The Faerie Ring

Title: The Faerie Ring

Author: Kiki Hamilton
Release Date: 27 September 2011

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Series: The Faerie Ring #1
Pages:352

Goodreads Description:

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

This book has become my new love. I LOVED it. The way Kiki Hamilton writes... she makes you feel like you're in the moment. Right now I just want to step inside the book, and live Tiki's life for a while.

Set in the age of the Industrial Revolution, Tiki and her friends are children- runaways, orphans, the sort- living in an abandoned clockmaker's house in central London, and make a living through pickpocketing and thievery.
On one winter's night, Tiki pulls off her biggest steal yet- a ring from Buckingham Palace. And not just any ring, but the Queen's ring, which symbolizes a peace treaty between the royals and the Fey. Of course terrors reign throughout. Floods, hailstorms, the Queen falling ill- you know, the usual. Tiki has a situation on her hands, and has to rely on her friends, including trusting people she's wary of, in order to put to rest the trouble she caused.

Before starting the book, I wasn't too enthused about it, as the cover didn't really attract. It would be way more cooler to be a scene from the industrial revolution or some thing with just the ring, the blood red of the gem winking at you amidst the otherwise drab jewellery.... or maybe to combine the two, a torso shot, with a person in a ballgown, and a hand by the side, with the ring on the middle finger... but ah, fantasies are fantasies, though I hope there will be an improvement on the next cover! It does not do the plot justice.
But anyways, the moment you start reading, it is impossible not to get drawn into the story.

I felt that the author described life in the Industrial age so well, where child labour is not unheard of, the divide between the rich and poor, from the illustrious life of the people living in the higher echelons of life to the pockets of pub-goers and the grimy life the people of the people at the bottom of the pyramid, oh she made me fall in love with the London of that that time. The way Kiki Hamilton writes, you wouldn't know she's just a debut author, more especially with the way her scenes blend so nicely from one to the other.

The mysteries in this book, especially the ones behind Rieker, Larikin, and the ones surrounding Tiki's birthmark so byzantine, and more infuriatingly so, we are left hanging on them. TORTUROUS, I tell you. TORTUROUS.

But I felt that plot resembled Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord, though Hamilton's has a more otherworldly twist to it. However, it stills retains its own originality in the way it is narrated, the voice and the events that transpire throughout.
Another nitpicky grievance I have is with the planning process. So Tiki's got the ring. But how she plans to recieve the money for it was rather... childish. Well duh, considering it's vagrants that came up with the idea, but it's the stuff of fantasies, that is rather... difficult to pull off in real life. The ball, I don't know how a gown can transform you. Or that security would be so lax. Or that you needed a situation and the perfect solution was presented.
But other than my grumblings I still enjoyed those scenes very much.

As for the characters, there was more of a focus on the protagonist and Tiki's band of merry children seldom take the scene. A pity, because I liked Toots and Shamus so much. Just a thought here- if Shamus was Irish, shouldn't his name be spelt 'Seamus" instead? Hmmm...... curious. I can't choose a favourite character, because they were at their best when working together. Reiker's secrets, Leo's and Tiki's ability to think on her feet worked together in harmony

I really took to this book, reading it was the funnest thing I did that day, and uggness, I can't wait for the next book! I need to know what will happen next! If you enjoy an paranormal-adventure book, with little mysteries and some royal fun thrown in, oh you will love this.

5/5

Purchase: Amazon| The Book Depository| Indie Bound

Tournament of Heroines

The YA Sisterhood is hosting another tourney, this time featuring HEROINES. *hyperventilates*

I love a good heroine. There is such a lack of good heroines these days. They just... lack. But of course not all heroines are flimsy and annoying and there are some I'd just like to get autographs from.

Just for general knowledge, A heroine (taken from the tourney's webby) is a female character who:

• Is admired for her noble qualities
• Meets the world head on
• Can be anyone you admire, for any reason
• Extraordinary in some way or another
• Inspire you, make you want to be better, proves that our world doesn't have to be a man's world etc...

