Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2)

Book Review

Title: Her Dark Curiosity

Author: Megan Shepherd 

Date Published: January 28, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Page Count: 420

Rating: ★★★★.5

Goodreads Link: Her Dark Curiosity

Buy Me: B&N, Amazon, Book Depository

Meet The Author: Megan Shepherd

Synopsis: 

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn't forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three claw like slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we'll go to save them from themselves.

My Thoughts:

In this book we follow Juliet after she left the Island that still haunts her dreams, just when Juliet thinks that her life is changing for the better, bodies of people that she use to be close to start appearing with similar claw like slashes as the bodies from the island. Juliet fears that one of her father’s creations has escaped the island and is determined to find the killer herself, while also trying to find a cure for her growing illness.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one, I have never read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but I have seen movies and I  think this novel retells it really well. The Creepiness is very present in this one, also Juliet is a little nuts but I liked Juliet embracing her darkness. Some of the surprises in this book where just, I can't even explain it without making this a spoiler review; I'll just say they made me really happy.  I love the gothic historical fiction in this book, the book itself is just written very well. The ending oh the ending had me hiding under my covers, she did it to me again she is going to kill me with this plot twists. 

I don’t want to make this a spoiler review, so all I will say is if you haven't picked this trilogy up you really should, especially if you like historical fictions. I devoured this book and I wished I hadn't because I don't own the last book so now I have to wait until tomorrow to run to my local bookstore and get it. One more thing isn't the cover just gorgeous?!

-SandraTheBookWorm

Waiting on Wednesday #6

A COLD LEGACY

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breakingthespine in which we spotlight a upcoming release we can't wait to get our hands on. 


Title: A Cold Legacy
Author: Megan Sheperd
Expected Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Balzer+Bray/ HarperCollins
Page Count: 400


Synopsis:
 After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.

My Thoughts:

I can't wait for this book to come out! It's the ending to The Madman's Daughter trilogy, I already own the first two books  The Madmans Daugther which is retold in Dr. Moreau's Island, Her Dark Curiosity which is a retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and finally A Cold Legacy which is a Frankenstein retelling.  I have not read any of the book since I'm waiting on the last one to marathon the series! All the books sound so interesting and dark. I was told that you have to read them in order, you can't skip one to read the other even if they're retellings of different classics they all tie together. Im so excited I cant wait for this book I've heard so many good things of this series and I'm a sucker for a good retelling. Especially if it's about the classics!

UNHINGED

TITLE: UNHINGED
AUTHOR: A.G. HOWARD
PAGE COUNT: 387
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2014
RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS


WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT:

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head


MY TOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:

This sequel to Splintered was perfect! There is so much more Morpheus which I love Team Morpheus lol. In this book Wonderland starts slipping into Alyssa's real world where she thought her family, Jeb, and her where safe. Morpheus  tries to convince Alyssa to accept that she is as much part of wonderland as she is to the human realm and this makes Alyssa a little mad. I don't want to give to much away so I'm going to stop there.  This book doesn't have as much hype it deserves it's AMAZING A.G. Howard is a brilliant writer the way she describes wonderland you just want to be a part of it and the character development is perfect. If you have not started this series you must you wont regret it. Oh and the ending the ending in this book will leave you wanting more.

City Of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)

TITLE: CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE
AUTHOR: CASSANDRA CLARE
RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS


WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:

There could have not been a better ending to the series, it left me wanting more and not wanting the series to end. In this book so many secrets are revealed, friends are lost. this book made me laugh, cry and pissed me off at times, does anyone else think that Cassandra always had it out for Simon? it seems to me that in all six books the poor guy never caught a break. Jace and Clary can finally let loose and love each other without out holding back and i loved it I was waiting for them to just give into there love all the series. One thing that bugged me about the book was Sebastian I wish he would have been able to change and stayed with his family, it seems like when all his evil was taken away he was a good guy, but we cant all get what we want. Overall the book was very very good it met all my expectations. This series was AMAZING so sad to see it end. If you have not picked up this series I recommend you do. You wont regret it.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)

