the final summit by andy andrews

Title: The Final Summit:A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity
Author: Andy Andrews
Pages: 224
Published: April 12th, 2011
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Receive for review


Synopsis (Goodreads):

David Ponder is back and this time the fate of mankind may be in his hands. David Ponder is in a race against time. He's been chosen by the archangel Gabriel to lead a summit of fellow travelers, using their wisdom and experience to save mankind before all that is known is destroyed. Though reluctant, Ponder soon finds himself traveling to the most unlikely of places to interview the most fascinating of subjects such as Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc, and Abraham Lincoln. Will the group come up with the answer in time? What could possibly be the one action that could turn the tides of history?

The Final Summit is the long-awaited sequel to The Traveler's Gift but will stand alone as its own compelling and important parable with truths for our times.

What I Think:

I didn’t know that this book is actually a sequel to the first book. I picked it with just being interested with the synopsis. The story is actually about a quest of a man named David Ponder, as he is summoned by the great Archangel Gabriel where he gets to meet a lot of interesting and wonderful people throughout history in order to save humanity. The book can be portrayed as a great quest of Christian faith and history. Nevertheless, I like the book as well as the character of David Ponder. His character is quite inspiring with his efforts to study the history while he was on the quest in order to complete his task. The best part would be how they can travel through time! That is super awesome, no? I must say that the story is actually related or can be related to our daily life. It seems like we have to learn about the past, study what went wrong, take it as guidance as we live our life for a better future. The book might have some flaw when there’s a few time I don’t get it much (about bible and all), I felt of because I was disconnected with the characters (as well as the Archangel). But like-wise, the book is great to make us off from the reality (with quite a lot of heavy thinking; maybe it's just me).


Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. These are my honest review and receiving a copy in no way will ever reflected my review.

shadow kiss by richelle mead

Title: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 327
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken. But everything seems not right and something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmare, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most, but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

My Say:

Truly engaging! The first two books of the series got 4.5 stars but this one is totally a 5 stars!I love everything about it from the plot, storyline, characters and settings. In the third installment of Vampire Academy Series, we are brought to a darker side of story. The effect of being shadow kissed has made Rose haunted with the dead. I totally love this part. It sounds creepy but really works for this.

Even though Rose is one of kickass heroine with stubborn, hard-headed personality, it changes gradually, a bit, as her feeling to Dimitri is something that she can't ignore anymore, even to hold up as student-teacher for just a couple of months until she graduates. I love the femininity that shows through Rose.

Every characters in the story developing very well as they have strong personality and more matured, must be because they are nearly 18. What I love most probably will be the fighting duo between Rose fighting skill and Christian using his fire magic. They were badass! The second best fighting scene will be the duo of Dimitri and Rose. But the fun stops there until Rose found out she has to a decision to fight for her one true love. The ending is quite cliff hanging but I don't mind as it is acceptable for a series.

All in all, this book is the best compared to the other two (but they are still excellent). If you haven't read any of the book, you might want to change your mind. It's totally addictive (Sarah is totally right)! I have Blood Bound (thanks Shy!) and can't wait to continue the series.

Jo @ Ink and Paper
Sarah @ Sarah's Book Review
Sophie @ So Many Books, So Little Time
Angela @ Reading Angle

the thin executioner by darren shan

Title: The Thin Executioner
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 496
Rating: 4/5

Summary (Goodreads):

In a brutal nation of warriors, Jebel’s family holds the highest honor: his father is executioner. But Jebel is considered too thin to compete to replace him. Humiliated and furious, Jebel vows to regain his honor in a quest to petition the fire god for invincibility. The journey is long, filled with unknown monsters. And by the end of it Jebel isn’t quite sure what he wants anymore. In Darren Shan’s imaginative first standalone novel, he explores themes of religious tolerance and cultural understanding, and champions the idea that peace is often the bravest choice of all.

My Thoughts:

This is a book that really drawing me in! Darren Shann never fail to attract my attention of reading his books. I like his Cirque Du Freak books and this one is also is a very good premise. It starts with an awful beginning as the head rolling and also the sound of how the head cut from the neck of the prisoners. I thought, "I'm not good with with this dreadful reading stuff". Turn out, it is not so bad at all.

Thin executioner is actually introducing us a very thin young man who is on a quest with his slave to a far away on highest mountain to harbor a fierce God to give him a superhuman strength so that he could prove to everyone back ta home that he's also worthy man to be honored like his two brothers. However, the quest with his slave open his eyes about the outside world since he's been thought that his tribe is very respectable tribe compared to others. His character is so arrogant, proud, selfish, and he likes to snort. While he's slave/companion is very humble, obedient, sometime very optimistic for a slave. He's also very patient with Jebel's grunts and sulking. Every characters are well described and yes, they are quite interesting. Shann imaginations in his writing is very impressive.

The book has a fast pace, likely a page turner, imaginative, interesting, alluring your interest and imagination. It may sound quite disturbing whenever Jebel remembers how the executions stuff, heads rolling and everything but I ensure you that the book has so much to give. The story itself is very adventurous, engaging and very consistent excitements. Although they have quite a lot of adventures in a very short period like in 2 or 3 chapters, every adventures ends with a good closure, very well put and no cliff hanger.

It maybe sounds a bit weird, but I really enjoyed reading the book, very much. And I should tell you this, I was quite frustrated with the ending but it was satisfying once you know why, and I think it is for the best. A very good twist.

city of bones by cassandra clare

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 485
Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.

My Review:

After quite some time I've been tossing or put this book aside, I finally finished reading this book. Don't get me wrong, I've only done that because I don't have the other two of the series and even now, I still don't have my copies yet.

To put it simple, the story is somewhat amazing. It is full of family conflict, love triangle, supernatural abilities and it happens in bid cities like Manhattan and New York. Imagine there's actually werewolves, vampires, warlocks, witches, and etc mingles and mix around people. But this is not a story about those creatures of the night. This is story about a group of Shadowhunters which are more or less like a balancer of both good and evil. I'm pretty impressed of how this book is not all about about tall, pale and fangsome vampires or hot bod werewolf. *cough*.

The characters are built in strong personality with each of them have significant differences of interests. When I say that, it goes to the character of Jace, Clary, Simon, Alec and Isabella. Others are OK but I have this huge complex on Valentine and Hodge. They are not what I've expected by which all means, I want Valentine to be meaner and Hodge sudden change from good guy to bad guy is not really believable. It sounds a bit funny, really. All in all, they are pretty more or less as OK.

There are a lot of twist in the story that really intrigues me all the time when I read the book. Even with a little flick of flaw I've mentioned doesn't mean I don't like the book. I was totally absorbed by the book, lost in it and at a quarter end of the book, I had this huge shock that I suddenly threw the book on the floor!That is a super twist I've ever read! I know I know. But I've assumed Jace to be someone I want him to be and despite of that, he never will be what I want him to be to Clary. Urgh. I still have this grudge over Miss Clare. *LOL* OK, maybe she has better plan for that which I think it leaves me impatiently waiting for the next installment, as I am.

To whoever that never read this yet, you better be. It's an amazing and engrossing read that you think you need more than this.

Other Reviewers:

YA Vampire Books 4.5/5
Jennifer @ Reading With Tequila 4/5
Shy @ The Bibliophile's Journal 4.5/5
Morgan @ Smitten With Books