My first three votes(you can vote for up to ten) are for....

1) Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.

- Because I'm a crazy Potterhead and Ravenclaws are so cool. Loony Luna at the top of them all. Why not Hermione? Because, because, uh, *whispers accusingly*she's not eccentric!

2)Anabeth from Percy Jackson

- Oh man. Anabeth. is. the. best. person. ever. But Harry Potter comes first. Sorry love, you weren't born yet.

APART FROM THAT, Anabeth is smart and she can defend herself scarily well with a knife. Which probably makes her the most dangerous demigod. ever. Look at Artemis Fowl!(even if he is a boy) He's got the brains, but no fighting skills. tsktsk, what a waste.
Anabeth makes reading the PJO series all the funner, especially with her nicknaming Percy "Seaweed brain". She just grew on me. She's a damn awesome heroine, but the details of why are... fuzzy. She's just what she is, a Greek Heroine.

3) Rose from Vampire Academy

- Who doesn't love a heroine who can kick ass like Rose can?

Her attitude is charming, and she's so spunky. She is the life of the series. Everyone is so prudey and dull and she comes storming in with her "I am woman, hear me roar!"ness. Oh, how I chortle at her shenanigans.

Fine, I admit, I'm biased.

My votes are biased. Horribly so. Which is sort of the point isn't it? If you like a character, you become biased for that character, that's why you vote for them in the first place, eh? Anyhoo, I love these characters to the death. They are just too awesome! *wipes away tears*

Cross my fingers, Hope they get through the nomination round and win SO I CAN CONTINUE MY BIASEDNESS. hohoho. An outlet!

Who would you vote for? (you know you're a potterhead.)

If you want to vote for your heroine, click on the banner above! It'll bring you to the website and you can vote away! The tourney ends on Thursday, 24 November, so better hurry!

Inheritance

Title: Inheritance

Author: Christopher Paolini
Release Date: 8 November 2011

Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy
Series: Inheritance Cycle #4
Pages: 849

Goodreads description:

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

I read it with relish. Christopher Paolini's writing has improved throughout the years, and this book made me feel more involved and adding a lot more anticipation, unlike the previous books which where not as easy to plow through.

Eragon has also grown through the book, in age as well as wisdom and skill. He is no longer the farmboy living near Carvahall, rather the powerful dragon rider who is vital to the success of the Varden. He has become more matured and does what he needs to do, with the consequence in mind. We still see his caring side come out though, more so when his cousin Roran is hurt or if anyone is in need.

Just for the record, I felt that the book was aptly named. Inheritance also symbolises a passing down of sorts, and we sure do see lots of that too don't we? As the last book, it certainly deserves to be called Inheritance as we see that finalising in here.

Before reading the book, I was afraid that I had to reread the previous because I may have, accidently, forgotten what happened... BUT NO FEAR! There was an recap of the first three books in the beginning and I could thankfully start the book without having to flip through the other books furiously to reference facts. That, was a lifesaver. Whoever thought of that, you are a genius and you deserve a ton of chocolate for your geniusness. Geniosity. Geniusism. Genibity. Genie!

But I digress.

The battle scenes were. SO. EPIC. The alternating POVs Between Eragon and Roran reallyn made it even more so, as we see what's going on inside against Galbatroix and outside where the bloodthirsty soldiers clashed and blood flowed.

The eagerly anticipated encounter with Galbatroix was amazing. How would they fare against his power? What will they do? Or more importantly, what can Galbatroix do? I assure you, it is gobsmackingly amazing.

Meanwhile we see the Varden facing off the large manpower of the Empire's soldiers with vigour, Roran at the head. He fights and adapts well to the weapons he must use, though he is most impressive with his mighty stony hammer. We get to see the action and feel your blood racing as you get caught up in the exhilarating legendary battles only high fantasy books can deliver.

There are certain bombshells in this book and surprises around the corner and woah yes they are mindblowing. They open up many things for scrutiny and the turn of events are unexpected. You would not think of that happening in the first place. But it was definitely fun to see it unravel! Several chapters were chill inducinig as you feared for their lives certain were exhilarating as you get caught up in the plot. Oh the joy of reading!