TITLE: CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS
AUTHOR: CASSANDRA CLARE
GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT?
Clary is back in New York she has started training to become a shadowhunter, everything seems to be going fine she can finally call Jace her boyfriend and her mother and Luke are finally getting married.  But someone starts murdering Shadowhunters and placing them in the downworlders areas trying to create tension between the Shadowhumters and the Downworlders. Simon has become homeless since his mother found out he is a vampire and to make things worse someone has been trying to kill him. Jace starts withdrawing himself from Clary and he wont let her know why so  Clary starts to investigate and finds out she has set in motion a series of events that might lead her to loose everything including the love of her life Jace.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT TEH BOOK:
This book was sooooooo frustrating I really did think that Cassandra could have ended her series strong with her last book "City Of Glass." With that said Jace and Clary pissed me off so much in this book they are so stubborn and there was times I wanted to throw the book at the wall with them two it seems like they are never going to have a happy ending. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because I enjoyed the demons and the relationships of the other characters mostly Magnus and Alec I love them as a couple.  I also feel like Cassandra liked to pick on poor Simon he is always in danger or someone is trying to kill him. I like the series but this book was my least favorite.

City Of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars



WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
In the first book on the series The Mortal Instruments "City of Bones" By: Cassandra Clare, a young girl named Clary is out with her friends for her birthday in a very known club in New York, when she finally gets in she notices a group of very good looking teenagers about to kill what she believes to be an ordinary boy. When her friend Simon gets back with the security guard she realized that she is the only one that can see the two boys Jace, Alec and the girl that lured the boy that was murdered in Isabelle. Since that night Clarys ordinary life was changed forever she is introduces to a new world full of magic and mythical creatures that she has been kept from since she was a little girl.


WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE BOOK:
I just finished reading City of Bones  and thought I should talk about it while it was still fresh on my mind. I have mixed feelings about this book I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. Lets start with the things I liked first I loved the world that Cassandra created who wouldn’t want to live in a world full of shadowhunters (half angel half human), werewolves, vampires, fairies, warlocks and well a world with magic,  also I loved that you couldn’t go one chapter without getting action it kept you interested and wanting more. what I didn’t like, all the character seemed to have the same personalities they all seemed to be cocky and full of themselves, also I wasn’t very fond of the ending can we just say we should have taken it another direction it kind of pissed me off to be honest. I also felt like Cassandra was trying to explain too many things at the same time, you were just starting to understand one thing when she jumped in explaining something else.  This book is a fun read if you are into dark fantasy, angels, warlocks, werewolves, and crazy love triangles I definitely recommend you to read this book. I’m going to continue with the series  because I'm  very interested where the story is going to go. 

Splintered Author A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars



WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?  
"Splintered" Is a dark retelling of the iconic story "Alice in Wonderland". Alyssa is a Sophomore in high school and a decedent of Alice Liddell, her mother who is in an Asylum marked crazy by the common society for her weird Alice ticks, Some including not eating if not served in a teacup. Alyssa has started to hear Flowers and bugs speaking so in a attempt to "Shut them up" she uses them as a tool and her mosaics, so she wont end up mad like her mother. One day when Alyssa meets her mother in the asylum as they do every week, She hears Flowers speak and so does her mother who incredibly hears the same thing. Her mother tells her hints about wonderland and she starts to believe its true. She finds the rabid hole and her along with her childhood friend and love interest Jeb land in Wonderland where they meet the mysterious and sexy Morpheus. It's there where Alyssa starts her adventure to fix all the mistakes her great great great grandmother Alice caused, and to lift her family curse.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE BOOK:
This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down. the new wonderland that A.G Howard created was beautiful and mysterious. its like nothing you have ever read before. I loved the way she introduced the same characters from the original wonderland but darker and more mysterious. The love triangle its not cheesy like in other book or just thrown in there, you don't know who you want Alyssa to end up with the childhood friend Jeb or the mysterious Morpheus I for one am team Morpheus lol. if you haven't picked up this book you should is a must read. and a plus that cover would look gorgeous on your bookshelf. Rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars!