Atlantis Reborn is the third book in the Atlantis Rising series, and I really hope it's not the last! We rejoin Allison, Ian, Lillian, Theron, Luke, and Phoebe (to name some of my favourite characters) as Allison prepares to say goodbye to her human life, and take the mantle of Chief of the Laurel Clan. With her abilities, she is able to find out things before she's even really started, which sound like they will have a massive impact upon the dewings.

Falling back into Allison and Ian's world was like wrapping myself up in my cosiest blanket, complete with hot chocolate with marshmallows! This is meant in the best possible way. It was just so easy to fall into the storyline and be reunited with the various characters and storylines.

This book is exceedingly well written, and the pace is very smooth. Allison does her thing, but she also has amazing support from those who have given Allison their loyalty, in return for hers. I still love Phoebe, and Theron is just a grumpy teddy bear who tries to hide the fact that he cares.

All in all, this was a wonderful addition to the series... and the ending? Holy crap!!! So many things sorted out, so many things left open. There simply HAS to be more books. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

 

@YAReads, #Fantasy, #Romance,#Young_Adult, 5 out of 5 (exceptional)

I don't know what your next favorite YA series may be, but it stands to reason that it could be written by a woman. I'm not saying that it will be, but the "Big 3" of YA are all written by women (and are featured in this post). We definitely can't be ruled out or sidelined anymore in this area. That being said, there are some great series out there, here are some contenders: 

 

That I've read: 

1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins   - I mean, it is one of the Big 3 mentioned above and really doesn't need an introduction or explanation anymore. If you haven't read it or seen the movies yet and are reading this post, you've probably already been told to do so. 
2. Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer - This is a one of my new favorites! I love a good fairy tale reimagining, it's my kryptonite. The whole series was fun and left me with an awful book hangover. I've been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get ahold of the next book set in this world, Stars Above and the first of Meyer's new series, Heartless. 
3. Shatter Me Complete Collection - Tahereh Mafi - Okay, I had it bad after the Lunar Chronicles, but this one was the actual worst book hangover of my life. I reread some of it way too many times. It played with my emotions, it was written with a whole new style that was mesmerizing, it broke my heart too many times. I'm a sucker for broken characters and this series let me wallow in them until my fingers were all pruney. 
4. Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger - my first steampunk! I didn't quite know what to expect, but I was intrigued by the concept. This turned out to be a great introduction because it does have some of my favorite elements of fiction. I can't always get behind historical fiction but this combined it with science fiction and paranormal creatures and seriously, what's not to love when you do all that! I'm waiting on the last book to finish off the series and so looking forward to it! 
5. Beautiful Creatures - Margaret Stohl,Kami Garcia - I had read the first book well before I heard of the movie but hadn't finished the series yet. I was pleased with the movie, though. It brought all the visual parts in and didn't really lose much. I had a great time reading this series. The magical world that it takes place in was new and a lot of fun. Sometimes books in the same subgenre feel like they blur together, but this definitely stands out among the books about magical beings and worlds. 
6. Atlantis Rising - Gloria Craw - I read this one last year before I knew that more would be coming out. It felt like there could be more but the first one ended on such a note that I wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one! 

 

 

Heard good things about: 

1. Divergent - Veronica Roth - I only saw the movie. I'm not a fan of the way people say that if you love "this" then you'll love "that" so this one struck me wrong. Everyone says that if you loved The Hunger Games, you'll love this series. To me, it sounded like they were far too similar to make it worth reading. But I did watch the movies and they are dissimilar enough that I understood what people were talking about. All the same, I never made my way to that series. I do plan on reading it, but I'm not in rush. Everyone that I know who's read it, loved it! And I remember once reading a blog post from someone who applauded the way Tris is specifically not pretty, that it's mentioned in a way that reminds you that it shouldn't be important for a revolutionary to be pretty. 
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling - I know, it's a problem. It's a Big 3 YA and I haven't read it, but I did crack it open once or twice.... I was just a little too old when these books came out to be interested in them, and then too busy and now I might as well wait to read them with my son. He's very close to the right age to start the first one. I have seen all the movies and completely understand how wonderful the books are, I just haven't read them yet. 

 

 

Problematic - this is a blog about feminism in books, so while these are huge, they do present some problems in this department that need addressing

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer - it's been said, at length, that this series presents problems in the abusive relationship department. The main love interest is controlling and that is definitely a problem. What makes the problem worse is the HUGE following that came after this series that made everyone sound like they want to be in an abusive relationship such as this. No hitting takes places, but there is a lot of controlling behaviors that no one should tolerate. I get that Edward wasn't a bad guy, but he was a bad boyfriend. Bella wasn't exactly a role model either. At the same time she wasn't much worse than Matt Donovan in the next series I'm going to talk about. It's hard to be the only human among supernaturals, I'm sure, but she never once got to make a decision that he didn't have to approve and she was always usurped when he didn't approve. 