The ending was exquisite. It doesn't just end there when war is over, but we see what they do after the war, which is of course a daunting task. We also see Angela's divination come about, which makes it ever so bittersweet.

My favourite character is Angela. And Nasuada.

Angela the queer herbalist has been as mystery to us all throughout the books. Who is she? What is she? What can she do? I admit, the element of mystery has made me like her more but damn, it would be nice to know her once and for all. Always there with Solembum at her side whenever the Varden is in need, I have come to await her arrival, for she always makes it more amusing.

Nasuada is the strongwilled leader of the Varden. I prefer her to Ajihad for the Varden head for she will do everything she can to ensure the success of the Varden, even to put asaide her hate with the Urgals after they killed her father. Without her, the Varden is helpless. She has the charisma and leadership skills that is rare amongst people, and people actually listen to her, despite her gender.

Just to say, I ship Aryagon. DO YOU KNOW HOW SAD AND DEJECTED I WAS WHEN THERE IS NO FINALIZATION DONE BETWEEN THESE TWO?!?! Damnit this isn't middle-grade, you know. It's not a romance novel but that doesn't mean a little can be injected inside, right?! RIGHT?! Ah troll, this is just too sad. Think of all the possibilities! graaaaaarrrrrrgghhhhhhhh. This reader is going to strangle you for leaving me hanging unhappy. YOU HEAR THAT, AUTHOR?!?!?!

Inheritance was the perfect ending to the Inheritance cycle except for certain *ahem* things that fail. to. happen. , and I could not imagine it any different from what it is. It is what it should be.

5/5

Destined

Title: Destined

Author: P.C Cast & Kristin Cast
Release Date: 25 October 2011

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Series: House of Night Series #9
Pages: 325

Goodreads Description:

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet -- which would be a whole lot easier if the High Council saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together -- if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia's handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there's the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more -- or possibly less -- than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there's something strangely familiar about him . . .

Will Neferet's true nature be revealed before she succeeds at extinguishing Light? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox's humanity in time to protect them all? Find out what's destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

*throws book across the room*

If this isn't masochism I don't know what it is.

I have dutifully waited and bought every single book in their series, even the useless handbook. I have spent time, TIME that could have been better spent reading other book, finishing this book in the faint hope that maybe the plot would straighten out and poof! great story again! AND THIS IS WHAT I GET?! AGAIN?!

This book, is the equivalent of a teenage soap opera. A very squirm-in-my-seat-why-is-this-happening-?!?!?!?!-bad soap opera. Get ready for a very ranty review with lots of ARRRRRGGGGGGHHH moments involved.

Let's talk about the cover first shall we? The cover, like all the other covers, are more revealing in nature, but not AS bad as the previous cover, which made it look like a PNR cover.

This one, is an upgrade.

We know it's Aurox, with the hair thing going on and the bull shadow thingamajig behind him. And look! It's only a partition in the front that does not make me want to hide this from my younger cousins! But you know what they say about covers.

First I shall rant on Heath Luck. I reallyreallyreallyreallyREALLYreally don't like Heath. In the first few books he came across as this really despo ex-boyfriend who acted like a druggie half the time(but, but zoey! I need you! slobber bite kiss kiss) and never made any sense.

I don't like the way he acted. I don't like seeing him in any scene. I don't like desperate people. He seems to screw e v e r y t h i n g up. WHY WON'T HE STAY DEAD?!?!?!?!

His surname is a colossal joke. His new name also sounds like a colossal joke. It woud fit in a Transformers movie as a Decepticon. "My name is Aurox and my fist is the last thing you'll ever see!"

