“Fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Twilight Saga will treasure this definitive official guide!

This must-have hardcover edition–the only official guide–is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.”

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Love her or hate her Stephenie Meyer is a woman who has taken the YA Lit world by storm. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, just about everyone is familiar with The Twilight Saga whether you’ve read the books or not. The Official Illustrated Guide has been quite an anticipated companion to the Twilight series, not only because fans have been desperate for new Meyer material for a while now, but because the release date kept getting pushed back for a few years. Have no fear though! The guide is finally here….but was it worth the wait?

Some might judge me but I, personally, am a Twilight fan. I might not be walking around with an Edward t-shirt (*cringe*) but I do love the books. If ever I share this information with others I usually get a judgmental smirk which has driven fans that experience the same to be a bit more discreet about their adoration.

The brave and dedicated headed proudly into the bookstores on April 12^th for the guide’s release, while the rest of us either covertly made our purchases or ordered online.

After all that I bet you’re asking – so what the heck is in this guide anyway?

Everything from individual character bios, family trees, a summary of key plot points in each chapter, illustrated explanation of each character’s cars, an interview with the author, outtakes, FAQ’s, playlists and where they fit into the story and more.

I’ve heard plenty of complaints that there isn’t anything new shared in the guide, which I guess is true, but it never claimed to be a source of new information. For those who haven’t really gone on Meyer’s website, many of the outtakes and mini stories, such as how Esme came to meet Carlisle will be new to them. If you’ve gone through every extra on her website, then yes, the guide will just be a hard copy collection of those extras, just a little more organized and detailed.

I think the only thing I found disappointing on the “new” argument was that we STILL don’t know who Embry’s dad is. Not that I’m losing sleep over it or anything….but still! Just tell us!

Overall I thought it was a good little guide that covers just about everything. The illustrations were gorgeous, and I liked seeing how certain characters were connected such as Heidi and Victoria. I liked reading the vampire’s bios but by the time I got to the werewolves I had lost interest. Mostly because it was getting tedious reading about things I already knew from reading the books, as well as reading the same bits of information repeated in bios that connected with each other. For example, the story of how Carlisle met Edward, is more or less repeated (but altered for the perspective) in Edward’s bio.

The good thing is that it’s not the kind of book where you have to sit and read it from start to finish. When you start feeling that Twilight nostalgia it’s the perfect thing to pick up and read a little more on the wolves or other vampire covens. When you just can’t remember which plot point came first in Eclipse, pick up the guide, when you reread Breaking Dawn before the movie comes out you can check out exactly what Bella meant about her ‘before’ car, complete with illustrations. Plus, it looks so nice on your shelf with the rest of your collection.

What was the main thing I learnt from the guide? That I completely miss reading Meyer’s work. Even in this guide I could see the elements of her writing that suck me in to everything she writes. I sincerely hope she’s working on something new.

For diehard fans, The Official Illustrated Guide will be a must have for the collection. For those expecting something new you won’t really find it here. It’s a companion, a guide, not a new novel.  It’s not AMAZING, but it’s certainly not terrible.

Pages: 543
Publication Date: April 2011
Publisher: Hachette/Atom
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Let me start by saying if you’re looking for a new paranormal series to obsess over, you should probably read The Hourglass Door. Personally, I’m usually a series kind of girl. I like following characters I’m invested in over a long period of time. But lately, a lot of series just seem to drag or get repetitive. The Hourglass Door is the first series I’ve begun in awhile that provides a completely new world and unique premise.

The story begins normally enough. Abby is a seemingly ordinary girl who gets good grades and has let a somewhat sheltered life. She’s looking for new ways to break free and gain independence, starting with applying to Emery College, a school all the way across the U.S. on the eastern coast. She’s keeping Emery a secret from everyone for now, including her boyfriend and neighbor, Jason. Abby and Jason have been destined to be together since they were in diapers. But while Abby lights up Jason’s world, she can’t muster more than brotherly affection for him. Still, being with him isn’t bad and there’s no one else she’d rather date. That is, until Dante Alexander arrives.

To Abby’s credit, she tries not being attracted to Dante. She doesn’t want to hurt Jason and she honestly believes she’s capable of merely befriending Dante. After all, he is the new guy in town and she just wants to make sure he feels welcome. And to Dante’s credit, he tries not to interfere in Abby and Jason’s relationship. As much as he likes Abby, he doesn’t think Jason deserves to lose his girlfriend, especially considering Dante’s life is a little chaotic and even…dangerous.

But, I mean, Dante speaks Italian. And he has those blue-gray eyes and that aura of mystery. Hotness aside, Abby does take the time to get to know Dante. A believable friendship blossoms between them, a friendship that she’s able to balance alongside her relationship with Jason. But then things start to get a little tricky. For one, Abby feels this unmistakable pull to Dante and she knows he feels the same way. Then she begins feeling…odd…and these feelings are only magnified when Zo, V, and Tony begin hanging around. These three make up a band called Zero Hour and they seem to have some sort of history with Dante and his adoptive father Leo. Oddly enough, Dante and the members of Zero Hour all sport the same tattoos.

Lisa Mangum is clearly a master of building suspense. The further I got into The Hourglass Door, the more questions I had and the more I had to power through just to get the slightest of answers. Like Abby, I couldn’t tell if the paranormal aspects were actually paranormal or just figments of her imagination. Everyone was so secretive that I was practically dying to know what was going on. I’d form my own theories only to realize how implausible they were and then I’d hungrily read more, glad that the plot wasn’t so predictable. By the middle of the book, Mangum began providing twists that completely blindsided me and the answers I received toward the end were, at times, shocking. I was just entirely pleased by the unique intricacies of the plot and the tie-ins with historical figures that added a believability to the fantastical elements that’s presently hard to come by.

