~Weave's World Of Books 2010~

[Weave]

The Summoning (The Darkest Powers~Chloe Saunders~Book 1) re~read by Kelley Armstrong ~ Started: 14.04.10 ~ Finished: 15.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

The first book in the Darkest Powers trilogy - a brand new series by bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager - the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy. But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never be normal again. Soon ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention. When Chloe finally breaks down, she's admitted to a group home for disturbed kids. At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients - charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek; obnoxious Tori; and Rae, who has a 'thing' for fire - Chloe begins to that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn't your usual 'problem kid' And they're about to discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home, either ...

 

'The Summoning' is the first book in the YA series, 'The Darkest Powers' by Kelley Armstrong, a favourite author of mines due to 'The Women of the Otherworld' series which is excellent.

 

'The Summoning' begins with 15 year old Chloe Saunders who attends A.R Gurney school studying theatre arts, her day begins the same as every other day until she sees a man that no one else can see, who chases her, Chloe is terrified, hysterical, her school teachers believe Chloe is having a psychotic episode, Chloe's aunt Lauren, a doctor ,decides that Chloe should go Lyle House, a home for troubled teenagers.

 

Chloe discovers quickly that there is something wrong with Lyle House, she is not schizophrenic as originally diagnosed by the Lyle's House psychiatrist but is in fact a necromancer, a incredibly powerful necromancer who can see and speak to the spirits who dwell in Lyle House, spirits who know all of Lyle House's secrets. Chloe, Derek, Simon, Rae and Tori, the other residents of the house, who has also been led to believe they are ill, start searching, looking for answers to their questions about their past and what will happen to them in the future.

 

I read 'The Summoning' last year and I enjoyed it just as much the second time reading it. I love the story, all of the characters are brilliantly written, they are all teenagers, dealing with the problems of growing up and also their developing powers.

 

A must read for any Kelley Armstrong fan.

 

***

 

The Awakening (The Darkest Powers~Chloe Saunders~Book 2) re~read by Kelley Armstrong ~ Started: 15.04.10 ~ Finished: 16.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

Chloe Saunders used to be a normal teenage girl - or so she thought. Then she learned the shocking truth - she is a walking science experiment. Genetically altered at birth by a sinister group of scientists known as the Edison Group, Chloe is an aberration - a powerful necromancer who can see ghosts and even raise the dead, often with terrifying consequences. Even worse, her growing powers have made her a threat to the surviving members of the Edison Group, who have decided it's time to end their experiment - permanently ...Now Chloe is running for her life with three other supernatural teenagers - a charming sorcerer, a troubled werewolf and a temperamental young witch. Together they have a chance for freedom - but can Chloe trust her new friends?

 

'The Awakening' is the second book in the YA series, 'The Darkest Powers' by Kelley Armstrong.

 

'The Awakening' begins where 'The Summoning' ended, Chloe, Derek, Simon, Rae and Tori have left Lyle House behind them, they now know they were genetically altered at birth to control their power by the Edison Group, unfortunately Chloe's and the others powers are stronger than the group imagined and now the Edison Group want Chloe and the rest dead.

 

'The Awakening' is more exciting than 'The Summoning' but just as good, the twists are well done and unexpected, you see Chloe slowly changing as well, as she becomes more and more frustrated with not being allowed to look after herself because of Simon and Derek.

 

Another great read.

 

***

 

The Reckoning (The Darkest Powers~Chloe Saunders~Book 3) by Kelley Armstrong ~ Started: 16.04.10 ~ Finished: 17.04.10

 

 

The nail-biting climax to Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them. As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...Definitely not normal.

 

'The Reckoning' is the third book in the YA series, 'The Darkest Powers' by Kelley Armstrong.

 

Chloe, Derek, Simon and Tori have finally found a safe haven with Andrew, a friend of Derek and Simon's father. Chloe's powers are becoming stronger, she is able to call spirits easily and reanimate corpses, something which she tries to avoid.

 

As with the previous two books there is a lot of twist and turns in the story and its great to read. 'The Reckoning' is definitely the strongest of the series and I could not put it down, with a great ending to a great series.

 

'The Reckoning' is the last in the series (for the time being) with Chloe Saunders but there is a book due for release next year called 'The Gathering' which continues 'The Darkest Powers' series.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Weave

[lexiepiper]

Great reviews, a series I need to get ASAP! Glad you enjoyed them, and I hope you enjoy Tales Of The Otherworld, it's a great read

[vodkafan]

Paula, would this series be OK for a 13 year old? She has read the Twiglight books backwards and forwards and is quite mature in her reading.

[Weave]

Great reviews, a series I need to get ASAP! Glad you enjoyed them, and I hope you enjoy Tales Of The Otherworld, it's a great read

 

Thanks Lexie, so far as I am enjoying 'The Tales of the Otherworld'

[Weave]

Paula, would this series be OK for a 13 year old? She has read the Twiglight books backwards and forwards and is quite mature in her reading.

