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Product Reviews

Reviewer:
nicoleg75
Reviews:
0
Votes:
3 (100% helpful)

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  1.  The Queen of Australian fantasy fiction

    Posted: 

    Sara Douglass again returns to the world she created in the Axis Trilogy, but the Stardance is no more. Darkglass Mountain, first seen in Threshold, is awakening and dark forces are rousing. An old friend is called on for help as yet again the entire world is in danger.

    Sara is a master story teller and this is no exception. The twists and turns will grip you from the first page. I would recommend reading the other books set in this universe (The Axis and Crusader books, Threshold and Beyond the Hanging Wall) before tackling this series, as it will help to understand the complex relationships between characters. All are excellent books and won't disappoint.

  2.  An interesting addition to the vampire canon

    Posted: 

    Marked is very clearly aimed and marketed at mid to late teenagers. As an older reader (mid-30s) I found the incessant teen-speak was a little over done, but I am not part of this series' main demographic.

    This first book in the House of Night series is not the strongest by any means but it does introduce the character Zoey Redbird and her loyal friends. Zoey has been Marked, this means she has the genetic predisposition to become a Vampyre. This means she needs to move into the House of Night (Vampyre finishing school) in order for her transition to have the best chance of success.

    It soon becomes apparently that Zoey is no normal fledgling Vampyre. It seems that she has been chosen by the Goddess, Nyx and the path she must follow will not be an easy one.

    This is not your average vampire novel, nor is it your average coming of age tale. It is an original and quirky take on both. It can be slow going at times, and often irritatingly repetitive, but uf you stick with the series there are great rewards to be had.

    Give this booka chance. If it doesn't blow you away, buy the second and give that a chance as well, as it is much better.

    Although aimed at teens there are definitely adult themes. Sex, drugs, homosexuality and paganism all feature to varying degrees.

    I have enjoyed the first 5 books greatly and look forward to the remaining titles in the series.

  3.  Enjoyable, if mindless, Babble

    Posted: 

    Lizzie Nichols is not renowned for making good decisions, nor for keeping her mouth shut. Both got her into trouble in the first book in the series and the sequel is no different. After falling in love with the gorgeous Jean-Luc, or Luke to his American friends, Lizzie decides not to return home to Ann Arbor, Michigan after all but to move to New York with friends Shari and Chaz. Lizzie moves in with Luke but insists on paying her own way. Lizzie finds not one, but two jobs, but will her big mouth cost her both?

    The action is somewhat predictable but none the less, Lizzie's positive and enthusiastic view of the world is contagious and it's not long before you're drawn into her world and waiting to see whether Luke really will propose, or whether Lizzie's bubble is set to well and truly burst.

    For those who want their chicklit with more heart than brains (and who doesn't?).

  4.  "Sci-fi for those who don't do sci-fi"

    Posted: 

    The above is how Stephenie Meyer herself describes The Host and it is an apt description. This is sci-fi lite. A race of parasitic aliens have taken over the earth, as they have many other planets before it. However, they find their human hosts aren't as easy to subdue as other species have been. The descriptions of other alien races and planets can be hard to follow at times, but the story is enjoyable and the pace keeps up throughout. This is written for adults, not young adults, but in keeping with Meyer's chaste style there is nothing unsuitable for teenage readers. I really enjoyed this book, and while I didn't feel the need to read it again immediately, I imagine it is one I will dip into occasionally as the mood takes me. A good read if you want a taste of science fiction without having to understand a completely new universe.