Book 1 qualifies as Ohio for my USA by the book challenge. Book 2 is more than 50% set in Maine, so I'm counting it as fulfilling that state.

This series was a re-read for me. It is more urban fantasy, less high fantasy, with a Harry Potter'esque (wizards among us) conceit. There is a completed story for each book, as well as a satisfying three book narrative arc that concludes at the end of The Dragon Heir.

I do not love these quite so much as I love Chima's other series - The Seven Realms - which is more high fantasy and less urban fantasy. Overall, though, I read these three in about as many days and enjoyed them a lot.

There is now a fourth book, The Enchanter Heir, which I am reading right now. It feels sort of tacked on, and introduces some additional world building. I am on the fence as to how successful it is at this point.

Review:

I absolutely loved this book.

It is a small story, one that doesn't take on the end of the world, or some monumentally epic adventure, or anything of the sort. It is about a girl - Verity Boone - who returns to her hometown of Catawissa, PA fifteen years after the death of her mother, Sarah Ann, in the late 1800's. Verity was raised by her aunt, and has been corresponding with a young man named Nathaniel, and they have fallen in love via their letters and agreed to marry after her return to Catawissa.

This is my third wonderful YA historical fiction book this year - the other two are Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys and In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters. In the deluge of YA paranormals/dystopians these three books have really stood out to me as being something special. Well-written, small in scope, but absorbing, well-written and very compelling.

So, I did finish this one. Wow. What a terrible, terrible book. Imagine taking every single available YA trope - gorgeous character overlooked by men; powers yet to be revealed, random mythology (in this case Celtic) reworked in a hackneyed and trite way, damned love triangle with two beautiful, powerful men vying for the affections of the newly gorgeous MC. One of whom is apparently a god? Add to it some kilts, some jeweled swords, and the MC's nascent ability to shoot blue fire from her hands. Also, a magical breeding program.

Throw it in a blender. Give it the trope-fest whirl.

Voila. You have this book.

On the bright side, it is reasonably well-written and edited, and the cover is pretty. It's just that the story sucks. Read at your own risk.

Updates after the cut.

I posted about this one earlier this week because my family DNF'd it as a family read-along audiobook. We had gotten to about 40%, and my husband was desperately bored. And, when my husband is desperately bored, no one, and I mean no one, is allowed to have any fun (which totally reminds me of the time when we were dating that I talked him into going to see The Enchanted April with me at the movie theater, and he fell asleep in the middle of the movie and started snoring.)

Anyway, I digress. I was sort of enjoying the book, so I decided to read on. And I'm glad I did, although I will say that this book has major issues with pacing, and has been terribly overhyped. It's good, but the hype raises expectations, and I don't think that it actually meets those expectations. Nonetheless, had we soldiered on, the book actually does pick up steam.

So, at about the 50% mark, things pick up and we are introduced to some new characters and some new settings. The last 15% is non-stop action. And the book ends at the right point to set up the second book.

In some ways, I almost feel like this book is a prequel to the main story, which will come in book 2, as well as any subsequent books, and which will (hopefully) represent the classic rag-tag band of heroes taking on the invaders. A sort of a Red Dawn with aliens.

So, over all, given the pacing issues and the fact that we spend way too much time inside of Cassie's head, this is a 3 1/2 star book for me. Also, a word about what I like to call the DLT (damned love triangle, pronounced "dolt") - there are rumors out there that this book involves a love triangle. It does not.  However, Rick Yancey has created a set up that could potentially result in a DLT in the subsequent books. Please, please, please, Mr. Yancey, DO NOT DO THIS! Do not succumb to the temptation to be like every other YA author out there and write this as a stupid, love triangle romance, between Cassie and the two men. Please. It's a freaking alien invasion, end of the world story. Let there be no mooning over which boy is hotter, please (as it is, in this book, Cassie spends way too much time mooning over the chocolatey brown eyes of one of the male characters. Stop that). Your characters deserve better, your readers deserve better, and, honestly, you deserve better.

I am begging you. Step away from the DLT.

Finally, I want to throw out a quick shout out for Mr. Yancey's other series - The Monstrumologist. Amazing book. You should read it.