Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Winter's Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5)by Julie KagawaRelease: June 2010Pages: 59 (ebook)Publisher: Harlequin TeenSource: NetgalleySummary: 

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.
Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Mini-Thoughts: Fast and exciting, Winter's Passage fills in the blanks between books 1 and 2 as Ash and Meghan make their way from her home to the chilling Winter Court. A very quick, exciting, and action-packed novella that any fan of the Iron Fey series will enjoy. I chose to read this after reading book 2¹, and while it was not necessary to read Winter's Passage, I found it to be worthwhile. 
Highlights: Ash became a more sympathetic character to me (but I'm still firmly Team Puck). His motivations and internal conflicts seem to really show more readily than they normally do, and it helped me enjoy his character more. And of course, Grimalkin was a definite highlight². 
Lowlights: The conflict was almost too easily fixed. The villain could have easily been more terrifying/intimidating...and no Puck! :(
Rating: 4 out of 5
Reviews of other books in this series:The Iron KingThe Iron Daughter (coming soon)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Footnotes1 I wanted to see if it was even necessary to read the novella, or if I could understand what happened from the second book alone. The Iron Daughter does a good job of quickly summarizing what happened in Winter's Passage, but there's still a bit more that would be worth reading. 2 Isn't he always a highlight? Grimalkin is awesome ;)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

Shadowland by Meg Cabot 

(The Mediator #1)

Release: 2004

Pages: 304

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Bought

Summary:

Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations...read more at Goodreads.

Review: By and far some of Cabot's best work, Shadowland (the first installment of the Mediator series) is witty, fun, and full of heart. 

Susannah "Suze" Simon isn't your average teen: she can't drive, she wears a motorcycle jacket, and she's a mediator - a person who can see, speak and (if necessary) give ghosts that extra nudge (or shove) into the beyond. Giving up NYC life to go live in Carmel, California, Suze attempts to make the best of her new stepfather, Andy, and his three sons, Jake (Sleepy), Brad (Dopey) and David (Doc). But the moment she steps foot in her so-not-Suze bedroom, she realizes the move will be more difficult than she anticipated. Mostly because of the Spanish-speaking ghost that refuses move out of her bedroom. But in comparison to a ghostly Queen Bee named Heather waiting for Suze at her new school, he's the least of her problems. Being a mediator, it's up to Suze to deal with Heather, especially before someone gets hurt...or worse.

Every time I reread this book, I'm reminded why I love Cabot's writing (especially her earlier work) so much. Cabot includes intriguing storylines, characters you can't help but to adore, a strong/realistic heroine, and an abundance of amusing moments to keep your spirits up. Suze isn't some weak protagonist - she's not afraid to defend herself and the people she cares about. This is also one of the few paranormal stories that manages to keep family/friendship at the heart of the story, and I love how Cabot writes a light paranormal story where the family is present and cares about our protagonist (instead of killing off the family/making her parents completely suck like other books do). There's enough to keep a reader pleasantly surprised as well.

If you're looking for a lighter, amusing paranormal story for summer, then Shadowland is the perfect choice. 

Highlights: Suze's witticisms and attitude bring this story to another level. She is without a doubt one of my favorite book characters. Even her stubbornness makes her endearing. Many of the characters - from Father Dominic, Jesse, to the Ackerman family - are enjoyable and amusing because of how realistic and unique they are. I loved the California descriptions because it was a bit interesting to see Suze's reactions to the beach/palm trees/Cali life in comparison to NYC. 

Lowlights: Not quite enough is done with some of the supporting characters (especially Jesse, Ceecee, Father Dominic, and Adam), but it is only the first novel. Besides, I already know that all of these characters get more page-time later on. 

Rating: 


Read an excerpt at Meg Cabot's website

Minder by Kate Kaynak

Book: Minder

Author: Kate Kaynak

Release: out now

Source: Author

My Summary:

When Maddie Dunn starts hearing people's thoughts after a horrifying encounter, she doesn't know what to do. Luckily for her, she's come to the attention of Dr. Williamson, the man in charge of a school called Ganzfield.

Arriving at Ganzfield, it's nothing like she expected. Some students can literally "charm" their way through anything, controlling you completely. Others are quick to start fires in their sleep by accident. And almost everyone distrusts Maddie for her own mind-reading ability, right from the start.

It can't get any worse, until she meets the right guy for her, and then everything seems to be going perfect...At least, until everything goes wrong.

Review: Minder is an exciting debut, and an wonderful start to a series.

Starting off with a bang, Kaynak jumps right into the story with a very intense first chapter. Maddie, our protagonist, is the loner at her school. But after this frightening interaction, she taps into some special abilities that rightfully scare her. It was easy to sympathize with her in these beginning stages, and to really want her to be okay.

In Ganzfield, Maddie is a bit of an outcast still because of the rarity of having a "Minder" (minder-reader). Most of the students are "Charms", and with Maddie's addition to the school, they start to have a power struggle. The Charms are used to running the show, but Maddie is one pawn they can't control.

The description of the other abilities at Ganzfield had to be the best part, along with the ending chapters. The suspense really kicks into full gear, and once you reach the end, you'll be wishing for the sequel in hopes of discovering more about the questions it leaves you with.

Highlights: This story really is addictive, I could barely get enough of it. The abilities are all intriguing, and the overall story is very creative. Sure, a school for people with special abilities (Hello, X-Men) isn't entirely new, but the people and abilities Kaynak populated it with are all fresh and interesting.

Lowlights: The romance aspect felt very rushed. If "love" wasn't introduced quite as quickly, then it wouldn't have bothered me. It would have been nicer if such a declaration could have been saved for further in the series, especially considering how quick their relationship is. And at times, it felt just a touch too informative at times when explaining things (instead of feeling natural, these explanations could come across textbook-like).

Rating:    

Trailer: 

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
by Richelle Mead
Pages: 327 (paperback)
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Bought
Summary:

When love and jealousy collide on the slopes, winter break turns deadly... 

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian. 

Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladmir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

Review: Does "Oh, my, gosh" cover it? Frostbite is a fantastic follow up to VA, and I can't wait to start Shadow Kiss now that I'm done with Frostbite. Rose is dealing with so much more in this novel: Dimitri liking another woman, her mom coming back, not seeing Lissa enough, Mason's feelings, and so much more.

This novel really dove into everything so gracefully, and I loved watching Rose's character develop and grow. Bringing in some new characters definitely added to the mix, Janine Hathaway and Adrian Ivashkov (who has an interesting secret...). While, admittedly, Frostbite wasn't quite as great as the first novel, it still rocked and managed to surprise me by the end.

Highlights: Rose's growth throughout the novel. She's a strong girl, and she has to grow up fast. Sometimes she still acts like a kid, but she grew immensely with everything she dealt with in this novel.

Lowlights: Possible foreshadowing? Lissa's medication not working as well...makes me a little nervous. I can't wait to see what happens with that...there are also a few slow moments, but the pace picks up.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

My other reviews in this series:
Vampire Academy
Shadow Kiss (#3)
Blood Promise (#4)