The Wallflowers 1 "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas

The Wallflowers 1 "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas 
Release Date: Dec 1st, 2006

Excerpt:
Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born. 

Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing -- and persistent -- admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition ... but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction. 

Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon -- and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses ... and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.

Review: 
So after much persuasion and a delight jaunt into Lisa's world with "Love in the Afternoon" i decided to start the Wallflower series. Instead of started at the very end like i did with the Hathaway series i decided to start at the beginning. 

I have to admit i wasn't as big of a fan of this book as i was of "Love in the Afternoon". It was an "ok" book for me. I rather liked the entire Wallflower set together. I adored and laugh at ever one of their scenes.I also really liked the banter between Simon and the Lord of Westcliff. The thing is that i found Simeon and Annabelle to be merely ok when they were alone or together. I really can't even state why. They were merely "ok" characters. Nothing about them stood out to me to make me like or really hate them. I guess the best way to phrase it would be they were like your feelings of most side characters in a story. Your fine with them, but don't really care about them one way or another. It's only when they're with a group of their friends do they stand out. In that manner of phrasing i wish there were more scenes with Annabelle and the rest of the wallflowers and Simon and Westcliff. 

The most significant thing that stood out to me in this book was that the main characters weren't in the aristocracy. Something that was an interesting change. Instead Simeon is an entrepreneur and the son of a butcher. He's at the head of the industrial revolution and the great change that is about to be heralded in to the world. A world were the aristocracy has always ruled and are now becoming obsolete. It actually took me a bit to get my head around this since most historical's i read are when the aristocracy are in high fever. I also have to admit it took me a bit to get used to all the "American" talk in a book set in England. Something rather strange since i am an American. I'm just not used to see them mosey their way the English environment. 

All in all this book was 3 1/2 Bunnies for me. It had a nice story and some great moments, but not enough to be four stars.  

 

Darth Bane: Path of Destruction Review

Darth Bane #1: Path of Destruction
Release date: June 6, 2006

Excerpt: 

Once the Sith order teemed with followers. But their rivalries divided them in endless battles for supremacy. Until one dark lord at last united the Sith in the quest to enslave the galaxy–and exterminate the Jedi. Yet it would fall to another, far more powerful than the entire Brotherhood of Darkness, to ultimately realize the full potential of the Sith, and wield the awesome power of the dark side as never before. 


Since childhood, Dessel has known only the abuse of his hateful father and the dangerous, soul-crushing labor of a cortosis miner. Deep in the tunnels of the desolate planet Apatros, endlessly excavating the rare mineral valued throughout the galaxy, Dessel dreams of the day he can escape–a day he fears may never come. But when a high-stakes card game ends in deadly violence, Dessel suddenly finds himself a wanted man. 

On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army, and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, he is destined for a far greater role in the ultimate Sith plan for the galaxy–if he can prove himself truly worthy. 

As an acolyte in the Sith academy, studying the secrets and skills of the dark side at the feet of its greatest masters, Dessel embraces his new Sith identity: Bane. However the true test is yet to come. In order to gain acceptance into the Brotherhood of Darkness one must fully surrender to the dark side through a trial by fire that Bane, for all his unquenchable fury and lust for power, may not be strong enough to endure . . . especially since deception, treachery, and murder run rampant among the Sith disciples, and utter ruthlessness alone is the key to survival. Only by defying the most sacred traditions, rejecting all he has been taught, and drawing upon the long-forgotten wisdom of the very first Sith can Bane hope to triumph–and forge from the ashes of that which he must destroy a new era of absolute dark power. 



REVIEW: 

Wow. That was my initial reaction when i finished reading the book. It's been so long since i've read a 5 star book that i've almost forgotten what one was. Seriously, if your a scifi fan this book had everything. 

Now before reading this book my favorite sith of all time was Darth Vader with Darth Maul following close behind. After this book it's Darth Bane all the way. Darth Bane would look at Vader. laugh. And then proceed to force choke the life out of him. Afterwards he would take a walk by the pond causally sipping corellian whiskey acting like nothing happened. The dude is that bad ass. 

