The Kiss of Deception

Review by heyes

The Kiss of Deception

by Mary E. Pearson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:

Lia is doesn’t want to marry a Prince she has never met just top form an alliance with a neighboring Kingdom so she runs away. She lives a normal and simple life. Two men show up simultaneously and Lia is attracted to both in different ways. She has no idea that one is the Prince she spurned and the other, an assassin sent to kill her.

Personal Review:

Warning this book just came out July 8th 2014, if you are not good at waiting for sequels maybe you should not start this book till the next one is out.

I rate this book clean but just so you know: One side character has a child out of wedlock and one of the main characters is an assassin. I still rate it clean because I don’t think any of the violence or intenseness is worse than that of The Chronicles of Pyrdain which is a book series suitable for elementary age kids. I really enjoyed this book. I thought what the author did with trying to confuse the reader as to who was the Assassin and who was the Prince was a cool idea. .But I am curious to read it again now that I know who is who. This is the first book in a series. I’m excited to see where the author goes from here. Also, I like that Lia does realize that maybe she should have thought a little more about consequences of her actions. I like her growth and that she learns that the words duty and tradition have been spouted to her her whole life for a reason.

-heyes

If you liked this you may also enjoy

-The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

-Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

-Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

Eragon

Review by heyes

Eragon
by Christopher Paolini




Genre: Fantasy

Personal Rating: Y-12

Content Review: Violence: some scenes may be too descriptive.

Summary: 15 year old farm boy, Eragon, has his life turned up side down when he finds a dragon egg. With the help of unexpected friends, he is able to learn more about his dragon and the abilities and responsibilities of being a dragon rider. He must choose if he is going to fight with the rebellion against tyrant King Galbatorix.

Personal Review: I think this book is very well written and I would recommend it. Although the content does become more mature in the following books. (Much like the Harry Potter Series)


If you like this you might also enjoy:
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. Tolken 

The Tutor's Daughter

Review by heyes

The Tutor’s Daughter

by Julie Klassen

Genre: Regency, Romance, Young Adult

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:

The main character of this book, Emma, is the daughter of a tutor who has had many sons of gentlemen and the nobility attend his school. Now Emma’s father’s school is failing and Emma, in a desperate attempt  to bring it about, writes to Sir Giles, Baronet, the father of two former students and two hopeful future students. Now Sir Giles has offered him a position at their home. This situation causes all kind of problems for Emma, not the least of which are her father’s former students: the worst of her tormentors and her first love. Someone is sneaking into her room, making strange noises in the night, and threatening her. She is determined to discover the secret of Phillip’s and Henry’s home and figure out why someone wants her dead.

Personal Review:

Julie Klassen writes Christian Fiction, which means that her characters are religious and it is referenced in the book. Out of all the authors of the Christian Fiction genre, I think that Julie does it tactfully and not preachy. I think that whatever your religious tendencies are, you can enjoy this book and the characters. Henry is your awesome brooding hero, Phillip the charming, jovial hero and Emma, while having faults is still likable. Her vulnerabilities are realistic and relatable. The story is reminiscent of gothic novels of the 18th and 19th century. If you like Jane Eyre and Jane Austen you will probably like this book. **by the way I think this is probably the most preachy of Julie Klassen’s books and it’s still not bad. **

-heyes

If you liked this you may also enjoy

-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

-Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

-Glimmer of Hope by Sarah Eden

Vienna Prelude

Review by heyes

Vienna Prelude (Zion Covenant #1)

by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: Y

Content: War, Some intense scenes; mentions past indiscretions

Summary:

In 1936 Nazi darkness descends upon Europe. Every person is only one step away from being swept into the nightmarish tide of evil. Blond Elisa Lindheim, and violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, adopts an Aryan stage name for protection. But her closest friend, Leah, a talented Jewish cellist, is in perilous position.

There are those who choose to fight Hitler's madness. Elisa's father Theo. A courageous American reporter, John Murphy. Winston Churchill, the British statesman. A farm family in the Tyrolean Alps. The Jewish Underground. But will all their efforts be enough to stop the coming Holocaust?

And now Elisa must decide. If she becomes part of the Underground, she will risk everything... and puts everyone she loves in danger (Goodreads)

Personal Review: 

This book was so fun to read because it is about WW2 which is both fascinating and disturbing to me. I like to understand how it was to be in the middle of what probably seemed like the end of the world even if it was through the eyes of a fictional character. The truth is that there could have been 100 Elizas who struggled with the same things. There is just enough romance in this book to keep romance addicts reading, and while it talks of past transgressions, the characters are moral and the book teaches good principles. Past mistakes are looked at as mistakes. As a hopeless romantic myself and a proud American, I was rooting for Murphy but I love the hopeless unrequited love anyday. Great book, great series. By the way this is not a religious book.

-heyes

If you liked this you may also enjoy:

-Prague Counterpoint by Bodie and Brock Thoene

-A Countess Below Stairs by Iva Ibbotson

-The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Becoming Lady Lockwood

Becoming Lady Lockwood

by Jennifer Moore

Genre: Regency, Young Adult

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:

Amelia is a widow that never had a chance to meet her husband before his untimely demise. The new Earl of Lockwood does not want to bequeath the third of his estates to his brother's conniving widow. As Amelia sails from her home in Jamaica to London to the trial that will decide if she is the former Countess of Lockwood, she finds it impossible to avoid her faux brother in law and soon finds she doesn't want to. But the law may decide she is his sister and the last person that he should have feelings for.

Personal Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book and May or may not have stayed up till 2:30am reading it. Which may not be significant since I have stayed up late for many unworthy books. With this book, I simply lost track of time. I really enjoyed the characters. I thought that Amelia was well rounded heroine without being so obviously sainted by the author. I thought both the hero and heroine could have been real people and that they were consistent. Something that I really liked about this book was the lack of problem most romances have: the conflict between couples that is blown out of proportion and could be cleared with a simple conversation. Maybe mainly because the conflict was that they couldn’t have a conversation. But either way it was refreshing. This book also didn’t have the main characters thinking things like I don't know why I want to be around them always, and when another person shows attention to them I am jealous, but of course I can't figure out that I love them, or am even interested in them for like 5 years. Again, it was refreshing. This book is comparable to Sarah Eden or Julianne Donaldson, at least right now, I liked it better. SPOILER ALERT The only thing that I could say negatively about it is that I’m not sure if the legal problem between them as far as not being able to marry your brother’s widow. Maybe that’s true but other than it being somewhat suspect or questionable I think it was legal. I don’t know, if you do please let me know.

- heyes

If you liked this you might also like:

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Seeking Persephone by Sarah Eden

The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen