Book Review: Girl of Nightmares (Anna, #2)

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna (#2)
Published: 7th August 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Source: Library
Goodreads

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.


Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

I enjoyed this book, I really did, but it didn't meet the level of enjoyment I had reading Anna Dressed in Blood. I don't really know what it was, maybe it was the lack of Anna Korlov, but I did enjoy it.

The characters were hilarious yet kick-ass as ever. I laughed out loud so many times reading this - not recommended in public. I really liked the new characters we were introduced to, I think Jestine was my favourite of the newbies.

I loved how I couldn't really tell where the story was going or how the characters were going  to react. But I think my favourite thing about this book was how realistic the characters were, especially Carmel and Gideon. Nobody did anything that was unbelievably stupid, or unjustified, they all had realistic and believable reasons for their actions and I praise Ms Blake for that quality.

All in all, I enjoyed this book but not as much as I enjoyed the previous one. 4/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour

Book Review: Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes (Falling Kingdoms, #2)

Title: Rebel Spring
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms (#2)
Published: 3rd December 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Source: Library
Goodreads

Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series

Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...

When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.

WARNING, REVIEW MAY CONTAIN FALLING KINGDOMS SPOILERS

It has been 14 hours since I turned Rebel Spring's final page and I still can't express my thoughts in a way that doesn't make me sound like a 9 year old with a high sugar level. I loved it. All of it. If you think Falling Kingdoms was okay, please push on and read this because I must say, it was fantastic. This book was 10 times better than Falling Kingdoms, for sure.

The characters really came to their own in this book. Magnus, still being my favourite character of the series, got even more complex. Cleo didn't annoy me as much as she did in the previous book, and I came to see a bit of myself in her. We got to know the side characters better, like Nic and was introduced to several new ones; like Lysandra and that Prince from outside Mystica of whom can't remember the name of. Lysandra really reminded me of Katniss Everdeen, but I try to not compare characters from other series. King Gaius turned into even more of a cold. terrifying being - if that were even possible.
In the previous book, I didn't really feel anything for Lucia but in Rebel Spring she really became a character and she was quite enjoyable too. I am terrified for her, I must say.

The plot was just a major roller-coster ride with so many twists and turns which left me hungry for more and more. It was so thrilling and devious which I loved. I said in my Falling Kingdoms review that Ms Rhodes wasn't scared I do anything, that she had the power and grabbed it with both hands not wanting to let go. Well, Rebel Spring was no exception. Ms Rhodes proved yet again that she was not afraid to do anything she wanted to do and I highly admire that quality in an author. 

I'd recommend this series to anybody, avid reader or not. I really enjoyed this read and can't wait for Gathering Darkness (the sequel)! 

Hagar Manssour