Who is the Real Monster?

The world of Pellinore Warthrop and Will Henry almost ended before the fans of the Monstrumologist and his apprentice fought back and demanded an ending. The Final Descent might not be the ending you pictured or hoped for, but was there any other way to end their story? Rick Yancey ends this phenomenal series with more devastating heartbreak than I was ready for. But for the life of a monstrumologist, you have to be ready for anything.

When a man seeks out Warthrop to sell him the greatest find in generations of the field of monstrumology, Warthrop assumes it is a fraud. But Will Henry takes it upon himself to check it out. What he finds is quite possibly the most terrifying and most ground breaking creature they have ever seen: the last of its kind. While still unhatched, the egg, stolen from its seller, must be cared for with the utmost of precision. Warthrop and Will Henry are brought back together through the care for the egg and the future implications such a find could bring them. But the damage to their relationship is too big for one find to cure.

Flash forward years. Will Henry finally returns to the man who made him what he has become, but what he finds is not the strong, confident, aloof Warthrop. Instead he finds a broken man surrounded by the horror he has wreaked upon himself. For all of Warthrop's determination in his field has left him broken and determined to find the end that he deserves- one without the love of another human being. The story of Will Henry and Warthrop didn't end with that egg, but the connection between them had never been so fragile. Warthrop's created the Will who now stands before him, but he can't bring himself to take credit for the man Will Henry has become.

If you have followed this series, you know you weren't ready for it to end. But I bet you also weren't ready for this kind of ending. Warthrop and Will Henry's story was too complex and tumultuous not to have a similar ending, but I could never have imagined the kind of ending Yancey gave us. It was gut wrenching. It ripped out your very soul, did a Mexican hat dance on it, stuffed it back in and sewed it up with a rusty spoon. I do not exaggerate, my friends. This was the most difficult ending to a series I loved that I have ever read. But it wasn't bad. Nope. Not at all. It was perfect. Heartbreaking, but the perfect end to their story. Yancey may have loved his characters, but he knew the proper way to end their story wasn't going to be all sunshine and tulips. Nope. It was going to be ugly, brutal, and awful. It was going to destroy them, you, and everyone in between. And it did. 

The biggest question in this book is who the monster really is. The easiest thing would be the incredibly poisonous thing ready to hatch from that leathery egg, but nothing with a Yancey book is easy. No, the monster was inside them all. Warthrop's monsters, or inner demons, were different from those Will Henry harbored, but both were hell-bent on destruction. We saw Warthrop struggle to love Will Henry in every way he could, even if that meant leaving him, throughout this series, but we always knew he loved the boy. Even when he showed it in the most counterproductive ways, he still always needed to make sure Will Henry was safe. But the man Will Henry grew into is the most terrifying thing Warthrop ever encountered, and for a momstrumologist, that is saying a lot. And Will Henry blames no one but Warthrop himself.

So, I have to say, if you want a pretty ending all tied up in a neat little bow, then skip this book. You are going to upset. But if you need to see the way Will Henry and Warthrop finally end, then you need to prepare yourself. This series ending was phenomenal and heartbreaking all swirled together like a miserable ice cream sundae. It made me grieve for these characters I loved so much, but I know a happy ending would have been too unrealistic for the lives they lived. I really loved this series, I am not happy to see it go, but it was hard to see how it ended. Still, it is just one more bit of proof in the large collection of evidence that Yancey is a genius. Pure Genius. 

Redemption, But Not Quite Beautiful

You don't often see love and devotion and sacrifice like you did from Ethan Waite. In the Beautiful Creatures series, we have taken a beautiful (and usually comical) gothic background full of characters, mortal and otherwise, who take sacrifice to another level, but none more than Ethan Waite. And in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's final book in the series, Beautiful Redemption, we finally find his redemption.

Ethan
After sacrificing himself by leaping from the water tower to save those he loved and the world as a whole, Ethan is thrust into the afterlife. It isn't so bad, full of people he loved and lost, including his mother. Still, Lena is back in the world of the living, and Ethan can't imagine eternity without her. Everyone tries to convince him that there is no coming back form the afterlife, but Ethan won't give up. Especially when he finds out Abraham and Angelus might be involved in bringing him to the after life in the first place. For a boy who was willing to risk everything, he has nothing left to lose in order to get back to the woman he loves, and Ethan is nothing if not determined.

Lena
She won't accept it. Ethan is not gone forever. She knows he is around her, trying to communicate with her, and if she can just figure out how, they can work together to find a way to bring Ethan back. She will do anything she can to get Ethan back, even if it means facing Abraham and Hunting alone (well, with Link, but the Linkubus isn't the most helpful or supportive). Everyone wants Lena to just move on, but she knows what "move on" really means- giving up. And nothing can make her give up on the man who lost his life saving her. She won't give up on Ethan.

