Ironhand's Daughter by David Gemmell

"The armies of the Outlanders crushed the highlanders at the battle of Colden Moor–killing their finest warriors and breaking their freeborn spirit. The highlanders are now a conquered people, ruled by the brutal Baron Gottasson.

Prophecies speak of the coming of a new leader, a descendent of Ironhand, mightiest of the highland kings. A leader who will throw off the Outlander yoke. But only one highlander carries the blood of Ironhand: Sigarni, a wild and willful teenage girl who cares for nothing save her own concerns. Until a fateful encounter thrusts her onto a path of rebellion. Now, hunted by the baron’s soldiers and stalked by an evil sorcerer, Sigarni will be forced to fulfill her destiny . . . or perihs."

I picked this book up at a yard sale, forcing the "don't judge a book by its cover" moto. I just have a personal thing about books that look like they are quick published, and the author has like tons of books printed because they are not taking time in their story and just want to get something on the shelves. I know it really doesn't make sense but that it how I feel. But this book was actually really good. 

The characters were very interesting and I liked that the heroine really didn't care what anyone else thought. She went through many emotional changes throughout the book, and it made her into a better leader by the end. The only thing I didn't like was that there were to many characters that you had to remember, and they all had unique and obscure names. So at times I did not remember which character was which. 

But if you like adventure, battles, magic, Scotland, historical fiction, and strong female leads than pick up this book! I am giving it a four out of five stars!

Grim edited by Christine Johnson

"Johnson’s anthology of retold fairy tales, most based on Grimm, should be wildly popular as the 17 authors include such well-known names as Ellen Hopkins, Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking, and Malinda Lo. Many authors bring the tone and focus back to the original Grimm tales, and graphic gore abounds. Sometimes the violence feels gratuitous, but often it’s completely appropriate. Rachel Hawkins’ opening story sets Bluebeard in a trailer park, with truly creepy foreshadowing from the heroine’s alcoholic mother. Jon Skovron’s “Raven Princess” has delightful contemporary touches, such as a same-sex giant couple rearing an infant, and a Shrek-like ending. Readers are bound to like some stories more than others, but the diversity of tone and treatment should please most fans of the genre. For many of the authors, the retold fairy tale is something new to their body of work. Hopefully, readers drawn by Ellen Hopkins’ novels on contemporary issues will discover the appeal and relevance of “tales as old as time,” such as Sarah Rees Brennan’s charming treatment of Beauty and the Beast."

If you may have noticed I love fairy tales, and the retelling of them. So as you may guess I really enjoyed this anthology. I have not read many books containing short stories, but after Grim I am going to be keeping my eye out for more of them. The authors that she chose to write did a great job retelling the Grimm fairy tales, so that you could still know which one you were reading. There was only one that was retold, that also happened to not be a fairy tale that the Grimm brothers wrote, Beauty and the beast. I did not mind this though, because it also happens to be my all time favorite fairy tale. 

Now to the stories themselves. While I enjoyed them all there were some that I liked more than others. Each had their own 'darkness' to them, but some did a better retelling them then others. While one story may be very similar to the original, even in the language they used to write it, others changed them so much that it was almost like reading a different story. I am not saying it was a bad thing, but I did need to look up which story they were trying to portray. There were even some stories that the author could easily take and turn it into a full novel if they wanted to , and I would defiantly go out and buy it.

So if you like reading a variety of different writing styles, and romances that are dark and a little twisted in some cases, then defiantly give this a read. I give this a four out of five stars. 

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

"As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry."

I was so excited to get my hands on this book! I have read Pearce's other book Sister's Red and loved it, and when I saw this one at the local bookstore and I had the money to by it I was so pumped! Pearce has done it again, another retelling of the fairy tale, and does a great job at it. If you did not guess the story she chose to retell was Hansel and Gretel. While the original fairy tale is not one of my favorites, Sweetly has now become one of the books that I will not mind picking up again in the future. 

Again she writes about strong female leads, who have not choice but to save the day. With some help from the brooding town "rebel". She does a great job, not only having the characters fall in love, but also the reader falling in love with the characters. She also shows the love that is among siblings, and the ways that that love is tested. With saying that, it is not all mushy lovey, dovey and is open for many readers.

If you are looking for a read that has mystery, love, monsters, suspense, and action this is a great book for you. I give it a five out of five stars!

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

"During Gilly Ramsey’s lonely childhood, the occasional brief visits of her mother’s cousin were a delight, seeming like visits of a fairy godmother. Years later, when Gilly inherits Thornyhold, her house, she discovers that her cousin, with her still room and herbalist practices—and her undoubted powers—had long been known to the locals as a witch. She is approached by neighbors, some innocent, some not so innocent, but all assuming that she, too, is a witch, and a possible addition to the local coven. Gilly finds there is some truth in this, for she discovers that she can call on a kind of power in difficult moments. This wonderful novel from bestselling author Mary Stewart is delicate in its perception of a young woman’s falling in love, delightful in its portrayal of the English countryside, and skilled in its creation of a world full of magic."

I was skeptical about this book when I first picked it up. I usually do not read older novels, but I liked the premise of this book and was ready to tackle it. It did start off sort of slowly, setting the scene for which make life for Gilly at Thornyhold so different than what she previously knew. As I reached half way through the book I still did not know which way the story was heading. Was it a mystery, a witch hunt, or something else. Mart Stewart did make me feel connected to the characters and I was able to sympathize with them. As for the romance of the book, it took awhile before you realize who was going to become an item. When you do finally figure it out, the book ends fairly quickly. And I do not mean in a good. Stewart took such a long time to lead up to this point and then ended it to short. There were many ways to end, but it felt rushed as though she had run out of time to write and just ended it. With saying this I did enjoy it, but wish I had more. 

I rate this book a three out of five stars.

The Named by Marianne Curley

"Ethan is a member of the Named, sworn to fight the Order of Chaos, an evil group determined to permanently change the course of history. But he is also a normal high school student trying desperately to keep up with his homework and fit in. When he is assigned to mentor Isabel, a cute classmate and future member of the Named, the line between his two lives begins to blur. So begins an epic quest as Ethan, Isabel, and others travel through time to battle dark forces and protect the future."

The author did a good job mixing, what I feel is different genre's together to tell this story. It gives you a little bit of everything. With saying this I had a hard time deciding on giving this book a four or a five star. After some deliberation I decided on a four star, but that just goes to tell you have good this book is!!

Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable

"Calwyn has never been beyond the high ice-wall that guards the sisters of Antaris from the world of Tremaris. She knows only the rounds of her life as a novice ice priestess, tending her bees, singing her ice chantments, and dreaming. 

But then Calwyn befriends Darrow, a mysterious Outlander who appears inside the Wall and warns of an approaching danger. To help Darrow, to see the world, and perhaps to save it, Calwyn will leave the safety of the Wall for a journey with a man she barely knows--and an adventure as beautiful and dangerous as the music of chantment itself."

I really enjoyed this book. It kind of suprised me. It was not a hard read, and I was 

ingrossed  in the story line very quickly. It has a good adventure and not much lovey dovey 

stuff in it. (So it would make it a good read for boys too!) It is a trilogy, but this book really 

can stand on its own. This is the authors first book and you really cannot tell it is. I have 

read first novels before and it would be painfully obvious that it is. But this one you could 

not, which I really liked.

I give this book a three out of five stars.