The Raven King: Raven Cycle Series #4

YA Fiction


E/A. Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven King: Raven Cycle Series #4. Scholastic, 2016. 439p. 978-0-545-42498-1. 18.99.

The Raven King is the fourth and final installment of Maggie Stiefvater’s amazing and beautifully written Raven Cycle series.  Richard Gansey III has been on a quest for the lost king Owen Glendower for years, and with his friends Adam, Ronin, Noah, and Blue, his search is drawing ever closer to the discovery of Glendower.  However, there is an evil force working against them, unmaking the very essence of Cabeswater, the mystical forest in Henrietta. Even Ronin’s dreams have been corrupted by this mysterious darkness.  Can Blue, Gansey, and the other Raven boys discover a way to save the forest and save Gansey from his foretold fate? Camille Keo Campos, LAPL, Angeles Mesa Branch 

Shadow Scale

Fantasy/General YA Fiction

VG/A  Hartman, Rachel.  Shadow Scale.  Random House, 2015.  608p.  978-0375866579.  18.99

Picking up three months after the story ended in Seraphina (don’t worry, it starts with a recap), Seraphina is busy researching other half-breeds, like herself and thinks that if she can find them, together they can help stop the coming war between humans and dragons. She must travel far and wide to reach them and deal with those who wish to stop her, including another half-dragon whose manipulation skills are terrifying. Once again, Hartman has developed an incredible world of dragons and humans, politics and adventure. To fully appreciate though, readers need to read Seraphina first. Loren Spector, LAPL, Memorial Branch

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

High School Fiction

VG/A Hodge, Rosamund. Crimson bound. Balzer + Bray/ Harper Collins, 2015. 448p. 978-0-062-22476-7. 17.99.

 As a young girl, Rachelle was apprenticed to her aunt to become a woodwife, to learn protective charms and lore to protect her village from the forestborn and woodspawn, inhuman creatures of the Great Forest. At fifteen, Rachelle strays off the protective path and meets with a dark creature, becoming the very evil she had been sworn to protect against.  In penance, she serves the king and is set to protect the King’s son Armand from deadly enemies. Not what you would normally expect in a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, this rich, complex and dark tale will keep readers in suspense. 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

High School Fiction

VG/A. Hodge, Rosamund. Cruel Beauty. Balzer + Bray, 2014.  346p. 978-0-06-222473-6. $17.99.

Ever since her father made a bargain with the Gentle Lord for his wife to have children, Nyx has been promised as his wife when she comes of age at seventeen.  They say that the Gentle Lord is a prince of demons, who sends his demons to attack the villagers and to drive them mad. He is an immortal with magical powers, but anyone foolhardy enough to bargain with the Gentle Lord always pays a heavy price. The Gentle Lord certainly keeps his word, but he always cheats at his bargains. 

Long ago, a curse was placed on Arcadia, and for the last nine hundred years, the island has been sundered from the rest of the world, trapped in a void where they can no longer see the real sky.  Told to be the hope of her people, Nyx is committed to doing her duty - marrying the Gentle Lord and destroying him in order to avenge her dead mother and to save her kingdom.  She knows that her failure or even her success could very well mean her death.  She resents her father for not trying to save her and her twin sister for not taking her place, but she willingly goes through with the wedding ceremony. 

The Gentle Lord has given her a bargain of her own.  Every night, she is given a chance to guess his name. If she guesses correctly, she'll be granted her freedom, but if she guesses incorrectly, she'll die.

Her husband, Ignifex, is not what she expected. Nor is Shade, his shadow.  Trapped in ruined castle with labyrinthine staircases and strange doors leading to magical and dangerous secret rooms, Nyx must work to uncover his secrets. The more she learns of her husband, the more she is drawn to him and finds herself falling in love with him.  Will Nyx keep her word to destroy the Gentle Lord or will she chose the man she loves over the fate of all others?  An intriguing tale, Cruel Beauty certainly stands out among other Beauty and the Beast retellings. 

Siege & Storm

YA Fantasy

G/A  Bardugo, Leigh.  Siege and Storm.  Henry Holt, 2013.  448p.  978-0805094602.  17.99.

In this sequel to Shadow & Bone, the author picks up right where we left Alina and Mal, on a boat running away from Ravka and the Darkling. It’s not long though before the Darkling catches up with them and forces them to do his bidding. Only this time, the captain of his hired ship has plans of his own. Not much happens in this second book of the trilogy until the last 50 pages. It’s a lot of build-up and little action. If you haven’t read the first in the series, this one won’t make much sense and even if you have, you’ll have to wait until the third installment for any sort of resolution. Loren Spector, LAPL, Memorial Branch

Far Far Away

General YA Fiction

G/A  McNeal, Tom.  Far Far Away.  Knopf Books, 2013.  384p.  978-0375849725.  17.99.

