Entice

Entice by Carrie Jones

Need #3

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that’s not how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is gone. He’s been taken to some mythic place for warriors called Valhalla, where Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. It’s just not going to be easy.

Meanwhile, Bedford needs its warriors more than ever, since a group of evil pixies is devastating the place, with teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent. But even if Zara and her friends can find the way to Valhalla, there’s that other small problem: Zara’s been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to leave with her? Especially considering she hasn’t turned into just any pixie . . . She’s Astley’s queen.

At the end of the last book Zara had changed into a pixie in order to find a way to rescue Nick. This one picks up right where the last one left off. Throughout the book Zara and her pixie king, Astley, run into several obstacles and catastrophes that severely hinder their quest for Nick. Meanwhile Frank's pixies are still wreaking havoc on the town and it's up to Zara and Astley and their pixies to protect everyone. It's an uphill battle that won't be solved anytime soon, but they must try

When I read a series that has a love triangle I typically choose one guy almost right away, and stick with that choice. I rarely change my mind after that initial decision. However, after reading this book I find myself wanting to "switch sides". While I still like Nick, I'm just really starting to question whether or not he would be the best choice for Zara. Before he was taken to Valhalla, he was always coddling her and treating her like she is helpless. Astley on the other hand has always accepted her for who she is and doesn't try to stop her from doing what she feels she needs to. He also has been extremely understanding and supportive from the start, and continued to help Zara on her quest to save Nick, even at a great cost to himself. With Nick she is going to have to hide who she really is, but Astley accepts her completely. Perhaps in time, Nick could prove himself to be the best choice, but for now, I really just don't think he is.

Zara really started to come into her own in this book. She learned time and time again the meaning of sacrifice and that all choices have consequences. Yes, for most of the book she did have "blinders" on in her search for a way to rescue Nick, but as time went on she really started to open her eyes and realize that there may just be more important things. By the end she shows a little of her potential as queen. As long as she remembers that the good of everyone is more important than any one individual, then I think she will be a very strong Queen for her people, as well as force for the side of good.

All in all this was a pretty good book, with just a little repetitiveness, but that really didn't detract from the overall story. It set things up nicely for the next installment, and really brought the love triangle theme into full effect. It will be interesting to see Zara's choices and how she handles her new responsibilities. If you enjoyed the first two books, this one shouldn't disappoint, and will most likely make you question who is best for Zara.

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Captivate

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Need #2

Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

Zara and her friends thought they were mostly in the clear when they locked up the pixies. At the very least they expected to have time to figure out a more permanent situation. Then more and more pixies show up and Nick nearly kills the new king, Astley. Zara stumbles into him and saves him. Astley of course wants Zara for his own but also insists he isn't evil. This sparks off some major tension between Zara and Nick. However, there is more danger than just the risk of broken hearts here. Astley isn't the only one who has set his sights on the territory, and it's up to Zara and friends to stop the pixies once again and protect their town.

Astley's character is a nice addition to this series. He adds a lot of tension that otherwise would not have been there. Despite the fact that he is a pixie, I think he genuinely cares for Zara. If he didn't he wouldn't have helped her time and time again all the while waiting for her to really show any gratitude. While I really like Nick and think he and Zara belong together, I couldn't help but feel bad for Astley. Zara really treats him like crap for most of the book, and I don't think he deserved it at all. Yes, of course she has well earned prejudices, but come on, what more does the guy have to do to prove he isn't like Zara's father. I have a feeling I might just soften even more towards him in the future.

I was really surprised at the path this series is now taking based on the events of this book. There is an event in this book that is a major catalyst for a lot of change. Some of that change was bound to happen based on the circumstances of the characters, but I just wasn't expecting the reason behind it to be what it was. I was really impressed with the author's ability to take something expected and actually make it surprising as well. I am still holding out for some happiness, but I have a feeling that will be a long time coming as there should be some pretty big obstacles in the way.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me just as enthralled as the first one, but with some added emotion as well. This series is full of really great characters and plenty of action. If you enjoyed the first one, then this one won't disappoint. The ending left off on pretty big cliffhanger that makes me very eager to read the next installment.

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Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need by Carrie Jones

Need #1

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.

When her father died, it left Zara nearly dead inside. In a last ditch effort to "wake" her up, Zara's mother sends her to live with her Gram in Alaska. She quickly gets wrapped up in a mess that has been going on for years. Boys are going missing and it's happened before. Meanwhile a mysterious man keeps following her and soon starts trying to draw her out. It seems like he would stop at nothing to get her. The more she digs, the more secrets she uncovers, and she unravels something about her past that is absolutely shocking. In order to survive she must quickly swallow her fears and face them or someone else may just pay the price.

The love interest, Nick, is a very uncommon character. In most books the guy is very "experienced" and the girl usually isn't. In this book however, both of the characters are pretty "pure." Nick hasn't ever even kissed a girl. I found this to be a refreshing change of pace. It makes their relationship so much sweeter. I also love his flaws as they make him all the more endearing. Zara's main flaw on the other hand are not quite so endearing. She tends to over emphasize her desire to stop the world's atrocities that she completely forgets about the here and now. However, when you put that aside, she is a pretty interesting character that is very selfless.

This books was extremely fast paced, to the point where at times I felt like I was missing something. The book just seemed to be so condensed that it actually skipped over a lot of the build up. One example would be the almost instant friendship between Zara, Issie, and Devyn. I would have liked to have seen more of the beginnings of the friendship to make it just a little more realistic. I just didn't really feel everything was established between them well enough so I had a hard time feeling a connection between them.

All in all I found this to be a pretty good book. The pacing was very quick and it was incredibly hard to put down. The resolution at the end was a temporary one at best, and promises for a very interesting continuation of the series. I look forward to digging deeper into the world of pixies and weres and the parts these great character play in it.

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