The Law of Loving Others: By Kate Axelrod

THE LAW OF LOVING OTHERS

SUMMARY

“THE LAW OF LOVING OTHERS . . .
Hours after Emma returns home from boarding school, she realizes that her mom is suffering from a schizophrenic break. Suddenly, Emma’s entire childhood and identity is called into question.

COULD NOT BE DISCOVERED BY REASON,
Desperate for answers, Emma turns to her boyfriend, Daniel. Will he love her even if she goes crazy too? But it’s the lonely, brooding boy Emma meets while visiting her mother at the hospital who really understands Emma. Phil encourages Emma’s reckless need for hurt and pain in the face of all this change and she is soon caught in a complicated spiral of loss and mistrust.

BECAUSE IT IS UNREASONABLE.”
In the span of just one winter break, Emma’s relationships alter forever and she is forced to see the wisdom in a line from Anna Karenina: “The law of loving others could not be discovered by reason, because it is unreasonable.”

REVIEW

With all of the fluff filled teen lit out in the world it is refreshing to find a book that realistically addresses the issues of mental illness in the family.

The Law of Loving Others shows a teens perspective to discovering mental illness in the family. It is a sympathetic and authentic look at the challenges of dealing with the stigma and fears of mental illness in a realistic light. And yet The Law of Loving Others and its author Kate Axelrod also manages to create likable and relatable characters and an intriguing teen love story that will be sure to keep readers glued to the very last page.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Law of Loving Others. The characters were relatable, the story engrossing, and the writing heartfelt and engrossing. Overall, I highly recommend.

INFO

Publisher: Razorbill

Published: January 8, 2015

Price: $17.99

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/The-Loving-Others-Kate-Axelrod/dp/1595147896/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=1157WHH4XRBPCDX9Z0C0

Firefight: By Brandon Sanderson

FIREFIGHT

SUMMARY

Newcago is free.

They told David it was impossible, that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life simpler. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And no one in Newcago can give him answers.

Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as the borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is flooded and miserable, but David is sure it's the path that will lead him to what he needs to find. Entering a city oppressed by a High Epic despot is risky, but David's willing to take the gamble. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And now he will go on a quest darker and even more dangerous than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

REVIEW

In my opinion Brandon Sanderson is one of the best fantasy writers of this generation.

Not only is he an incredibly prolific writer, producing multiple books, novellas, and short stories each year.

Not only does he write in a multitude of different genres and sub genres, including YA, Middle Grade, Science fiction, superhero based fantasy, dystopian based, and epic fantasy, as well as a host of other genres.

He also manages to write incredibly compelling books that manage to suck the reader in immediately, refusing to let them go until the very last page, whereupon it leaves an after shadow of curiosity gnawing upon their consciousness, wondering what will happen next to the characters, and constantly revisiting their favorite scenes.

Taking all of that in, Firefight is no exception.

Firefight is the second book in the Reckoner's Series, where there are super powered individuals in the world, but all of them are tainted and villainous, creating a world run by chaos and tyranny. Firefight starts up a few months after the events of the novella, Mitosis, and manages to offer up tons of action from the very first pages, starting in the middle of another Epic battle. But while Firefight does not skim in the action department, it does not focus on this to the exclusion of the story. In fact, Firefight instead focuses on the moral ramifications of these Epic killings, and the discovery of the origins and weaknesses of the Epics. Even more impressive is that Sanderson is able to focus on these intellectual issues without losing momentum in the story.

Now that said, readers should be aware that Firefight ends with an enormous cliffhanger that will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment in the series, Calamity. 

But if that isn't a sign of a great book, then I'm not really sure what is. 

All in all, I loved Firefight, and I can't wait for the next and last in the series. It's a quick read that anyone who is looking for action, adventure, and an interesting spin on superheroes would love. Overall highly recommended.

INFO

Published: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Price: $18.99

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Firefight-Reckoners-Novel-Brandon-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B00JNQMKSC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421810151&sr=1-1&keywords=firefight

The Sorcerer Heir: By Cinda Williams Chima

THE SORCERER HEIR

SUMMARY

The delicate peace between Wizards and the underguilds (Warriors, Seers, Enchanters, and Sorcerers) still holds by the thinnest of threads, but powerful forces inside and outside the guilds threaten to sever it completely. Emma and Jonah are at the center of it all. Brought together by their shared history, mutual attraction, and a belief in the magic of music, they now stand to be torn apart by new wounds and old betrayals. As they struggle to rebuild their trust in each other, Emma and Jonah must also find a way to clear their names as the prime suspects in a series of vicious murders. It seems more and more likely that the answers they need lie buried in the tragedies of the past. The question is whether they can survive long enough to unearth them. Old friends and foes return as new threats arise in this stunning and revelatory conclusion to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

REVIEW

Well, Cinda Williams Chima has done it again. The fifth book in the Heir Chronicles, Sorcerer Heir is absolutely fantastic.

Whether you are looking for action, magic, or romance, this book has it all.

Of course, besides an engaging plot and a fascinating magic system (including an interesting take on zombies) Chima's greatest accomplishment in this book are her characters.

Of her characters, Chima has done an amazing job showing the change that time and experience can make in a person. Not wanting to give anything away, characters who originally appeared evil, selfish and unredeemable in previous books in the series are not remorseful and likable. Of course, the remarkable thing about this is not the change itself, but instead the completely plausible way in which the transformation occurs. Chima has eased this character evolution along slowly, over the course of multiple books, flushing out the character's personality and character motivations to the point that readers while they still will not approve of the character's actions in the beginning of the series, will thoroughly enjoy their presence now.

Of course, speaking of character motivations, (which is something else that Chima has done a fantastic job on in this book) creating believable back stories for the terrible and hurtful decisions that the "villains" did over time. Whether it be the reason for the poisoning, murder, or even plans of genocide, all when looked at through the eyes of the character who did it have glimpses of rational and relatable behavior.

All in all this, like Cinda Williams Chima's other books, is a masterpiece in characterization. Fans of the previous books in the series will greatly enjoy seeing old faces and new characters are given a chance to be flushed out, offering readers a chance to be swept away in their stories. Between the magic, action, and characters, there is very little not to like about The Sorcerer Heir. Overall, a must buy series and book.

INFO

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Published: October 21, 2014

Price: $15.43

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerer-Heir-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00NAJOPLI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421807180&sr=1-3&keywords=cinda+williams+chima