Review: Frostfire by Amanda Hocking

Frostfire
((Kanin Chronicles #1)

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: January 5, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

My Thoughts: I was so excited when I managed to get this book series from BookOutlet at a massively discounted price.  I really love Amanda Hocking and have read all of her series thus far and own most of the books from the series.

One thing I love about this book is that it is set in a universe I have already fallen in love with, the world of the Tryll.  If you haven't read the Tryll series, it is a definite must.  I absolutely adored the whole thing.

In this series, instead of following the Tryll Kingdom, we follow the Kingdom of Kanin.  They are another species of troll that live in West Canada.  So, yay for that!  Woot, Canada!  (I am from Eastern Canada).   It follows Bryn Aven, a Kanin tracker whose job it is to bring Changlings home safely.

Hocking has created another strong, independent female character.  Bryn shows that she doesn't need to rely on anyone to get the job done.  She is dedicated, strong-willed and willing to do what has to be done to get the job done.  In fact, it almost becomes a flaw on how stubborn and independent she can be.  But I like that.  I like when strong characters have obvious flaws.  No one is perfect.

The men in this book definitely take a back-seat to Bryn.  She has two "love" interests, but given that she isn't buying into the whole getting married having babies propaganda she tries really hard to just ignore it and move on in life.  Bryn is more focused on her career and advancement.

All in all, I really loved this book.  There was intrigue, mystery, a kick-ass female lead and just enough romance to give it flare.  I would recommend any Amanda Hocking book to anyone who enjoys reading Young Adult Fantasy.  I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series and delve in.

Review: Ascend by Amanda Hocking

Ascend

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: April 24th, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them? The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end. Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

My Thoughts: I think I picked this book up a total of 3 times before I finished it. I  mentioned in my review for Torn that the chapters ended in such a way that there was no way you were stopping there. Always ending in this cliff-hangar that has you thinking: Oh my goodness! I have to see what happens after that! But of course, as a mommy of 3 I did have to put it down no matter how badly I wanted to see what happened next.

And that's another thing I really liked about this book, you are constantly being surprised. You might think you know what's going to happen next, but I always found myself surprised. You don't find that element in books to often lately, a lot of stories have become a little predictable. That's definitely not the case for the Trylle Trilogy.

I mentioned that in the first book, Switched, I didn't care for Wendy to much. In the second book I grew to like her a lot more. In this book I liked her even more. By the end of the series I loved her. I felt like I had watched her go through so much, and been handed these massive problems and heavy situations out of no where that no one should have to handle on their own. But she did it like a champ. She is just a regular girl, she is very real and easy to relate to. I found myself agreeing with her opinions and line of thought a lot. What started as an almost dislike, turned into a love and respect from watching her grow and change. And she grows into an amazing young woman :).

We know about the love triangle between Wendy, Finn, and Loki.She loves both of them, and they both love her. And Wendy is set to marry another man. How will it play out?! It all comes to a head in this book. I won't tell you which way it goes. But I was so super happy! It played out so wonderfully. It was rough and emotional, but it was perfect at the same time. Hocking wrote a perfect romance that was so easy to envision. I don't really know how to say what I mean. But even though it's a book about Trolls and supernatural abilities and such, the entire thing just felt so real. The characters felt down to earth. It all seemed like something that could really happen. Hocking writes wonderful characters is what it comes down to I think.

Aside from the love story and awesome character development. The Trylle are being attacked even more viciously by the Vittra. King Oren is very determined to get what he wants. Which is Wendy and the Trylle Kingdom. With Elora slipping away, leaving Wendy to face this massive threat on her own, she feel she must sacrifice herself in order to save those she loves. No one has ever been able to get near King Oren, let alone hurt him. How could Wendy stand up to such a force? Will she be able to save the Trylle while saving herself at the same time?! It definitely doesn't seem that way, but you will have to read it yourself to find out.

All in all, this was a really great book and a wonderful series! I had a great time reading it, and I wish it wasn't over. Although the ending was tied up very nicely, and I love that in a series. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's a great story I think you're sure to fall in love with. Glad I have this one sitting on my shelf :).

Review: Torn by Amanda Hocking

Torn

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: February 28th, 2012

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Genre: YA/Romance/Fantasy/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story… She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction. Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

My Thoughts:  Torn picks up pretty much exactly where Switched left off, you can find my review for that here. I like when books do that, you're not left wondering what happened in the time  between. Wendy has run away from the Trylle compound to return home to her brother Matt,  and her aunt. And she brought Matt's real brother, Rhys, with her. And then we are in pretty much the same situation as the first book. Both the Vittra and the Trylle are fighting to bring the princess back to their lands. Each side seems to almost have a good reason for wanting her. What will she do? What side will she pick?

