M.L. Sparrow's Blog, page 13

Cherish Hard

Cherish Hard, (Hard Play, Book 1), by Nalini Singh Blurb: Sailor Bishop has only one goal for his future – to create a successful landscaping business. No distractions allowed. Then he comes face-to-face and lips-to-lips with a woman who blushes like an innocent… and kisses like pure sin. Ísa Rain craves a man who will cherish her, aches to create a loving family of her own. Trading steamy kisses with a hot gardener in a parking lot? Not the way to true love. Then a deal with the devil (aka her CEO-mother) makes Ísa a corporate VP for the summer. Her main task? Working closely with a certain hot gardener. And Sailor Bishop has wickedness on his mind. As Ísa starts to fall for a man who makes her want to throttle and pounce on him at the same time, she knows she has to choose – play it safe and steady, or risk all her dreams and hope Sailor doesn’t destroy her heart.Those who follow my reviews will know that Nalini Singh is one of my absolute favourite authors, whether is PNR or contemporary, in my eyes this woman can do no wrong! I love her writing style, her characters and the fact that although there is often disputes in her books her characters act like adult, unlike many of the characters in contemporary romance nowadays who act like stupid, selfish, possessive children.I loved the Rock Kiss series, so when I heard there would be a spin-off with Gabriel's brothers I was over the moon, especially when I found out Sailor's would be the first book. Of course, Nalini Singh did not disappoint! Though this isn't one of my absolute favourite books, I still loved this book, it was so sweet and it's taken me too long to write this review, since I had to go back and quickly read all my favourite parts from the Rock Kiss series!As always Nalini Singh has created some amazing characters, supporting characters included. I liked Isa, although I found it hard to think of her as the cool, collected business woman and the shy, blushing poetry lover. However, for me, Sailor was the driving force in this book. His character was just so amazing, he was so sweet and fun, but also intense at times. Basically, everything you want in a hero! I liked that Isa was older than Sailor, I think it made a nice change, but I also like that it wasn't painted as a huge deal, though it was mentioned as an issue when Isa first found out. My one gripe would be that, since I'm a similar age, I can say that I just could not imagine Sailor being 23. Yes, I know lots of ambitious 23 year old working hard for a dream, that's not what I'm talking about, it's that I've never met a 23 year old guy who would act like Sailor does. I know that's a lot of generalising, but it's just my opinion based on the guys I know.This book also introduced some great supporting characters who I'm hoping and praying will get their own books, like Nayna and Raj and Catie... Harlow is also an option, though I don't think we saw enough of him in this book to make me desperate for him to have a book of his own when he's grown. However, before that I'm desperately awaiting Jake's book! I'm looking forward to the story of him becoming a teenage dad and, hopefully, getting a HEA in the end. So, as usual, now that I've sped through this book, I'm now not-so-patiently awaiting Nalini Singh's next release! My favourite quotes from 'Cherish Hard': ' "I've played it safe me whole life, and now I feel like I'm going to shatter if I don't spread my wings." ' '... he didn't think it had been Jacqueline who'd taught her that resilience. Because to teach a child something, you had to be present and part of her life.' ' "Thank you for caring." He rolled his eyes. "That's like thanking me for breathing." ' ' "It's not the moment that counts, it's the long-term commitment to being there, day after day." ' 'Joseph Esera had shown Sailor what it meant to be a real father, what it meant to show up and do the job with love and a quiet strength that told Sailor it was okay to lean on him when he needed it.' 

