Review: The Originals - The Rise by Julie Plec

Title: The Originals: The Rise

Author: Julie Plec

Publisher: HQN Books

Publication Date: 1.27.2015

Pages: 352

Genre: TV novelization, Historical, Romance, Paranormal

Series: The Originals #1

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Family is power. The Original vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together always and forever. But even when you're immortal, promises are hard to keep. 

Arriving in New Orleans in 1722, Original vampire siblings Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson believe they've escaped their dangerous past. But the city is lawless, a haven for witches and werewolves unwilling to share territory. The siblings are at their mercy…especially after Klaus meets the beautiful and mysterious Vivianne. Her impending marriage is key to ending the war between the supernatural factions—and Klaus's attraction to her could destroy the uneasy alliance. As Elijah works toward securing a piece of the city for his family, and Rebekah fights her unexpected feelings for a French captain, will Klaus's volatile desires bring their world crashing down—and tear them apart for good?

Review:

A prequel book series to one of my favorite TV series?YES, PLEASE!

I was so excited to see 3 of my favorite Originals getting their own backstory. I mean, we've learned a lot about Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah from flashbacks in both their namesake show and The Vampire Diaries, but those were always so limited. THE RISE dives into the Mikaelson family rise to power (along with some heartache) in New Orleans their first time around.

Now some may argue that this book is little more than officially sanctioned fan fiction, and to an extent, it is. But what I love is that as a fan of the show I loved the filler this novel provided with more insight into what drives these three immortal creatures. But I can also see how someone with limited to no knowledge of the show could pick up this book and not be completely lost. There is enough detail that this book could be read by someone who has never watched the show.

The other high point of this for me was the romance. It wasn't skimpy and I was surprised at how ... detailed some of the romance scenes were. I mean, this is Harlequin, so by those standards it might be considered tame, but I was still a little surprised, but in a good way.

I can see how readers that are not fans of the show might roll their eyes and cry, "Insta-love!" but they need to understand that this is how these vampires operate. They know how long their lives are (not to mention impulsive) and how short human lives are, so there's little need for pretenses and games with them. They see what they want, they take what they want. The End.

Fans of the show will love reading this, but I'm also excited for non-watchers to engage with these three. I think they'll truly enjoy it.

Purchase The Originals: The Rise

Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

Title: The 100

Author: Kass Morgan

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 9.3.2013

Pages: 277

Genre: SciFi

Series: The 100 #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Review:

Can you guys just give me a moment to cuddle this book and revel in the awesome Kass Morgan created? Seriously. Gimme a sec.

OK. Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why I absolutely adored The 100.

There’s been a bit of rumbling and grumbling about the fact that there are a lot of POVs in this book. Four, actually. And this book takes place on Earth and in space. I honestly found these to be huge strengths. I loved hearing about what was happening from Clarke and Wells and Bellamy and Glass—it gave me an all-encompassing feel of what was happening. I didn’t feel like I was scrambling around in the dark.

Clarke was definitely my favorite. She has this strength, but also this vulnerability that makes her completely reliable and loveable as a narrator. She has a very complex relationship with Wells that we learn about via flashbacks. I am seriously rooting for these two long-term in the series.

We also have Bellamy down on Earth who was never part of the 100 originally slated to go to Earth—he jumped on the ship to protect his little sister who was being exiled. Yeah. Feel free to start swooning, ladies.

Glass meanwhile is back on the ship, which gives us a much-needed insight into what is happening to those not fighting for survival on Earth. I have a feeling her role is going to be crucial later on in this series.

It’s not hard to guess why The CW snapped this show up so fast (it will air next  Spring). If the TV show is half as good as the book, I will be an insanely happy girl. I cannot wait for more of Morgan’s series. It moves fast and is a quick read, not bogged down in a ton of jargon and terminology that usually makes me head hurt in SciFi. Definitely one everyone needs to read!

Buy: Amazon