The Vampire Diaries - LJ Smith - just skip the books and binge watch the CW series on Netflix. The show is one of my favorites and cleans up a lot of the problems in the books. Elena is very similar to Bella in her passionate love for her love interest. It made me gag a lot. Her friends are easily duped into doing whatever vapid thing she is interested in. Okay, so that sounds harsh and I'm not trying to shame the characters. The problem is that they were hollow characters. What should have been intersections in their problems never seemed to bother them, so we mostly gloss over the fact that Elena is an orphan in the books. The show makes up for this by allowing her to be melancholy and react to this life-changing event as if her life has changed. I've said before that maybe it's my own problem for having watched the show first. The characters in the show have depth and complexity. No one is a perpetual damsel in distress or rescuer. Even the villains are layered. These books features lots of characters and it would be great if they didn't fit so well into those old, worn stereotypes. Also, the show may still be on television, but the books are from the 1990's. I don't remember if these stereotypes had quite hit trope level, but it's just a pass. Don't even bother, not in this day and age. You'll just be disappointed. 

We pick up where Atlantis Rising ended, a few weeks after the dust up with batshit crazy Sebastian. As far as the clans know, he’s dead. A new clan leader must be appointed. The problem is that no one knows anything about the candidates. Also, Nikki, enemy of Alison, is missing. Ian’s parents want Alison to use her gift of thoughtmaking to find her.

And that, my friends, is where everything gets interesting! Alison has to assume a fake identity and befriend Phoebe, the enemy’s daughter, find out who’s being nominated for clans chief AND find Nikki! Alison will be staying with Theron, who is exiled for a few (major, but not deadly) crimes he committed. They create a bond that she never thought could happen and their relationship helped them with a bit of self-reflection. As things come to a head, everyone learns something new about themselves and each other. Can time heal all wounds? Or… are some wounds just to deep to heal? Just as Alison thought her life would get a little normal, there’s a letter from Nikki. Everyone thought Sebastian was dead… but it’s he?

This was a great sequel to Atlantis Rising. When situations got tough, Alison used her head instead of flying into things without a plan. She learned to stand her ground and as a character she grew. I have to admit, I was annoyed when I thought there was going to be a love triangle… I just really LOVE Ian! Alison’s relationship with Theron was more of a brother/sister relationship and their banter was hilarious!

While this one has a few more chapters than the last book, they go by so quickly that you won’t notice!

I really enjoyed Atlantis Rising and gave it four stars. I was looking forward to catching up with Alison, Ian and co, and seeing where Gloria Craw would take her characters this time. Not only do we meet up with old favourites, but we are introduced to new ones too. As well as going on an adventure, with excitement and suspense woven in, but we also see Allison grow into herself, as she both finds out and gets told about who she is.

Two characters I loved, that I'm sure will be reader favourites, are Theron and Phoebe. Both of these characters help Allison in various ways, sometimes by just being there for her and understanding her thoughts. I loved both of them and I hope to see more of them in the future.

As far as the rest of the story goes, it was a thrilling ride that was both heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. There is still so much for Allison (and the reader) to figure out and learn, but I for one am completely looking forward to that!

With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this is a smooth-paced fantasy/action/romance/adventure story that I would have no hesitation in recommending.

* I received this book from YA Reads in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

I received this book from Young Adult Bound Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. If you like stories based on Atlantis then I'm sure that you will enjoy this. It is a light, young adult book that incorporates a sideline of romance but it doesn't overpower the story. Allison had a hard start in life. She was left in foster care at age 3 but she can't remember anything from before that. She was in the system for a while before being fostered and adopted by the McKyes. Three years ago though, she is approached by a man in the park who was there with his family and told that her abilities (that she knew about... sort of) were wanted by a 'bad man' who wouldn't hesitate to hurt her family to get to her. So Allison tries to fade into the background. She thinks she's doing okay until Ian and Brandy come along and shake things up. This is a well-written story that moves along at a steady pace. Ian and Brandy are brilliant characters and really help this story to come alive. There are lots of other great supporting characters though, not just including the family and Lillian (who rocks!). The ending is bittersweet and I am hoping that this will be part of a series. There are unanswered questions left over and I really want to see more of Allison and Ian. Definitely recommended!