please rate them also. On the teenink page on the very left you'll see stars. Drag the mouse over the amount of stars that you want to rate my articles. And if you want to comment on them, scroll down to the very bottom. There is a comment button and you can type there.

The Sight:
The Sight #1

The Sight #2; The Daughters:
The Sight #2

Opinion Article:
Wishing for a Rainbow

Bullying Article (from bullied to bully):
The No One Girl


Opinion Article; Biases:
Me and the World

Post Apacolyptic Article:
The Future of Ashes

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Opinion

So I re read this book for two reasons. One, because they made a movie, and two, because they made a fourth book. I haven't read this book since I read the third one about two years ago because the third one made me cry (I wont say why until I re read that one, which I plan to). I like the story and the characters so much though that when I found out there was a fourth one I was glad I didn't burn the books......Yeah I didn't like the third one so much I was considering it, which is sad because every book is like my bible so.... but yeah. I like Lena but sometimes every thing is to dramatic and they should dial it down...at least in this one. Oh, and by the way, the movie sucks. Well....it's a good movie but things are really different than the book and the only things that are the same are in different places and completely switched around. The graphics are good and the story is good....it's just different than the book. Yeah, if you've seen it, what did you think compared to the book?

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Description

The richly exotic story of the childhood the twins Esthappen and Rahel craft for themselves amongst India's vats of banana jam and mountains of peppercorns. Repackaged as part of the 2008 Perennial fiction promotion. More magical than Mistry, more of a rollicking good read than Rushdie, more nerve-tinglingly imagined than Naipaul, here, perhaps, is the greatest Indian novel by a woman. Arundhati Roy has written an astonishingly rich, fertile novel, teeming with life, colour, heart-stopping language, wry comedy and a hint of magical realism. Set against a background of political turbulence in Kerala, Southern India, 'The God of Small Things' tells the story of twins Esthappen and Rahel. Among the vats of banana jam and heaps of peppercorns in their grandmother's factory, they try to craft a childhood for themselves amidst what constitutes their family -- their lonely, lovely mother, their beloved Uncle Chacko (pickle-baron, radical Marxist and bottom-pincher) and their avowed enemy; Baby Kochamma (ex-nun and incumbent grand-aunt).

Opinion

I don't like this book at all. Just because an author uses good descriptions doesn't mean the book will be good. The book has a lot of terrible things in it. (SPOILER ALERT) Like, one of the kids are molested, another one dies, and the other one grows up to be emotionally detached which leads to the divorce between her and her husband....Just because the author describes in detail how these kid's lives are ruined doesn't mean it's a good book. That's like saying "the piece of crap looks like chocolate ice cream that means it must taste like it, too." I read it for school and I absolutely hated it.
Another thing that really annoys me is the way the author completely (over and over again) focuses a lot of her attention on balls. Not like basketballs or soccer balls. No, man balls. It's disgusting. Pth. I'll probably never read this book again.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolken

Description

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

Opinion

I originally read this book because I saw the movie. The movie was pretty awesome but I hadn't read the book because I didn't like the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought the hobbit (the book) was OK, but it wasn't great enough to read the rest of the series. It was close, don't get me wrong, but I'm more of a Harry Potter girl more than a Lord of the Rings girl. I liked Bilbo as a character though. He is a lot less of a baby then Frodo I think. Bilbo doesn't die a lot like Frodo does. I mean, he is constantly talking about wanting to go to back to his warm fireplace at home and feel the grass under his feet, but who doesn't? Who doesn't want to be home when things aren't going so well where you're at. I also think the dwarves are really kind of self centered. Bilbo saves their lives a couple times and their not really thankful for that until a while afterwards. Like, there's this time where Bilbo breaks them out of an imprisonment (not going to say how they got there) and the only way he does that is by hiding them away in empty barrels that are thrown into a river and then collected by people who live down the river a ways from where they were imprisoned; and all the dwarves can do is grumble about how their barrels were uncomfortable. This really made me made because Bilbo got out by hanging on to the barrels from the outside and was soaked from steering them around everywhere because he couldn't hide himself inside a barrel. Not only that but Bilbo got sick because of that, and still all they could do was grumble until THEY got warm. MEAN! lol Ok, so I think the author is really good at making you connect to the characters....obviously. But again, it wasn't one of my favorite books.