Grave Peril (The Dresden Files #3)

And The Dresden Files series continues, now moving onto book number three, titled Grave Peril.

Grave Peril

4 out of 5 Ghostly Stars

"Vampire Court is now in session."

Jim Butcher does not disappoint in this continuation of his series, The Dresden Files. He delivers non-stop action, presents his characters with seemingly-impossible decisions, and sucks his readers into each scene, having his audience feel like they're fighting right along with our hero, Harry Dresden. We're told even more about the magic in this world, ranging from earth magic, evocations, thaumaturgy, sorcerers, vengeful ghosts, and faerie godmothers. Well, technically sidhe godmothers, but same thing. Harry has some really bad foes to face in this chapter of his life, and things start to look really grim. Can this next big bad be defeated, or has Harry met his match? 

"Working on the assumption that some sadistic higher power would make sure my evening got as complicated as it possible could, I had formed a plan."

The Plot-line:

Grave Peril starts off with our favorite wizard Harry zooming down the street in his Blue Beetle with his friend Michael, speeding to get to a hospital before the sun sets. I admit, for awhile there I was confused on what was happening. Who is this Michael person? What's going on at the hospital? However, by the end of the second chapter, things become clearer; the border to the  Nevernever is in a state of flux, making it easier for ghosts to travel to the human world. And some of these ghosts are acting pretty pissed. Harry soon finds out that these ghosts are being tortured, having black, ice-cold barbed wire wrapped around them from neck to ankle, and the pain is causing these ghosts to go mad. Who is behind this black magic? And why are they targeting these ghosts at Harry and his friends? While Harry is dealing with the spirit-world acting all crazy, he also has to deal with the vampires of the Red Court, whose leader Bianca has invited Harry to witness her elevation in rank to Margravine of the Vampire Court. Nothing suspicious there at all. And then there's his evil sidhe Godmother, who is hellbent on making Harry uphold a bargain he made years ago. Harry's got a lot on his plate in this novel, and he better watch his back, or he may wind up becoming a ghost himself.

"Hell's bells," I swore. "I hate it when I don't figure out the mystery before it's too late."

Notable Parts:

There are some great metaphors and similes in Grave Peril, and I found myself really liking them -- enough for me to mention them. Butcher's writing style really flows throughout his novels, making them easy and enjoyable to read. His signature blend of humor and wit mixed with action and mystery makes his books very entertaining. We're also introduced to some new characters, one being Michael (mentioned above), who happens to be the Fist of God and wields a very powerful magical sword, named Amoracchius. There's also Thomas, a vampire of the White Court, who may not be half-bad. Murphy doesn't play as large a role as she normally does, while Susan becomes very important during the second half of the novel. Some tough decisions are made towards the end of the novel, and the effect of these choices will play a large role in the next novel, Summer Knight. We also get some interesting scenes and information about ghosts that I think is pretty cool. The foreshadowing throughout Grave Peril is great; the readers cannot disregard anything -- everything Butcher writes, he writes for a reason. This makes solving the mystery that much more fun. 

"I felt guilty for that -- maybe irrational, true, but if I'd been a little smarter or a little faster, maybe I could have saved those people's lives. No one else saw it that way, but I did."

Reason for knocking-off 1 star:

*see quote above* I am not fond of all this self-blame that Harry irrationally feels over every bad thing that happens. Bob and others even tell Harry that he's being irrational, but Harry seems stuck in his ways of feeling responsible for everything that happens to everyone he knows. He even admits to himself at times that he's being irrational, and yet he continues to blame himself. This character trait doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon -- or ever -- so I guess I'll have to learn to look past it. Harry is also still 'chauvinistic' to a fault, even stating that character fault himself: "I hate it when a woman asks me for help and I witlessly decide to go ahead and give it, regardless of perfectly good reasons not to." If Harry himself notices these things, why doesn't he try to change them? He gets himself into some sticky situations that could easily be avoided if he didn't try to console and/or reason with the evil females in this novel and just do his job. This probably will not change either, so I'll learn to deal with it. The Dresden Files are an amazing-enough series that I will look past these annoying character faults, because everything else is awesome.

