Must-read romances: 'The Ruby Circle,' 'Red Queen,' 'Deadly Spells'
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead
What it's about (courtesy of Razorbill):
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.
Why you should read it: First, this is one of my favorite series endings ever. We get to see old favorites and of course new favorites together, back-to-back against the world. I have loved this series because of Adrian and after the last book (Silver Shadows), I couldn't wait to see how the world would react to him and Sydney. There's a lot of action, a ton of character development and an ending I think 90% of readers will be pleased with. The villain is interesting, too. I won't give away spoilers, but it's someone from their past who makes a new rise. I'm sad to see this series end, but satisfied. No one will ever top Rose's character, but by The Ruby Circle I have to say Sydney comes in pretty close.
What Richelle Mead has to say …
Fans adore Adrian and Sydney. Where do you see them in the future? (Besides happy, we hope!)
Richelle: Aw, I can't give away any spoilers! All I can say is that by the end of The Ruby Circle, fans will have the answers to a lot of burning questions. Sydney and Adrian have been through a lot in this series, and there are even more challenges to come in this book. But, one of the great things about them is that they're incredibly resilient. They also know how to rely on each other's strengths, which is key in hard times.
How does it feel to finish this series?
Richelle: It's bittersweet, for sure. On the one hand, it's hard to say goodbye to a world that I've put so much into. But, at the same time, there comes a point where I have to wrap things up. There are only so many cliffhangers and so many tragedies I can make these guys endure! Not to say there aren't a few more hard things to come in this book! But, I think ultimately, readers will agree the series wraps up exactly the way it needs to.
What are you currently working on?
Richelle: I'm currently finishing up Soundless, a stand-alone novel coming out in November. It's set in a fantasy world inspired by Chinese history and folklore and follows a girl living in a remote mountain village where no one has been able to hear for generations. When she wakes up one morning with her hearing restored, she begins an incredible journey to unlock ancient magic and save her people from destruction.
Favorite line/snippet of The Ruby Circle?
Richelle: I wouldn't say I have one favorite! There are so many great things going on in the book. But this is definitely one of my top picks:
Rose was braced beside [Sydney], ready to pounce. The two of them made a striking combo, one dark and one golden, both utterly fearless in the face of this danger. They were beautiful in their deadliness.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
What it's about (courtesy of Orion):
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?
Why you should read it: This epic fantasy is awesome. I loved the plot; I loved the idea behind the Red and Silver bloods, and Mare is a cool heroine. My only complaint with her is that she seemed to be guided by her hormones not her brain. She lives at the bottom of her world, she has no hope, and her best friend is about to be lost to her … and she's given a choice … This slowly unfurled into darker and deeper problems within her society and it leads her to Cal. I was caught up in her hurt, and in her journey to rise. I wanted more, though. I wanted to know why her world ended up like that; I wanted more from her family, and from her. I cannot wait to read the sequel. I think you'll either love or hate this one. For me, it was well worth the read.
What Victoria Aveyard has to say …
What's your favorite part about Mare?
Victoria: Her strength. I really put her through the paces in Red Queen and what happens to her would break most people, myself included. Somehow she's able to get hurt and keep on moving forward. It also makes her a little ruthless, which I adore. It's not really a good quality, but it's a really interesting one to play with and write. Mare is willing to do pretty much anything to achieve her goals. For her, the ends justify the means, and usually not for the better.
Who/what would you be in this world?
Victoria: Of course, I would love to be a high-and-mighty Silver with awesome superpowers, but they're the minority in this world. Just based on where and how I grew up, I know I'd be a very middle-of-the-road Red. I'd probably be comfortable, at least as comfortable as they can be, but totally unremarkable. Let's be real, I'd be in some town somewhere hearing about Mare and the rebellion from the local gossip.
What are you currently working on?
Victoria: Book two is about to go through its last round of major edits, and I'm in the process of plotting out book three. Exciting, but daunting, and kind of amazing to think I'm almost at the end of this series. Besides that, I have another fantasy series on the back burner, ready to boil over.
Favorite line or snippet from Red Queen?
Victoria: My favorite line is: "The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain." And my favorite piece of the book is definitely the end-of-act-two twist. That was such a pleasure to write, and always my goal when I first started drafting the manuscript.
Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells
What it's about (courtesy of Orbit):
After the grisly murder of a dirty magic coven leader, Kate Prospero and The Magical Enforcement Agency team up with the local police to find the killer. But as the infighting between covens turns ugly, an all-out war brews in the slums of Babylon.
When a tenacious reporter sticks her nose in both the investigation and Prospero's past in the covens, old ghosts resurface. The team will have to use all the weapons in their arsenal to stop the coven war and find the killer before the case brings down all their careers - and their lives.
Deadly Spells is the third novel in the Prospero's War series that started with Dirty Magic and Cursed Moon!
Why you should read it: This is book three and you HAVE to read the first two. I fell for Jaye's writing with Red Headed Stepchild (you must get it on audio), and this is her Prospero's War series. Kate is a butt-kicking heroine, and I love reading about her cases at the Magical Enforcement Agency. This installment has everything the first two have (plus an ending that will make you want to strangle the book), and was filled with a coven war, killers and one nosy reporter. I loved it, and fans of urban fantasy will have fun with Kate … except for the scary action parts that will have you running alongside her.
What Jaye Wells has to say …
What's your favorite type of paranormal?
Jaye: My favorite type of paranormal is magic-users, i.e. wizards, mages, witches. I think that's what draws us to all paranormal beings — they each are capable of some sort of magic. I love writing and reading about characters who are at odds with their own gifts as well as the conflicts that come with those sorts of
What are you currently working on?
Jaye: Right now I'm working on a horror novel about a small Appalachian town with a bit of a demon problem. It's new territory for me genre-wise, but it's great fun to write something new.
Favorite line/snippet from Deadly Spells?
Jaye: Kate is a gruff cop who spends more time bringing down bad guys than worrying about what to wear or impressing men. But in Deadly Spells, she agrees to go on a date with someone. This bit of introspection about why she wore her gun to the date makes me laugh every time.
Maybe most women didn't show up for a date packing heat, but most women also didn't have roving gangs of wizards out for their blood. Plus, if things went well, maybe I'd let him take a peek at my piece.
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Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions departments at Dreamspinner Press and Entangled YA. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).