The ghost of Jacob Grimm is haunting Jeremy. Not haunting in a bad way, Jacob is there to protect Jeremy and hopes that by doing so he will be released into the afterworld. And Jeremy needs the help, almost his whole town has turned against him after a prank and his home is about to be auctioned off since his Dad hasn’t left the house or worked since Jeremy’s mother left them. With Jacob’s help, things are looking better until things go terribly wrong (much like a Grimm fairy tale). Unfortunately, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the novel, such as what really causes the green smoke from the bakery? Regardless, fans of Neil Gaiman will enjoy the whimsical and sometimes frightening story. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Shadow and Bone

VG/A  Bardugo, Leigh.  Shadow and Bone.  Henry Holt, 2012.  358p.  9780805094596.  $17.99.

Alina and Mal have known each other since they were children together in the Duke’s orphanage. On a military excursion through the dark Shadow Fold to get to the sea, everyone is surprised to discover that Alina has special powers. She is a Grisha, part of a community of people with special abilities under the leadership of the Darkling. At once Alina is sent away from Mal so that she can perfect her magic, because only she has the ability to destroy the Shadow Fold. But the Darkling’s motives may be much darker than he lets on. Fans of fantasy and the paranormal will love the start of this new series by debut author, Leigh Bardugo. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Switched

G/A Hocking, Amanda. Switched. St. Martin's Press, 2012. 320 p. 9781429956529. $8.99

General YA Fiction

Wendy never felt like she belonged. Her mother, convinced she is a monster, tries to kill her on her sixth birthday. Even with her loving aunt and overprotective brother raising her, she can't seem to make it work. She doesn't have friends, she's very picky, she can't control her temper and she keeps getting kicked out of school. Then Finn shows up and changes her life forever. He tells her that she is a changeling, a troll and the heir to the throne of the Trylle, a powerful troll clan. It is time for her to return to her birth mother and live as a Trylle.

This is the first in the Trylle trilogy and it shows. It is well-written but leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the world of the Trylle.

Sarah Mae Harper, CoLAPL- AC Bilbrew Library

The Dark City

General YA Fiction

G/A Fisher, Catherine. The Dark City (Relic Master #1). Dial, 2011. 384p. 0803736738. 16.99.

Galen and Raffi are relic masters of the Order. There are very few of their kind left. They have magical powers and are the keepers of magical relics left over from the extinct Makers. In this first of a 4-part series, Galen and Raffi travel to the old city of Tasceron to find the Crow so that Galen can gain his powers back. But they are being followed by the Watch, a group of enforcers that do not belive in the magic of relic masters. This book was better than expected, but committing to reading a 4-part series is difficult unless the book is amazing. There was a lot of adventure and action, but the ending was not satisfying. This series will still appeal to teens who enjoy fantasy/adventure novels. Loren Spector, LAPL, Felipe de Neve

Nightshade

High School Fiction

G/A. Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Philomel Books, 2010. 454p. 978-0-399-25482-6. $17.99.

On her eighteenth birthday, Calla, alpha female of the Nightshade pack, will be bound to Ren, alpha of the Bane pack as his mate and their two packs will be joined. But when she breaks the rules by saving the life of a human boy from a bear attack and exposing herself as a werewolf, her destiny is changed forever. The human boy, Shay, begins attending her school, unaware that it is unlike any other high school in Vail, Colorado, filled with wolves and witches where humans occupy the lowest order. However, there is something extraordinary and mysterious about Shay. He does not betray Calla’s secret; instead Calla finds herself ordered by her master to become his friend and bodyguard. Their mutual attraction develops quickly into love and friendship. Calla is torn between her loyalty to her pack and her feelings for Shay. Will Calla follow the course that has been laid out for her and become Ren’s mate or will she choose to follow her own path and her heart with Shay? Readers of paranormal romance will enjoy the elements of forbidden love and the love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren. The second in the trilogy, Wolfsbane, is due out in July 2011. Recommended for fans of Blood and Chocolate, Shiver, and Raised by Wolves.

Halo

General YA Fiction

F/A. Adornetto, Alexandra. Halo. Feiwel and Friends, 2010. 484p. 978-0-312-65626-3. $16.99.


Three angels sent from Heaven on a mission to bring goodness to the world arrive in Venus Cove, a sleepy seaside town: Gabriel, the warrior, the archangel; Ivy a healer and seraphim, one of the wisest angels; and finally Bethany, the youngest of the three. She is ecstatic to be among humans and to be starting high school at Bryce Hamilton. She meets Xavier, the handsome school captain. Bethany knows that she must not reveal her true nature. Falling in love with a human is forbidden, but she cannot resist her undeniable attraction towards Xavier. Meanwhile, Venus Cove is falling under the influence of dark forces. Will the angels be able to save everyone in time or will Bethany’s violation of the rules put them all in jeopardy? The first in a new series. While fans of Fallen and Hush, Hush will be attracted to this title; they may find the pacing slow and the romance saccharine. Camille Campos, LAPL, Angeles Mesa