Mini Reviews #18

I believe the 18th Mini Reviews edition should have something for every YA reader. Angels, demons and sinners, a cyborg mechanic from a futuristic China and mermaids. Today I'm reviewing SWEET PERIL by Wendy Higgins, CINDER by Marissa Meyer and OF TRITON by Anna Banks.

Sweet Peril (Sweet Evil #2) by Wendy Higgins

Anna is still the good girl at heart, no matter how many innocent humans the Dukes make her turn into sinners. Together with Kopano, the Son of Wrath she's travelling the world to find new allies in fellow Nephilim and ultimately fight for their freedom. Her feelings for Kaidan are true, they can help her win this war...or put her in great danger.

We meet new Nephilim, Zania and Flynn. Kopano, Blake and the twins are in for a fight against the Dukes as well.

With our jet set queen Anna travelling to meet the other Nephs we are seeing different cultures and exotic places. The change in scenery is well-done, taking us to places all over the world. It's a lovely collection of new impressions and the travelling makes SWEET PERIL so much more exciting. Whenever we were granted a scene with Kaidan all my senses were set on high alert, forbidding myself to miss even the tiniest details. This boy sure is the right to be the Son of Pharzup, the Duke of Lust. SWEET PERIL allows us to see many new facets of him, e.g. his emphatic and selfless character. Anna and Kaidan are exploring their domestic and cuddly side as a couple a bit. As much as they can be smoking hot, they can be cute as hell, too. 

5/5 ***** SWEET PERIL - The seven sins have never been sweeter and more tempting! 

After an amazing first book in the SWEET EVIL trilogy, I read SWEET PERIL in only one day. Engagingly written as it is, it was just as addicting as Wendy Higgins debut novel. Don't underestimate Kaidan Rowe's lust or better love spell!

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publishing Date: April 30^th 2013
Length: 371 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, romance, lust, sins, travelling

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Sweet Peril Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is just a simple mechanic with a step-mother and two step-sisters. That's until she meets Prince Kai and gets on the bad side of Lunar Queen Levana by awakening Kai's interest. See the fairy-tale parallels? Of course, it's Cinderella!

CINDER is set in New Beijing, so there are apparent Chinese and Asian influences on characters and story. New Beijing has an original history which is currently determined by a plague that's spreading through the nation.

There are a bunch of fairy-tale retellings, but this one has an impressive magic of its own. Marissa Meyer took just one idea of an old story and made her very own story out of it. A very basic Cinderella retelling is pimped with a futuristic sci-fi interface. Who would think to make cinderella a cyborg? Sadly, I didn't click with the cyborg elements, even though they were inventive and a highlight for other readers. 

Kai and Cinder's dialogues are too funny, sometimes even sneaky and allusive, hinting at a more romantic interest on both sides. Their love story did help make CINDER a more interesting read, but wasn't a highlight either.

3,5/5 ***/* CINDER - A futuristic and cyborg-tastic fairy-tale world created by Marissa Meyer with much care and love for detail.

CINDER is not as explosive as I thought it could be, but unlike any other YA novel I've read. Marissa Meyer wrote a fairy-tale retelling of a whole new quality. She invented her own world, with the potential to not only be home to one fairy-tale character but a few more, like Rapunzel or Little Red Riding Hood. A versatile world I'm definitely coming back to!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publishing Date: January 20^rd 2012
Length: 387 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, futuristic, cyborg, fairy-tale retelling, romance

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Cinder Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

Being the reason for starting a war between the two kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton isn't the worst there can be about your life, right? Finding out that your mother is the long-lost Princess of an underwater kingdom is worse. You are forbidden to be with your love, a true Prince. And what about learning that as a Half-Breed both kingdoms want to see you dead? 

OF TRITON might fill the spot next to OF POSEIDON on your book shelf, but barely adds progress to the actual story. What happened to Anna Banks' brilliant plot of the first book? Couldn't see it continuing in this sequel.

As Emma's mother's past is very important for the story in this second book, parts of her history are recapitulated and reconstructed and with that the story took a direction I couldn't enjoy that much anymore. Her mother's infuriating temper doesn't allow any discussions at all. And so she couldn't very well count on me to feel any kind of sympathy towards her. Then Emma and Galen's relationship isn't as fresh and as adventurous as in OF POSEIDON (which I loved). Can we please just abandon the adults in this story and let the teens have their sexy times?

3,5/5 ***/* OF TRITON - Not as much splashy underwater fun as the first book offered.

This is probably the shortest sequel ever. OF TRITON is weaker in story-building and romace-wise than the first book in the series.  Nevertheless it felt great to be back with our awesome sea crew, because Emma, Galen and their friends sure provide entertainment. I'm setting all my hopes on OF NEPTUNE to be the worthy and epic conclusion to OF POSEIDON.

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publishing Date: May 28^th 2013
Length: 246 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, underwater kingdom, mermaid, romance

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Of Triton Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Cover Reveal: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

SWEET PERIL, the sequel to Wendy Higgins' SWEET EVIL has finally got a cover and I'm happy to share it with you. Anna and Kaidan look hot and totally develish don't they? How do you like the cover?

Publication Date:  April 30, 2013 from HarperTeen

 

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things. Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

 

Wendy Higgins was born in Alaska, grew up an Army brat, and lived all over the United States before settling in the Washington, DC area. She attended George Mason University for her undergrad degree in creative writing, and Radford University for her masters in curriculum and instruction. Wendy taught 9th and 12th grade English in a rural school before becoming a mother and author. She now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Peril is her second novel.

 Book 3 of The Sweet Trilogy, Sweet Reckoning, is slated for spring/summer 2014.

And if you haven't read SWEET EVIL, you totally should!

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Summary by Goodreads



Thank you Wendy for letting me be a part of the SWEET PERIL cover reveal :)