Title: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Published: December, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 502
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Final Thoughts:
I couldn’t wait to start this one, having thoroughly enjoyed Clare’s previous works, but after rushing into Clockwork Prince, I felt slightly let down. It took me four days to read, as I needed to take a break every hundred or so pages. It wasn’t until around the sixty percent mark that I felt I couldn’t put it down. I still enjoyed the book on the whole—both Will and Jem were amazing—but there were moments where I wanted something more exciting to occur, some greater danger. But if you’re in it for the love triangle moreso than the Shadowhunter plot, you’ll love it!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

My pre-ordered copy finally arrived yesterday and I couldn’t wait to get into it. Luckily for me, I’d just finished my last book so I could slot it right in. Loving Will so far, but Jem’s not doing so bad either…

“She’s a mundane—an Ascendant,” Jem said quickly. “Soon to be my wife.” He took Tesssa’s hand protectively, and turned it so that Gottshall could see the ring on her finger.

– Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare, page 95.
Published in December, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Title: Texas Gothic
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Published: July, 2011 by Corgi Books
Pages: 400
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn’t as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that “normal” doesn’t mix with magic, and she’s worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.

Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren’t alone. There’s someone in the house with them—and it’s not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.

It’s a ghost, and it’s more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.

This is the summer when the wall between Amy’s worlds is going to come crashing down.

Final Thoughts:
I was expecting something a bit more witchy. Instead, the books spent the majority of its time digging up bones, literally. It took me almost a week to get through this one, which is partially why I rated it as low as I did. The other reason stems from the fact that plot left me confused as to where it was going, what was important, and generally underwhelmed. It wasn’t all bad though, the characters had their fun quirks and nuances, which in a different plot probably would have really interested me. There’s also a cute cowboy next door reigning in the romance front. Definitely for those who enjoy the “I hate you.” “No, I hate you more.” types of romances. Lots of tension!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith (library)
• Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith (library)
• Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (library)
• Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith (library)
• Death Sentence by Alexander Gordon Smith (library)
• The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill by Heather Brewer (purchased)
• Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey (purchased)
• Carrier Of The Mark by Leigh Fallon (purchased)
• Torchwood: Miracle Day (purchased)

Sorry for the blurry pic. I had to resort to iPod photography while my camera was on holiday. I turned 22 last week. My parents got me a kindle, which I was especially excited about as I finally have an ereader. I also grabbed that copy of the new series of Torchwood during a 20% off sale which happened to be going on, on my birthday – so can’t wait to get back to Captain Jack. Okay, onto the books… I stopped by the city library and picked up the first three in the Tantalize series. I’m not expecting a lot from them, but I thought give them a shot. I also read the first in the Escape From Furnace series last Monday and picked up the following two. It was kind of like Prison Break for teens, and kind of violent… so obviously I want to read more of it. With the purchased books, I’ve only read the first in the Vladimir Tod series, so I probably won’t get around to this spin-off series for a while… that didn’t stop me buying it though. Witch Eyes and Carrier Of The Mark are ones I’ve been wanting to check out in the near future, so if I can make it through my increasing library pile with any kind of haste, I’ll slot time in for them.

Here is my latest review if you want to check it out:
Smith, Alexander Gordon Escape From Furnace #1, Lockdown

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: Lockdown (Escape From Furnace #1)
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Published: October, 2009 by Farrar Straus Giroux
Pages: 273
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries.

Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison.

Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

Final Thoughts:
It took me almost a week to read this. I was initially turned off by the first few chapters that I put it down and ended up reading three vampire books in the process. I came back to it, determined to finish it, and after the first hundred pages, surprisingly it wormed its way into my subconscious. I didn’t love the book, but it got addictive. It’s essentially Prison Break for early to mid-teens. It plays heavily on the male friendship aspect as the wrongly imprisoned try to deal with, and find a way out of, their new gritty, despair-filled futures.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Soul Screamers: Vol 1 by Rachel Vincent (purchased)
• Reckoning by Lili St. Crow (purchased)
• Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (purchased)
• Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie (purchased)
• The Return: Nightfall by L.J. Smith (library)
• The Return: Shadow Souls by L.J. Smith (purchased)
• The Return: Midnight by L.J. Smith (purchased)
• Stefan’s Diaries: The Ripper by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec (purchased)

Lots of The Vampire Diaries this week. I read books two to four of the original series after getting a random craving and ended up getting sucked back in. I had to get more so that’s how I ended up with the next three L.J. Smith books and the fourth book in the Stefan spinoff. I double dipped and bought the Soul Screamers omnibus because I wanted the My Soul To Lose prequel in print. I’m guessing that’s their selling strategy. I still haven’t started the Strange Angels series but at least I have them all now for whenever I get around to it. I wasn’t intending on purchasing this cover for Under The Never Sky, I was going to get the pink and white one, but when I saw it instore early here in Australia I couldn’t wait. Finally, Unleashed was one I ordered a couple weeks ago. I haven’t read a lot of werewolf books, I’m more into vampires myself, but the cover intrigued me. It reminds me a bit of Fallen.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn, Every Other Day
Smith, L.J. The Vampire Diaries #2, The Struggle
Smith, L.J. The Vampire Diaries #3, The Fury
Smith, L.J. The Vampire Diaries #4, Dark Reunion

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries #4)
Author: L.J. Smith
Published: May, 1992 by HarperCollins
Pages: 274
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

The Final Conflict… The Last Deadly Kiss

Elena: Now she rises from the dead to recreate the powerful vampire trio.

Stefan: Summoned by Elena, he keeps a promise to her and fights the most terrifying evil he’s ever faced.

Damon: Joining the brother he once called an enemy, Damon battles this new horror with strength, cunning, and deadly charm.

Final Thoughts:
I’m surprised and impressed by how much L.J. puts her characters through. I can’t say that things ever felt stable or boring. While a lot has changed since the previous book, it still holds the romantic vibe laced with an air of imminent doom. There’s a lot of action this time around, originally being the final book in the series. Personally I liked book three better, but still enjoyed this one for all of its mystery, danger and emotional growth.
Just a warning, there are spoilers for the previous book ahead.