Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesomely narrated by Perdita Weeks, this saga of Circe's life among the Gods and mortals was beautiful, fantastic, and compelling. Circe's life was not easy, always being misunderstood/threatened by her parents and the Gods who were not nice at all (evil creatures); constantly tearing Circe down and when she is banished to an island forever, I enjoyed listening to her thoughts and feelings as she navigates her isolated life and populates her house with wild animals who are tame to Circe, beginning her practice of witchcraft- learning the many herbs and plants that will sustain her life. I enjoyed the many people and gods who grace her door, her son, and the life she finally chooses to live. I can't wait to listen to The Song of Achilles now!

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a 5 star book for me until the last 2 1/2 pages. The book was beautiful in its world building (Lazlo's time with the monks, Weep in Lazlo's mind and the real Weep), characters (Hated Minya, loved Lazlo and Sarai and so many more) and the magic, fantasy, gods, and ghosts. Now back to my 3 star rating...this book was tantalizing (some in a good way but also some in a bad way) and since Lazlo's life was tough but as a dreamer he always searched for the good in everything...hence the ending completely undid me and since the story was steeped in the darkness of the Godslayer and the daily world of the blue gods and goddesses and Lazlo's early life, there were quite a few ways to make the ending more redemptive than it was. Especially when you wait for another book in the series, it is nice to have a cliff hanger with a positive spin. The characters and the readers did not deserve this ending, I know it says "to be continued" but I will be waiting in dread and it would have been nice to tweek the ending just a little to have me waiting with a smile on my face. Those of you who know me as a reader and reviewer, I rate most books 4 & 5 so when I have to give a book a 3, it really hurts me, just like this ending did. I hope Laini Taylor can give a better ending to Book 2 and 3 if there will be more in this series. Again I loved the story, the characters, just would have liked a better ending (it could have been easily written that way, for Lazlo, Sarai and the reader).

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The Fallen Vampire (Flux & Firmament: The Cloud Lords, Prequel Part #1) by Beata Blitz

The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Beata Blitz and the Goodreads Group YA Reads for Teachers for the ARC, The Fallen Vampire. Chloe is a normal teen whose life changes abruptly at a party when she uses witchcraft. She is imprisoned awaiting a trial when her best friend and love interest helps her escape from jail. As they flee, Chloe wishes desperately that Wayne would return her feelings. As a witch Chloe will not have the life she wants so she slips away from Wayne and runs headlong into a conflict between Vampires (known as Night Flyers) and Dragons and Bats considered gods and also could change into human form. As something falls from the sky, Chloe follows and finds what seems to be a dead man. What will happen to Chloe now that she is hunted as a witch, meets Cloud Lords, and tries to save whoever fell during the battle? Beata Blitz has crafted an dystopian world where California is now Dragon's Faith with feral dogs, bombed out buildings, and a new world that is patrolled by sheriffs with Regulators, rules, no technology and no information from the past. I can't wait to learn more about Chloe, her fate, and that of the fallen man in the 2nd book in this epic series with magic, mystery, gods and vampires!

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The Midnight Star (Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book of Marie's Lu's The Young Elites did not disappoint. I loved the world building and characters as they race against the clock to help themselves from the devastating effects of their powers. There is so much more time spent on the characters and I enjoyed the depth Lu delves into Teren, Rafaele, Lucent, Enzo and Violetta. As always I appreciated Magiano's joyful heartfelt influence with Adelina since she really tried to listen to him as the voices drove her crazy and forced her evil forward again and again. I enjoyed finding out more about the gods and folktales that ruled their worlds. I could not put down this novel and I will not soon forget the Roses, The Daggers, and Young Elites!

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