 

Hi Vodkafan, how are you?

 

I think they would be okay for a 13 year old, its a great series

[vodkafan]

Hi Vodkafan, how are you?

 

I think they would be okay for a 13 year old, its a great series

 

Thanks, I have just ordered the first one in the series from Amazon at 70p.

 

I looked at Botchan too but I have blown my budget for this week (I have bagged 4 DVDs and 3 books for

[Weave]

Thanks, I have just ordered the first one in the series from Amazon at 70p.

 

I looked at Botchan too but I have blown my budget for this week (I have bagged 4 DVDs and 3 books for

[Weave]

Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong ~ Started: 18.04.10 ~ Finished: 18.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

Kelley Armstrong's gripping and imaginative short stories are brought together in a fantastic new collection. A young vampire learns the heavy price of his new existence; black witch Eve Levine meets Kristof Nast, her soul mate and her nemesis; Lucas Cortez, lawyer, sorcerer and unwilling heir to his father's Cabal, sets out on a case that will change his destiny; Paige Winterbourne discovers just how fraught a white (witch) wedding can be and Elena Michaels begins her unwitting journey to a new life ? as the only female werewolf in the world ...These brilliant, self-contained stories are a perfect introduction to the series and a wonderful addition to the existing novels. Tales From the Otherworld will delight fans and curious new readers alike.

 

Thanks to Kell, I am now a MASSIVE fan of 'The Women of the Otherworld' series by Kelley Armstrong, there is something about the series which makes it, I feel, very different from other books about the supernatural, the characters are identifiable, easy to read and they all have a story to tell.

 

Following on from previous collection of stories 'The Men of the Otherworld' books (which is excellent), this collection of stories concentrates on various characters, Elena, Paige, Lucas, Jeremy, Clayton, Eve, Savannah, Kristof, Aaron, Cassandra, each of the stories tell you more about the characters, I particularly enjoyed 'Beginnings', the story of how Elena met Clayton.

 

An excellent collection of books for fans and new fans alike

[Charm]

I've just added Tales of the Otherworld to my wishlist! Loved the whole series and cannot wait for Waking the Witch too ... guess this would help fill in the time eh?

[Weave]

I've just added Tales of the Otherworld to my wishlist! Loved the whole series and cannot wait for Waking the Witch too ... guess this would help fill in the time eh?

 

It definitely will Charm

[Weave]

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton ~ Started: 18.04.10 ~ Finished: 24.04.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

A lost child: On the eve of the First World War, a little girl is found abandoned on a ship to Australia. A mysterious woman called the Authoress had promised to look after her - but has disappeared without a trace. A terrible secret: On the night of her twenty-first birthday, Nell Andrews learns a secret that will change her life forever. Decades later, she embarks upon a search for the truth that leads her to the windswept Cornish coast and the strange and beautiful Blackhurst Manor, once owned by the aristocratic Mountrachet family.A mysterious inheritance: On Nell's death, her granddaughter, Cassandra, comes into an unexpected inheritance. Cliff Cottage and its forgotten garden are notorious amongst the Cornish locals for the secrets they hold - secrets about the doomed Mountrachet family and their ward Eliza Makepeace, a writer of dark Victorian fairytales. It is here that Cassandra will finally uncover the truth about the family, and solve the century-old mystery of a little girl lost.

 

I enjoyed 'The Forgotten Garden', it was in depth and the characters were well written. Nell and her grand~daughter, Cassandra become more and more connected as the story continued. Nell's past was tragic to read, and the fact that she did not know why she had been abandoned was painful to read, Nell and Cassandra were both trying to fill a gap in their lives.

 

An excellent read, highly recommended.

[Weave]

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks ~ Started: 24.04.10 ~ Finished: 02.05.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

The trouble with being a vampire is...You can't get a decent haircut. You live on guinea-pig blood. And even worse, most of the world's population wants to kill you for no good reason. Nina Harrison became a vampire in 1973, when she was fifteen. Since then, life's been one big drag - mostly because she spends all her time with a bunch of vampires, in a vampire therapy group. Then one of them gets staked by an anonymous vampire slayer, and things become even worse: while tracking down the culprit, Nina and her fellow vampires end up in the middle of an illegal werewolf-fighting racket, and find themselves the target of some genuine villains who'll stop at nothing to get their werewolf back.

 

'The Reformed Vampire Support Group' tells the story of Nina, who looks 15 years old but is in fact 51 years old after being bitten and becoming a vampire in 1973. Nina's main problem (apart from being a vampire) is the fact she still looks 15 years old, still lives at home and is part of The Reformed Vampire Support Group, a group of vampires, who do not bite people and live their lives as normally as possible, the weekly meetings consist of the same complaints by the same members, something Nina finds very boring, so she spends her time writing her moderately successful Zadia Bloodstone novels, where Zadia Bloodstone is a kick ass vampire, who does everything that Nina can't do.