Seriously i love the jedi. Always have and always will, but in this book i was rooting for the sith. I really applaud the author in expanding on the sith from just "their evil dark side users". Karpyshyn really devolves into their Psyche and their reasons for doing things. You also get their view on things. Bane starts out the book as poor miner with no hope of getting of the mining planet Apatros. Luck comes his way and along with a dead republic officer he gets off the planet and joins the sith army. In his squad the "Gloom Walkers" he quickly distinguishes himself. After a particularly hard battle he gets invited by Dark Lord Kopecz to become a sith apprentice at the top academy on Korriban. There he goes through a series of trials and starts to become disillusioned with the "Brotherhood of the Sith". Eventually leaving to go find answers from the "true sith". He goes Lehon, the lost planet of the sith, and discovers a sith holocron from Darth Revan. From it he becomes the ultimate bad ass. And i was squealing like only a fan girl could from it. 

I'm not going to give away the ending since it was so good you have to read it for yourself. It just leads you thinking thinking "wow". 

Another thing i have to point out before i close is that this book really gives you another perspective on the jedi. We're so used to seeing them as good and righteous, but in this book you get to see them as a bit pompous and arrogant as the sith. Seriously the jedi changed a lot from the days of the sith. Jedi Master Farfalla in the book wears golded armor encrusted with rubies. The jedi masters also go by "Lord". A long way from the plain brown cloth jedi of the prequels and sequels. 

Final rating: 5 Bunnies. Awesome characters, amazing and gripping storyline, new insights to character groups, and all around general enjoyment. 

 

Lady Rouge and A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior

A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior
Release date: April 27, 2010

Excerpt: 
The Rules: 

A lady should always make polite conversation . . . 

Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be—but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else. 

A lady should never lose her temper . . . 

Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him. 

And a lady should never pursue a gentleman. 

She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady. 

REVIEW: 

FIVE STARS all the way. Suzanne Enoch is the queen of writing tortured/wounded heroes as far as i'm concerned. *Bows down*. The book is so utterly good that i'm finding it troublesome to write this review because everything about it was just so perfect. I have nothing to complain about. The pacing of the romance was good. Tolly was *la sigh* and Theresa has to be one of my most favorite heroines of all time. I think the thing i really love about this story is that their romance rings true even thought it took part in over a short period of time. 

After nearly being killed and left for dead by some Indian "Thuggie" Tolly comes back to England a wounded man in both body and mind. He wants nothing, but to be left alone. At the beginning he was determined to get that no matter how rude and how much he made people hated him. Theresa was the stickler for propriety at the beginning. That all ended with Tolly rubbed her the wrong way at dinner with her cousin (whom is married to Tolly's older brother) and she left it lose at him. This starts a battle of the wills between the two and an eventual friendship. This friendship later turns to love. The best part for me in the book was when Tolly got the operation on his knee, knowing he could possibly lose his leg, because he wanted to be able to dance with Theresa. I fell in love with him hard there. Then Theresa barging in on the surgery and helping the doctor... WOW. I could never do that. I would be with Tolly's brother, sister, and Amelia (Theresa's cousin) outside. 

Another thing that i really loved about the book was the ending. You know Tolly and Amelia get's their "happily ever after" without it being all perfect. Tolly's reputation is still up in the air. The only thing is that people accept him enough to not shun him anymore. To me this was perfection since it wasn't a perfect ending. It was as close to real life as you can get. And i thank Suzanne for this. 

Next up it's been confirmed that Bradshaw Carroway get's a book!! *squee* 

Rating: 5 Bunnies. Perfect plot, characters, romance, and just everything *\^o^/*

Lady Rouge
Release Date: 1997

Excerpt:  
When the dripping wet ragamuffin showed up on his doorstep late one night, Alexander Cale, Earl of Everton, quickly discovers that the cheeky lad was actually an enchanting––but infuriating––chit! Kit is astonished that the devastatingly attractive Earl saw through her disguise in record time. But his charms is something she can ill afford, yet cannot resist. When danger threatens both their lives, only love can can save them 

Review: 
Perhaps i went into this book with too much expectancy of it being as good as Suzanne's "Lessons in Love" trilogy because it feel flat to me. The first couple of chapters had me hooked. Then the plot started to slow. Get no-where. And basically repeat itself over and over again. Kit was "who is the Englishman trying to stop the shipment of weapons to my father, I hope no-one finds out i'm a girl,I love wearing mens clothing and hanging out with the guys, and gosh Alex is hot". Alex was "i want to sleep with Kit, Is Kit a spy, If she is can i trust her, & i hope no-one finds out Kit is a girl". It basically got really really dull and flat fast. Suzanne really could have wrapped up the story a 100 pages earlier and have gotten the same result. There is a thing called editing. If the book feels like your going no-where or repeating yourself then editing is your best friend Suzanne and all authors. Lesser pages doesn't mean a lesser quality book. Perhaps i'm being a bit harsh here, but i was expecting something better than repetitiveness and redundancy.   