“I'm not a philosopher, Harry," [Michael] said. "But here's something for you to think about, at least. What goes around comes around. And sometimes you get what's coming around." He paused for a moment, frowning faintly, pursing his lips. "And sometimes you are what's coming around.” 

Overall:

Grave Peril is great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Harry and friends are interesting characters that are placed in tough situations and have to rely on their unique skills to save themselves and others. Butcher is a very talented writer, and he knows what his audience wants to read. I can't wait to start the next book in The Dresden Files, called Summer Knight. To anyone who hasn't started this series yet, I strongly suggest picking up Storm Front right away; to those that are caught up in the series, no spoilers!; and to those keeping pace with me, know that Grave Peril is a great installment in a top-notch urban-fantasy series.

"Magic defines a man. It comes from down deep inside you. You can't accomplish anything with magic that isn't in you, somewhere."

Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2)

Next stop, the second installment of The Dresden Files: Fool Moon.

Fool Moon

4 out of 5 Wolfish Stars

“Sometimes, being able to use magic was so cool.” 

Wow. Fool Moon may not have as much mystery as Storm Front, but the action is a thousand times better and the pace moves quicker, hooking the audience with each scene. There's not much time to rest during this novel, as it moves from scene to scene, delivering new facts and problems to face during each one. As you might be able to guess from the title, Fool Moon deals with werewolves, but Butcher adds a nice twist to the common werewolf, and he grabs your attention and doesn't let go until the very end of the novel.

“Whatever had killed him, it hadn't been human. His face was gone, simply torn away. Something had ripped his lips off. I could see his bloodstained teeth. His nose had been torn all the way up one side, and part of it dangled toward the floor. His head was misshapen, as though some enormous pressure had been put upon his temples, warping his skull in.” 

The Plot-line: 

As I said before, the pace moves much quicker in Fool Moon than it did in Storm Front, and we're given a very interesting take on werewolves. Not only are there werewolves in this novel, but also hexenwolves, lycanthropes and loup-garous. Each different type has its own distinct qualities, and at first it is hard to remember which is which, but as the story goes on it becomes clearer. Now, for the story-line itself: there's been serial killings happening, a group of them a month earlier from when the story starts, and then again during the current timeline. S.I. Lieutenant Karrin Murphy seems to be the only one who realizes these killing are happening around a full moon, and is quick to turn to Harry Dresden for help, especially when she sees a wolf-pawprint at one of the crime scenes. It's up to Harry to determine what's really going on in the supernatural sense, and he is one-hundred percent correct when he says, "It never rains, but pours." It's almost like a snowball effect throughout the whole novel; just when you think it can't get any worse, Butcher proves you wrong. Poor Harry can never catch a break. We're also introduced to some new characters, specifically FBI agents who only seem to get in the way of Harry and Murphy doing their jobs, but are actually very essential to the story of Fool Moon. Butcher adds twists and turns whenever he gets the chance, and he really knows how to write some good action scenes.

"Don't mess with a wizard when he's wizarding!"

Reason for knocking off 1 star:

Butcher likes to remind his readers about how Harry considers himself old-fashioned and chauvinistic, and this really becomes prominent in Fool Moon. I noticed it in Storm Front, but it didn't really bother me too much. However, I could not look past it in this novel. It's one thing to be chauvinistic, but completely different to treat all women like they are damsels in distress. Harry constantly refers to the women in The Dresden Files as vulnerable, even going so far as to relate Murphy to a cheerleader basically each time she's mentioned. Murphy is a kickass female character in this series, handling deadly supernatural creatures better than anyone else, and is very adamant about upholding the law at all costs, even if that means arresting Harry if she has to. And then Harry comes in, talking about her cute little button-nose again, which when mentioned once is fine, but when it's constantly repeated begins to get on my nerves. Also, I understand that Harry feels he needs to protect others and blames himself when things go wrong, but I also reach my limit with this aspect, too. Harry keeps others in the dark, hides information from them, and justifies his actions by telling himself he's protecting them. And then he blames himself when others get hurt, mainly because he didn't share important information. Harry needs to understand that he may be a powerful and knowledgeable wizard, but even he has his limits and cannot protect everyone. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine when main characters constantly blame themselves for things they couldn't have stopped anyway, but I do understand why they feel that way. Being powerful comes with responsibility, and I understand the need to protect everyone and blaming oneself when you couldn't protect someone important to you. I also would have liked more information on Harry's past; we're told a bit, but not much, and I need to know more about what happened with Elaine and Harry's old mentor, Justin, and how Harry has become who he is today. Stop teasing us Butcher! We need to know! 

