Title: The Fallen Star
Author: Jessica Sorenson
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: April 7, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 449
Source: Author

For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she's around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life.

But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma's life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn't be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

Gemma's life has always been strange, but lately things are changing from strange to just plain alarming. She's used to feeling nothing, and yet now her emotions begin to creep up on her with a tickling, unsettling sensation every time Alex is around. But her nightmares are beginning to haunt her in daylight and her emotions are overwhelming her everywhere she turns. A part of her wants to figure things out, but the rest of her longs for the simplicity of her former invisibility. Can she figure out what's happening her before these transformations and uncovered secrets become deadly?

Let me preface my review by saying that I'm a true fan of indie authors. I love the idea that true genius doesn't have to be represented by some huge name to be amazing. The Fallen Star is a book brimming with creativity and promise, creating a intriguing and fresh world. Author Jessica Sorenson clearly did her due diligence when planning out The Fallen Star. It's a world that's interesting and accessible and will definitely find a niche for paranormal readers everywhere. Balancing a tricky plot with a host of intricate characters, The Fallen Star offers a thrill ride for those seeking a twist on the old paranormal with hints of the new.

It's tricky to review a book like The Fallen Star because I truly mean it when I say that the author and the book have potential. I really enjoyed the creativity involved in the actual premise and setup of the book, but I will say that my main issue with The Fallen Star was the execution of the novel, unfortunately. The fact of the matter is that this is a book that makes the reader work to find the action and then, ultimately, fails to give some sort of adequate resolution. While I understand it's a part of a series, I like books to stand on their own, and the ending of The Fallen Star sounded more like a chapter than that of a novel. In a novel that's precariously close to 500 pages, I would like to get into the thick of the action before nearly a third of the book is done. My other major issue with the book was the editing or lack thereof. I can overlook some spelling errors, and heck, I can overlook some grammar, but the pages were, unfortunately, littered with errors that were actually detrimental to my ability to follow the plot. My last real issue was, simply, that I often felt Gemma was talking more to the reader than to the other characters in the book, and it felt jarring.

Now, I'm by no means saying that The Fallen Star is a bad book. It shows promise for the author, and I'm sure it will find its niche and home on many a reader's shelf. However, it just didn't work as well as I'd hoped for me. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal trilogies.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Legacy
Author: Cayla Kluver
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: June 21, 2011
Genre: YA, Historical Fantasy
Pages: 304
Source: Netgalley

The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon of the nighttime sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, on the same night the Kingdom of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.

Across the land of Hytanica, under the shadow of the crimson moon, infant boys continued to vanish. Not until the blood had faded from the sky did the disappearances stop and the bodies of the murdered infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. For the next sixteen years, peace reigned, but one mystery remained unsolved. The Cokyrians had abducted forty-nine newborns, but returned only forty-eight bodies.

Now, as seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica is besieged from all sides by suitors vying for the Throne, a teenage Cokyrian boy, Narian, is encountered within the walls of her Kingdom, a boy who will show Alera a world where women serve a purpose and not just a husband. As Narian helps Alera find her voice, she struggles against an arranged marriage that will shatter the life she has scarcely begun to live. And when Narian's shocking past is uncovered, and war with Cokyri looms once more, he must fight to defy a fate ordained at his birth.

Alera is the princess and heir to the throne of Hytanica, and now at age of seventeen, she has one year to find a suitable husband who meets her father's standards to rule the kingdom at her side. Unfortunately, there is only one such man that meets his standards, and Alera can't stand the mere sight of him. With her days of freedom numbered, Alera finds herself concentrating on political affairs once the Cokyrians begin infiltrating the palace. But there's a rumour floating around - there is a mole, and nobody is sure who they can trust anymore. Alera finds the one person who can tell her what she needs to know, Narian, and he's a Cokyrian. Though he's the enemy, and she's just a woman, she finds herself discovering a world that she's never known...and she was never supposed know.

I was, I must admit, first intrigued by Legacy based on the cover because I'm a huge cover slut. That said though, this book was so much more than the cover. Written by author, Cayla Kluver, when she was just fifteen years old, Legacy defies the author's age and fits well into the realm of historical fantasy - a difficult genre to write. With lyrical and poetic prose, a relatable and heartening protagonist and a world of adventure far more vast than the world we live in, Legacy has all the makings of a fantastic fictitious world. This coming-of-age tale is one filled from start to finish with mysteries, lies, intrigue and a touch of romance that blooms throughout.

Alera was a fabulous protagonist for Legacy. She was the perfect balance between snarky and tempestuous and quirky teen on the verge of adulthood. Because she was living in a world where women are inferior to men, Alera's struggle was that much more harrowing because you could sense her inner struggle to live up to her potential while trying to reconcile it with the values and beliefs under which she was raised. The introduction of Narian in Legacy was perfect to complement Alera's struggle. He was, technically, the enemy, but as a prisoner, Alera was given a unique upper hand that allowed her to sense the power she might have had if she'd been born into the Cokyrian society. Narian is making Alera grow up in the wake of the prophecy that could destroy Hytanica, and while Cokyri was supposed to be the enemy, I couldn't help but love them for what they did for women. From start to finish, the secondary characters in Legacy like Steldor, Alera's suitor, kept me guessing and longing desperately for book two. It's also important to note how thorough the world-building was. Clearly defined and illustrated, I felt like I was able to step into Alera's world, which is quite a feat.

I was a bit worried about the length of Legacy, but I didn't get bored on a single page, and it never felt tedious. All in all, I think Legacy was a beautiful read that deserves far more credit than it's received thus far. With two more books to come in the series, I'm eagerly anticipating what's next. I give this book a 5 out of 5, and I highly recommend this book to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy historical fiction and fantasy, as well as fans of books like Graceling.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.