Rating: 3 bunnies

  

"Playboy Boss, Live in Mistress, Nothing but Trouble, & A Firefighter in the Family"

Playboy Boss, Live in Mistress
Release date: June 2008

Excerpt:
 

  
Playboy billionaire Alexander Wentworth is the man who has everything and regularly acquires more—more wealth, more power and more women…. His personal assistant Sienna Raleigh, however, is determined to keep things strictly business—no matter how tempted she is!

But when they are forced to work and live together, Sienna soon discovers that Lex is just as demanding away from the office. He wants her to be his mistress, and he isn't a man to take no for an answer!

Review:

I first have to admit i rarely if ever read this type of romance. In fact i think it's the only second one i ever read. Mostly because i find these short ones not to be in my taste. "Playboy Boss, Live In Mistress" actually wasn't that bad. In fact i really enjoyed it. It's not one that i'd read over and over again, but it was a good one time read. The thing that made it only a one time read was that once Sienna submitted to her attraction of child hood friend Lex the book got a bit sex filled and less story filled. Plus there were many elements that seemed to be just shoved in. There were many instances where i had to re-read a paragraph because it simply didn't make sense. I felt like a page was skipped in printing or something. Like one moment Sienna was talking about Lex, then money,and then some never before mentioned paintings made it way into the paragraph. It seemed like kelly though "hmm what does the story need. Oh i know. A mystery" and then proceeds to shove it into the story instead of progressing it in. In fact the whole "missing paintings" didn't even make one ounce of sense. I felt like our beagle puppy when she doesn't understand something "turning my head from side to side". 

The thing that made the book enjoyable was the abundance of brilliant one liners and paragraphs like {"Oh look. He'd found a flight attendant. Now he was smiling crookedly at the woman; murmuring to her. Now she was smiling back. Surprise surprise".} on page 18. 

Overall a 3 Bunnies.  Nice story, but there was elements in it i didn't like. The story also became less of a story and more of a sex filled soap opera.   

Nothing but Trouble by Rachel Gibson 

Release date:  April 27, 2010

Excerpt:
TROUBLE... 
Chelsea Ross's acting career has been a total bust. The closest she ever came to stardom was her brilliant performance as "Pretty Dead Girl #1." But leaving Hollywood to become the personal assistant to a famous hockey player could be her stupidest career move ever. 

MORE TROUBLE... 
Injured superstar Mark Bressler's glory days are over. The one time bad boy jock could at least be civil to the pint-sized, pink-haired bombshell who the Seattle Chinooks hired to be his P.A. If Chelsea didn't need the money, she'd be skating away from the world's biggest jerk-on-ice as fast as her feet could carry her. 

BIG TROUBLE! 
Chelsea can deal with Mark's rotten attitude and dark moods. The problem is those biceps and that red-hot hockey-toned bod! And when the bad boy starts to put the moves on her, Chelsea knows it's time she banished him to the penalty box...if only she could resist the kind of trouble he has in mind

Review:



Hmmm My theme song for this book is "Where is the love" because seriously. For a romance book it was rather lacking. In fact i found the whole Chelsea/Mark relationship rather lacking. It was just missing something. The relationship never really progressed pass assistant/ employer who are in lust with each other. Maybe it's because i'm not used to contemporary books but this felt really odd for. Sorry this is such a pitiful review, but i really have nothing to say about the book. Nothing. It was just an ok read whom i have no thoughts about. 

 Rating: 2 bunnies

A Firefighter in the Family by Trish Melborn
Release date: June 2008

Excerpt:
  As a kid, Randi Cooke couldn't wait to follow her father and four brothers into a firefighting career. But after a terrible accident at her very first fire, she fled her Florida hometown. Three years later an arson investigation brings her back to face her estranged family…and Zac Parker, the friend and lover who betrayed her when she needed him most. 