“My magic. That was at the heart of me. It was a manifestation of what I believed, what I lived. It came from my desire to see to it that someone stood between the darkness and the people it would devour.” 

Overall:

I really enjoy Fool Moon and think it is a wonderful addition to The Dresden Files. Butcher creates some interesting supernatural creatures, and I really like his take on werewolves. Similar to Storm Front, once the mystery is solved, everything is quickly wrapped up in a couple of pages. However, Butcher adds a new avenue of thought at end -- there have been too many coincidences happening lately of Harry getting put into dangerous situations, which leads to the question: who's trying to kill Harry? I like that this is added on at the end, and I hope that we readers get an answer to this question soon. Fool Moon is a fast-paced, highly entertaining novel, and I can't wait to start book three, titled Grave Peril.

"It isn't enough to stand up and fight darkness. You've got to stand apart from it, too. You've got to be different from it."

Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1)

Wow, it's been awhile! Sorry for the disappearing act everyone; it's been pretty busy lately. I haven't been able to read many books as I've wanted to, but I've finished a few that I'd like to get a review out on, specifically the first novel in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher!

Storm Front

4 out of 5 Wizardly Stars

HARRY DRESDEN—WIZARD

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations.

Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. 

No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or

Other Entertainment.

I've heard very good things about The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and it's about time I read it! Butcher has created a world in which wizards, vampires, werewolves, demons, faeries, ghosts, talking skulls, dark magic and more are alive and kicking. Most humans don't seem to believe that these supernatural beings exist, but there are some who do, and who turn to the local wizard -- Harry Dresden -- for help.

Storm Front begins with Harry Dresden being contacted by Chicago P.D. Special Investigations Lieutenant Karrin Murphy. There's been a double homicide, and Murphy needs help. She'll need a wizard's insight to catch whoever's been using black magic to commit murder, and Harry's the best -- well, only -- wizard for the job. Thus begins the investigation to find the murderous black mage before he strikes again, and to prevent him from taking out Harry in his next deadly spell.

"My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk.” 

Harry Dresden:

Harry Dresden is the only known wizard that is a private investigator for hire. He's also a consultant for the Chicago P.D. on crimes that surpass mortal capability and seem unexplainable. He's the guy to go to when situations don't make sense, when suspicious magic-related crimes occur. After a brutal murder in which two people's hearts are literally ripped out of their chest, Harry's called in for his expertise. Quickly after this, Harry finds himself involved in a complex, deadly situation involving crime, mystery, dark magic, demons, a mob boss, a vampiress and lots of danger. However, he's the only hope for the police in finding this powerful killer and stopping him before he strikes again. Harry's a very likeable character, although a bit old-fashioned, and you can always count on him to mix in some humor along with all the danger and lighten up the situation a bit. We're given hints about his past, about how he got where he is today, but nothing too in-depth. I look forward to learning more about him in the next couple of books. One power that Harry has that I find very interesting is his ability to soulgaze. “When I look into someone’s eyes, into their soul, their innermost being, they can see mine in return—the things I had done, the things I was willing to do, the things I was capable of doing.” This is only one magical ability that a wizard has among many. Potions, spells and summoning circles oh my!

"Magic. It can get a guy killed."

Story line:

The plot-pace for the first novel in The Dresden Files is a bit slow, but necessary to explain and build this different world. We're given information on how magic works, the different ways it can be used, the power-players in Chicago's underworld, the people on the White Council who run the Laws of Magic, and the faerie realm of the Nevernever. I like how all the plot-lines and different parts of the story are all intertwined. The pace really picks up towards the end and becomes very intense, but the story seems to wrap up too neatly with a nice bow on top once the mystery has been solved and the main battle fought. I figured out the mystery a little bit before Harry, and it is definitely entertaining watching him investigate the murders. The different clues and important, dynamic players were handled brilliantly. I would have liked more information on the magic side of this world, but all in due time. 

