Book Review: Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones

Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones

Abdullah dreams of a castle with gardens and a princess, until a threadbare carpet flies him to the Sultan's clever lovely daughterl, Flower-in-the-Night and his dreams come true.  When a djinn kidnaps her, he sets out to find her, helped by a cranky genie, a clever ex-corporal, and magic black cat Midnight.

3/5 stars (liked it)

The same magic and story telling as the first book.  I love all the adventures and how at the end all the little peculiar things are explained.  I love the connection with Howl, Sophie and Calcifer!

Book Review: Middle Ground - Katie Kacvinsky

Middle Ground - Katie Kacvinsky

For four weeks Maddie has been living in Los Angeles, trying to be good.  But no matter how hard she tries, something inside her won't be sated.  She can't live a life of half-truths and false pretenses.  So one night, she says how she really feels.

That's all it takes.  One night.  One bad decision, and Maddie is thrown into a detention center where she's forced to undergo secretive treatment meant to squash her rebellious streak.  The powers that be call it rehabilitation.  Maddie calls it torture.

Alone, Maddie will not survive.  But if she can find something to hold on to - an image of Justin, their love - maybe she can fight.  And if she's really lucky, maybe she'll even win.

2/5 stars (it was OK)

I read the first book in 2011 and didn't realize that there were more books.  I did not re-read the first one so I had forgotten a lot of things.  I don't like Justin at all, he feels fake to me.  Maddie is okay but not super likable.  The one character I would love to see more is Gabe, he is new in this series.  Maybe in the next book he'll be featured more.

Book Review: Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Spellbound - Rachel Hawkins

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away.  Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies--the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium.  Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery.  The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending.  But without her magic, Sophie isn't as confident.

Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride--can she get her powers back before it's too late?

3/5 stars (liked it)

Sophie's powers are bound and Elodie is around and bound to her and she can posses her and use her own powers.  Sophie spends most of the book wondering where Cal, her father and Archer are and if they are alive.  Hex Hall is being taken over by the Kassanov's and they are turning the student body into demons.  Sophie must travel to Hell to get the demon glass to defeat them.  I thought the book lead up to something that was over really quickly.  Although I am happy with how the series ended.