Zac Parker had a home with the local fire department, until a false accusation cost him his career. Now he and Randi have to work together to find the culprit in another suspicious fire. He let her down once before. Can he earn Randi's forgiveness and give them both a second chance?

Review:
Ok I'll be the first to admit that i've read about 1 contemporary romance to every 20 historical. This is not a genre i typically read. I won this book in a prize package for a "finish the paragraph contest". I decided to try it because it to mix things up and because it had a dog in it. I adore animals in every form. Now that is cleared up i shall proceed to my thoughts. 

I wasn't all that thrilled with the book, but it was quite better than i expected. I really liked the hero/Zac and Heroine/Randi in this book. I just really wish the author could have expanded the book more. It really felt rushed and i guess it had to be since it was only 209 pages. The premise of the book is that Randi comes back to her Florida hometown to investigate the burning of the nearly completed Horizon Vista Resort. Poor Randi quickly finds out that every single member of her hometown didn't want the hotel coming in and therefore are all possible suspects. The number one suspect is her ex-boyfriend Zac. Randi quickly learns that Zac had quite the fire department and opened up a bar on the other side of the would be hotel. This compounded with the fact that her brothers, who are the head firefighters in the area, hate her for being the leading cause of their father being stuck in a wheelchair; quickly makes Randi want to leave town and the investigation. Things don't get better for her when she starts getting threats against her and her dog. 

Zac wishes to clear up his name as being an arsonist after being falsely accused of starting a fire a few years ago. He sets off to help Randi discover the arsonist and perhaps earn her forgiveness for siding with her brothers over her fathers accident years ago. 

The story ends with Randi finally discovering the arsonist was a serial arsonist and one she never suspected in her life. The arsonist holds her at gun point and Zac quickly charges in and saves the day. Randi then decides to stay in town and become a firefighter again. 

Now in all honesty this book was kinda of all over the place. Randi never really did that big of an investigation till the last two/three chapters. It was sort of a bunch of events made up so Zac and her could run into each other. These types of events weren't really well done either. The characters were also rather one dimensional. One Randi seemed to have more than one emotion. I could really sympathize with her when she was freaking out about Thor(her dog) possibly being hurt and then not wanting to let him go when she discovered he was safe. I would also see her complete disbelief that the serial arsonist was a person she had looked up too and trusted all her life. 

My overall rating is 3 Bunnies 
Semi-good plot, well written heroine, use of animals as character, tiny injects of humor, and a believable romance.

 

"The Rake" by Mary Jo Putney review

More backlogs......

The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
Release date: April 1st, 1998

Excerpt:  Fate has given a disgraced Rake one final chance to redeem himself--by taking his place as the rightful master of an ancestral estate. But nothing prepares him for his shocking encounter with a beautiful lady who has fled a world filled with betrayal. Now he will awaken in her a passion more powerful than anything she has ever known--a passion that can doom or save them both if they dare to believe. 

Review:
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I got it after an recommendation and i'm very glad i did. 

Reginald Davenport is not your average hero. In fact he could probably be more considered a very lucky drunk. This all changes when his cousin givens him Strickland after discovering the land and hall was originally Reggie's to begin with. Reggie decides to go down to the estate after a rather rough night or drunkenness. There he meets Mr. Weston or rather "Miss. Weston" the steward of his estate. Reggie, amused at the fact that his steward is a female, allows her to stay on along with her young wards. This probably turns on to be one of the best decisions of Reggie's life. This is because Alys helps Reggie gets over his alcoholism. During his whole battle with alcoholism in the book she, along with his very tolerant and patient valet Mac, is Reggie's support system. The author really writes the disease of alcoholism quite well. In my family there has never been an alcoholic, but i'm addicted to Dr. Drew and his "rehab shows" and the alcoholism was depicted quite well from what i've scene and heard Dr. Drew describe. Reggie finally manages to quite alcoholism, but acknowledges the fact that it's going to be a life long process to avoid it. Of course in the end he also catches Alys. ^^ 

Now one of the things i'm usually am picky about in books is lack of plot. This book really didn't have one in terms of a "normal plot". Instead the plot was really about Reggie learning to deal with his disease and lead a better life. There is a tiny sub plot with Alys, but it doesn't encompass much of the book. Getting back to what i was saying that despite the lack of plot this book was really well written. It kept you interested and wanting the turn the next page. You also formed a connection with the characters. More so with Reggie in my opinion than Alys, but still a good connection. Reggie is also hilarious and makes you love him despite his many many bad faults (something he is not afraid to point out). 