"Magic came from life itself, from the interaction of nature and the elements, from the energy of all living beings, and especially of people. A man's magic demonstrates what sort of person he is, what is held most deeply inside of him. There is no truer gauge of a man's character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power." 

Now, the reason for knocking off 1 star. I feel some parts of the novel are a bit predictable, and while I really like the story Butcher has created, there is nothing that made me absolutely love Storm Front. Don't get me wrong though: it's engaging, has a good mystery and very likeable characters, and is a great start to the series. This is definitely a series I'm going to be keeping up with -- actually catching up with since 15 books in the series has already been released! I've  already started the next novel -- Fool Moon -- and am about halfway through, and so far, the story is awesome. I'm trying to pace myself with it, but the plot-line has really sucked me in, and we get to experience more magic! If you haven't read this series yet, I strongly suggest picking up Storm Front and getting started -- The Dresden Files is the definition of Urban Fantasy.

I was Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I was a wizard. Wizards control their power. They don't let it control them. And wizards don't use magic to kill people. They use it to discover, to protect, to mend, to help. Not to destroy.

American Sniper

American Sniper

5 out of 5 Intense Stars

"If you think that this war isn't changing you, you're wrong. You can only circle the flames so long."

Wow. This movie, about a real-life hero, will leave you speechless. You will feel as if you are actually fighting with Chris Kyle (portrayed by Bradley Cooper), not just watching a movie on a screen. A film based on war, family and country, it hooks you on the first scene, and after that you'll be unable to look away. American Sniper is a powerful story that tells you about a legend of war, what he sacrificed for his beliefs and country, and it will change you. Bradley Cooper puts on an amazing performance, and Clint Eastwood reveals the harsh truth of war, describing the lives soldiers lead. An absolute must see, American Sniper is an intense film that accurately describes the life of the legend Chris Kyle, and if there's only one movie you watch this year, it should be this one. I feel like I haven't written much on my review, but there's not a lot to say (I'm still a bit speechless) - I guess the main thing to say is watch this movie. You will absolutely not regret it, and it will change your perspective on war, on family, on country and on the world.

“People tell me I saved hundreds and hundreds of people. But I have to tell you: it’s not the people you saved that you remember. It’s the ones you couldn't save. Those are the ones you talk about. Those are the faces and situations that stay with you forever.”

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Hey everyone! This week's post is going to be on another anime called Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, and it's probably one of the best that I've ever watched. So, without further ado...

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

5 out of 5 Rebellious Stars

When there is evil in this world that justice cannot defeat, would you taint your hands with evil to defeat evil? Or would you remain steadfast and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?

Holy crap. Now this is a story about revolution, about fighting for what you believe in, fighting for justice, fighting to create a better world. Japan is now known as Area 11, having been taken over by the Empire of Britannia after several years of war and resistance. Britannia is a large area, completely taking over North and South America and moving on to other continents. The Japanese are now referred to as 'elevens' and are looked down upon by the Britannians; however, while some Japanese may have accepted defeat, there are still others who resist, who fight for their freedom from their oppressive ruler. It's during one of these rebel attacks that Lelouch Lamperouge finds himself in a truck driven by said rebels, right in the midst of a deadly fight. He then realizes that the truck he is in is carrying poison gas that is actually a Britannian weapon. After a car chase and some more action-packed scenes, the capsule that has the poison gas in it opens, but instead of poison coming out, it's a girl with green hair and golden eyes. She asks Lelouch if he desires power and proposes a contract to him. Lelouch accepts and is given the Power of Kings, also known as Geass; he now has the power of absolute obedience. Mix the power of Geass, Lelouch's extraordinary intelligence and his desire to make the world a place in which his sister can live happily, and you have the beginning of a revolution.

The world cannot be changed with pretty words alone.

