"Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove’s patriarch, Elijah, mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. And when Lillian’s spirit confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe could be next to die.
Signa’s best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian’s murder is an alliance with Death himself—the very man she hates most. And Death, that fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine."
I was initially drawn to this one for the cover. The first edition hardback is gorgeous and I need to find one;
"Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will—a boy on the run, a murderer—a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.
Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together... until they are split apart."
This series is really starting to feel more like a science-fiction adventure. Lyra hops to different dimensions that are similar to each other, but have different rules. She meets another boy, Will, who is also moving between dimensions on a different quest. But they both work together as their ultimate goals are related to an epic war that is about to begin once again. They keep hinting at the origins of this war and more powerful artifacts that only they can use are appearing. I do miss the characters left behind in the first book, I hope a particular bear re-appears in the final book!
"After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn't yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend's true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend's identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more--and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets...including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can't fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend's name, she'll lose everything she cares about--maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever. "
I was not expecting the shift in perspectives but I love how we are now getting Tella's story after Scarlet's. We still get some of Scarlet but the focus is more on her sister Tella and how this Caraval is more real than ever. It was hard at first to believe that things were getting real after the first book.
The covers of this series - some of the best ever. So pretty.
I just CAN'T. *screams*
Can this author write a book for every fairy tale, ever?
480 pages
