City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Epic fantasy finale!
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare ends The Mortal Instruments series. As the story begins, the Los Angeles Institute and its inhabitants are introduced and then Sebastian strikes. He attacks six institutes around the world, either turning Shadowhunters into his soulless servants or killing them. The Clave orders all Shadowhunters to stay in Idris for their protection. Sebastian knows Clave protocol and he’s using it to his advantage and he’s also using the turned Shadowhunters against their loved ones because he knows the Nephilim won’t be able to stomach killing them. The Clave can’t figure out how to stop Sebastian, so Jace, Clary, Alec, Isabelle and Simon travel to the demon realms to stop him on their own. As they reach the demon realms, each one of them is haunted by a strange dream meant to convey their deepest wishes. Loss is prevalent in this book as families are separated and relationships are broken. The Mortal Instruments series has been a reading adventure. I’m happy the story continues on with The Dark Artifices series because I’m not ready to say goodbye to the world of Shadowhunters.

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

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City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare is just as intense as the rest of the series. After the end of the last book, Jace and Sebastian have been missing with no trace of where they’ve gone. Clary makes a deal with the Seelie Queen and while Clary is trying to steal faerie rings from the Institute for the Queen, Sebastian and Jace walk in. The two seem chummy and both look healthy. Clary is relieved to know that Jace is alive but concerned about his state of mind. Luke gets fatally injured; Isabelle realizes she needs Simon; Maia and Jordan travel to his leader to get help for Luke and Jocelyn and Isabelle visit the Iron Sisters to also help Luke. All this is happening as Clary leaves with Jace. Clary travels to famous cities with Jace and Sebastian as they gather what they need for their mission. During a moment of clarity, Jace tells Clary that he would rather die than follow Sebastian. Once Sebastian gets what he wants, he begins to turn Shadowhunters into his servants. Before he can turn very many, he’s stopped by Shadowhunters and werewolves. Sebastian leaves his followers behind as he runs away to save himself. Everyone has been altered in some way as the story closes and the hunt for Sebastian continues. 5 solid stars!

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

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Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins and Harper Teen continues right after the demons almost caught the group of Nephilim on the island. The demons are discussing traitors and set up a demon meeting. They suspect Anna and her father of rebellion and plan to take them down. She is constantly running to keep safe. Kaidan is sent by the demons to take care of Anna and if he doesn’t, they will kill him. The only way they can be safe together and keep Anna righteous for the sword, is by getting married. The rebellion Nephilim become closer and become true, loyal friends while they help each other survive. Everything comes to a head and suspense and intensity build as the rebels find out who’s on their side and who’s against them. 5 stars for the touching end to the Sweet Evil trilogy!

Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Fantasy with a dystopian undertone!
Thanks to Capstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Children of Daedala by Caighlan Smith. Slow to introduce the main character and to orient the reader to the setting and purpose, so the first book, The Children of Icarus, needs to be read before picking up this sequel. The action picks up the excitement in the story and the reader is still left trying to figure out who Nameless is. Danger and intrigue are prominent and no one knows who to trust and almost no one deserves trust. The ending is awesome and leaves me anticipating the third installment to this series. Fantasy with a dystopian undertone, 4 stars!

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

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Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins opens with a story from Rome in the 1700’s where two Nephilim are punished for loving each other. Six months have passed since book one and since Anna and Kaidan have seen each other. Kaidan and Anna know they need to stay apart for their own safety as well as the safety of the rebelling Nephilim and supporting demons. Anna has been given a mission and she’s going to be working with Kope. Their mission is to save a young woman in a part of the world where women are devalued, degraded and abused. Her name is Zania. Kope and Anna meet with two Nephilim and then their emotions get in the way, so they decide traveling together is too difficult. Anna then travels alone and she is finally able to have a conversation with Kaidan and they are finally honest with each other and learn how to make their relationship work. Unexpectedly, Kope and Kaidan work together, by wearing Arabic disguises and saving Zania by pretending to purchase her for slavery. Blake, Kaidan, Anna, Kope and Zania are forced to hide in the cold ocean water because the Dukes come to the island they are staying on. While shivering in the water, they are witnesses to a Nephilim murder by the Neph’s own father. The group works with Anna’s father, continually strategizing to build the rebellion up. Sweet Peril is just as exciting as the first book, Sweet Evil, in this supernatural series by Wendy Higgins. 5 stars!

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins is an intense ride with demons and angels. The opening reveals Anna’s beginnings as she’s born and blessed with the angelic spirit of her dying mother while her father looks on with a broken heart. Police break in and arrest her father, John LaGray, for international drug trafficking and his only remark to her is, “Just say no to drugs, will ya kid?” Fast forward to teen Anna attending a concert with her best friend, Jay. They’re enjoying the music when Anna notices the drummer. She sees others’ emotions as colors and the drummer hardly is showing any, only a small amount of red. She also notices how attractive he is. Kaidan, the drummer, keeps running into Anna after they meet backstage after the concert. He seems to know what she is and after Kaidan confronts Anna at a party, she talks to her adoptive mother, Patti and learns all the secrets that she knows about Anna’s past. Patti also warns Anna to distance herself, as far as possible, from Kaidan. Anna and Kaidan have difficulty keeping distance from each other and, due to lack of money, Patti is unable to take Anna on the trip to gather more information from her past by speaking to her imprisoned father and to Sister Ruth, the nun who was present at Anna’s birth, Kaidan offers to take Anna there. The meeting with Anna’s father goes well and she gains love and respect for him as he tells the story of his life-from living in Heaven to becoming a fallen angel, to loving Anna’s mother and to his time in prison. He gives her valuable advice and information and she leaves him feeling loved. Anna receives a call from a nun letting her know that Sister Ruth passed away but left all of her belongings to Anna. Kaidan and Anna decide to keep their distance from one another and when they do see each other it causes confusion. Anna’s learning to “work” to keep the demons at bay but she has to deal with the guilt afterward, each time she persuades someone to make an unwise choice. The intensity of Kaidan’s and Anna’s relationship is intoxicating and the pull between them is undeniable. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, Sweet Peril. Supernatural deception and integrity all in one!