Lelouch:

"If the king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"

Lelouch Lamperouge is actually Lelouch Vi Britannia, eleventh heir to the throne. After the war with Japan and his mother's death, Lelouch and his sister, Nunnally, live in Japan, hiding the fact that they are Britannian Royalty. Lelouch, after obtaining the power of Geass from the mysterious woman C.C., decides to make the world a better place for his sister and to avenge his mother. "The world will change. I will change it." He becomes a rebel leader, known as Zero, and leads the Order of the Black Knights against the Empire of Britannia. Lelouch, when Zero, becomes a symbol for all the people of Japan; "Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"  A lot of people compare Lelouch to Light from Death Note, and that is definitely true in regards to their intelligence, but I think Lelouch is more humane than Light. The ending of each anime strongly displays the difference in the characters, and even throughout the anime, Lelouch shows how different he is from Light. While he is extremely intelligent, Lelouch is also a great leader and his love for his sister is admirable. Lelouch has a hard life, but he does everything in his power to make a difference. His knows exactly what to do with his Power of Kings, Geass, and, while he is selfish at times, Lelouch is the start of a revolution, and I don't think anyone else would have been able to accomplish what he did. The end of the anime proves how much his character has grown throughout all the episodes, and Lelouch becomes one of the most selfless characters I've ever read about.

C.C.:

Within the endless flow of time, I am alone.

C.C. is an immortal witch who has the ability to bestow the power of Geass on others. Now, after giving the power of Geass to Lelouch, she becomes his ally. She is his right-hand-man and helps him lead the Black Knights. Their only tie to each other is the contract; they consider themselves accomplices, using each other for their own benefit. C.C. helps Lelouch with his rebellion and keeps him alive so he will be able to keep up his end of the contract, to grant one of her wishes. She is definitely an interesting character, and my favorite after Lelouch. Without her, Lelouch would not have made it as far as he did. They make a powerful team, and it's entertaining watching them work together, leading the Black Knights against Britannia. C.C. is a very important character in the show, using her own intelligence to help Lelouch and keep his identity of Zero a secret. "We are Partners. If you are a Witch, then I am a Warlock." --Lelouch to C.C .

Only those that are prepared to fire should be fired at.

Suzaku:

"A victory won through dishonest means is no victory at all."

Suzaku is the son of Japan's last Prime Minister and now works in the military as an Honorary Britannian Soldier. He was friends with Lelouch when they were children, and that friendship is present when the two reunite at Ashford Academy. Lelouch and Suzaku are similar in that they both want to change how Japan is treated, how controlling Britannia is, but they have very different ways in which they think this change should happen. While Lelouch wants to kill his father, the Emperor of Britannia, and fight to bring on this change, Suzaku wants change to happen from inside Britannia and spread. He believes that this change must be achieved through just ways; for Suzaku, the end does not justify the means. Peace achieved through violence is not real peace. This is a completely different perspective from Lelouch, and Suzaku causes big problems for Lelouch throughout the anime.

Overall:

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is an amazing anime that is a must watch. It's action packed, using the weapons known as Knightmare Frames, which are humanoid war machines. It's got a bit of romance in it, a couple of brilliant plot-twists, and some awesome side characters (I especially like Kallin; she's a fighter, and a very important asset to Zero. Plus, she's badass). It took me awhile to get used to the art-style since I watched this after Death Note, but I got used to it pretty quickly and really like the style used. Unfortunately, this anime is not on Netflix, but the website Animeshow.tv has all the episodes with good quality, so I recommend using this site to watch this fantastic anime (http://animeshow.tv/Code-Geass-Lelouch-of-the-Rebellion/). I love Lelouch's character and C.C.'s too; Suzaku may annoy me - a lot - at times, but I respect his actions and his character. There is a lot of speculation on what happens at the end of the anime, but I know what I think (no spoilers) and for me, it's an absolutely perfect ending to one of the best shows I've ever watched. There's so much to learn from Code Geass; what you're willing to sacrifice for what you believe in, how far you'll go to achieve your goals. There is some religious aspect to the show, but it just makes the anime that much more complex. If you haven't watched Code Geass, I suggest starting it ASAP. You do not want to miss out on this one.

Change will never come about if you don't make it happen.

Death Note: Another Note

Hello everyone! A couple weeks ago I posted a review about the anime Death Note and today's review is going to be on a little spinoff novel from the anime.