Our Chemical Hearts

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal SutherlandBlurb: Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change. Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl.Okay, I'll admit that I brought this book for two reasons. 1) The cover is gorgeous. 2) It has a great title. I only skim read the blurb so when I came to read it several months after buying it, I was pretty clueless about the general story line. However, everything turned out all right, since I ended up really enjoying this book. I did have a couple of issues that stopped me from totally loving it, but I'll get into that in a minute. Firstly, what I enjoyed...I don't want to go into too much detail, unless I give something away, but I loved that it wasn't a conventional love story and the ending was sad, but true. I was so, so happy that the author didn't just fix all of Grace's problems just because she met a boy - the romantic in me, who loves a HEA was a little upset, but most of me enjoyed that the ending more is more raw, more realistic. The characters were great, including the supporting characters (even Murray who was a little odd!). Henry was just so sweet, my only gripe with him would be that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't think of him in a romantic ay, if you know what I mean, instead I kind of pictured him as my little brother... As for Grace, I think it's hard to say she was a likeable characters, but once you know her back story it's impossible not to feel sympathy for her and though I would have quite liked a few chapters from her POV, I liked that the readers is kept as in the dark as Henry himself, we learn as he does.Now onto what tripped me up... I felt like this book needed a good edit, which is especially annoying when you realise this book isn't self-published, therefore, you expect a higher level of editing. (Editing slips, to a certain extent anyway, don't bug me with self-published authors because, being one myself I know how damn expensive editors are but publishing houses generally have editors). There were things that made the books seem rambling, sentences which were technically correct but would have sounded smoother with a different word here or there. Then there was the last page... It's like the editor just forgot the last page, or the author tacked the last paragraph on at the end just before it was sent to the printers (metaphorically speaking, of course, since I read this on my Kindle) and didn't bother to read what she had put.However, despite a few editing issues, plus the fact that throughout the book Seeta is called Sugar Gandhi, even though it is pointed out that this is racist, I did enjoy the story and I zoomed through this book. My favourite quotes from 'Our Chemical Hearts':'... some things are more beautiful when they've been broken.' 'I was fairly intoxicated, and so was Grace, thank God, because we both seem to be much nicer people when we were drunk.' '... you're worth nothing less than stardust, but all I can give you is dirt.' 'He couldn't love her anymore and he still got to keep her and it all just seemed so desperately unfair...''I was a blip in someone else's love story. That there was a grand love story going on here, but it wasn't my own.' 'You will look for all the reasons inside yourself that they didn't want you and you will find a million.' 

Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Blurb:Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She would rather bury herself in the fanfiction she writes where there's romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible...Wow! I official love this book! After reading Eleanor and Park, my first book by Rainbow Rowell, I was a little disappointed and didn't really feel any need to read more of her work, however, after reading The Iliad I fancied reading something light and fluffy and Fangirl was to hand. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, within a couple of chapters I was hooked and I devoured this book in two sittings (it would have been one if I didn't have to work!). Now I'm dying to read Carry On...This book was just so light and easy to read, yet it tackles issues like mental health, alcohol abuse, abandonment and, of course, the sometimes stigma that is being a fangirl! Much like Cath, people often feel embarrassed about things they are passionate about, as if loving something too much makes it wrong, and I loved that this book explored that mentality and pushed it aside. Cath was also such a great character, honestly, I think I liked her so much because I could really relate to her. She seems just like me at that age; though a few years and new experiences have made my confidence grow, I'd still prefer to sit in my room writing, than go to parties! I also liked Reagan as a character, but I totally and utterly fell in love with Levi. Seriously, I want a boyfriend like that. I think it was the moment he offered to walk her to the library at night, then came to collect her, that I was a goner. I'm an independent women, I'm perfectly capable of walking myself home and pretty confident in my ability to defend myself but it's still nice when guys offer; it shows they care about your safety. Everything about Levi was just sweet, steady, dependable and I loved that.All in all, a great book with beautiful characters and a lovely story line about family, friendship and being yourself. I can definitely see myself curling up with this book again in the future! My favourite quotes from 'Fangirl': ' "We're supposed to meet new people," Wren repeated."I don't need new people.""That just shows how much you need new people..." ' ' "I'm not really a book person.""That might be th most idiotic thing you've ever said to me." ' ' "You really think the only way to sort out whether something is dangerous is to barrel right into it." '' "You don't get to be the mother if you show up after the kids are already grown." ' 'His eyes were warm and baby blue. They made you feel like he liked you better than other people.' ' "I don't even want to start this day because then I'll just be expected to finish it." ' ' "Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy," Wren said. "It's the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for." ' 

