Legacy

I am overwhelmingly ashamed that Legacy by Cayla Kluver has been available for so long, and I had no idea!  Seriously, it's just been sitting out there for a couple of years, and I could have been loving it all this time.  Thank goodness I found it now.  In all honesty, it was the perfect time for me to find Legacy because, to me, it is somewhat similar to The Girl of Fire of Thorns (check out my review here), which I adore.  It was very nice to find a series that gives me the same vibe since I will be waiting for the next Girl of Fire and Thorns for quite some time.

In Legacy, Alera, Crown Princess of Hytancia, has reached the age at which she is expected to marry.  The biggest problem with this is that there is no one Alera would like to spend her life with.  Unfortunately, Alera's father the king, has other plans.  He has selected the captain of the guard's son to be Alera's husband and consequently, his successor.  Steldor, is amazingly attractive, strong, capable, and according to Alera, repulsive.  Alera seems to be the only girl in the kingdom to feel this way.  The king, does not take her feelings to heart, though.

As if this were not enough, Hytancia's dark past has returned.  The long dormant enemies, the Cokyri have resurfaced.  The Cokyri and Hytancians were in a vicious war sixteen years ago.  This included the abduction of 48 infant boys.  All of those bodies were returned except one.  This bizarre happening remained a mystery.  That is until the boy returned.  Narian brings with him the mystery of the enemy as well as himself.  Alera is drawn to this intriguing stranger.  But, would her father ever agree to such a union? 

Oh, my!  This is a great book.  I would certainly recommend it highly, particularly if you are a fan of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.  While everyone may not agree that these books are similar, they certainly give me the same feeling of excitement and adventure set in the beautiful time of kings and queens.  Love.  I am excited to read Allegiance and Sacrifice!

Goddess Interrupted

I return to a trip into the underworld again, I mean its been a few weeks, so I felt the need to read a little more about my friends down there.  Goddess Interrupted (watch the trailer here), just like The Goddess Test and Goddess Hunt before it, was fantastic.  Aimee Carter has built an interesting and exciting underworld whose inhabitants are enough like the classical figures to be familiar but fresh enough to be exciting.

In Goddess Interrupted, Kate has returned from her first six months away from the underworld prepared to attend her coronation which will solidify her place as queen of the underworld.  However, as the name of the book would imply, the ceremony is interrupted by dear old Calliope.  Calliope is still brooding over the punishment Kate issued her in The Goddess Test.  This time she's not alone though.  She has managed to partially free Cronus, King of the Titans, threatening not only the members of the council, but all of humankind as well.

As a result, Kate and the others find themselves poised for a war with the Titans.  In addition to preparing for battle with the Titans, Kate also battles for Henry's heart.  Through a crazy twist of fate, Persephone winds up on the scene again.  This definitely doesn't do anything for the strained relationship between Henry and Kate.

So, readers are left with another giant, nail biting cliffhanger.  It's clear to me that I'll need to visit Carter's underworld again very soon.  I won't be able to last very long without knowing what is happening!  I definitely have The Goddess Legacy and The Goddess Inheritance on my to read list.

Sapphire Blue

*Warning: If you haven't read Ruby Red (check out my review here), begin there.  It's fabulous.

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Kerstin Gier's Sapphire Blue for what seems like forever.  I am so happy I've finally been able to read it.

Sapphire Blue continues the story of the time traveling families, the Montrose and the D'Villiers.  Gwyneth Shepherd is of the Montrose line, whose ladies carry the time traveling gene.  She has only a week before the book began learned that she not her cousin, Charlotte, possessed the gene.  Now Gwyneth has been thrown into the world of the Guardians, who maintain the rules and regulations of time travel.  Among other problems with learning you can time travel is the impossibly cute Gideon D'Villers, who accompanies Gwyneth into the past.

Currently, Gwyneth is charged with the task of impressing the ever creepy Count Saint-Germain.  The Count, he is tricky.  He has powers of mind control, and he maintains strict control of the present day Guardians even though his existence is in the distant past.  Oh, man.  He has now called Gwyneth to him so he can learn more about the newest time traveler.

Several mysteries present themselves during Sapphire Blue.  First, Lucy and Paul continue to elude the guardians by hiding themselves in the past.  I continue to question how Lucy and Paul fit into the present time traveling puzzle.  I have some theories...  Second, Gwyneth must attempt to figure out who she can trust.  Her mother warned her not to trust anyone, even her own feelings.  She is beginning to see how truly difficult it may be to learn who is trustworthy and who isn't.  Finally, there is Gideon.  I've got to say, I'm not sure I can figure out the mystery of Gideon either.  One minute he is all smiles and kisses and the next he seems surly.  Boys...

I continue to love this series. One of my favorite details about the book is the lavish description of the costumes Gwyneth wears.  I absolutely adore the descriptions of the fabulous gowns Gwyneth wears as she travels through time.  I cannot wait for Emerald Green.  Hopefully, all my questions will be answered.