"Torn" by Amanda Hocking

Book Details:
Title: Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Published: 2012 - St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1-250-00632-5
Genre: Young Adult- Fantasy
Pages: 324 pages
Rating: 3 of 5
Read In: 5 days

My Review:
In Hocking's first Trylle novel Switched, I fell in love with Finn right along with Wendy (and just about every other female reader!). In this sequel, I became upset at Wendy, Finn, the author, everyone involved, for the events that transpired as I tore through the novel, waiting for the ultimate moment when Finn throws himself at the princess and finally demands they be together forever, no matter the cost! Sadly, I was greatly disappointed. As Finn repeatedly chooses duty over love and slowly fades into the background of Wendy's mind, he is replaced so quickly by the Vittra Markis Loki, and his request to marry her and run away together, completely freeing themselves of troll-kind. Actually, I noticed while reading that Wendy has an awkward relationship with every male character in her age range... She has orders to keep a distance between herself and Rhys after being caught asleep in his bedroom, she is frowned upon by many for her insistence in keeping Matt at the palace, she loves Finn but has to hide it and never be with him while he still works in the Palace, she's been caught kissing Loki, the mortal enemy, who later begs for her love and all the while still finds time to help Elora and Aurora plan her upcoming marriage to the homosexual Tove. I find it hard to sympathize with Wendy with all the romance drama and broken hearts she seems to create. Thankfully, other romances are uncovered and will shock every reader!

The plot follows Wendy on the road to becoming Queen of the Trylle and sheds some light on why the Vittra are so desperate to get their hands on her. I was not as impressed by this novel as I was with Switched and felt constantly conflicted about which male character she would gravitate to next. There is some much-needed development in Wendy's relationships with Elora, Willa, and Tove, as she accepts her responsibilities as the Princess and begins to grow into the role.

While the story line does progress a necessary amount for a trilogy, it lacked the rushes of excitement every reader craves and the passion one expects from a young adult novel. With one book left in the trilogy, Hocking can definitely still redeem herself in my eyes. I still look forward to Ascend, with high hopes and expectations. I gave it three out of five stars because while it was just okay in my eyes, I still absolutely love the series and characters, I just wish they'd make up their minds already!!!

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass" by Lewis Carroll

Book Details:
Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Author: Lewis Carroll
Published: 2010 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-4391-6947-6
Genre: Classic - English - Children's Fantasy
Pages: 315 pages
Rating: 4 of 5
Read In: 10 days

My Review:
Originally written off as unintelligent nonsense, Carroll's "Alice" books have entertained generations of adults and children alike. Starring the young Alice, created based on the young Alice Liddell, a child Carroll met at a picnic in July of 1862, where he began to tell the little girl a story of her following a white rabbit down his rabbit hole and onto this remarkable adventure that he writes down and eventually publishes in 1865, as the insistence of the girl's family. Marketed as a children's book when it was first written, Carroll was able to mock every aspect of Victorian English society in the seemingly innocent dream sequences of a seven-year old girl. Renowned for its eccentric and colorful cast of characters and nonsense conversations, researchers and literary experts are still discovering potential meanings in Carroll's works, revealing the author's true opinions of the social and political world he was born into.

In the novels, the White Rabbit is believed to represent a petty bureaucrat, constantly concerned with his own image and schedule, with little to no concern for the problems of others. The author also uses well-known nursery rhyme characters, Humpty Dumpty for example, to emphasize and tap into the familiar childhood fantasy of all readers familiar with this rhyme. Another character-type he utilizes in this humorous hodge-podge is the brave, noble knight archetype. Putting his own bias into the character, he made him slow, clumsy, and barely able to stay on his horse- a bit of a blow to the idea of the flawless White Knight come to save the day. Among these are the universally well-know Cheshire Cat, "Mad" Hatter, the March Hare, and the outspoken Dormouse.

All in all, it's quite easy to see how the "Alice" books have become classics- the uniqueness and child-like humor camouflaging adult undertones of political and social opinions and mockery would have made a much bigger impact in the late-1800s had readers at the time saw past the silliness and into the heart of the work. Presently, upon further researching and extensive searches for deeper meanings, we can now appreciate Carroll as a respectable writer instead of as the creator of sheer nonsense to entertain the fantasies of children. I gave it four out of five stars.

"The Goblin Wood: by Hilari Bell

Book Details:
Title: The Goblin Wood
Author: Hilari Bell
Published: 2004 by HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 0-06-051373-X
Pages: 371 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 6 days

My Review:
In what turned out to be an addicting fantasy novel, Hilari Bell shows love and compassion for goblins, a race often seen in a negative light in fantasy novels.