Death Note: Another Note

   

5 out of 5 Murderous Stars

The most intelligent people hide the fact that they are intelligent. Wise men do not wear nametags. The more people talk about their own skills, the more desperate they are - their work should speak for itself.

Death Note: Another Note is a short novel that gives a bit of background on Naomi Misora and the case she works on with L in Los Angelas, and it definitely speaks for itself. It's an intelligently written mystery, and just when you feel like you might know what's really going on, the novel changes direction so quickly it leaves your head spinning. I love getting to see how L works from a different perspective than Light or L himself, and I like Misora's role in the anime, so it is nice getting to read about her too. The novel is narrated by Mello, also a character that plays an important role in the manga/anime. There are some spoilers though, so make sure you wait to finish the anime before reading this book!

Naomi Misora:

I love Misora's character in the anime and her last scene is one of my favorites; however, I'm not a big fan of her in regards to the novel until the ending. She comes off as almost snotty and judgmental - I also do not feel that her intelligence is higher than others at the FBI. But the ending makes up for that - she proves how intelligent she really is and how worthy she is to be L's eyes and ears on the field. It's when she says stuff like this that I want to smack her upside the head: "If we divided everyone in the world into those that would be better off dead and those that wouldn't, there's no doubt in my mind that he'd be the former. Such a complete freak that it amazes me he hasn't killed himself yet." But then she becomes a badass and uses her skills and brain to their fullest to solve the case, and you realize that she is the perfect person to act as L's shield. It's nice getting some background on her, and even though she annoys me immensely at times, she's a cool heroine to read about.

Beyond Birthday:

We're told at the beginning of the novel that Beyond Birthday is our serial killer, but who exactly is Beyond Birthday? That becomes a nice journey of discovery to read about throughout the novel. He's an extremely intelligent man, albeit pretty sick and twisted, but we learn why he does what he does in the novel. While his reasons do not excuse his actions, they helps us to understand why he commits these murders. He isn't trying to outwit the police or FBI by getting away with his crimes; he's mocking them, for they were never his real target. "Beyond Birthday challenged L. And L accepted the challenge." That is the main plotline of this story, and it's very entertaining getting to watch these two geniuses battle it out - not as awesome as getting to watch Light and L engage in a battle of intelligence and wits, but entertaining nonetheless.

L:

We get to see L from a different perspective in this novel, and it's fun getting to see him through different eyes. He's still his weird self - eats way too many sweets, sits weirdly and doesn't really have any concept of personal space, but he still believes in justice. Plus, we get to learn the meaning behind the alias Ryuzaki. It's definitely nice getting to read about him after finishing Death Note and see a bit of his life firsthand before he got involved in the Kira case. 

Overall:

The spinoff novel Death Note: Another Note is a short but very engaging novel that provides fans of Death Note with a little insight into background information before Light gets his hands on a Death Note. A murder mystery that is not easily solved, it really makes the readers think while letting them enjoy reading about some of their favorite characters. The writing style is very smooth, and I think it is a genius idea to have Mello be the narrator of the story, even though I strongly dislike him in the anime. If you've watched the anime Death Note, you should definitely pick up Death Note: Another Note and give it a read. It's short but sweet and just an enjoyable read. However, if you haven't watched the anime yet I would hold off on this novel - and get to watching the anime! You will not be disappointed.

"Justice has more power than anything else."

"Power? By power...you mean strength?"

"No. I mean kindness."

Devoted: An Angel Academy Novel

Time for the next blog entry! I was given a free copy of Devoted by the author (Emery Skye) in exchange for an honest review. 

Devoted: An Angel Academy Novel

1 out of 5 Cringe-Worthy Stars

I don't even know where to begin with this one. I guess I'll start off with the most annoying aspect: the grammar and punctuation errors. It's one thing to misspell breathe vs breath (multiple times) but when you forget to end/start quotation marks when a character is speaking, that's where I draw the line. Also, "accept" and "except" are two completely different words. Seriously. Adding commas where they are not needed, ending sentences too early or letting them run on for too long, and the over use of descriptions just made the writing itself annoying to read. The readers do not need to know that a character has "long, wavy, thick dark hair." Personally, I think just saying "long dark hair" is enough information. And I can't ever see having a conversation with someone along the lines of "Hey, let's go to Chili's tonight. I really wanna go to Chili's. We're still going to Chili's right? Cause you said we would go to Chili's." The writing mistakes add up and makes reading the novel aggravating. This book was published through a publishing agency, so I don't know how there can be so many mistakes. And we haven't even gotten to the characters or plot line. 

