Review - Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

STOLEN AWAY

By: Alyxandra Harvey

hardcover, 288 pages

Published January 17th 2012 by Walker Childrens

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For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife . . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldrice - who may or may not betray them.

Why I wanted this book: It's no secret that I am obsessed with fairies so that pretty much explains it! 

Why I Did-Not-Finish this book: The first sentence of the book is Jo, main character Eloise's best friend, complaining that there are no hot guys in town. This is pretty much how Jo's character continues - oh! but she talks in British terms but doesn't use them in the correct context. Uh huh. The book is dual-first person narrative alternating between Jo and Eloise - but the two are completely indistinguishable. 

Being as I love fairies, I like to consider myself well-versed on the topic. So when I read a book where everything needs to be explained (i.e. - Seelie and Unseelie Courts, etc) this bothers me. This book just felt very rushed, not well planned or thought out, and ultimately I wasn't able to finish. The writing was not captivating either, and the dialogue was atrocious. I chose not to finish the book when I found myself continually checking what page number I was on and groaning about how much further till the end. That's when I know it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

I had no interest whatsoever in what happened to any of the characters at all. While I found most of the book (what I read of it, anyway. I made it to page 100) poorly composed, I did enjoy the description of some of the Unseelie characters like the Grey Ladies and the Crows. Other than that it was very difficult to visualize the characters and settings.

You might like this book if you liked: The Faeriewalker Series by Jenna Black

On My Bookshelf

I couldn't think of a better way to spend the first half of this cold, rainy, windy fall day than with a trip to Barnes & Noble! Ahhh, since Borders closed I haven't been able to experience the overwhelming joy of walking into a bookstore, surrounded by shelves and shelves of books upon books! To say the least...it was fan-freaking-tastic!

So, what did I get today? Oh just these little doozies! If you added anything to your bookshelves today let me know :o)

A BEAUTIFUL DARK by Jocelyn Davies

Hardcover, 320 pages

Release date: September 27th, 2011 by Harper Teen

URL: http://jocelyndavies.com

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites - like fire and ice - Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move - only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

RULING PASSION by Alyxandra Harvey

(Drake Chronicles #1-3)

Paperback, 816 pages

Release date: September 27th, 2011 by Walker Childrens

This a collection of the first three books in the Drake Chronicles series and includes:

#1 - HEARTS AT STAKE - On Solange's sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that's not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black - agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father's killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon - her human best friend Lucy - who is willing to defend Solange's right to a normal life, whether she's being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange's eternal life - Lucy and Solange's brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black - in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover's heart.

#2 - BLOOD FEUD - It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte - a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself - the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy. This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles - told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives - has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Heart At Stake, as well as exciting revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

#3 - OUT FOR BLOOD - Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends - or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra...help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

CARRIER OF THE MARK by Leigh Fallon

Paperback, 342 pages

Published October 4th, 2011 by Harper Teen

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRis.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago - and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.