The Iliad

The Iliad, by Homer Blurb: The story of the Iliad centres on the critical events in the last year of the Trojan War, which lead to Achilleus' killing of Hektor and determine the fate of Troy. But Homer's theme is not simply war or heroism. With compassion and humanity, he presents a universal and tragic view of the world, of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death, set against a vast and largely unpitying divine background. The Iliad is the first of the great tragedies.Okay, so I originally read this book when I studied Classics in college and I immediately fell in love with it. Classics quickly became my favourite class - funny, since I hadn't intended on taking it in the first place but my best friend convinced me it would be fun to have a class together - and I've read this book many times since then. Despite that, it never ceases to surprise me! So much happens in this book, that after a while you forget things and then when you re-read it, it's like reading it for the first time all over again! One of my favourite things about this book is that all though the characters are gods and great heroes, which they are regally called, they all have such human emotions. The Iliad basically starts with Achilles and Agamemnon fighting over a girl, then Achilles runs complaining to his mummy and refuses to play anymore. Even the gods are very human; Zeus, King of the Gods, is a henpecked husband with rebellious children who just wants an easy life... he's also partial to a little spousal abuse, but to be fair I wanted to throttle Hera for most of the book too... I also like that Homer gives many of the characters back stories, even if it's just a line or two about their homeland before they are slain by the enemy, so it feels like every death is personal in a way. Also, he doesn't pick sides, the story is told from both the Trojan and Greek prospective - for me, although I think the Greeks have more of the moral high ground, since Paris did steal Menelaos' wife, Helen, (though slaying a whole city seems very extreme in this day and age!), I'm more on the side of the Trojans, despite knowing the eventual outcome (not in this book though!). The reason for this is that they are defending their home and the people within; women, children and the elderly, all of whom are innocent of any crimes against the Greeks. Paris is the guilty one, but then if he'd been held accountable in this fight with Menelaos at the beginning of the book The Iliad wouldn't be much of an epic! Also, I think the scene with Hektor and his wife and son, makes the Trojans seem softer, friendlier, whereas, later Achilles slaughters 'children' at Patroklos' burial.Honestly, I could ramble all day about why I love this book, but I won't! All I can say is that if you're a fan of history and classics, if you like action and blood and gore, if you like beautifully poetic war scenes, please read this book. I think everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime! My only disappointment would be that it doesn't carry on further to tell of the sacking of Troy.My favourite quotes from 'The Iliad':'... but the life-giving earth already held them under...' '... like the late summer star, which rises from its bath in the Ocean to shine brightest of all.' 'But may I be dead and the heaped earth cover me, before I hear your screams and the sound of you being dragged away.' 'This night will prove the shattering of our army or its saving.' 'There is power in a friend's persuasion.' '... huge and hugely fallen...' 'I shall not forget him, as long as I am in the company of the living and there is lift in my knees - and if the dead forget their dead in the house of Hades, yet even there I shall remember my dear companion.' 'I have endured to do what no other mortal man on earth has done - I have brought to my lips the hands of the man who killed my child.' 'But it is I who will be left the greatest pain and misery - because when you died it was not in your bed, you did not hold out your arms to me or tell me some weighty last word, which I could remember for ever, all the nights and days when I weep for you.' 

