Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

 

The Archived is a story full of mystery, suspense, building love, and secrets that jump right out of nowhere. The story surrounds Mackenzie Bishop who is a Keeper. What is a Keeper? A Keeper is someone who is charged with keeping the Histories (dead people) from entering the mortal world. Mackenzie has been a Keeper since she was a little girl. She’s lived a life full of lies, death, betrayal, and without much sleep. But when Mackenzie and her family move to a hotel turned apartment, she is quickly overwhelmed with a massive amount of Histories in her districts. She doesn’t know what is bringing upon these Histories, but she does know that it needs to be fixed or there is going to be a big problem.

 

I cannot begin to tell you guys how thrilled I am that I ran across The Archived by Victoria Schwab. 2013 has started off very slowly with books. I’ve discovered some books that were good, but mostly I’ve just had horrible luck. I immediately got sucked into the world of The Archived. Victoria Schwab created such a interesting and wonderful world. I just want the next book in my hands right now.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book were the characters. First, there’s Mackenzie. Mackenzie is strong and powerful in her own right, and she broke my heart at the same time. Mackenzie loses her little brother before the book takes place and that plays a major role in the book. I cannot imagine losing someone so close to me, and my heart just shattered for her.

And Wesley! Wesley, Wesley, Wesley. I find it really difficult to connect with male leads, but I adored Wes. I wish that he had a few more scenes than he actually did, but I loved how Mac and Wes were so hesitant to start whatever it is that they have. I hate books where the main characters jump at each other on the fourth chapter. That’s definitely not what happens in this book. It’s slow progression of confusion, interest, lust and chemistry.

Some people have had some problems reading this book, and I understand why. The first several chapters of this book are a little strange, but they’re not unreadable or even bad. The book is just so mysterious that it took awhile for my brain to catch up. I also had a problem during the very beginning because I didn’t realize that the “Da” was the grandpa, and I was really confused as to why her dad was still alive. My questions were answered by Victoria herself, but the book may have just started off slow for me because I didn’t understand who was who.

One problem I had with this book was that it was very repetitive. I felt that Mac was always in the Narrows and in the Archive, and I just wanted to see more of a mix. I didn’t want to see her just going to work everyday. Another thing was that the ending was very predictable to me. There was a small part that I didn’t guess, but I knew everyone who was involved with the scandal long before it happened. I’m one who usually guesses those things, though, so that might play a part in my judgment.

On a more positive note, I loved the mystery that surrounded The Archived. It kept me on my toes, and I was dying to find out what happened next. The book is great. The writing is fabulous. I just want to kidnap Victoria Schwab and have her write for me all day. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series as soon as it comes out. And just so you guys know, The Archived is already out in stores! I saw the hardback cover at Barnes and Nobles today, and I felt this moment of just…pride…and it’s not even my book. Go pick this book up today!

 

Pages: 328

Publication Date: January 22nd, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “Because the only way to truly record a person is not in words, not in still frames, but in bone and skin and memory.”

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them

 

Purchase the book:

Barnes & Noble = http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nobody-jennifer-lynn-barnes/1110503726

Amazon = http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Jennifer-Lynn-Barnes/dp/1606843214

Indiebound = http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781606843215

 

I have never read anything by Jennifer Lynn Barnes before. I’ve heard that her Raised by Wolves series is off the charts amazing, but if you could see all the books piling up in my frontroom and bedroom you would understand why I just don’t have time. I was offered Nobody by Egmont USA in return for a review and giveaway to be posted on the blog.

I tried really, really hard to like Nobody, but I found it to be very……weird. The idea of writing about “nobody’s” was interesting, but it lacked the spark it needed. It was obvious to me that Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a fantastic writer. There was really nothing wrong with the writing style or the creativity, I just found the storyline to be very odd and I was not drawn in.

I ended up skimming a lot of this book because not only did I not enjoy the story itself, but I was not a big fan of the characters either. I am not a fan of books written in multiple perspectives, so that was an obvious turn off for me. Also, I found it really difficult to attach to either Nix or Claire. I understand that the book is called Nobody and that that’s what they are in the book, but I felt like they just did not exist.

I don’t have much to say about this book, because I found it very difficult to stick with it for long. I am giving it 2 stars, because I truly believe that Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a good writer. Looking at Goodreads, I also noticed that a lot of people are giving it higher ratings than I am. So maybe it’s just me. I didn’t like this story, but maybe some of you guys will. Make sure to enter the contest below. And make sure, if you have read the book, that you come back and let me know what YOU thought of it. Maybe we think the same or maybe we have totally different opinions! Let me know!

 

Pages: 400

Publication Date: January 22nd, 2013

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Source: Finished copy provided by publisher

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “I am everything. I am nothing. I am powerful. I am forgotten.”

