Day 6 ~ 400+ Pages ~ Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy b y Cassandra Clare

Its time for day 6 of the Great New Reads Challenge, books that are 400 pages are more. 
This one makes the grade with 655 pages! I had mixed feelings about this book. First off 
it is more of a collection of stories that are tied together by the fact that Simon is at the 
Shadowhunter Academy and hearing the stories for the first time. I've actually had 
this one sitting in my TBR pile for a while but didn't pick it up until I finished Chains of Gold. 
I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't just read the other novel. 
Which was the best from the series I've read in a while.

Summary:

Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. 
But the events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon
 isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows he was friends with Clary, and that 
he convinced the total goddess Isabelle Lightwood to go out with him…but 
he doesn’t know how. And when Clary and Isabelle look at him, expecting 
him to be a man he doesn’t remember…Simon can’t take it.

My Take:
This novel meets us up with Simon who has lost his memory of the 
shadow world. Magnus has helped him out the best he could but
 Simon is still pretty clueless about everything, and everyone. In a
 quest to get his old memories back and prove himself he enrolls in 
the Shadowhunter Academy. Each chapter starts with Simon and
 what is going on with him but then delves into some type of 
flashback storyline. Each chapter could almost be read as 
individual pieces. Some of the stories were interesting. 
It was nice to get some back story on characters like the Inquisitor or

 meet James for the first time. Other chapters were just ok and I 
felt like the Simon plot line dragged a little bit. I still enjoyed 
the book but as far as a collection of stories I enjoyed the 
Magnus Bane Chronicles more. But I do love Magnus so I might be biased.

#bookblogchallenge #greatnewreads

Circle of Desire ~ Keri Arthur

Circle of Desire by Keri Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been sitting in my digital TBR pile for far to long! Lucky for me I got a great deal on a used Kindle Oasis and now I can clear my digital TBR shelf. I received the digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In ten years of working for the Damask Circle, shapeshifter Katherine Tanner has never come across anything that goes after kids the way this monster does, and she has never met anything that does to them what this thing does. And it’s not something she wants to confront. But with the Circle’s resources stretched to the limits, she’s given very little choice. The last thing she needs is interference from a cop who has no idea what he’s up against.

Ethan Morgan’s niece is one of the missing children and he has every intention of not only defying the odds and bringing her back alive, but of catching the monster behind these kidnappings and bringing her to justice. Even if he has to break every law in the country to do it. And he's willing to use anyone and everyone to achieve those aims--even a crazy woman who claims to be a witch.

Forced to join forces, Ethan and Kat are drawn to each other, but fight their feelings as they struggle to uncover clues that will lead them to the monster’s lair and battle a seemingly endless supply of zombies and other dead things determined to stop them. But time is ticking away and both know the monster behind these kidnappings rarely keeps her victims alive for more than seven days. And four of those have already gone.

But the greatest threat to Kat might not come from the forces of darkness gathering around them, but from the man she is beginning to love.

My Take;

Being the 3rd book in the series it took a few chapters for me to catch up with what was going on. After that the storyline moved in a well paced way. Mixing action scenes with steamy romance. The first few encounters with Kat and Ethan are a little rough. There isn't the romance and longing you would usually expect in this kind of fantasy. The casual nature of their relationship does begin to change for the better and you end up with a good read.
There is also a new and interesting supernatural predator. I wish we had been able to spend a little more time with the Mara. Learning about the creature. Maybe I've been just reading too many crime serials. This really wasn't that kind of novel. Worth the read but I do think you'd be better off starting at book 1.

Magic Binds ~ Ilona Andrews

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was glad to get caught up with this series. I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to keep up with all of my favorite series. I have not kept up with the side stories or the Curran POV books so I may have to revisit those after the series is finished.

Summary:
Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…


My Take:
This one did not disappoint. Kate was as a** kicking as usual. Even as she is trying to become a little more "normal". Of course calm does not last long in Atlanta and the former Beast Lord probably wouldn't be too happy with no minions to oversee. Fast paced and intense. The authors explore the relationship between Kate and her Dad which I for one have been waiting to learn more about. We revisit some characters we haven't heard from in a bit. Theres also some new and interesting magic. Gotta love the magic. Add into that some excellent shifters and you've got yourself a novel you will want to read till its done, no matter what time it is. It looks like this series is going to come to an Epic and interesting end. Now on to Magic Triumphs!

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven ~ Bella Forrest (book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven by Bella Forrest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coming straight from reading the Harry Potter series with my son honestly anything else seems sub standard. That being said I kept getting facebook ads for this series so I figured I'd give it a try.



Summary:
When a rogue 19-year-old witch is recruited to help guard an ancient magical Bestiary, a breath-stealing journey begins...
Being an empath has its advantages. 

Harley Merlin can sense people’s emotions, among other things. It’s how she snagged her first job pinpointing cheaters at a casino.

But she has no clue where she got these freakish powers because she spent her childhood jumping from home to home in the foster system, and her father left her with nothing more than a cryptic note.

Then she crosses paths with a terrifyingly real monster. Which is when a mysterious and annoyingly arrogant young warlock named Wade Crowley steps in, introducing her to a hidden world of beasts, magicals, and covens riddled with secrets—as well as clues about her murky past.

My Take:

Overall I really enjoyed the world and the story line. There were a few unpredictable twists and turns that made it really stand out. My only big hold out going to 5 stars was the fact that the author seems to revisit the fact the main character is a foster kid over an over again. It is a plot point that is important to Harley's overall character but I think the author over emphasized it.  Also there are some other little moments where you get that feeling like its the first book in a series. A little over explaining here and there. If you can get past those little road bumps this is a good first installment.
The magic is interesting and there is definitely enough mystery to make you want to pick up the next book. I get that the Harry Potter similarities are there. Everyone living together and competing against other covens. The big bad who is of course fixated on the main character. Anyone who reads urban fantasy will tell you that this is not an uncommon theme across the board. Its really what the author does with it that makes the difference. In this case I felt there was enough originality to make this a good series.

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