ZZZzzzzzzz! Holy Wordy Batman!

I have never read anything by this author before. I knew she had a trilogy but I didn't want to read it. However, this new trilogy was set during the Victorian Era. I couldn't wait to read it.

The book is as heavy as a doorstop. It comes it at a large 496 pages. Yikes! I hate long books, but it was the summer so I decided to dive into it. Well, I finally finished it. Yes, that's right, finally finished it. I started in August. It is now November.

Tessa is a young American who is kidnapped by two women and forced to use her powers(which she didn't know she had) to take over people's bodies. Her powers will be used for evil, but thankfully she is saved by a group of Shadowhunters and whisked away to a secret undisclosed location. There she meets a merry band of Shadowhunters thus exposing her to their quirky personalities. Tessa, now that she is free, wants to find her brother and she realizes that he has been kidnapped by an evil vampire. They need to get him back.

I would have liked the novel if it hadn't been so wordy. I think this novel could have gone through a good edit. There was a lot of information that didn't need to be in the book. On Amazon some reviewers have said the characters are like those in her previous books. I can't comment on that, but I'm throwing it out there for my readers.

I think I would have enjoyed a smaller book. But plowing through almost 500 pages left me numb.

Students who are fans of Ms. Clare may want to give this one a go. However, I'm not sure who else would enjoy it.

I want it Wednesday

In today's spotlight we have an upcoming release. I read the summary for this book and it just sounds cool. The cover has a steampunk feel, but the summary doesn't indicate that. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I'm dying for this one. I'm a Victorian Era freak anyway.

This book will be released on August 31, 2010

Summary:

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.