Therefore i bestow this book 5 bunnies due to: good writing, excellent characters, realistically portraying aspects of life, Humor, and nicely developed plot line. 

 

Percy Jackson series reviewed

Back review of the Percy Jackson Series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief 
Release date: April 1, 2005

Excerpt
 Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a [close:] 
catastrophic war between the gods. 

Review 
I'll admit i bought this book on a whim due to the fact the movie is coming out very soon. I am very very glad i did. To things into perspective i started this book at 4pm. Took a short break to take care of my rabbits and eat dinner. Then kept reading till 2am in the next morning. I could not put this book down. It literally sucked me in and the last time a book did that to me was the Harry Potter series. 

Percy Jackson and Harry Potter shares a numerous amount of similarities. Enough to surmise that the author was probably inspired by Jk Rowlings writing. Both Harry and Percy look alike (black hair and green eyes), never knew who they were (wizard and demi-god) till a person who was not all the way human told them (Hagrid & Grover). This book even follows the brainy girl and typical male sidekick that Harry Potter has. In a way you could really call it Harry Potter mets the Olympian Gods. I still severely enjoyed it though. It had enough differences to be enjoyable and not completely be a copy right infringement on JK. Looking ahead besides the uber bad guy and the good guy who was working with the bad guy things seem to be different from Harry. This series didn't completely spark my imagination like Harry did, but it has led me to go out and immediately buy the next two books in the series. 

So all in all 5 bunnies

Percy Jackson and and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters
Release date:  April 1st 2006

Excerpt: 
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long. 

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle. 

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke. 

Review:
Another book i finished in less that 12 hours. This one wasn't as good as the first one, but it was still written quite well. It really should be titled "Percy Jackson and the Clash of the Titans" because it borrowed heavily from that story. Complete with sirens, circe, cyclopes, and multiple other monsters. We get introduced to some new characters and you can start to see a romantic relationship between Percy and Annabeth start to form. This book did have something the other didn't and it was George, Martha, and the other centaurs. All of them are minor characters, but their the funniest characters of the book. George and Martha are Hermes snakes. I kept cracking up when those who were being featured. I seriously hope they're back in the next. Also the centaurs aka Party Ponies. Too die. ^^  

 Rating: Four bunnies

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titans Curse
Release Date: 2007

  Excerpt:  
When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? 

They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the Titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so [close:]powerful it could destroy Olympus forever 

 
Review:
I started this book after having a really bad and rough two days. I wanted to read something that i could really escape into and this book really fit the bill. I could have finished this book in one day, but being already sleep deprived i decided to split it up. 

I give the author promps for this book since it seemed the most original plot wise out all of the Percy Jackson books so far. I do believe this book was supposed to be following the "Hercules" legend, but i don't know much about the original to say so or not. The only Hercules i know is the Disney one or Kevin Sorbo. The newness of the plot really made it my favorite book out of the Percy Jackson series. Combine that with some new characters and you have one awesome book. I really adored Thalia and severely hope she appears in the other book. Besides Percy she is my other favorite character in the book. I do think she is much better than Annabeth who has the tendency to get annoying at times. Something that i was rather glad that she was absent most of the book. 

This book also introduced "The Hunters" and their leader Artemis. The Hunters are a group of girls who have renounced adulthood, men, and love. They are an immortal group of maidens who follow Artemis on her hunts and where-ever else she chooses to go. Zoe, one of the hunters, is a main character of the book and i rather enjoyed her presence. I was rather sad to see her die at the end. Artemis, herself, seems to be one of the fewest gods or goddess that seem to directly favor Percy and his companions. If anything it's because she is an eternal maiden herself. 

This book also really introduced and gave the gods and goddesses more spotlight that they did not have in the previous books. We meet Ares, again, in the book, but we also meet Aphrodite and Apollo as well. Both whom i immensely enjoyed. Aphrodite really reminded me to the Aphrodite from the Hercules and Xena shows. Mr. D also played a bigger part in this book. We also find out why he hates all heroes. It's something that took me completely by surprised and so i will not say. 