Thomas Berry Selected Writings on the Earth Community

Selected Writings on the Earth Community, by Thomas Berry Blurb: Thomas Berry (1914-2009), a Passionist priest, was a geologian, historian of religion, philosopher, and the single most important Catholic voice on the link between faith, reverence for all life, and the environmental crisis. Particularly well-known for his work in popularizing the universe story and exploring the religious implications of the new cosmology, Berry pointed the way to a spirituality attuned to our place in the natural world, and an ethic of responsibility and care for the earth. This work, timed to mark the centenary of his birth, will offer the best guide to one of the true prophets and spiritual masters of our time."I brought this book because I read a quote by Thomas Berry that I really liked and wanted to know more... unfortunately I was rather disappointed. Firstly, I should point out that this is a collection of snippets from various essays and I just found it very repetitive and at times a little pompous. I agree with Berry's points about the environment and the fact that humans are doing little to save it (Berry died in 2009 and things have only gotten worse since then), however, all this book says (continually) is that humans need to change how they think about the earth and to work with it instead of trying to dominate it, which is true, but it was said so many times that it got boring and I wanted more in-depth thinking - to me the fact that humans need to change their way of thinking is obvious.I will say though, I'm not religious and I've never really considered the church's (or other religions) roles in stopping climate change, but this book made me really think about it. I think it's so strange that the church doesn't do more about it... surely they should want to protect and preserve the planet they believe God created? Personally, I think if the church was more focused on climate change and consumerism a lot more would be done - like I said, I'm not religious, but even I can see the power and influence that the church and other religious have. Berry also saw how powerful the various religions could be if they joined the cause and said, 'The Church could be a powerful force in bringing about the healing of a distraught Earth.'This book also made me consider - does humans even deserve to be saved? Yes, many people are now doing a lot to preserve the planet, but it's not enough. To save the planet everyone needs to be doing their part and maybe it's too little too late. As I've already said, Berry died in 2009, obviously these essays were written before then, yet since his death the problem has only gotten worse and people are still blatantly ignoring the writing on the wall. Besides, even if we weren't pushing other species to extinction and rushing ourselves toward the brink, why wouldn't you want to make our planet better?All in all, although it really made me think, I wouldn't actually recommend reading this book. If you're interested, I'd say scroll down to read my favourite quotes or read the snippets that are already online, since the book doesn't add much more to them... My favourite quotes from Thomas Berry's 'Selected Writings on the Earth community': 'In other words, does the search for otherworldly rewards override commitment to this world?' 'Consequently, we now find ourselves on a devastated continent where nothing is holy, nothing is sacred.''We think we have understood everything. But we have not. We have used everything.' '... in our domesticating of the continent, namely in our "doing" we have not realised what we have "undone" in terms of ecosystems.''As we became free from being ruled over, we became rulers over everything else.''... the human community and the natural world will go into the future as a single sacred community or not at all.''Right now, the human is a devastating presence on the planet.''Western religious traditions have developed a suspicion of such attitudes towards nature, devaluing them as simply "pagan" or "animistic" notions.''We have established a discontinuity between the nonhuman and the human components of the universe and have given all the rights to the human. We have considered the universe as composed of objects to be exploited rather than as subjects to be communed with.''... we cannot have well people on a sick planet.''... the glory of humans has become the desolation of Earth.' 'Habitat, for example, must be given legal status as scared and inviolable.' 'Our great failure us the termination of the journey for some many of the most brilliant species of the life community.'

Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Blurb:It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.  And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.  For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved — that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.  And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.  Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt — among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life — and love — in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.  A world at stake.  A quest for the ultimate prize.  Are you ready?Okay, so this book has been on my TBR list for a couple of years, but it was the news that it's being made into a movie that spurred me on to buy and read it - not necessarily because I wanted to watch the movie (though after reading the book I can't wait to see it!) but because I didn't want to end up with a copy that had a 'movie' cover, instead of this cool cover! Reasons for reading it aside, I ended up loving this book.I found the beginning a little slow and wondered if I'd enjoy it - hence 4.5 stars instead of a solid 5 - but once Wade/Parzival found the Copper Key, I was hooked and couldn't read fast enough! The only other downside (and this is a small one) is that there are massive info-dumps throughout the book. Sometimes it felt like I was reading a passage from a history book - if this were real, that is!However, it was action packed and interesting and I loved the characters and the dynamics between them even though they have never met in person until the end. I also found the virtual reality interesting and I thought the author did an amazing job of building worlds with the virtual reality, it was often hard to remember it was just a game; I swear I got as obsessed as the characters! Also, I liked that it wasn't all played out in OASIS; the real-world gets a look in, thanks to the physical threat of the Sixers, which just added another dimension to the story. Finally, confession time... I'm not a video game fan... actually, the only one I've ever played is Mario Carts but (as you can probably tell) I'm a bit of a book addict and I've always thought they were kind of the same; we enjoy getting lost in fantasy world, often to escape reality and become someone else for a while. This book, namely a passage on page 198, made the mentality of some video-gamers so much clearer.  Also, I wasn't even born in the 80's and know little about it, but since everything is explained (almost obsessively so) in great detail, this had little impact on my enjoyment of the story and didn't hinder the experience at all.All in all, a great book that is easy to immerse yourself in! My favourite quotes from 'Ready Player One':' "Jim always wanted everyone to share his obsessions, to love the same things he loved. I think this contest is his way of giving the entire world an incentive to do just that." ' 'I didn't matter who was in charge. Those people were rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and everyone knew it.'  