I’d recommend this book for the plot alone, but the writing is also amazing. The snippets of Italian dialogue lend an air of authenticity to Dante’s origins and each character really stands out. Oddly enough, despite Dante’s charm and all-around sexiness, I wasn’t head-over-heels in love with him, but I loved his and Abby’s relationship; their relationship grew effortlessly from a solid friendship, initial attraction, and complementary personalities. The villains of the story aren’t frightening just because they have some sort of super-human strength, but because they threaten to destroy Abby’s life personally by settling in her town, getting to know her and her friends, and attacking that which she cares about most. But little do they know, Abby has some surprises of her own—surprises even she didn’t know about.

Essentially, if you’re looking for romance, action, and paranormal intrigue, The Hourglass Door is right up your alley. You might have overlooked it in the past, but with the conclusion to the series on the way this summer, now’s the perfect time to dive in. A little warning though: have the second book readily available, as The Hourglass Door ends on a big cliffhanger.

Pages: 398
Publication Date: May 2010
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “He was drowning—somehow he was being washed downriver in the midst of this crowded dance floor and I was the only one who could throw him a line, could save him from oblivion. He needed me. Now. Right now.”

“Clary is back in New York and life is good: she’s training to be a Shadowhunter and is finally able to call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price. When Jace inexplicably begins to pull away from her, Clary is forced to acknowledge that she herself has set in motion a chain of events that could lead to the loss of everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever…”

Warning: Some spoilers ahead

Back in August of last year fans of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series heard the words every reader wanted to hear – the series was going to be continued, extended to another three books. This news was greeted with a collective gasp, cheering and plenty of dancing (or was that just me?). Fast forward to April 2011 and we have the fourth book in the series, City of Fallen Angels.

Beginning this book was like being reunited with old friends and it felt SO GOOD! I had a bit of a Kanye moment once Jace and Clary came into the scene…

Jace to Clary: So are you planning on staying up there-
Me: Jace, Jace, I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish, but IM JUST SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU GUYS!
*figuratively hugs the characters then lets them get on with the story*

Cough… ahem.

The story picks up 6 weeks after the end of City of Glass, and everyone is adjusting to life after Valentine and life without Max. While Jace has been helping to train up Clary as a Shadowhunter, their relationship has been blooming. So how come Jace suddenly starts to pull away?

Simon on the other hand is still trying to find the balance between a normal life and his new vampire self, not to mention his two girlfriends who don’t realize they’re not Simon’s one and only. When a new vampire comes on the scene and makes Simon a very tempting offer, life becomes very complicated not just for Simon, but for the Shadowhunters as well.

Though it’s the fourth book in the series, most of the conflict from the other books has already been resolved, so we’re starting anew – mostly. At first it felt a little strange since unlike starting any other new book from the beginning, there was no need to adjust to the setting of characters – we already know and love them, but we don’t know what they’re in for yet. There were however a few loose ends left at the end of City of Glass which are picked up in this book, but it’s not toward the middle to end of the book we start to see what the complication for this half of the series will be and where the plot will go.

A fair bit of the book focused on the characters relationships with one another and how they were dealing with things mentally, emotionally and psychologically. There’s plenty of romance, particularly from Jace and Clary (that alley scene *fans self*), but Cassandra Clare definitely pushed the characters this time around, there’s a lot more emotion.

It was frustrating seeing Jace doubt himself and his relationship so much but people don’t heal overnight and Jace definitely has some issues to work out, plus there was that whole possessed by a demon thing, so he’s forgiven.

I loved how gutsy Clary was, I think I forgot just how strong she could be. She showed initiative in her Shadowhunter duty and tried her best to be a better fighter. When Jace was M.I.A. she carried on, she was definitely upset and put out by the situation, but she didn’t let it take over her life. Even in the way she related to Jace, she showed more confidence and has grown up a lot as a character.

The action and suspense at the end of the book really turned up the heat in the story, the fight scenes were very well written. As the story comes to a climax at the end with an epic action sequence, you think it’s all over (seriously, with only about 10 pages to go) then, BAM, cliffhanger! Initially I was struck with disbelief with how it ended but it’s a good cliffhanger and only made me a million times more excited for City of Lost Souls.

After finishing the book, especially for those who have a hard time with the way the book ended I highly recommend you check out the Q&A Cassandra posted on her blog, understanding her reasoning for certain things really cleared a few things up, click here.

This book is hypnotically well written, you get so comfortable reading it, 424 pages just doesn’t seem like enough. It comes complete with all the snark and sarcasm we’ve come to love from Cassandra Clare’s characters.

I recommend giving City of Glass another read before starting this one just to refresh your memory on a few points , that’s only if you have the will power to resist diving straight into this one. I doubt fans of Cassandra Clare will need much encouragement  to check out the latest addition to the series, but for those who haven’t read the books – what on earth are you waiting for??

Fabulous.

Pages: 424
Publication Date: April 2011
Publisher: Walker Books
Challenge: n/a
Rating: :

P.S. Ed Westwick a.k.a. Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl lent his voice along with Molly C. Quinn for the audiobook version of COFA. Definitely worth checking out, Ed makes everything sounds 100x sexier.

Teaser Quote: “You’re the first Shadowhunter I’ve ever met.”
“That’s too bad,” said Jace, “since all the others you meet from now on will be a terrible letdown.”