This book is a total character change for almost everyone in the story! It was shocking really. Almost everyone does a complete turn-a-round. In the first book, Finn was my favorite character. In this book, I just barely liked him. He had to make some tough decisions and destroy his own feelings, but I just think he went about it in all the wrong way. I think his actions were selfish and hurtful. In trying to protect Wendy, he only seemed to hurt her more. Wendy grows a lot in this book. In the first book I didn't really like her personality at all. But throughout the course of this book we get to learn quite a bit about Wendy's and the Trylle's and Vittra's history. Wendy is actually pretty deeply rooted in both! The things she discovers come as quite a shock to her, and were just as shocking to me. Through learning all these things, she grows into a more mature, smarter, less self-centered person, and now I like her. She gets to work training in all her abilities, the determination she shows is something I respect. She begins to realize that she really has to step up onto the plate and take the place that is expected of her. She is needed, and she stops thinking of only her own wants and desires. Then there's Loki, who was an enemy in the last book, but this book makes you re-think that. Is he so bad after all? His actions definitely leave you wondering. A connection is created between Loki and Wendy that I like even more than the one she shared with Finn. I find myself really liking Loki and I'm pretty sure he's my new favorite character. He is one of those guys who comes off as cocky and conceded, but you know he's a big old good-hearted softy underneath. I would say he almost reminds me of Will from the Infernal Devices Series. I even began to like Elora in this book. In the previous one, I thought she was heartless, unloving, and cold. But it seems to me she has reasoning for acting this way. Torn is all about learning more about the who and why of the characters involved. And with this new insight, I felt a lot of my opinions changed quite a bit.

Speaking of things discovered  in this book, it was all quite shocking. I was constantly finding myself surprised. What I enjoy most about this book is that something is constantly happening. There is never a dull moment. The chapters always end with this perfect little tease that insists you keep reading. I would keep telling myself, 'OK, after this chapter I'm going to stop for now', but that just could not happen. There was no way I could stop, I absolutely had to see what happened next. I was hooked from beginning to end. There was one little surprise towards the very end that completely stunned me. But I'm excited for this new dynamic and I can't wait to see how it plays out in Ascend! Which I am very excited for! It's due to be released April 24th. I'll definitely be getting a copy :)

I would recommend this book, and the one before it for sure. It's a great story with wonderful character growth and an awesome new twist to a fantasy character we all  know so well. Seeing them in a brand new way is refreshing and intriguing. And I really enjoyed watching the characters we met in the first book experience things the alter them completely. There is also a fun little short story in the back that shows the same event from the story from 3 very different points of view. It was an awesome peek into the minds of characters besides Wendy and I really liked it :).

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: July 12th, 2010

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, and I really look forward to reading the second in the series 'Torn', which is due to be released on just a couple of days, February 28th, 2012.

The summary doesn't tell us to much about the story, so I'll fill you in a little bit. The story starts off telling us a little about Wendy's childhood, and namely, her 6th birthday party, at which her Mother tries to kill her whilst shouting that she is not her child and what did she do with her son? Then the story fast-forwards to eleven years later when she is 17 and in high school. She lives with her brother and her aunt and her mother lives in a home for the mentally ill. Wendy  has felt like an outcast her entire life, and has never fit in anywhere or made any real friends. Her only real friend is her brother, Matt, and they have a super close bond! Then she notices this new kid at school who seems to be constantly staring at her, and gives her the creeps, Finn Holmes, however when she confronts him about it, he acts all nonchalant, like staring at her is normal. That may be even creepier..

By this point in her life, Wendy has realized that she has an ability of sorts, she can convince people to do pretty much whatever she wants them to. But she rarely uses this on people, cause she hasn't even quite convinced herself that what she's doing is real, and that maybe she is just really persuasive. That is until Finn catches her doing it, no one has ever picked up on it before. He confronts her, and fills her in on the most life shattering information she could ever receive, her mother was right, she is not her child, her family is not her real family, Matt, the only person she has ever been close to, is not her real brother! She is a changeling, as well as something else! I don't want to say what she is, the summary doesn't give it away, and I want it to be as much as a surprise for you as it was for me. Against her wishes, and due to certain circumstances, Wendy is forced to leave the life she knows and to dive completely into this, entirely new and very strange to her, world.

There's a wonderful little forbidden love story, Wendy falls in love with the boy she once thought was so creepy, but in the new world she is to be part of, they are not allowed to be together, besides she's not even sure he feels the same way about her. I thought the love story in this book was adorable, at first he was this creep, and then she slowly starts realizing all the things about him that she comes to like and then eventually love. Love at first sight is a pretty recurrent theme in YA books, that's not really the case here, and I liked watching her love for him develop into something incredibly strong. Plus, I really loved the character Finn, he is a strong, wise beyond his years, gentle but stern when need be, loyal and honest. He is just a really great guy, and if I were Wendy, I'm sure I would fall in love with him to. Wendy might as well be his polar opposite, she's very emotional, non-committal, very dependent, just floating through life with the littlest effort kind of person. She definitely has some character flaws, but if your own mom tried to kill you when you were six, you might have some issues as well!

I found the story very well written, it flowed very nicely. It was a great, easy, interesting read. We get to see a unique take on a paranormal creature that's been perceived in a very different way in most other stories. We got some paranormal, romance, suspense, action, all the good ingredients for good book. I look forward to reading more of Hocking's work! I definitely recommend this book :).

Also, there is a small story in the back, that shows us parts of the story from a different point of view, I thought that was a great addition and added a new and interesting view on certain events also, it was a great little teaser for the next book.