The Story:

The main premise of Devoted is there are Angels and Demons on Earth, and the Angels train to fight the Demons and protect the humans from them. I haven't read an angel/demon book in awhile, but Devoted is very similar to Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and The Covenant Series by Jennifer L Armentrout. Plus, there are so many cliches in it that I feel like I've already read it before. I can't stand every single character in the novel being absolutely gorgeous, including the heroin (who of course doesn't know it). This seems to be most of Young-Adult books lately - "if people aren't pretty, they're boring." Which is so stupid and a topic for another time before I get completely off track. Devoted has The Special Snowflake Syndrome (I came up with this name thanks to my sister), which is basically the main character is super special/awesome/amazing for no reason. Yes, we want  to read about a protagonist that stands out; some series have The Special Snowflake Syndrome and they make it work, resulting in an amazing series. But then there's books like this one, where SSS turns into a nuisance that you just can't seem to get rid of. You've got the protagonist being awesome, the side-kick, the mean girl, and the hot guy who is supposed to end up with the protagonist. Oh, and the hot-guy is older than the protagonist, which doesn't really matter to me, but when the age part ends up being brought up a lot (which it always is), all I can think of is "pedophile". Yeah, I don't wanna read about that. Also, it took awhile to get to the main plot described in the synopsis, which makes the first half of the book drag on. And when you feel like you've already read it before, feeling slowed down does not help. The all-powerful angels act like children and they are pretty dull - I would rather face off Lucifer by myself than have them "help" me. Only thing that I agree with is the emphasis on following rules. Angels are made to obey God, so heeding "the Law" is very important, but these angels just seem to do whatever they want and make up the rules as they go. Especially when it comes to our main character, in which the rules are changed specifically for her, cause she's just so special.

The Characters:

Anna Hasdiel is our protagonist in this novel, and she is one of the biggest hypocrites I've ever had the displeasure to read about. She's all about training 24/7 so she can destroy demons and she looks down on all the other students for trying to also have a life. She places herself on a pedestal high above others, and don't forget that she's also valedictorian of her class - although she definitely doesn't act like it. The description of the other students does make them seem like incompetent imbeciles, but Anna looks down on anyone who wants to do something other than train (like her sister with liking to draw). Enter Legite Nathan Deror. Anna immediately starts crushing on him and wanting to be with him - but wait, isn't that exactly why she looks down on the other students? For wanting to have relationships? To live a little? But it's okay for Anna to want to be with Legite Nathan Deror, cause she's a special snowflake - and then she still continues to look down on her peers, EVEN AFTER SHE STARTS ACTING EXACTLY LIKE THEM. So, hypocrite. Anna also lacks even a little bit of control and has serious anger management issues. It seems to be hinted at that some supernatural force may be making her act this way, but I think it's just her true personality showing. Then there's Anna's sister, Amalie, who seems to act as dumb as a post at times and is extremely annoying. I cannot take any of these characters seriously at all, especially the ones that are supposed to be leaders. 

In Conclusion:

I feel like I've been pretty harsh with this review, but it is constructive criticism. I want everyone reading my blog to know that I'm going to be 100% honest with everything I post, and I'm not going to be timid about posting my thoughts because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. My honest opinion of Devoted is that it is a poorly written novel that needs serious editing, and that the characters and plot line aren't that great. If you're a fan of Vampire Academy, The Covenant Series or just a big YA Fantasy fan who doesn't mind grammar errors and misspellings, then you might like Devoted. I just can't stand all these errors plus the annoying characters, so this book isn't the one for me. I read about one-third of it, skimmed a bit, then decided that I'm not going to waste my time anymore - I have better books to read that I'm really excited for. Sorry if I seem harsh, but I'm not going to hold back on my reviews. I hope to have something nice to recommend to everyone in two weeks.