Quote of the day

The wind picks up. It sends leaves scurrying for cover until a softer breeze blows through, settling them down again as if to say, Shhh, there, there, it's all right. One leaf still dances in the air. It spins higher and higher, defying gravity and logic, stretching for something just out of reach. It shall have to fall, of course. Eventually. But for now, I hold my breath, willing it to keep going, taking comfort in its struggle.

Libba Bray (Rebel Angels)

Rebel Angels 5/5

This is the second book in the Gemma Doyle-triology. You can find the review of the first book in the series here. I must say I am thoroughly impressed. In this book Gemma, Felicity and Ann go to London for Christmas, while getting strict instructions from the Rakshana to find a temple in the realms. There Gemma can bind the magic which is running wild in the realms and ruining the precious balance. The problem is that Gemma doesn't know where the temple is or who she can trust to help her find it.

Like I've mentioned before, the first book kind of disappointed me. This one did not. At all. Even at the start of the book, I felt that something had changed for the better. Maybe it was just that I'd gotten used to the idea of the realms or that Gemma, Felicity and Ann had grown on me. Anyway, that something made sure that I enjoyed the book from the very start.

This book had everything I like in a book: Action, romance and magic. I loved it. The book revealed something major about Felicity which actually makes her bearable. Ann is still annoying unfortunately, but Gemma's neutralness makes up for it.

What astounded me the most about the book was the way it stayed so true to the Victorian Era. So few authors do! It made it seem so much more authentic. At some points I felt like I was reading a Jane Austen-book with a magic twist. And trust me, that is so very good.

It had a slow start, but when the pace increased, boy, then it increased. There was a point where I could not possibly put the book away. I love books like that!

I cannot wait until I get my hands on the third and final book in the series. Absolutely recommend the series to everyone with a love for the Victorian Era and magic!

A definite 5 out of 5!

Read: Feb 05, 2011.

A Great and Terrible Beauty 3/5

So I had heard a lot of good things about this book, which naturally led me to have many expectations. And I have to say, unfortunately, that this book disappointed me a great deal. I thought that it was slow paced, that you received too little information to even know what was going on and, quite frankly, that the plot was boring. 

The story is about sixteen-year-old Gemma, who has lived in India all of her life. When she sees her mother die in a vision and it actually happens, she is sent to a boarding school in England. There she meets a group of girls, and together they explore the magic which led Gemma to have that first vision, while being warned not to by the mysterious Kartik. 

I do think that Bray is a magnificent writer. She really is. And I'm not really saying that I disliked the book or anything like that. It just disappointed me because I had too many expectations. I am going to read the sequel, though, because I was intrigued, and I've heard that the series gets better. Hopefully it won't disappoint me! Another thing I have to say is that I think Bray managed to write the time period perfectly. Kudos!

Okay, so just to be clear: This book was good, not great. Good enough to continue reading the series, though! 

3 out of 5

Read: Jan 05-09, 2011