Shades of Earth (Beth Revis)

**

         Amy and Elder have finally landed on Centauri Earth and are ready to create their new lives there.  Upon arrival, they realize that their new home isn't all it was cracked up to be.  The shipborns don't get along with the frozens (who are now essentially in charge of the operation), and Amy is torn between the two groups.  It is essential that they find common ground, however, because the colony is under attack by strange aliens.  In a new world where it isn't safe to walk anywhere alone, Amy and Elder are determined to discover the secrets that are threatening their lives - including secrets that Amy's father may be keeping from them.

         I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but Shades of Earth just didn't live up to my expectations.  It was super freaky, the kind of book I prefer to read during the daylight hours.  What with the creepy aliens, mysterious weapons, and sinister powers, the whole thing was pretty hard-core sci-fi.  I didn't mind the sci-fi elements of the first two books, but this was just too much.  Also, I found the ending upsetting.  Very upsetting.  Like I said, too much all at once.  Someone who was more into sci-fi might like this book, but I couldn't handle it.  I was so excited to find out what happened to everyone once the Godspeed landed.  In the end, though, I'm not sure that finding out was worth it.

Rating: 2/5
Completed: January 25, 2013

Vortex (Julie Cross)

****

Sequel to Tempest.  

         Now that Jackson Meyer (sort of) understands the dangers of time travel, he is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the world - and his ex-girlfriend, Holly - from getting caught in the crossfire.  He joins Tempest, an offshoot of the CIA that fights a mysterious group of evil time travelers.  The trouble is that the other Tempest agents don't know that Jackson is a time traveler himself.  Meanwhile, Tempest is being attacked by Eyewall, an opposing branch of the CIA with possible connections to the other time travelers.  After a run-in with Holly on a Tempest mission, Jackson realizes that Holly is being sucked back into his life all over again.

         I enjoyed this book quite a lot, but it wasn't as easy of a read as Tempest was.  When I read Tempest, I had a pretty good grip on Jackson's jumps.  The time traveling gets seriously confusing in Vortex.  It definitely doesn't help that none of the characters understand it, either.  On the other hand, it was a really cool action story.  Jackson makes a pretty good agent, and I enjoyed his interactions with the other agents in his team.  Jenni Stewart returns from Tempest, although of course she doesn't know Jackson in this time zone.  She and Jackson get along really badly at first, but by the end they've reached an understanding and have become friends.  I also loved Lily Kendrick, Jackson's new partner at work.  She seems to be softer than most of the agents at first, but once Jackson gets to know her, it turns out she can be pretty feisty and tough.  Despite the fact that Vortex was pretty confusing, the plot and characters were good enough that I'll be on the lookout for the next book in this series.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 21, 2013

The Crown of Embers (Rae Carson)

****

Sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns - spoiler alert!

         Elisa is now the hero of Joya d'Arena, but that doesn't mean that her life is any easier.  She has to deal with the discontent of her people, threats to her life, and grief for the loss of two people she loved.  On top of that, her advisors are distracting her from the threat of the Inviernos by trying to force her to marry.  Under the guise of visiting a suitor, Elisa goes to the south to find magic so she can defeat the Inviernos and fulfill her destiny as bearer of the Godstone.

         This book was SO GOOD - holistically, I'd say 4.5 stars.  Like The Girl of Fire and Thorns, it sped by.  One minute I was only a few chapters in, and then all of a sudden I had less than a hundred pages left.  Rae Carson kept me in suspense the whole time, too.  I did notice that in both of these books, it was obvious who Elisa would end up with from the second they started talking.  That being said, it didn't actually bother me at all.  Instead, I got the sort of smug feeling you get when two friends get together and you've known all along that they would.  The Crown of Embers was full of action and excitement.  If you read The Girl of Fire and Thorns and liked it, you will not be disappointed by this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 20, 2013

Sorry I've neglected the blog for so long!  I've still been reading (there are a few more reviews on the way), but I've been too busy with school to post anything.  The sequel to Tempest is up next.