Oh, boy. I loved this series, too much at times. And when the third book ended? I was disTRAUGHT! So I knew this book was going to fix things, find a way to make it right. I know he died and all, but in a world with sirens and incubi and sucubi, there has to be a way to cheat death. The problem wasn't the premise, it was the execution. I am sad to report that this book just didn't thrill me like the previous 3 (and a half if you count the short story about Link). In fact, it was a little boring. The whole first 200+ pages about Ethan traversing the after life was a struggle to get through. Once you finally left Ethan to follow Lena, the book found the rest of the series' previous vigor and enthusiasm, but 200 pages is a huge waste of plot, time, and quite honestly, paper. I wished the book was cut in half to ditch all that boring fluff in the beginning that just felt like the authors were trying to live up to the size of their previous novels with half the material to work with. It was sad, really, because I love these authors and adored this series up to this point.

I don't think you can read the series without picking up this book, but sadly, it might not give you the satisfaction you desired from such a stellar series. Who knows, maybe you will love it, but I found myself with a shrug and a "meh" by the time I was done. I think the third book should have had a small section at the end where this whole book was condensed and delivered without all the rambling, but hindsight is 20/20. But I can't clarify these comments enough with how much I loved the rest of the series- it really was genius!

Beautifully Engrossing

Lena broke the world on her seventeenth moon. Instead of choosing Light or Dark, which would have resulted in the death of any family members who belonged to the side she didn't choose, Lena chose both. By embracing both Light and Dark, she has thrown the natural order of things out of sync. Not only are her creepy Incubus ancestors trying to take advantage of the chaos and create their own ideal world, but the town of Gatlin and everyone she loves in it is in danger.


The Linkubus isn't the only thing Gatlin has to fear... Abraham Ravenwood has joined with Lena's evil Caster mother to find John Breed- the hybrid Incubus who can walk in the sunlight and is the future for Abraham and the other evil creatures. They know Lena, Ethan, and Macon are somehow involved in hiding him, but they have no idea where he is. Add to that newly-mortal Ridley's craziness now that she is no longer a Siren and you have quite the disaster. Then Abraham lets loose the Vexes who take down the Sisters' (Ethan's ancient aunts) house with a tornado and puts Aunt Prue in a coma, he knows something has to be done. But the snippets of the song about "The Eighteenth Moon" are not only terrifying, they are incredibly cryptic.


Meanwhile, they find Ridley has been holding John Breed prisoner in her room and using him to Cast. While Ethan wants to kill him for turning Link and almost destroying Lena, he realizes John is as innocent as they all are in the mess that has become Gatlin. Abraham has abused and controlled John since he was a child and John doesn't even remember hurting Link. Together, they all struggle to make sense of what is happened and how to change it back. Unfortunately, the sacrifice that must be paid is one no one is ready for.


This was the best installment of this series so far. I like the other two books as well, but this one was really good. I couldn't put it down, all 500 pages of it. Since we saw Ethan and Lena so separated last book, it was nice to see them back together. But the supporting characters were better, as seems to be fairly standard with this series. Link was a riot as usual, and it was funny watching him try to deal with his new found powers. Ridley has a lot of trouble coping with her new standing as a mortal, but I love her relationship with Link (as tumultuous as it is). But Amma and John Breed were really interesting here. Amma, always protective of Ethan, will go to any lengths to protect him- even if it means a sacrifice Ethan would never let her pay. And John, who you hated in the last book, you find yourself sympathizing with. He really never experienced any childhood or family; you really find yourself wanting to like him. This was a great follow up story and makes me anxious for the final book in the series next fall. I can't imagine where everything is going to go with the final story, but I know I can't wait to read it! 

Caster Novella

When we last left the Caster series, poor Link had been bitten by a half-blood Incubus. Link, the bumbling but devoted friend to the Casters and Sirens, now finds himself in a difficult predicament. Link is shifting. He is changing. He is becoming an Incubus. If Link is confused by the change, then his uber-religious mother is downright beside herself. Link is getting larger. His muscles are bulging, as opposed to being barely visible, and now he is an opposing figure. Once his mother drags him to the doctor to test for drugs and steroids, he knows he has to go to Lena and Ethan for help with what is happening to him.

They take Link to Macon Ravenwood, Lena's uncle she thought had died. Macon helps Link understand the changes that are happening to him and explains the life of an Incubus. He calms Link down when he worries about having to eat blood to survive and what kind of monster he could become. But then Macon gives Link a task. He must deliver a message through the Caster tunnels. What Link finds, though, is that the message was really for him...