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas Blurb:Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.Okay, so I've been putting off reading this book although I was really interested in it. Firstly, because I like to wait a while before reading really popular books until the hype has died down. Secondly, I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. However, I finally caved and I was not disappointed. Yes, the writing is simple and, since I'm not American, some of the references threw me occasionally, but once I'd read the first couple of chapters I was totally hooked. I could have read it in one sitting if not for work!This book is really relevant at the moment and I can understand why it's taken off the way it has, but this book is about so much more than the main storyline, which is police brutality and the black movement. It's about family, friends, being yourself and freedom of speech. I thought Starr was a great character and loved seeing how she developed and grew throughout the story. I liked how it examines the morals at play; just because people do bad things, doesn't mean they're bad. People do things all the time because they feel they have no choice and then get stuck in situations and just because someone's a drug dealer doesn't mean they deserve to be shot for doing nothing. The ending, the results of Khalil's case, was disappointing, but more realistic because of it; unfortunately in real life it happens all too often. The only thing that bugged me a little was that, despite Uncle Carlos who's a detective, it felt like all cops were portrayed as the bad guys. Most of them are just doing their jobs and it's the few which give them all a bad name. However, thinking about black parents feeling the need to teach kids as young as Sekani what to do if they're stopped by a cop is just heartbreaking and maddening. Things need to change and if readers of this book didn't somehow already know that, this book should tell them.I'm in a bit of a book hangover after reading this and need a couple of days just to think about it before starting to read anything else. A book I would definitely recommend. My favourite quotes from 'The Hate U Give':'I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down.Now I'm that person and I'm too afraid to speak.''If I kill Tyrone, I'm going to prison. If a cop kills me, he's getting out on leave.' 'A lot of my memories include him, but a lot of my firsts don't. First day of school, the first time I lost a tooth, the first time I rode a bike without training wheels. In those memories, Uncle Carlos's face is where Daddy's should've been. I think that's the real reason they're always fighting.' 'Good-byes always hurt the most when the other person's already gone.' 'Funerals aren't for dad people. They're for the living.' 'You wanna be a man so bad, but men don't care what nobody thinks.' 'Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.' 'I hate that I let myself fall into the mindset of trying to rationalize his death. And at the end of the day, you don't kill someone for opening a car door. If you do, you shouldn't be a cop.' 'You haven't set a good example of what a black man should be. You've set a good example of what a man should be.' 'I'll never give up.I'll never be quiet. I promise.' 

Jurassic Jackaroo

Jurassic Jackaroom (Hunted Tribe, Book 1), by Roma Gray Blurb: How does the greatest gunslinger of the old west end his career? By hunting a dinosaur animal spirit, of course.  Karl Redgrave has a big plans for his retirement party. He's bringing together the world's greatest criminals, murderers, warriors, and assassins to hunt something worthy of them all: a highly intelligent, seven-foot tall dinosaur spirit; known to the natives as the Grishla.  Of course, Karl wants only the best on his safari, so he has pitted these men against each other in a deadly contest in an old ghost town, with five winners securing a place in the hunt.  Who will live? Who will win? And if they win, can they survive the final confrontation with the beast?Wow, I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did, for no particular reason other than horror isn't usually my first choice to read, however, it was fast paced and I was hooked right from the get-go. Personally, I'm not sure I'd class it as a horror, but then this is only a prequel and there is plenty of time in the next book to work up to the scare factor! I also thought the back story about the tribe was interesting and the ending made me I look forward to the next instalment to see what twists and turns occure and how the story progresses.

