Title: Abandoned Courage
Author: Jill Daugherty
Series: Courage Series
Published: July 28, 2013
SYNOPSIS:
“I’ll take on Balor—I’ve resigned myself to that fate—but I can’t take these girls anymore.”
“So, just to clarify: Most evil faery known to all of faery-dome—no problem. A bunch of snide and petty girls—that you’re not up to?”
“Bingo.”
“Seriously, cushla macree, we need to have a discussion about your ranking system.”
Maggie O’Neill had a rough junior year…
She fell in love with Simon.
She found out Simon was a faery.
She hung out with her dead ancestors.
She was stalked by an evil faery.
…but that was nothing compared to what’s in store for senior year. She’s the new girl at faery boarding school and is subjected to something she never thought she’d have to deal with in her entire life—mean girls. To make matters worse, she’s seeing less and less of Simon, her faery guard is smothering her in their efforts to protect her, and the evil faery is still stalking her, determined to kill her before she can kill him. She starts to wonder if she’ll make it to graduation. Then the unthinkable happens and she wonders if she’ll be able to survive even one more day.
MY REVIEW:
I love when Indie books turn out to be really wonderful....and leave me scrambling to buy the next book in the series.
The boarding school theme is a guilty pleasure for me because without adult supervision, the characters have more opportunity to screw up epically and that means a wild ride of a read. And Maggie doesn't disappoint. She tries to do the right thing, but she keeps making mistakes and her mistakes have dangerous and monumental consequences.
I loved how her relationship with Simon progressed in this book, it was sweet and perfect.
My last thought....those last few paragraphs of the book? WHY Jill Daugherty? Oh....I thought you broke my heart in Chapter 30....but now it's kind of shattered. I hope it can be repaired.
SUM IT UP:
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Title: Courage and Other Demons
Author: Jill Daugherty
Series: Courage Series
Published: January 19, 2013
SYNOPSIS:
“It occurred to me as I stared into the darkness that it was probably a good thing it had taken so long for me to see Simon for who he truly was. If I hadn’t fallen in love with that sweet and kind boy, I wouldn’t have gotten on a plane with him to fly halfway across the world; I wouldn’t have trusted him enough to do what he was asking me to do. And as angry as I was, as much as I hated what my life had become, I knew I had to do what Simon and the others were asking me to do. It all came down to one inescapable belief. I would have to kill or be killed. There were certainly other pieces of the puzzle that were more complex and harder to understand, but that one piece was very clear and unrelenting and it drove me forward, even in those moments when giving up seemed like the most sensible choice I could make.”
The end of the world will start in the suburbs of Denver with a faery transfer student from Ireland. If you think that’s totally ridiculous, then you understand how Maggie O’Neill feels. In all of her sixteen years, faeries were something you read about in children’s books. They didn’t actually show up on your doorstep. They didn’t kiss you and make your knees go weak and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Until Simon Brady, that is. Simon changed everything. He makes her heart race and her skin burn with excitement, but he has also changed her core beliefs about the world and made her see it as a dark and dangerous place filled with monsters that belong only in the lines of faery tales. There is no doubt in Maggie’s mind that she loves Simon, but can she see past who he is and find a place for him in her heart?
MY REVIEW:
I'm fascinated with the idea of faeries and can't resist reading stories about them. Daugherty created a unique version of fey that was completely captivating. She seamlessly wove Irish myths and legends about faeries into the present day world to make the story believable and exciting.
I was a little heartbroken at the end of the book with the loss suffered after the faery battle. I was sad to see it end like it did and I worry about what that means for the relationship between the main character, Maggie, and her best friend, Lexie, in the next book.
The good news, no matter how much heartbreak and sadness and tragedy there is in Courage and Other Demons, the reward is Brandon, Maggie's little brother. He's a riot. I think the DAM scene was quite possibly my favorite in the entire book. Brandon could totally be fey himself...an ornery one like Puck from a Midsummer Night's Dream.
This is a great read by a talented Indie author. Check it out!
SUM IT UP:
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Visit my website for information on my books, giveaways, and other fun stuff.
www.christinemanzari.com