This was a really short little blurb that would have been better as a chapter in the next book than a whole "novella" sold separately. I haven't read the next book in the series, so I am not sure how necessary this information will be, but since this is only available as an ebook, I hope they include it in the next book if it is vital to the story. Although I have to say, seeing goofy Link referred to as "Linkubus" was hilarious! Basically, this is just to tide the Caster fans over until October when the new book drops, and won't mean much to anyone who hasn't read the rest of the series.

Darkenss Lit Up My Day!

Greek Gods? Love 'em! Shape shifters? Can't wait to see what they'll "pop" into next! Vampires? Oddly intrigued, but hate to admit it. Witches, wizards, and warlocks? Put a spell on me baby! New Orleans French Cajun culture... oui! Put it all together and what do you get? No, not seven separate books, silly. You get Darkness Becomes Her, by Kelly Keaton, and you are going to love it!

Ari had a strange childhood. Given up at the age of four, she was bounced from horrible foster home to horrible foster home until she was taken in by loving bail bondsmen, Bruce and Casey, who not only love her, they teach her to kick some butt (and full weapons training of course). But Ari needs to know what happened to her mother, so she tracks down the mental institute her mother was committed in when she died. It is there she learns her mother committed suicide shortly after giving Ari up. Ari collects her mother's possessions and in the box, she find a letter from her mother telling her to run, and run fast. Ari ignores the letter at first, but when a big scary man speaking another language attacks her and is impervious to bullets, she knows her mother wasn't crazy after all.

Barely escaping with her life, Ari is determined to find out what really happened to her mother. So she ventures into New 2, what is left of New Orleans. Around the time Ari was given up, a wave of hurricanes all but destroyed New Orleans. The US wanted to abandon it entirely, but a group of 9 New Orleans families came together and bought the city from the country, making it the only privately owned city in North America. New 2 is rumored to be lawless and a paranormal haven, but not many people dare to enter (except a few silly tourists). The culture still exists, but as Ari arrives, she realizes so does a whole population of "freaks"- strange people who turn out to be as paranormal as the rumors said they were. Apparently the 9 families who own New 2, Novem, are made up of vampires, witches and warlocks, and shape shifters. They work together to take care of the city and keep it safe from the real nasties out in the ruins.

When Ari arrives, she is "adopted" by a group of freaks who live in an abandoned house. Sebastian, the leader, agrees to help her find information about her mother. Instead, they find Sebastian's grandmother knew Ari's mom and even paid her hospital bill when Ari was born. When they go to the Novem, of which Sebastian's grandmother is part of, they find there is a terrible curse on Ari's family where the women in her family all die by 21, but not before delivering a baby girl. Sebastian's grandmother agrees to help her fight the curse, but before she can, Ari is kidnapped by a supernatural soldier and taken to a hidden prison. It is there she learns the truth of who she is. She manages to escape and help the other prisoners- a harpy, a shapeshifter woman/spider, and even Sebastian's father, who he thought was gone forever.

The prisoners tell her it is the petulant Greek Goddess Athena who imprisoned them, and it is Athena who cursed Ari's family. It turns out, Ari's curse goes farther back than she or anyone else expected. Now she has the Novem who want to keep her as a weapon, an angry goddess who is simply a jerk, and Ari finds out she can be a real danger to everyone, her friends included, when she comes of age. But Ari won't just give up. She is determined to take control of her life, even if it means showing a Greek God who is really the boss!

This was SUCH an interesting book and it took so many twists and turns I had no idea what was going to happen. I read it in one sitting and was really annoyed when anyone interrupted me because it was so addictive! The interwoven myths and supernatural creatures are so cool, and the truth behind Ari's curse dates right back to Greek mythology. There is another book planned for next year, and I have already pre-ordered it! I can't wait!

There is some forceful language in the story, but most of it is totally deserved (wouldn't you throw out a curse word or two if an awful goddess cursed your family for countless lifetimes and is trying to cook your brain?!). The content can be violent at times, but is nothing gratuitous or violent for the sake of being violent. Instead, it is just the nature of such a story with life and death situations around every bend. This is a great book for almost any student, as it is fast-paced, exciting, and the characters are awesome. You won't be sorry if you pick up this book... but you might be trapped where ever you do because it is too good to put down until you reach that last page!

Beautifully Dark

When we last left Ethan and Lena in Beautiful Creatures, they had survived what no other couple could- Dark Casters trying to kill Ethan, and Lena making a horrible choice that resulted in her uncle Macon, the only parent she knew, being killed. Now, in Beautiful Darkness, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the lives of the supernatural and the mortal in Gatlin continue...