Legacy

Legacy, (The Fire Chronicles, Book 3) by Susi WrightBlurb:'Think true, fly free and use your powers wisely.' Lord Thunis (from Gaian philosophy) Growing up is never easy....it's downright dangerous if you are a hybrid child, even under an idyllic Alliance... Despite suffering a mysterious illness, Lord Luminor's benificence must now stretch beyond the bounds of the Known World. The Morvians, now allies of both Gaian and human races, are sorely in need of rescue. Beyond the Impossible Mountains, Morvian kinsmen suffer unspeakable atrocities at the hands of a barbarian horde. Without help it will be genocide. Without assistance from the Ancient Realm, it might be impossible to rescue many of their number. Driven by destiny, courage and love, Luminor's intrepid daughter, Espira, must reconcile with her rebellious brother, Ardientor, and summon all her nascent powers to join the quest. It is time for her to come of age, and regardless of her many talents, she will not escape the agony of love and loss. There are precious lives to be saved, the Alliance to uphold, and Luminor's life-long vision, his legacy, awaits fulfillment... The Legacy of the First Fire.If you love epic fantasy, great characters and dragons, you'll really enjoy this book. This book is packed with action and extensive world building. It is the third book in The Fire Chronicles Series, however, it can easily be read as a stand alone - there were a few bits at the beginning which were unclear to me at first which probably wouldn't have been if I'd read the other books, but they quickly became clear. I loved Espira, she was a great heroine and seeing her grow throughout the book was brilliant - this is a good coming-of-age story. There were a couple of things that tripped me up though... Firstly, the use of exclamation marks! There were so, so many that it began to get annoying. Second, this author is a huge fan of description, which usually isn't a problem since so am I, however, I felt that in places it slowed the story down too much and I found myself drifting. All in all though, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fantasy lovers who like a lot of description! 

Half Lost

Half Lost, (Half Bad Trilogy, Book 3), by Sally GreenBlurb:Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council's Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel's amulet - an ancient artifact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle. But the amulet's guardian - the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger - has her own agenda. To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with his own Gifts, the amulet might just be enough turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all... This book is probably my favourite out of the whole trilogy; there is none of the irritating formatting that bugged me in the first books, Nathan is no longer obsessed with Annalise, unless you count wanting to kill her, and he and Gabriel are more than friends.There’s loads of action in this book and I loved the use of magic – in the first book magical powers seem to be almost skimmed over, in the second they are used, but not in huge amounts, especially by Nathan, but in this book, now that he has his father’s powers, Nathan was using them left, right and centre, which was great! My only gripe would be that I wish it had been longer; it felt almost like they found a solution – and carried it out – too quickly and easily.  As always, I thought there was a cast of great characters, namely Nathan and Gabriel, and I liked that Gabriel’s character had a regulating effect on Nathan for the most part, though the fact that it wasn’t always the case made it more realistic. Nathan is a badass and I liked that he’s not portrayed as your average hero; even some of his allies don’t trust or like him. Honestly, I just wanted to give him a huge hug! If you look back on the first book, you can see how much his character has changed, he’s harder, more ruthless and the worst part is, all the things that have happened to him stems from who he is, not from anything he’s done. I also liked that the effects of war weren’t skimmed over or ignored; Nathan does what he has to do, but he feels guilt over it and it messes with his head.*Spoiler Alert*Talking about being realistic and the effects of war… that ending! Two days after finishing the book I still don’t know if I loved it for being ‘real’ or if I want to scream and throw the book across the room. If two characters deserved a HEA it was Nathan and Gabriel and reading Gabriel’s death scene, and what happens to Nathan after, was devastating.A great end to the trilogy and although I’d think carefully about reading more of Sally Green’s work – in the first two books areas of formatting were a problem for me and they also seemed to be aimed at a younger audience, though I didn’t feel like that with this book – I’ve enjoyed reading this trilogy and can see myself rereading it in the future!My favourite quotes from ‘Half Lost’:“I look at Gabriel and say, ‘It never crossed my mind to kill the Hunters. Now it wouldn’t cross my mind not to.’Gabriel says, ‘We’re in a war now. It’s different.’ ““ ‘… You’re not bad, You’re not remotely evil. You’re someone caught up in a bloody war and it’s eating you up – and that just proves how sane you are.’ ”“ ‘… And apologizing, unique though I’m sure it is from you, isn’t good enough.’ ”“It is impossible to ignore snoring, especially when you know it can be stopped by smothering the idiot who’s doing it.”‘ “There’s no truth, only perspective.” ’“ ‘In the meantime people are dying.’‘People are always dying. It’s a terrible habit they have and nothing you can do will change that.’ ”“ ‘… do what you believe in; only do that. You have to live with your conscience. …’ ”