Paul's Top 5 Books Read in 2013

2013 was another great year for Young Adult books. I read over 50 books in 2013 and I want to share my Top 5 books that are not sequels. I'll also throw in the sequels I enjoyed at the end. One thing that I absolutely loved about 2013 was the inclusion of LGBT in so many Young Adult books. 

Here are the TOP 5 BOOKS I read in 2013 that are not sequels:

5. Crewel by Gennifer Albin

4. Skulk by Rosie Best

3. The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

2. Pantomime by Laura Lam

1. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

And here are some amazing sequels, some of them even conclusions to a series:

          

       

     

What were your favorite books of 2013? Check out my reviews of these books by clicking on the titles for the TOP 5 and the cover images for the sequels. 

--PAUL

The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas - Paul's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Year Published: 2013

My THE BURNING SKY Pre-Reading

Synopsis: It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

--------------------------------------------------

Review: The world building in this book is amazing! When you start reading it, so many amazing words and phrases are used. Pegasi. Dragons. Sleeping Beauty. Elemental mages. 

As the book progresses, the world is shown to be expansive. The Crucible is almost a Virtual Reality-like magic book. It's like a magic Holodeck and I love the way it's used in the story. 

There are so many mythological beings and people in this book. I like how some are so different than the nonmage world thinks they are. Rumpilstilskin was one of my favorite references. 

I like how the story takes place in the real world, but there's hidden mage realms. It reminds me of Harry Potter in that sense. 

Visions are a big part of this book and I love the way they are revealed. Seeing the future always makes a story interesting. 

Romance is done differently in this book than most YA out there. There was so much more happening in the story that I wasn't entirely focused on it at any time. 

I've always liked stories in which girls masquerade as boys. And this one takes place at an 1800s British boarding school! 

Overall, there are so many amazing things in this book. It's packed full of action and adventure. Every time magic is used it's done in such an interesting way. The only thing I didn't favor was how long some of the chapters were, but there were many breaks within the chapters. 

I give this book a 5/5 and highly recommend it to fans of fantasy and amazing world building.


--PAUL

The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas - Paul's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Why?: Elemental magic, fantasy, and romance. I'm also really excited to start a new YA fantasy series. I've also heard great things about this book from both Rae Carson and Jodi Meadows, two of my favorite fantasy YA authors!!! 

Expectations: I have high expectations. If Rae Carson and Jodi Meadows loved it then I'm ready for some awesome world building. 

Judging a book by its cover: I really like this cover.


--PAUL