Lena has changed. As someone who lost his own mother, Ethan understands what that loss can do, but she won't open up to him at all. With Macon gone, she is floundering. As a Caster, she was supposed to choose light or dark with her sixteenth birthday, but that didn't happen. Lena knows her Claiming is coming up soon, but she is terrified by making the choice, because it means if she chooses Light, all the dark Casters in her family will die, and vice versa. The choice is an impossible one, and Lena is crumbling under the pressure. Who she chooses to help her through it are her Dark caster cousin Ridley (a siren) and someone named John Breed who is dangerous, but Ethan can't figure out what exactly he is- Caster, Incubus, etc.

As Lena pulls farther and farther away, Ethan tried harder and harder to find a way to bring her back. Armed with his aunts' stalker cat, Lucille Ball, his best friend, goofy Link, and the new Keeper-in-training, Liv, they enter the Caster world to help Lena. They aren't ready for the dangers that lurk there, though, and are saved by Amma, (Ethan's Caribbean housekeeper who is more warden and mother than housekeeper) and Lena's family, Dark and Light on more than one occasion. When it becomes clear Ethan's mother was tied closer to Macon than any of them had suspected, she starts speaking to him through visions. She helps lead Ethan to the redemption both he and Lena need. But will he get there in time to save the girl he loves even though he can never truly be with her? Is there more to Ethan and his destiny than anyone could have expected?

This was an excellent follow-up to the first book. My initial trouble was how long of a gap it was for me between the two books. I had trouble remembering what had happened already, and the author's don't really catch you up. While that is fine if you are reading the books back to back, it would be difficult for anyone waiting for the obligatory year before the next is published. Some information is slowly revealed, but it was too scattered and too vague to truly help. The best solution would have been for me to reread the first book, but with an ever present stack of books staring at me, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I also struggled with Lena's character in this book. She was always conflicted, and Ethan and her together made a doomed, but perfect couple, but I had trouble with how quickly she abandoned him and started using her powers for mischief without thought to the consequences. Ethan had lost his mother, and he was always supportive of Lena. I understood the added pressure she felt, but it was tough to read this book and not dislike her by the end. The bonus, however, was the supporting characters like Ethan's Great Aunts, Amma, and Link. They really broke out in this story and made it not only enjoyable, but fun even! As Amma threatens Link and Ethan, smacks Ethan, and keeps Lena in control, you can't help but adore her. Link is so ridiculous he makes the story lively and will have you giggling. And the Aunts simply speak for themselves! I loved these characters, and truthfully, they made a very long book fly for me.

This is a very large book, about 500 pages, similar to the first book. That means, while it is an interesting and fun story, I probably wouldn't suggest it for anyone but a strong reader with a real interest in the supernatural. Otherwise, you might find a student really bogged down by the sheer length of it. The language and content is very mild, with nothing that would make it inappropriate for a student middle school and up. But again, the length would stop me from giving this to many kids. As an adult, though, I really love this story! It might be a good series to give to an adult you know to break them into the YA genre!

Gothic Hoodoo Debutantes

I have a problem. If there is a secret society or group who keep their business very private, I become obsessed with it. I have a friend whose boyfriend is a Mason, and I am dying to know what goes on in those highly secretive meetings (but he won't tell!). I am fascinated by Voodoo, Hoodoo, Obeah, and anything from the Louisiana Cajun culture- its so cool and creepy at the same time! Bohemian Grove? I would totally break into that place if I had a chance. And the strange Southern Gothic nature of Savannah has always made me wish I could go down there and not automatically be an "outsider" (aka be let in on all the bizarre stuff that goes on). So naturally, The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch was right up my alley! Who wouldn't love a story about debutantes dabbling in hoodoo, right?!

Alexandria Lee grew up on a communal farm in California where here mother made and sold tinctures to help people. Sure the farm might have grown a little pot, but mostly they were about communal living, organic produce, and "sticking it to the man". When Alex's mom is suddenly killed in a horrific car accident, she is forced to leave the commune- the only home she ever knew. Now she has to move to Savannah, Georgia to live with her grandmother, the leader of the Magnolia League. The Magnolia League is a group of old high society women who run the town. They also run the Debutante ball, something Alex, dreadlocks, 70's band T-shirts, and all, has no plans of participating in.