Betrayed by her own human race, Makenna, a young hedgewitch, flees her village after her mother's execution and finds herself in the company of goblins. With a decree demanding all independent magic wielders are in league with dark forces, a crime demanding execution, she finds refuge among these magical creatures and becomes their leader in the fight to keep humans from settling in their land. Flash forward five years and we're introduced to Tobin, a dishonored knight offered a chance to regain his post, if he can help rid the Northern woods of it's goblin inhabitants to make way for human migration. Captured by Makenna and her goblin army, Tobin is forced to see them as the peaceful, victimized beings they are, dividing his loyalties. Now, it's all-out war, and Tobin has to pick a side. To side with the goblins would be the "right" thing to do, but his friends, family, and a comfortable life as a lord await him should he help the humans exterminate the goblins.

I thoroughly loved this novel! The characters are all very liable and complex, and the society the author created for the goblins is just as magical as the creatures themselves. She gives them a myriad of abilities, creating sub-cultures to complicate a normally cut-and-dried fantasy species.

I found the ending aggravating, though appropriate to allow for a sequel. Told from both Makenna and Tobin in alternating chapters, the reader can appreciate the internal conflicts for both main characters, and sympathize with their struggles. I gave this book a full five of five stars and plan to read the sequel!

"Switched" by Amanda Hocking

Book Details:
Title: Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Published: January 2012- St Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1-250-00631-8
Pages: 293 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 2 days

My Review:
Most young adult novels follow a similar pattern- girl meets boy, girl falls hopelessly in love with boy, something tears girl and boy apart, girl gets into trouble, boy runs to her rescue, the end. Many very popular series follow this model successfully and become huge hits, like the Twilight Saga and House of Night series. Others miserably miss the mark and land with their face in the mud. Thankfully, Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy is off to an amazing start in Switched.

Female readers everywhere will fall in love with girl's main squeeze, the mysterious and hard-to-get Finn. "Girl" is Wendy- she's clumsy and scatterbrained and you can't help but feel for her, especially in her fight for finn and her struggle to remain herself while everyone around her demands she be someone else.

This particular story has one quality I feel really sets it apart from the rest- there are no vampires. I was a little disappointed myself at first, but Trylle are something better than vampires, they're trolls. But not in the living under bridges eating goats sense, but in the magical abilities, lots of money and glam fashion. Now what makes these creatures better than vampires? They don't have to drink blood to maintain their abilities and composure, so aside from the overall waning of abilities among their species, they really have no weaknesses.

I really enjoyed this book, aside from the infuriating ending. I seriously recommend waiting the extra month after publication to buy the second at the same time, because the need for the next book is far too strong! I could not put Switched down for two whole days and it leaves me sad it's over.

I give Switched five out of five stars only because I can't give it six, and I strongly recommend any fan of young adult novels not miss out on this series.

"Fezariu's Epiphany" by David M. Brown

Book Details:
Title: Fezariu's Epiphany
Author: David M. Brown
Published: 2011- Createspace
ISBN: 978-1-456-50059-7
Pages: 379 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 of 5
Read In: 10 days

My Review:
This is the first installment in the Elencheran Chronicles series by David M. Brown. As a fervent fan of the fantasy genre, I found this book to be everything I expected and more. Not only are the characters well-developed and memorable, the reader is taken away to an equally well-developed fantasy world that rivals the worlds of popular, established fantasy writers, such as Robert Jordan and Mercedes Lackey.

Brown features a vast variety of both primary and secondary characters. Some are members of fantasy races the author himself creates, such as a canine-like people and humans with naturally purple hair. The main protagonist of this series is Fezariu, who is followed from birth in this novel. As he grows and enters different stages of his life, other characters enter and leave his life, always leaving a mark on his life. From his mother, a prostitute trying only to do the right thing for her son, to Fezariu's fellow mercenary friends, every character is memorable.

I was greatly disappointed that my copy does not have maps of Brown's fantasy world. He describes in great detail the geography of the various countries and cities, but they are expansive and difficult to follow without visual representations. However, each region has their own well-devised history, much of which the reader learns through the protagonist's travels. It is very clear that this series will be impressively in-depth and the author leaves no aspect of his world to the imagination. He has thought of everything, from the races inhabiting each region, the individual histories of his countries and cities, and even the different governing systems.

I am very excited for further installments of what is sure to be a hit fantasy series. I gave Fezariu's Epiphany five out of five stars and firmly believe it deserves every one. I feel I can be a tough critic of fantasy novels, but I hold this one in high regards and anxiously await the publication of its sequel!