Relationships (Translation: Sitcom Drama). Oh man. Daddy problems? And WHY THE HELL DOES EVERYBODY NEED TO BE PAIRED UP?! *tugs at hair in frustration*

Lenobia was supposed to be a Vampyre version of Artemis, in my head, THEN SHE HAD TO HAVE A LOVE INTEREST HUH? She was the one person, the one rational person I liked and then.. and then... okay maybe I liked the cowboy dude but that's not the point! She can always get a boyfriend after all the mess right? right? but noooooooo she had to have a love interest at such a crappy time.

The twins. They were the epitome of 'bff'-ness. I refuse to think that a person's personality can change so fast, nor can I believe that we can be oblivious, OBLIVIOUS to the personality of people.

Oh hey look here! (infodump here). Oh hey look there! (infodump there). *takes out umbrella* STOP. RAINING. INFODUMPS!

Anything that needs be known should be said in the previous instalments! This is the what, ninth book? Too late for these things, amigos.

Zoey says:"I don't want to lead any battle. You do it. Or ask Darius to. Or even Stark." So on and so forth.

I am so sick and tired of her self-denial. Girl you must be from Egpyt cuz you living in de-nile! Hurhur. The Nile. De Nile. Denial. AHAHAHA CORNY MOMENT! But back to my point.

She does not accept that she has got to get her girl-pants together and face reality. She's very "I don't want to do this, oh groan, misery, misery, quibble." Darn if you don't want to do it, don't!

Oh but I have to admit, Zoey's use of words are so cute. Gigantic+huge= Gihugic. lolololol I just sat there staring at the word until I figured it out. Then came awesomesauce. As a teenager, I have never heard anyone say anything remotely close to the word "awesomesauce". That was one weird moment when I had a bout of what-is-this-what-is-that-why-why-WHY-?!. Which does happen a lot throughout the book. Just saying.

Apart from Zoey's cute colloquialisms, I have a bone to pick with Neferet. If she never wanted to RULE THE WORLD none of this would've happened and I can stop stabbing myself with this series.

• Why did she make so much trouble? to RULE THE WORLD!
• Why did she want a stupid vessel? to RULE THE WORLD!
• Why does Zoey have so much annoying boyfriend shit? Because Neferet wants to RULE THE WORLD!
• Why does Lenobia have a love interest? Because Neferet wants to RULE THE WORLD!
• Why is Dragon wife-less? Because of Kalona's spawn.
• Why the shit do we have Kalona and his spawn? Because Neferet wants to RULE THE WORLD! (see how tiring this is getting?)
  
  
• Why did she want to RULE THE WORLD? She had a shitty childhood. And she's power hungry.
• How does she plan to RULE THE WORLD? Killing puny humans and everyone in her way.
• Who is in her way? Zoey Redbird!
• How does she plan to get rid of her? RULE THE WORLD! (see where this is going?)

Because of her great idea to RULE THE WORLD! , Zoey has to fight her. Then you can refer to bullet points 7 and 8 and revel in the thing we call CIRCULAR REASONING.

On a side note, she can advertise to villians you know. "Why limit yourself to a country when you can RULE THE WORLD! Expand your horizons by joining me today!" Add a megawatt smile and some intense graphics and she's set for advertising heaven.

By this point you'd expect me to run out of interrobangs, BUT NOOOOO. There's more.

WHAT IS WITH THE POP CULTURE REFERENCES?!?!?!!? LOTR, Sookie stackhouse, youtube, darling you gotta be kidding me. They really annoy me. I happen to like LOTR and Sookie Stackhouse (sorry youtube) AND THEN YOU COME BARGING IN WITH YOUR REFERENCES.

Call me a hypocrite for the Transformers reference but at least I know WHEN to put it in. What about Zoey? Was it neccessary? Was throwing in dear old Shelob and Frodo neccessary? The Ring(?!)? The remark about Sam and the Two-ies? Really? REALLY?! The answer is a big fat NO.

The ending. THE ENDING. I like taking about endings a lot. But this makes me want to AJSHLKSDAKLAKSDJ strangulate the book. What the crapozoid?! That was one weird ending. No me gusta. NO. nonononononononono. The location is bad. What it concerns and how it led up to that bamboozles me. And guess what? You'd probably know what they're in the midst of, because IT IS THE SAME WITH EVERY OTHER BOOK. Go check the previous installments. Go check the last few pages. What are they doing? What are they doing? Gee let me see. A RITUAL. Why does that not surprise me?

