Review: The Copper Gauntlet by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

13612962 The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Point of View: 3rd Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 9+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Action, Magic, Friendship, Good vs. Evil

BLURB:

Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall.

It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc.

Call escapes to the Magisterium — but things only intensify there. The Alkahest — a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic — has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes — and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.
Continue reading →

Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

28954137 Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Simon & Schuster Canada
Publication Date: November 15th, 2016
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Point of View: 3rd Person
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Action

BLURB:

Simon Lewis has been a human and a vampire, and now he is becoming a Shadowhunter. The events of City of Heavenly Fire left him stripped of his memories, and Simon isn’t sure who he is anymore. So when the Shadowhunter Academy reopens, Simon throws himself into this new world of demon-hunting, determined to find himself again. Whomever this new Simon might be.

But the Academy is a Shadowhunter institution, which means it has some problems. Like the fact that non-Shadowhunter students have to live in the basement. At least Simon’s trained in weaponry—even if it’s only from hours of playing D&D.

Join Simon on his journey to become a Shadowhunter, and learn about the Academy’s illustrious history along the way, through guest lecturers such as Jace Herondale, Tessa Gray, and Magnus Bane. Written by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman, these moving and hilarious short stories are perfect for the fan who just can’t get enough of the Shadowhunters. Continue reading →

Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) by Cassandra Clare (NO Spoilers)

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

10025305 Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: December 6th 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry
Point of View: 3rd Person & Alternative
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Very Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Steampunk, Fantasy, Adventure, Demons, Mystery, Family

BLURB:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them. Continue reading →

Review: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: April 5th 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Point of View: 3rd Person & Alternative (Simon & Clary – majoritarily)
Genres & Themes: YA, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Demons, Werevolves, Witches, Mystery, Action, Love, LGBT.

BLURB:

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace. Continue reading →

Review: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Monica @ Hit or Miss Books

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: August 31st 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry
Genres & Themes: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Vampires, Demons, Witches, Conspiracy, Steampunk, Dark, Friendship, Romance

BLURB:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…. Continue reading →