 

The Nitty Gritty:

Contest will run from February 12th, 2013 to February 20th, 2013.

Contest open to U.S. and Canada residents only

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana”‘Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it-he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive-and even that might not be enough.
The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

 

The Exiled Queen left off with Raisa being kidnapped and Han Alister leaving school to go find her. Bear with me, I have not read the second installment in about a year, and I’m a little rusty. The Gray Wolf Throne starts off with us finding out that Raisa got away from her captors, but she’s in a bit of a predicament. Everyone seems to want to kill her. Lord Bayar, the High Wizard, and the man who has sucked her mother, The Queen, under his spell is sending everyone within his power after her, even the Queen’s own guard. With her own people after the Princess Heir, Raisa must learn to fight for herself and depend on others to keep her from harms way.

Han Alister is completely smitten with the girl known as Rebecca Morley. Little does he know that Rebecca is actually the Princess Heir, Raisa ana’Marianna. He has made it his mission to leave school and hunt her down. But seeing as it appears as if Rebecca has been taken from the school against her will, he fears that he may be too late to rescue her.

On a blind turn of events, Han and Raisa eventually reunite, only to discover that her right to the throne is fading away. Now Raisa must fight for her control and ownership of the crown. And who better to be at her side than Han Alister?

 

Cinda Williams Chima has one of the most beautiful, interesting and creative writing styles that I have ever seen. I fell in love with her writing in her Heir Series, and I’ve embraced the magic once again in her Seven Realms Series. The world that Chima creates is so heartfelt, so well thought of that she floors me everytime I read something written by her. It is obvious that Chima dedicates herself to her writing.

I have met people who have started reading the first book in the series, The Demon King, and have put it down because they were bored. And I always say the exact same thing. Stick. With. The. Book. The Demon King starts off very slowly, and it does not pick up until half way through the book. I was bored out of my mind the first of half of The Demon King, but when it started to pick up, I couldn’t tear my eyes off the page.

The Exiled Queen was full of action from page one, and it is by far my favorite book in the series. I was devastated when that book was over. I just wanted more Raisa and Han. And, of course, Micah and Fiona, because I have some sick love for the both of them.

Like The Demon King, The Gray Wolf Throne starts off very slowly. So slowly, that I almost put the book down for awhile. As it was, it took me over a week to even finish it. Unlike The Demon King, The Gray Wolf Throne did not hit its peak and pick up. There was a spot around page 100 that the book switched from boring to interesting, but it never switched from interesting to fascinating. A large chunk of the book is dedicated to everyones travels, which can get very boring. I wanted to read less about everyone riding on horses to get to their destinations and more about the magic and wonder that surrounds The Seven Realms.

One of my biggest complaints, and one I’ve had since book one is that the chapters are way too long. The chapters are about 20-30 pages without any breaks. There are absolutely no stopping points in the chapters, so if you don’t finish a chapter you’re going to be left very upset for not finishing the scene you’re on. I know that this is probably a silly complaint to have about a book, but I rely on my stopping points, and I am not pleasant to be around if I have to stop in the middle of a sentence.

I honestly felt that this book was lacking so much in order for Chima to prepare for the last book. There is a lot of detail and questions that needed to be released in order for the last book to finish up well. And while I have not read the last book, I am anticipating it to be off the charts amazing due to the boringness that I had to suffer in The Gray Wolf Throne.

What was interesting to me was the development of the characters. For starters, I grew to love Han even more than I already did. By the end of the book he is a mature man who is willing to do anything to defend the throne, whereas he used to hate queens and everything they stood for. On the other hand, I disliked Raisa’s character throughout most of this book. I found her whiney and hardheaded, and I just wanted to smack some sense into her. I also didn’t like the fact that Raisa had to make a decision about who she was going to marry. Now, this complaint doesn’t really relate to the book, because I know that that’s how things worked in the past. But I just want to say that I am going to be VERY upset if Han and Raisa are not allowed to be together in the final book.

It is really hard for me to give this book 3-stars because the layout and detail were so amazing. I was in love with the pictures that Cinda Williams Chima placed in my head, and I just wanted to dive head first into the world that she created. But I was bored throughout most of this book, and detail doesn’t matter much if I can’t connect with the story. I am hoping beyond hope that the last book is amazing. The Heir series was genius, and I fell in love with the previous books in this series. But I didn’t feel the love for this book.

 

Pages: 517

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Publication Date: August 30th, 2011

Rating: :

 

Teaser Quote: “The bluejacket girlie rode like a clan warrior, but there was no way she’d escape. It was a private life-and-death contest that had nothing to do with him.
He told himself he should ride on, grateful that the chase would keep them occupied while he took a different path.
But what had he told Rebecca when she’d asked what he meant to do when he returned to the Fells?
‘I’m tired of people in power picking on the weak. I’m going to help them.”