June/July 2013

Our June/July pick is.....





The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.  Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?  The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.  But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

May Selection Follow-Up

We had a small group this month since we met right after the Memorial Day holiday, so I decided to gather a few sentences from everyone as a summary of what they thought.


Kate:
Birthmarked is one of my all-time favorite series.  I love the character development and teh world where water is a valiable commodity and used to create a sort of underclass.  I was immediately drawn in my the whole worl of teh midwives and some of the heartbreakingthings that they had to do.  Gaia is niave, but her bravery shines through!

Christine:
Overall-interesting world but a flat and boring main character. The 'bad' guys didn't seem that evil but there is a lot of potential for the next two books.

Maura:
I read through Birthmarked very quickly.  It was fast paced and kept my interest.  I was a little frustrated with Gaia's parents for keeping her in the dark (for no apparent reason).  As a mother, this was a hard read.  I couldn't imagine having to choose one of my twins.  I wished the author had added more decoding into the story line.  I really enjoyed that part of the book!