The Sea of Monsters

When The Lightening Thief was first released my friend read it and asked me to read it as well. I was not a huge fan but I did finish it to discuss it with my friend. While I was at the library I saw The Sea of Monsters and figured I would give Percy another try. I am glad I did since I enjoyed The Sea of Monsters.

Percy was not nearly as annoying as he was in The Lightening Thief and I actually found myself rooting for Percy several times. The thing I love most about Percy is he never gives up and finds a way to make things happen along with that stubbornness Percy refuses to leave a friend in peril. While several heroes tend to be this way I like the way Percy acts and comes across as a unique character in my point of view.

I do have some issues with the writing. While the story reads smoothly enough at times I see some grammar mistakes that bother me.

Lure of the Dead

Lure of the Dead seemed to be a bit out of place in The Last Apprentice series. It seemed a bit strange to me that The Spook and Tom would both be so naive as to believe what was going on.

Tom is continuing his training as the Spook's apprentice and making progress. With the country once again stable Tom and The Spook are concerned with rebuilding the house. The Spook considers a well stocked library the most important part of his house and is willing to go to extremes to get books for his library once again. This gets both The Spook and Tom in serious trouble. I was just a bit annoyed at how easily both Tom and The Spook missed seeing what was going on until it was too late. It seemed like an beginner mistake.

As The Last Apprentice series gets closer to wrapping up I am more anxious to learn the fate of Tom and Alice.

I am Grimalkin

I have always wanted to read about the world Tom Ward lives in from a different characters point of view and I am Grimalkin provided that point of view. My only wish was Grimalkin had some observations about Tom since I am curious what other characters think of Tom.

Grimalkin is the feared witch assassin of the Malkin clan. Revered as the strongest of the witch clan assassin's Grimalkin has taken on the job of carrying the Fiend's head and keeping it out of the hands of the Fiend's servants. Wanting vengeance against the Fiend Grimalkin is ruthless and proves several times why she is the most feared of the witch assassins.

While I liked the story I did miss seeing Tom, Alice, and The Spook. I am Grimalkin almost felt like a companion novel and not part of the whole series.

Rage of the Fallen

I have been waiting months to read Rage of the Fallen and I was severely annoyed.

Tom is continuing on as a Spook's apprentice and working hard at learning his trade. The Spook having lost his home, library, and safety in the country in Rise of the Huntress I expected to see a more determined Tom and Spook as they fought to regain control over the dark. Sadly it seemed like they curled up and just hid from the world. Rage of the Fallen kind of jumped around making me lose interest at parts and then the main story line was shoved into the last few chapters.

Despite Rage of the Fallen not being my favorite book in The Last Apprentice series I do intend to continue on and read Tom's story to the end.

Still Point

I was eager to learn the fate of the digital world in Still Point and I ended up being highly disappointed.

Maddie continued to be stubborn and hold fast to the ideal that students deserve a choice between digital and face to face school despite her unrelenting father.I did not care for Maddie's growth in Still Point nor did I like how she ended up treating people around her. In my opinion she came off as a spoiled brat a lot of the time and I was severely disappointed in how things were wrapped up.

The story line was too convenient for everyone and that took away some of the consequences that would have made the story more interesting. Interactions among friends and boyfriends were horrible and I spent most of my time reading angry at the story line. The ending was a major let down overall.

Middle Ground

Thankfully Middle Ground did not suffer from what I call the dreaded second book syndrome. While a bit slower then Awaken I was still unable to put down Middle Ground and I am eager to start Still Point the final book in the Awaken series.

Maddie continues to amaze me as she learns about a world unplugged. Having hidden behind digital screens for most of her life Maddie finds excitement and happiness in everything around her that is not digital. In that way she reminds me of a child but her attitude of allowing everyone a choice and refusing to back down balances out her inner child making Maddie a well rounded character.

Justin continues to be aloof and mysterious which I do like about him but he is slowly working on opening up to Maddie which fits well with everything that is going on around them. Instant love has never been my think but I understand instant attraction which both Maddie and Justin seemed to have for each other.

The writing continued to be well done and I love how things continued from Maddie's point of view along since that is how the Awaken series started. A novella from Justin's point of view would be interesting. I look forward to the conclusion to the series.

The Ghost Bride

I have been wanting to read The Ghost Bride for awhile so when I saw it at the library I could not resist grabbing it. The Ghost Bride was nothing like I thought it would be and I am still not sure if that is a good thing or not.

Li Lan was a diverse character, with a deceased mother and a father that lived in an opium drug haze Li Lan did not seem as limited as most females in Mayala. Constantly questioning things Li Lan never accepts that she should know less because she is a girl and refuses to back down leaving her affairs in the hands of her father and perspective husbands. From the little I know of Chinese history this does seems a bit unbelievable since women were not suppose to be outspoken yet I did like that about Li Lan.

I loved the writing and the creative ways Yangsze Choo combined customs and beliefs of Mayala into the story without making it boring or dull. The writing was just smooth and I never once stumbled reading something that was being explained and felt it was out of place. Since I love the writing I would consider reading something else by Yangsze Choo if she continues to write.