City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Now that the Mortal War is over, life can go back to normal, with a few exceptions. Simon is a daywalking vampire living with his mother. Luke and Jocelyn are (finally!) planning their wedding. Clary is training to be a Shadowhunter, and her and Jace are able to be open about their relationship. When they begin finding murdered Shadowhunters throughout the city and there are multiple attempts on Simon's life, it's time for the Clave to step in and fight some demons. But when Jace starts pulling away from Clary, he has to fight his inner demons or risk losing her forever.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Cassandra Clare is one of my favorite authors! I have to admit that I'm a bit peeved about the slight (HUGE!) cliffhanger at the end, but I know from reading her that it will all pay off in the end. And poor Jace! He is practically tortured throughout this whole book. I can not wait for City of Lost Souls to be released on May 8, 2012!

Passion by Lauren Kate

In the third novel of the Fallen series, Luce is traveling through her past lives to discover the key to ending Daniel's curse, and making their love last. Daniel and Luce's friends frantically chase Luce through time,terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

This was a very easy read and moving through different time periods kept my interest most of the time. However, I did feel the story could have moved along a little faster in the middle. The final book Rapture will be out in Spring 2012.

Torment by Lauren Kate

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts, immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

I had some mixed emotions on this one, but in the end it turned out well. I will definitely be reading the third book, Passion, coming out in Summer 2011.

Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods #5) by Melissa de la Cruz

After inheriting the dark Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler fled to Florence with her forbidden love, Jack. Now the two of them must embark on the mission Schuyler was destined to complete: to find and protect the five remaining gates that guard the earth from Lucifer, lord of the Silver Bloods. Back in New York, Mimi has been elected Regent of a crumbling coven. Vampires are being abducted and their captors are planning to burn them alive online for all the world to see. The young vampires uncover a deadly secret, kept buried for centuries. And as the Blue Blood enclave weakens yet further, fate leads Schuyler to a terrible choice that will ultimately map the destiny of her heart.

So I wasn't overly thrilled with this one. It has been a long time since I read the fourth book, and initially I was totally lost. I felt that if you haven't read the others, this one would leave you clueless. I'll probably finish the series, but I won't be buying them.

Crescendo by Becca FItzpatrick

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out why. Not to mention that she's haunted by images of her father and becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him the night he left and never came home. Since Patch isn't answering her questions, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

While I really enjoyed Hush, Hush, I had a hard time getting into this one.
I found the plot very predictable and often frustrating. However, the action did pick up towards the end and left me wanting to read the next one.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Lucinda Price has seen shadows for as long as she can remember. For the most part, they leave her alone, just hanging around and being menacing. One night, she is spending time with a boy she likes and notices the shadows creeping closer. A fire takes his life that night and Luce can't remember any details of that night. She is sent to Sword & Cross, a reform school. There, she meets Daniel Grigori, a gorgeous guy who is hostile towards her though he doesn't even know her. Despite his antisocial behavior to her, Luce finds herself drawn to him. Then she notices that the shadows tend to stay away whenever he is near and Luce begins a chain of events that will change her life forever.

A fabulous story! Watch for the next book in the series, Torment, coming out October 2010. BTW, Lauren Kate's site http://www.fallenbooks.com is super cool and gives you 'access' to the files of the students at Sword & Cross. AND I just read that Disney has optioned the film rights!

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora Grey has a problem, and his name is Patch. He's everywhere, and she's beginning to think there's a reason he's following her. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. His mysterious past leaves her with a million questions, and she can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. In the end, Nora will have to decide if love is worth giving up her life for.

This book was sensational! The plot line is unique and not at all what I expected. Although the level of suspense is sometimes frustrating, it's worth it in the end!
The sequal Crescendo comes out this year!

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Valentine has possession of two of the three Mortal Instruments which will allow him to control the angel Raziel and essentially give him the power to rule over all Shadowhunters. Clary is coming to terms with her newfound power for creating runes, Simon is adjusting to life as a daywalker, and Jace is just as stubborn and sarcastic as ever! With little time left to stop Valentine, Jace takes off on his own to stop him from acquiring the third Mortal Instrument. Meanwhile, Clary is fighting with the Clave, trying to unite the Shadowhunters with the Downworlders in order to stop Valentine. The Shadowhunters' freedom comes down to this moment if they have the strength and courage to embrace it.

With so many questions answered, this book helps make The Mortal Instruments my absolute favorite series! Look for the fourth book in the series, City of Fallen Angels, in March 2011. In the meantime, check out Clare's Infernal Devices series, starting with A Clockwork Angel coming out in August 2010.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Clary's life has changed immensely since she discovered the world of Shadowhunters. Between her mother being in a magically induced coma, her new relationship with Simon, and complications with Jace, Clary has a lot on her plate. When Downworlder children start getting murdered and the second Mortal Instrument goes missing, the Shadowhunters believe that Valentine, an extremist Shadowhunter, is behind it. Due to his relationship with Valentine, this drags Jace into the investigation, but which side is he really on?

With all of the action, humor, and longing of the first, this sequel definitely lives up to its predecessor!

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

While Clary and her friend Simon are at a club, she witnesses three teenagers murder another teen. Stranger than the odd tattoos that cover their skin or the weapons that they use is the fact that the body disappears into thin air. Stranger still is the fact that no one can see them except for her. Clary is immediately taken into the world of the Shadowhunters, part human/part angels who rid the Earth of demons. When Clary returns home, she finds that her mother has been taken by demons. Clary must then rely on the Shadowhunters, in particular the handsome but snarky Jace, to help her uncover the mysteries of her past so that she can save her mother.

With many characters and subplots, this story is extremely action packed. Between battles, there are friendships and potential love connections being made. One of my new favorites!

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America. However, not all were pure of heart. Some were not even human. They were vampires. They assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated “blue bloods” of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. Now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she's having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead. Schuyler doesn’t know what to think. Could those vampire legends really be true?

Abounding with historical truths, the introduction to this series begs to be devoured.