What Alex isn't aware of is that the Magnolia League has secrets- dark ones- dark magic ones. The Magnolia League, since Alex's grandmother created it, has been the biggest customer of the Buzzard family- the local hoodoo practitioners. They get all their magic, love potions, appearance spells, and hexes, from the Buzzards. At first, Alex is intrigued by the hoodoo, but still wants to be herself, pudgy and all. But slowly the Magnolias wear her down, and then she quickly begins to enjoy the perks. Her dreads are gone and instantly replaced with beautiful new hair, and her body changes, losing weight while her appetite is insatiable. She even starts dating the brother of a fellow young Magnolia, the hottest guy in school. Alex should be happy, but there is the nagging feeling that since everything happened because of magic, it can't be real. Soon, she starts to see the bad side of using so much magic- especially since it might have been the reason her mother died.

My biggest problem with this novel is that it was so great for the first 3/4 of the story- I was hooked, couldn't put it down. Then it just seemed to become an information dump to wrap some stuff up and open up the rest for the sequel. I really loved how this story was developed, loved the characters and liked both sides of the magic, from the Magnolias and the Buzzards. Then it just crashed at the very end for me. Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting where it ended up? Usually I appreciate twists in a plot, but this twist seemed rushed and undeveloped. I wish it had been explained more. I would have sacrificed some of Alex's transformation for a more thorough ending. Instead it just ENDED... I mean literally got you on the edge of your seat and done.

The language was fairly tame. The content wasn't overwhelmingly mature, although there was a great deal of talk about smoking pot (not glorifying it, but definitely there). Drinking is common, but more of a backdrop to the social engagements than the focus. The hoodoo is incredibly interesting, but nothing is graphic or overly violent. To be honest, I would love to give this book to a kid, probably junior high and up, but I would make sure the sequel was out before I suggested it to anyone- otherwise you are going to have a pretty angry reader when they finish the book! I know I was fairly peeved!

Beautiful Creatures are calling to you!

Try as I might, I couldn't get through this big girl in one night over the holiday break! But, oh! I did try! Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a southern, Gothic tale of a small town who revels in their reenactments, supports voodoo and strong Baptist beliefs in the same breath, and knows there is something going on in the Ravenwood estate- especially when Macon Ravenwood's niece Lena Duchannes shows up to live there.

Ethan Wate is an average high school boy who plays on the basketball team, "belongs" without actually belonging, and goes through the motions of adolescence. Then again, maybe he isn't so average... his mother dies, his father becomes a shut-in, and his voodoo practicing nanny/housekeeper, Amma, keeps hiding charms around the house to protect him (some which contain creepy little chicken bones Ethan suspects were from dinner). When Lena comes to Gatlin High and the rest of the school immediately pegs her as Macon Ravenwood's creepy niece, Ethan feels oddly protective of her. This of course instantly makes him as much of a pariah as Lena is.

Quickly, however, it becomes clear to Ethan that despite their feelings for one another, Lena is hiding something from him. Upon meeting the infamous hermit, Macon Ravenwood, Ethan finds out what is really going on with Lena. However, the extent of her secret is still to be uncovered. Lena and Ethan must delve into the secret history of Gatlin in order to save Lena from a fate she is terrified to see.

This book is almost 600 pages, which can be daunting to say the least. While I felt it moved pretty swiftly, looking back I see the real meat of the story didn't evolve until 300 pages into the novel. Therefore, this may not be the best novel to get a reluctant kid to read. However, if you have the kind of kid who loves the supernatural books and can plod through such a tome, this is a really cool story. I love the Gothic, southern elements that creep into even the smallest elements of the story. For instance, Ethan has three kooky, elderly aunts he spends time with each and every week. He takes them to church, keeps them from killing each other, and even makes emergency vet runs when one clubs the other's dog thinking it was a rat. There is a southern hospitality about this book that is just charming.

There are other less appealing aspects of such a small-town culture, too, though. For instance, when odd things happen around Lena (glass explodes out of a window when a group of girls are tormenting her), the town mothers and DAR members rally together to kick her out of school, claiming she is an evil influence on their children. The town goes to great lengths to get rid of Lena, simply because she is related to Macon Ravenwood. Even teachers and the principal want her gone for no other reason than she "might" be responsible for the odd things that happen.

This is a really interesting book, and I loved it, but the size and belated action might make it difficult for some to get through. I would suggest giving it to a strong reader who can spend extended periods of time reading. Otherwise, you will keep plucking your way through this book and it will consume the entire year! I also think this is more of a "girl" book than a "guy" book. While there is some interesting supernatural content, there is a lot about the relationship between Lena and Ethan, as well as a great deal about love, friendships, etc. The action is more of an undertone to the mystery of the relationships in the story. Nonetheless, this was a great book that kept me up half the night until I just couldn't go on any longer! I passed out on top of the book dreaming about creepy Gothic graves and chicken bones (and possibly even drooling a little bit!). Great read!