 

The group is thrown into disarray when one of their members is killed and all of the evidence points to the murder being committed by a slayer, who is the slayer? can the group prove to the slayer that vampires can live in peace and will Nina ever be happy with her hairstyle?

 

'The Reformed Vampire Support Group' is a fun read, not to be taken seriously, all the characters have their own story and its was different to read about vampires being helped with treatments and support.

 

As mentioned, a fun read, if you get the chance to read it ~ enjoy!

 

[vodkafan]

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks ~ Started: 24.04.10 ~ Finished: 02.05.10

 

 

 

This one looks like a lot of fun Paula I might get this.

[Peacefield]

I'll have to look for this one, Weave! Is it part of a series?

[chesilbeach]

I'm going to have to stop looking at this thread. Every time I do, my wish list gets bigger

 

Only kidding, great review, Weave - it looks like another one for me to add!

[Weave]

I'll have to look for this one, Weave! Is it part of a series?

 

As far as I know peacefield, its not but I definitely think it has great potential as a series

[Weave]

This one looks like a lot of fun Paula I might get this.

 

It is, I think you would enjoy it

[Weave]

I'm going to have to stop looking at this thread. Every time I do, my wish list gets bigger

 

Only kidding, great review, Weave - it looks like another one for me to add!

 

[Weave]

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi ~ Started: 24.04.10 ~ Finished: 06.05.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

High on the cliffs near Dover, the Silver family is reeling from the loss of Lily, mother of twins Eliot and Miranda, and beloved wife of Luc. Miranda misses her with particular intensity. Their mazy, capricious house belonged to her mother’s ancestors, and to Miranda, newly attuned to spirits, newly hungry for chalk, it seems they have never left. Forcing apples to grow in winter, revealing and concealing secret floors, the house is fiercely possessive of young Miranda. Joining voices with her brother and her best friend Ore, it tells her story: haunting in every sense, and a spine-tingling tribute to the power of magic, myth and memory.

 

This was quite an odd story, at times a bit confusing, especially with conflicting narratives. A book I may be need to read again to understand it better.

Edited May 7, 2010 by Weave

[Charm]

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks ~ Started: 24.04.10 ~ Finished: 02.05.10

 

Another great review! This looks like a fun read Weave, think I'll add it to my wishlist.

[Weave]

Another great review! This looks like a fun read Weave, think I'll add it to my wishlist.

 

Thanks Charm, its a cool read

[Weave]

Now by Morris Gleitzman ~ Started: 06.05.10 ~ Finished: 07.05.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

Morris Gleitzman's acclaimed story of friends Felix and Zelda in Nazi-occupied Poland has captured the hearts and minds of readers worldwide. In Now he delivers the final chapter, bringing this most moving of stories into the present day.

 

'Now' is the final book of the series following 'Once' and 'Then', the story of Felix Salinger, a young Jewish boy trying to keep himself and his friend, Zelda safe from the Nazis. 'Once and 'Then' brought tears to my eyes, as did 'Now'

 

In 'Now' Felix is now 80 years old, a retired surgeon and living in Australia, his grand~daughter Zelda comes to live with him when her parents (both doctors) go to Darfur. Zelda misses her parents and friends but adores living with her beloved grandfather and his dog, Jumble.

 

Zelda is having some problems at school, she is being bullied, she does not want to worry her grandfather because of the stories her parents told about Felix's childhood and the bullies (the Nazis), Zelda feels it will bring back memories for Felix, Felix knows what is happening and tells Zelda the best thing to do, tell an adult and have a friend to support you, which Zelda does in some way, her new friend, Josh who suffers from asthma.

 

As the story progresses, Zelda finds out more about Felix as he tells her parts of his story but Felix has left out an important part of the story which he cannot tell Zelda but he may have to.

 

'Now' is just as powerful 'Once' and 'Then', it is written for children but it is written in such a way that its gets the message across of how much was lost for so many people, especially children, Felix is a strong but subtle character who has a quiet strength, as does Zelda.

 

All of the books can be read separately and I hope you get the chance to read them.

 

A wonderful read.

[Weave]

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi ~ Started: 24.04.10 ~ Finished: 06.05.10

 

 

Synopsis ~

 

High on the cliffs near Dover, the Silver family is reeling from the loss of Lily, mother of twins Eliot and Miranda, and beloved wife of Luc. Miranda misses her with particular intensity. Their mazy, capricious house belonged to her mother

[Weave]

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan ~ Started: 07.05.10 ~ Finished: 10.05.10

 

 

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

 

I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth', it was definitely not what I expected, a interesting story, I liked the idea of the village being surrounded by zombies or as they are called in the book, 'The Unconsecrated'.

 

A definite must read for zombie fans and I am ordering the sequel 'The Dead~Tossed Waves' today.

[Weave]

Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking) by Patrick Ness ~ Started: 10.05.10 ~ Finished: 14.05.10

 

 

Synopsis ~