All in all this book was a wonderful and immensely enjoyable read. ^w^ 

Rating: 5 bunnies 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth 
 Release date: September 2007

  Excerpt: 
Percy Jackson's fourth summer at Camp Half-Blood is much like his previous three—high-octane clashes with dark forces, laced with hip humor and drama. Opening with a line for the ages—The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school—this penultimate series installment finds Percy, Annabeth and the satyr Grover furiously working to prevent former camp counselor Luke from resurrecting the Titan lord Kronos, whose goal is to overthrow the gods. When the heroes learn that Luke can breach Camp Half-Blood's security through an exit from Daedalus's Labyrinth, they enter the maze in search of the inventor and a way to stop the invasion. Along the way they encounter a lifetime supply of nightmare-inducing, richly imagined monsters. Grover's own quest to find the lost god Pan, meanwhile, provides a subtle environmental message. Percy, nearly 15, has girl trouble, having become something of a chick magnet. One of Riordan's strengths is the wry interplay between the real and the surreal. When the heroes find Hephaestus, for instance, he's repairing a Toyota, wearing overalls with his name embroidered over the chest pocket. The wit, rousing swordplay and breakneck pace will once again keep kids hooked.
Review

For some reason this book just didn't do that much for me unlike the rest of the series. I just found it to be so.... Bland. It was supposed to be a exciting adventure through the Labyrinth, but it just didn't work out. It was exceedingly obvious the moment Daedalus was mentioned that Quintus was him. So no surprise there. I usually laugh a couple of times in the series, but i only laughed at one part with Hera. The part with Kronos coming back to a full body was also extremely anti-climaitc. It was like "I got a body." Percy: "I hit you! Oh No's! The sword bounces off of you". Kronos "That's because i'm the man of steel" *poses in superman pose*. Percy: "I run". Percy flees. *raising eyebrows and looking unimpressed*. It was boarding on stupid. That's not to say it wasn't an engrossing read, but i feel that it didn't live up to it's processors. 

That and Annabeth was so! annoying. Every time Annabeth showed up in the book i wanted her gone. Something about her character just really rubs me the wrong way. After this book i'm a total Percy/Rachel shipper. If Nico weren't a child i would ship him with Percy too. *blushes*. Rick was trying to shove the whole Annabeth/Percy thing the whole book and i'm just not buying it. I felt that Percy had more chemistry with Rachel and Nico. lol Speaking of Nico he's now one of my favorite characters. I just love his character development as the son of Hades and his angst. I have such a soft spot for angusty characters. I also fully enjoyed the Gods & Goddesses in the book as well (course they're always good). 

So with saddness i have to give this book 3 Bunnies. 
* Plot falls flat, Irritating character, anti-climatic, Not a good stand alone book, & overall general disappointment.*

 






Percy Jackson and the Olympians:  The Last Olympian 
 Release Date: May 5th, 2009

Excerpt: 
All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. 

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. 

Review:
Ok. I just finished the book. Daisy is sleeping on my legs all nice and comfy. Gum is starting to lose its flavor. And the only thing i can think of is "THAT IS IT?". WTF how anti-climatic. Seriously. The book didn't seem like an ending for a story. It was HP & Half Blood Prince waiting for Deathly Hallows. The ending really really sucked. No big battle between Percy and Kronus. No big revelation. Where's the big final heroics? Luke is the person the prophecy was talking about? Thought it had to deal with Percy or was Percy only involved with not killing the Ophiotaurus. I'm so disappointed with the ending. 

Also, Why no good guy character die? I'm not talking about people we meet once or twice or was mentioned. I'm talking about repeated characters. Not one of those people died. Everytime one of these characters got seriously hurt some ambrosia or nectar was magically near by. You can't write a story involving a war or fights without killing someone important. J.K Rowling knew this. J.R.R. Tolkien knew this. Real sacrifices have got to be made to make a story good. I'm not talking ditsy Aphrodite girls either. 

So all in all i was really rather disappointed in this book. Riordan fell flat trying to tell Luke's story (Hello Voldemort's story in HP 6. Complete with visions), feel flat on battle scenes, no humor, anti-climatic ending, and well some really pointless parts in the book. I did rather enjoy Clarisse killing the Drakon, but even that rang like a carbon copy of Neville rising up and killing Nagini in DH. I'm hoping if what i'm hearing is true that Riordan is going to continue the series that he'd give it a more fitting ending.   
Rating: 3 bunnies