* throws book across the room again*

If you want to read this... Okay there's something wrong with you too. LET US WALLOW IN OUR POOL OF MASOCHISM TOGETHER!

But if this can make me rant like a mad woman on capslock... I suppose I'll buy the next one too.

2.5/5

(If you noticed the jarring jumping from topics in this review, I had to leave the room a few times to vent my anger and therefore= no smooth flow of thoughts. Personally, I'l blame the book. #blaming everyone but yourself)

2012 Debut Author Challenge

When I saw that the Story Siren had put up post on the Debut author challenge for the next year (only 2 months more, mind you.) , my first coherent thought was...

Hohoho. Okay that was rather cheesy.

So the Debut Author Challenge 2012 is a challenge hosted by The Story Siren. It's the fourth time she's hosting this, and the objective of this challenge is to read & review a minimum of 12 young adult or middle grade debut novels between January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.

The rules are also pretty simple:

1. Have a blog/Goodreads account to write your reviews
2. Reviews must be in English.
3. Books read must be Middle-Grade(ages 9+) or Young Adult(ages 13-17)
4. Books must be the Author's YA/MG debut and published in 2012

The deadline to sign up on the linky for this challenge is May 31, 2012 and you can do so here.

For more information on the challenge, you can look here.

I decided to join this challenge because it's fun to see what the new batch of authors have to offer. So far the main theme for most YA fantasy books is Faeries, Vampires, Witches, Greek Mythology, Werewolves and Angels. It would be fun to see what these authors might do with these themes, or what they might do differently. But of course I don't limit it to fantasy. It'll be fun to discover and unearth new stories of mystery, romance, intrigue, adventure... oh the joy!

Here are some of the books I am looking forward to in 2012:

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - 1 May 2012

"What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil."

The Selection by Kiera Cass - 24 April 2012

"For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare."

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards - 17 January 2012

"Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler ... Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all."

That's just a peek into what I'm looking forward to in the debut novels of 2012. What are you looking forward to?

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Release Date: 7 March 2007

Genre: Middle-Grade Adventure, Science Fiction
Series: The Mysterious Benedict Society #1
Pages: 492

Website Description:

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this particular ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, and test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. With their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.

I found this book when I randomly poked a book to see what I would get.
I have to admit, the cover seemed rather... bland. It just didn't invoke any response in me, y'know? My reaction was more of "Oh hey, what a nice cover. 4 children running around, nice pastel-ish background. meh." It's equivalent to sayin "LOL" without actually laughing. Which a lot of people do. Just saying.
But what reaaaaaally caught my eye was the synopsis.
It caught me at "Are you a gifted child looking for special oppurtunities?" Wowzah. It was in red, not glaring red, but when words are capitalized and thrown in your face like that, you tend to notice. It then mentions tests. Mysterious ones. Mind-bending ones. That really made me interested and excited. And then a secret mission. Man, they really like to test the will of my wallet huh? My will crumbled and my wallet felt the strain of guilty pleasure.

I was not disappointed. I should have read this book earlier!
Everything caught me. The characters, the queer tests, the mission they went out for, the things uncovered, and to top it off- The ending was wonderful . Never will there be something as astonishing yet smile-making as the way this book ended.

Communicating using Morse code and cryptic words was also interesting, but risky. I was in constant dread for The Mysterious Benedict Society (can I call them TMBS? okay.) as I was certain that someone would discover the flickering lights and thier whole plan would come to shambles. Also the idea of influencing the mind, in such a interesting way! kept me reading on with vigour. How would they overcome this? How would they solve this? What is going to happen along the way? These question kept me awaiting each chapter with eager anticipation.

