Lust (The Sins and The Virtues #1) by Charlotte Featherstone -- Review (**18+over material)

 

Lust (The Sins and The Virtues #1)

by Charlotte Featherstone

Publication Date: 01/17/2011 

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin & Spice for the electronic ARC. :)

Synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads):

Of old, humans and Faeries have dwelt side by side in parallel realms. Only the canniest mortals recognize the alluring creatures that often walk—and lie—among them.

The righteous Fae of the Seelie Court cherish an ancient quarrel with their Dark counterparts: a curse born of anger and deceit. The Unseelie Court will perish unless one of its princes can win a woman's love—honestly, without coercion…and love her wholly in return.
To halt the slow demise of his people, Prince Thane—the embodiment of Lust—infiltrates the Georgian court to seduce his mortal inverse. Noblewoman Chastity Lennox is purity incarnate—a sensual prize well worth winning. But Thane's carnal quest proves more challenging than he ever dreamed.
No other has ever been able—or willing—to resist his erotic charms. Chastity's resolve is maddening…and intriguing. It makes him want her all the more. But how best to seduce one who truly seems above temptation? Discover her greatest weakness and become the intoxicating essence of her deepest, most forbidden desires….

Review:

I found this to be a very fun read and interesting concept -- the Seelie and Unseelie courts fighting over these girls (Chastity, Mary, Mercy and Prudence) that are imbued with the virtues that they are named after. The fight between the fae courts stems from a curse the Seelie queen put upon the Unseelie court after she was taken by force and raped by the Unseelie king - which produced twin boys, one that physically looked Seelie but has Unseelie powers and tendencies, and the other that physically looked Unseelie but has some Seelie powers. Anyway, the curse the Seelie queen put upon the Unseelie court inhibits them from having any surviving babies from any couplings between Unseelie members (only court members? It wasn't very clear) UNLESS the seven Unseelie court members/royalty that represent the seven sins are able to successfully, without any faerie magic, win over the love of their corresponding virtues, who are female mortals, and get them to willingly go to the Unseelie court.

This first book in the Sins and the Virtues series primary focused on Chastity Lennox and Thane, the Unseelie prince that embodies the sin of Lust. The story was a little hard to get into right away because of a the overload of characters and the author trying to explain the background of the story, while also trying to simultaneously lay out the unfolding story between Chastity and her sisters, and the Fae courts attempting to thwart the other court in their efforts to gain the attention and favor of the Lennox virtue sisters. 

I thought it was an interesting twist that the author made Chastity's character not fully chaste, in the sense that she almost was warring with herself -- she had the urge to be chaste and embrace that (the woman she is supposed to be), but she also was going through a sexual awakening (discovering her sensual side and not so chaste tendencies (especially her thoughts for/involving Thane)).

I enjoyed Thane's character - especially his wit and inner turmoil over Chastity - that he is not just seducing her in order to save his court, but also his realization that he was falling in love with Chastity. I found Thane to be quite acceptable as the male protagonist in this historical/paranormal-romance, erotica read.

I definitely would like to read the rest of the books in the series and see how each of the Virtue/Sin match stories unfold. I anxiously look forward to the next book in the series.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

 

City of Fallen Angels 

by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads):

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. 

Review:

Where to begin...

Though I really enjoyed reading the first three books (aka the complete trilogy - not this "oh wait, let's write 3 more books for the series"), I was sincerely disappointed with City of Fallen Angels.

From the first few pages of the book, I thought it was going to focus on Simon and dealing with his new life, and vampire-sexiness. But no. I had to endure more "let's smash the happily ever after" between Jace and Clary. There are only so many times you can flip-flop from "he loves me, he loves me not" and "I live for her and love her, I should forbid myself to love her and even look at her". In my opinion, this scenario was already a pretty big plot line in the last three books, and like some other reviewers commented: you, Ms. Clare are over-doing; flogging a dead horse. Seriously, essentially every time this drama between Jace and Clary happened in CoFA (which was hmm like 80% of the book, give or take), I was rolling my eyes mentally cringing at Ms. Clare and skimming those parts of the book.

Oh, and because clearly we don't have enough soap opera love drama already, Simon has to deal with his lady issues -- and it really seemed just to be "pfht" and inconsequential.

There were two other big things that bothered me:

1) the growing biblical theme and introduction of Lilith:
While I thought that the first three Mortal Instruments series did not over do the demons/angels/heaven/hell topics and plots, I was thoroughly annoyed with this book taking those plots/topics one step too many. Ms. Clare should have really not went beyond the world and settings she had already created in the first 3 books. Isn't there enough material (aka monsters and races of characters) already within the mortal instruments world that could pose sinister plots and such?

2) the title:
"City of Fallen Angels" -- before reading the book, I assumed that the story line might be about *gasp* fallen angels, devils, or types of "demons" we had not yet been introduced to. Ummm... yeah.... there were no "Fallen Angels" in this book. The phrase is not even mentioned in the book.
I can guess some of you are about to argue "Lilith is a fallen angel" -- No, she is not. Her story was that she was Adam's first wife, gone done somethin' bad, and got kicked out of the garden of eden and into Hell - thus becoming a demon.
Ms. Clare, where are these Fallen Angels? With a title like that, I think this book might have had potential-success if it had a plot line and story involving or revolving around something to do with fallen angels. But alas, it fell well short of being a successful attempt at a continuation of the mortal instruments series.

Rating: 2 / 5 Stars

 

Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julia Kagawa

Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3)

by Julia Kagawa

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for the arc!

I was very excited when I received a copy of the Iron Queen, since I have recently finished reading the Iron Fey book #2, Iron Daughter, and read Iron Queen in a day’s time. When we left Meghan Chase at the end of Iron Daughter, Meghan and Ash had both been revoked of their ties with their respective royal fey courts and also banished as exiles from Faerie forever.

Meghan and Ash together have accepted their fates and accepted their future in the human world. The Iron Fey, however, prove to still be a threat for Meghan, her dealings with fey, and keeping her from having a happy relationship with Ash. The false king and his Iron fey minions still after Meghan, and the destruction of the Iron fey in Faerie is becoming more destructive – so much that the courts reconsider their rulings for Meghan and Ash, and also to wage a united front against the Iron fey forces. Meghan, Ash, Puck and her ally friends (including the ever elusive Grim) are once again in a mission, to defeat the false king and his forces, and ultimately the fate of all of Faerie’s occupants.

I was thrilled that Iron Queen not only met my expectations set by the other two books, but exceeded my expectations – it is a wonderful story of self-acceptance and acceptance of responsibility (on Meghan’s part), discovery, and of course, the romance between Ash and Meghan and the new trials their relationship faces. If you are thinking “Puck,” then you are right – he is still part of the strain on the Meghan/Ash relationship, but other events and decisions also test their loyalty and trust of one another.

Many previously encountered characters come into play once again in the Iron Queen, as well as a whole pack of new characters (my favorite has to be Razor). I also love the return of Grimlakin – every time, I picture him as the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland J, especially hearing Grim speaking with Stephen Fry’s voice (he voiced the Chesire Cat in the 2010 Disney Alice and Wonderland movie).

There are parts that keep you on the edge of your seat/ biting your nails as you read, and others that are so emotionally driven that I was brought to tears at some points. The book does not fail to deliver an amazing tale. Thank you Julia Kagawa for yet another masterful novel, and the beautifully written continuation of Meghan Chase and her dealings with Faerie and fey. I eagerly await the release of Iron Knight.