The idea behind this story is very clever and imaginative. The emotions the two main characters, the alien and the human, feel are very compelling. The romances that evolve throughout the story are intense and very enjoyable. The entire book comes across as both exciting and intelligent.

There are a few flaws, though. The thing I had the biggest problem with the panic. Throughout the entire book, Wanderer lives in a state of acute panic. This panic goes on for days or weeks at a time. This is too farfetched- after a few days, your body can’t maintain that panic level anymore. It was also annoying. However, the book is still worth reading.

I loved the excitement of this book. It really held my attention all the way through. The idea of a poison taster isn’t new, but in this book, it’s presented in a very fresh and fascinating way. I also enjoyed the characters. They were well constructed and interesting. The tension of the romance also added a lot to the story.

However, ‘Poison Study’ is only the first book in a trilogy, and I completely disliked the next two books. The characters didn’t remain true- I felt as if I were reading about completely new and different people. Although the story was still interesting, I felt like I couldn’t get involved because I was too busy wondering when the personalities of the characters changed.

Del is a young man who was taken over by the Hellion, a childhood demon. Doctors thought they exorcized the demon, but now Del can hear it in his head again. He goes on a quest, looking for answers, not only to his own problem, but to the question of who and what the demons are, and where they came from.

The premise for this story is amazingly original, and the plot and pacing really held my attention all the way through the book. The characters are well thought out, and the story is exciting. It’s also rather believable, for something that should be completely unbelievable, which shows a lot of talent in the writing.

The only thing I found disappointing about this was the ending. I don’t want to say why, because I don’t want to give anything away. It just wasn’t everything I thought it could be. However, this book is still worth looking into.

The first book in the series is absolutely incredible. I loved the plot development- it was rich in tangled stories of both the past and present. You never know which characters to trust, or who has a hidden agenda. Each character was also very well thought-out.

In the following two books, I started to lose interest. ‘Prisoner of the Iron Tower’ feels like a nightmare that never ends. The turmoil and heartache Gavril and the other characters must face is way over the top. I found the third book to be a bit dull. However, I must say that I read these books years apart, as they came out, so, perhaps if you read all three together, they may be worth looking into.

After her baby sister is cast out and her mother disappears, Liza discovers that she too may have a touch of magic. She’s terrified her strict father will find out. Instead, a boy her age, Matthew, who is shunned by the community, discovers her secret. When Liza ventures out after her mother, Matthew goes with her.

I thought the ideas behind this book were quite interesting. As Liza and Matthew, and the companions they pick up, make their way towards Liza’s mother, they have several adventures and meet many new people. Many secrets begin to be revealed as well. The characters are decently developed, and the plot is original.

This is marketed as a teen book, and both Matthew and Liza are 15. However, I felt that the writing was definitely geared more towards younger kids, maybe between 11 and 13. The pacing of the book was odd as well- slow at times, but at others, uncomfortably fast. Despite these factors, though, I found that the book was unique enough to hold my interest.

The main character, a young woman, lives in a kind of strict convent. What she doesn’t know is that she is key to a dangerous plot that’s evolving as the story evolves. She meets a soldier, Lan, and together, they set about unraveling political turmoil.

The book is short, so it’s quick and fun to read. The writing is exceptional. I found the characters to be very well thought-out, and the ideas behind the fantasy world, and the culture, religion, and politics in it, were fascinating.

The only problem I had with this book is, actually, the book that come after. This book is essentially Book 0 of a series that runs to more than a dozen books. And these aren’t books you can pick up in the middle of the series- you need to read them in order. The author, Robert Jorda, actually died before he finished it. Someone else had to write the last books, and that just doesn’t sit well with me at all. So, if you’re looking for something really, really long that may have no concrete conclusion, try this. Otherwise, don’t get your hopes up.

‘Melusine’ starts with two main characters in a city ruled by magic. One character, Felix, is a magician who is tricked and held as a mental prisoner by another traitorous magician. The other character, Mildmay, is a lithe, quick, sharp-tongued thief. We follow the adventures and discoveries of these two characters as their paths cross in the first book, and as their stories evolve in the next three books.

I loved ‘Melusine’ because it was dark and intense, and had a very satisfying story line. I was interested the entire time. I loved the character development. Each character felt like an individual person, someone who might leap right out of the pages. ‘The Virtu’ was also intense, although in a slightly different way. The relationships between the characters build and evolve. New characters enter the story line to keep it fresh, and Mildmay and Felix have several exciting adventures.

During ‘The Mirador,’ my attention started to wane. The characters seem to going over and over all problems and predicaments. The new characters are not as interesting as the original two. Situations I was hoping for never happen. By the time I got to the last book, I was completely bored.

So, the last two books aren’t great. However, I would definitely recommend reading the first two, as they are definitely intriguing.

The story is interesting, no doubt about it. However, right away, I had a problem with the way the characters acted. Yes, most of them are supposed to be or act like wealthy, haughty aristocrats, but even in private or sentimental moments, none of the characters ever seemed to display any emotions. They were all very, very dry. This made the passionate revenge that Miranda/Maledicte was supposed be achieving seem trivial and unimportant.

I also had a bit of a problem with the gender swapping. I have no problem with this normally, and, in fact, read and enjoy many books where people swap genders or take on lovers of different genders. Here, though, it just seemed to make no sense. Maledicte never seemed to have much of a problem reconciling her newfound maleness to her inherent female traits. It made the gender predicament seem useless, as if it didn’t need to be there at all.

Overall, I felt there was little here to redeem the book and make it worth reading.

Meanwhile, a mad, blood-drinking angel, Carnival, stalks the city once a month, hunting prey. Together with a female assassin, Dill must attempt to save the city, while at the same time growing into himself.

This book is very dramatic. No scene is left without intense emotion and a lot of description. In fact, I sometimes felt the plot and character development were overwhelmed by these aspects of the writing. I never felt like I could make any kind of a connection with the characters. I didn’t sympathize with them, and I didn’t feel excited or anxious about what they were trying to accomplish. For me, this meant that I couldn’t really get into the book at all. The ending is something of a cliff hanger, but by the time I got there, I’d already decided that I wouldn’t be reading anymore of this series.

The book reads kind of like a dream. Each setting is a bit murky. Each scene is portrayed as magical and mysterious. At first, this poetic style is quite intriguing, and draws you into the story. It makes you feel connected to the magical beings of the fairy land. However, this style soon becomes a bit too misty and vague. The characters all seem to meld into one. The plot line dissolves into a weird, twisting thing that seems to loop back on itself, or branch out in a hundred different directions. It becomes incredibly difficult to follow the story, never mind make any sense out of it.

I couldn’t stand it. I gave up on this book near the end. I started to feel less like I was reading a story and more like I was having a bad drug trip.