I also enjoyed seeing how TMBS worked as a team in order to succeed, with Sticky their walking encyclopedia, Reynie their clever mystery-solver, Kate their acrobatic extraordinaire with everything you need, and Constance the strong willed stubborn girl with her snark and intelligence.

Hmmmm the book could have improved on the cover's interestingness by making it seems less ambiguous but yet again, the title seems to suggest a mysterious setting in the first place, eh? I suppose it could incline more to the inviting mysterious, rather than the bland adrogynity of it all because people have GOT to get their hands on this book! I pity those who know not of this marvel, they are missing out on all that is good of life and living and ropes and secret societies and of puzzles.

The pace could also be faster, instead of chewing on a lettuce like a turtle. I don't mind reading a tome as long as it's interesting, which it is, but still... there is the little tendency to get a little dull. A bit like the cover.

My favourite character definitely goes to Kate. Kate, Kate, Kate. She lived in a _ _ _ _ _ !(Sorry, can't tell) How cool is that?! Her bucket sounded unconventional, but it has pulled TMBS through many tight spots. Although I would recommend a bucket cover. Her bucket is like Doraemon's (Japanese cat person) pocket! Whatever you need, Kate has... in her bucket. She intrigues me everytime she appears, and I can count on her to liven the story up.

This book was WONDERFUL, what with the adventure and the puzzles and the awesome plot and I'm definitely going to get a copy of the sequel right now. I can't wait to see what TMBS will do next! Chop chop everybody, things to do, books to buy!

5/5

The Candy Shop War

Title: The Candy Shop War
Author: Brandon Mull
Release Date: 11 September 2007
Genre: Middle-Grade Magic/Adventure
Series: NA
Pages: 404

Goodreads Description:

Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe, where the confections are bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise.

Four young friends—Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon—meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies. Then the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, arrives with a few enchanted sweets of his own.

The danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . .

As a big fan of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series, this book inevitably caught my eye while I was browsing through the bookstore one day. It's just something about the cover, with the kids flying in the air, with a rather bohemian feel to the colour combination, and the colourful sweets floating around them.

Sweets.

Okay just some POI, I might have a um, slight obsession with anything caramel, sugary, nutty, or gummy. Sweets are ADHD in wrappers, I tell you. One moment you're munching on a Coconut Caramel Delight, the next you're doing a variation of the rain dance while sitting down. So can you imagine my amazement and awe and wonder and rapture and many-other-thingness when I saw the cover?!

And the plot summary. ADKJFKHSKL. Just as the back cover says, "Magical candies that give kids superpowers. SWEET!"
Oh boy if I were the kids in the books, I would be a superheroine by now.

So back to the book.

The book was amazing. I loved the idea. I love it more then mozzarella. I love the plot. GAH I LOVE THE BOOK!

There were so many twists and turns I could not help but feel so caught up in the book, devouring it to get to know just exactly what happened. The plot was smooth, things progressing such that I could not imagine it going any other way.

The puzzles. Oh the puzzles! I feel so gratified that I finally find a book that has puzzle solving inside. I have gushed on puzzles before. I have mentioned my love for mysteries. The tools! I never imagined a kaleidoscope and a telescope mish-mash to a Teleidoscope could have any worth other than at face value. Yet Brandon Mull suprises us yet again just as he did in his other books.

The sweets were of course, the highlight of the book. The powers that they give are just so cool. I loved it everytime The Blue Falcons went to the Ice cream and Candy Shoppe as I was just as excited as they were to discover what sweets Mrs White had for them.

My favorite character is strangely Mrs White. Hey, gotta love a candy making old woman.

Though you know with what happens, Mrs White still surprises me constantly with everything she manages to do. Anyone who can keep me on the edge of my seat so much, will be my favourite. It's fun because she's unpredictable. It's so detestable when the character's next move is so obvious. I didn't quite like Nate. He seemed very jerk-y to me though I admired his plans of action.

This book is a godsend to me, especially when I was so disappointed with the books I had recently read. If you love Fablehaven, adventure, magic, mystery, and sweets, you'll feel this way too.

5/5

Book trailer: