Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Voyager
(The Outlander Series Book #3)
by Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Time-Travel | Historical Romance

“He was dead. However, his nose throbbed painfully, which he thought odd in the circumstances.”

Thus begins the third book in the OUTLANDER series, in which we learn that–despite his best efforts–Jamie Fraser did not die on the battlefield at Culloden. He isn’t pleased. Back in the 20th century, Claire is equally shocked by the revelation of Jamie’s survival–but much more pleased about it. We hear Jamie’s story as he moves forward, trying to forge a life from the bits of his soul and his country that are left, and hear Claire’s brief recounting of the twenty years since she left him at Culloden, while Roger MacKenzie and Brianna (Claire and Jamie’s daughter) draw close to each other as they sleuth through the clues of the past, in an urgent hunt for Jamie Fraser. Can they find him? And if they do, will Claire go back to him? And if she does…what will happen then?

Claire discovers a startling fact while researching the past; that Jamie actually survived the battle which divided them so long ago. Upon making a life-changing decision, Claire says good-bye to the "present" (aka future) and steps back into 1700's Scotland to find her husband. The man she meets is amazingly the same, but shockingly different -- something 20 years time can do to a person. Claire must slowly accept the changes in Jamie while sharing in some new adventures along new characters and new lands. It's a bumpy ride, but this time they're determined to make it through together.

I am hooked on this series!! When I pick up a book, I'm not interested in reading anything else. Plus, the books are quite thick (1000+ pages in paperback), so once I begin . . . it can take awhile for me to finish and I am more than satisfied staying up late to put in time with the tale. I'm also happy Claire and Jamie are getting a second chance at happiness, even though they do have to sacrifice connections with their daughter Brianna, who has remained in the present (for now!). It was enjoyable catching up with Jamie's family and experiencing Claire's joy in re-connecting with close friends from the past. There were some shocking secrets that Jamie had to reveal to Claire, so that added some great tension to the overall story.

Since these books are so dense, it is almost impossible to do a in-depth review since many readers will point out certain highlights that others won't. Overall, I'm excited for Book #4, but have decided to put it off till my own trip to Scotland this May! (Whoo-hoo!!!) I find I'm going back into the stories and trying to put to memory locations to re-visit myself, but overall the Highlands are my focus. {silly grin} Yet, within Voyager, the readers gets to travel a lot with the characters -- all over Scotland, Paris, and then some. The boat trips were a nice change in pace and the ending actually had some spooky voodoo parts, which is always a little different, enjoyable and keeps the tale interesting.

If you follow the series, you'll get to re-visit some old characters in this tale...especially some memorable ones from Book #1. Yet, as I have stated in past Outlander Series reviews, many of the same plot lines are used (ex. rape, yet again, but less subtle this time!) and I always seem to find that as a sore point in the books; almost disgustingly so this time. Funny enough, Claire seems to be getting braver in her age and almost more daring then big-tough Jamie, especially so in Voyager. If you enjoy history and love romance, you need need to check out these book. Highly recommended!!

Likes: Claire displayed a lot of jealous is this story, especially directed to some of the characters from Jamie's past - it's fun to see a prominent character who was so comfortable in her situation before to learn to adapt to changes now. Plus, for me, it just went to show how strong her feelings were and will always be toward Jamie. I liked that.

Dislikes: I always say I love series and these books are so fascinating, but sometimes. . .it's a lot to read for just one book. Don't get me wrong -- the thickness it not exactly a fault, just an annoyance sometimes.

Rating:

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My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

My Fair Godmother
by Janette Rallison

Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale / Paranormal Romance / Young Adult

Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience! After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight.

Sixteen-year-old Savannah is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her for her studious older sister, and she dreams that her life will take a fairy-tale turn, complete with a handsome prince, a ball, and a happy ending. Her wishes bring the astonishing arrival of Chrissy, an aspiring fairy godmother. Still in training and not quite in command of her magical abilities, Chrissy sends Savannah through a chain of otherworldly mishaps, including visits to Cinderella and Snow White’s stories and finally to the Middle Ages, where Savannah defeats a cast of magical creatures and discovers that regular guys are sometimes preferable to princes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!! I got caught up in all the silliness of the characters, the crazy time-travel mishaps, and the overall fairy-tale plot that I found myself falling asleep at night with my book still open in the morning. Love that! Savannah comes off as the normal ditzy teenager who makes all the wrong choices by not being honest with what she really wants in life. I was fascinated where all the story takes the reader and, at the end, it seems like such an long & complex tale when really the book only a little over 300 pages. This is definitely a fun read after a long day at work!

Likes: The time travel wasn't kooky and got a lot more fun when more characters got involved.

Dislikes: I felt like Savannah should have stood up for herself a little more throughout the book.

Rating:

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Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Old Magic
by Marianne Curley

Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Young Adult

His name is Jarrod Thornton. He has blond-red hair to his shoulders, nice clean skin and green eyes like fiery emeralds; but this is not why I can't drag my eyes off him. There's something else. Something disturbing . . .

Kate is at a loss. She meets a boy with extraordinary powers and a bizarre family history that can be traced back to the Middles Ages. But Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has supernatural powers that need to be harnessed, he doesn't take her serious, and only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gifts finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey - one which will unravel the mystery that has hung over Jarrod's family for generations and finds them pitted against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.

When Jarrod Thornton walks into the classroom, Kate Warren instantly senses that he is as different as she is. In anger, he unknowingly unleashes a storm in the science lab and Kate realizes that he has exceptional paranormal abilities that exceed her own. As an uneasy friendship forms, she helps Jarrod confront and internalize his talents. With her grandmother's help, the teens journey back to the Middle Ages and break the curse that has controlled the Thornton family for generations.

Another book from my TBR pile finished. Yayy! I'm finally putting a dent in that never-ending stack. The plot in this book was very well planned out. The first half was set in a small town along the forest in Australia and the second half was set in the Scottish Highlands among castles and villagers. Two different mixtures that blended quite well with the story. Both of the main characters can use magic, but in different ways and at different skill-levels. Yet, Kate and Jarrod are instantly attracted to each other as well. Each lead gets their own chapter and they flip back and forth throughout, so the reader gets quite a smooth story telling of attempts to break the old family curse, time traveling experiences and different uses of magic.

Likes: I enjoyed that it was set in Australia for the majority of the book, so there were lots of unfamiliar Australian slang . . . which I found fascinating!

Dislikes: Jarrod came off as too pessimistic and I couldn't really warm up to him because of that.

Rating:

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Beautiful Creatures by Kimi Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures
(Caster Chronicles Book #1)
by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy / Young Adult

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

"Some loves are meant to be…
others are cursed.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There was a curse. There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave."

Ethan, a high school sophomore, plans to escape his small Southern town as soon as he can. Life has been difficult since his mother died; his father, a writer, has withdrawn into his study. Then Lena Duchannes arrives, and this strange new girl is the very one who has been occupying his dreams. She and her kin are Casters, beings who have supernatural powers. Getting to know her exposes Ethan to time travel, mortal danger, and love. The teens can hardly bear to be apart, but Lena's 16th birthday, when she will be Claimed for dark or light, is only 6 months away. To save her, they fight supernatural powers and the prejudice of closed-minded people. Yet, good and evil are not clearly delineated, nor are they necessarily at odds.

I thought I wouldn't enjoy a story told from a teenage boys perspective, but Ethan's view was very natural and easy to follow. It was enjoyable seeing the story threw his eyes and witnessing the oddness that is the Caster World . . . unlike many other paranormal tales told from the witches, zombies, vampires, etc. point of view . . . Ethan was just plain normal and human - something all readers could relate to. I was thrilled with the small town feel to the story, reminded me SO MUCH of my hometown. Loved it!!!! The concept was very original as well and there's just the perfect touch of romance & anticipation to keep the reader turning the pages. Next Up : Beautiful Darkness

Likes: MACON MELCHIZEDEK RAVENWOOD was by far my favorite character!!!

Dislikes: It's a lot to take in. I felt the Caster Universe grew throughout the book, so it was defiantly a story one will have to read more than once (or at least certain parts) to gain the full effect.

Rating:

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Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall

by Rachel Hawkins


Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy / Young Adult

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

When a love-spell goes wrong, Sophie Mercer is sentenced to a disciplinary school (Hecate Hall in Georgia, known as Hex Hall) for paranormal students until 18 years old. Having a mortal mother and a warlock father, who she has never met; Sophie is torn from her "normal" existence and thrown into a society of only witches, werewolves, fairies, and vampires. Not familiar with the history of the school or even the student's own survival skills from those (The Eye of God) who hunt down magical beings, Sophie has to quickly learn to adapt in a new world with all new rules.

It's a interesting supernatural mystery, full of teenage angst, usual school crushes, and beautiful bullies which is definitely written for the younger side. Even though it's a quick read and Sophie's attitude toward her new environment is funny at times (I like a protagonist with a little sass), sadly I wasn't all that impressed. I highly anticipated reading this book, was on a long wait list at my library for it, and even thought it was okay at times, but for some reason, it just didn't catch my attention as I had hoped. Yet, I'm not one to give up on a series. I felt this way beginning the Blue Blood books by Melissa de la Cruz and once the second of the series came out, I was hooked. So here's hoping Rachel Hawkins can capture my attention better the next time around.

Likes: Sophie's smart remarks like "I had an incredibly nasty retort ready that involved his mother and the U.S. Navy . . ."

Dislikes: I found it silly to make the famous poet, Lord Byran, into the school's Vamp teacher. It just struck me as odd and didn't really add much to the story. Plus, the whole witches on broomsticks - some originality please!

Ratings:

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The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning
(Darkest Powers Trilogy Book #3)
by Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Young Adult

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal. But normal is one thing I'm not. For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf. Not normal. My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently. Definitely not normal. And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.As far away from normal as it gets.

Still on the run from the Edison Group, Chloe and the gang try to figure out the next move in their chaotic escape for a life that offers some protection from harm. Having figured out that they themselves were cruel experiments; they turn to the only safe place they have left - a friend of Simon & Derek's dad, Andrew . Having the chance to stop running, rest, and practice their frightfully emerging powers, Chloe (necromancer) and her friends Simon (sorcerer), Derek (werewolf), and Tori (witch) along with help from Liz (poltergeist) finally decide to fight for their right to live freely in the future.

I read the first two books of this series quite quickly, so when this one came out, I dove right in as well. Even up until the end of the book, I had no idea this was a trilogy and sadly I wanted more at the last page. We were just getting to see the 'sun come out of the clouds' for these kids and finally Derek & Chloe were admitting their true feelings and more. The story moves pretty quickly, so you'll get caught up in the book from the beginning. I enjoyed the whole series and Armstrong's writing really helps the reader feel trapped or alone in the world when the gang gets stuck in tricky/deadly situations. Plus, she creates that perfect spook factor, which I just adore! Even though I'd love to read more about these guys, I'm satisfied how the Darkest Power's Trilogy ended. Overall, I'm still a fan of Kelley Armstrong (ever since I first feel in love with her writing through "Bitten") and will remain so.

Likes: Derek & Chloe's growing romance and Derek's growth into his werewolf self.

Dislikes: Still not a big fan of Tori, I had hoped she would change a little bit more throughout the series, but o'well.

Rating:

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