Chloe Jacobs

Conclusions! I hate letting go. I'm actually really BAD at letting things go. I mean if I enjoy it why should it ever end? (Reasons why I should never be allowed to have control over anything ever). I really don't want to lose Greta and Issac? I want to watch them do more ridiculous and silly thing together.

Except...well Jacobs gives them a final concluding book that makes me want to let them have a break and laze around for a while.

First, if like me you missed Issac in the 2nd Book (GRETA AND THE GLASS KINGDOM) don't worry--lots of Issac! Part of Greta's troubles begin and end with whether she can actually make a go of it with Issac. Sure when she was in Mylena, with no real hope of returning home, becoming his Queen sounded feasible. They love each other, he promised not to tie her down and really she could get a lot accomplished as his Queen.

But she returned home at the end of Book 2. She now has to face her parents, the time she's lost, the ability to regain everything she ever told Issac she wanted to get back to. If she gives up Issac.

I was in this mainly for her struggle--my main staple of reading was portal fantasy novels and its continued to this day. Countless hours have gone by in which I try to figure out whether I could give everything and everyone up for whatever the other life offered. Maybe I could? Its so hard to say. So Greta's struggle here was of real interest to me. Honestly both sides of the argument could be made--obviously she could remain in her world, adapt to being a normal human and living life out that way. Eventually her time in Mylena would be regulated to the back of her life and treated almost like veterans treat their tours of duty.

Oh she'd have regrets, primarily over Issac and all the people she could have helped, but at the end of the day, after a few years had passed, it would have faded to memory like so much else.

Agramon, the villain with more lives than Rasputin, makes his final play here and this is something I've long admired about both Greta and this series--Greta does not hesitate when the chips are down and things need doing. Whether or not she was going to return to Mylena and stay there, she wouldn't leave that world hanging. She's a hero, in every sense of the word.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. I can't be read alone (omg why would you?!) and I recommend tissues if you at all feel invested in Greta and Issac (there are some...tense moments guys), but so very worth it.… (more)

I don't know how I feel about this! I'm serious. Everything felt so...sudden. At least everything after the party scene. Greta goes on a adventure. Things go badly. Isaac comes for her. Things go even worse. Greta keeps traveling and things get even worse. There is literally NO GOOD things that happen. Every step Greta takes is one step further into misery and despair.

And I just couldn't understand why.

This is a pretty standard length book by today's YA fantasy standards. And while the first book wasn't puppies and rainbows bright and cheery, there were bright moments. I honestly started dreading when something evenly remotely happy was happening because I knew it would lead to endless pages of unhappiness.

Meanwhile everything I liked about the first book, namely Isaac and Greta's interactions, disappeared. After the party we don't get an honest to goodness Isaac and Greta scene until the last 10%. And even that last bit I'm not sure was earned or justified. The method by which we got Isaac back was nothing less then a TRUE LOVE CONQUERS ALL THINGS (including logic) device. And it felt that way.

And so we're clear this book perpetuates why I dislike Fairies/the Fair Folk in general.

You may be wondering why I gave this three stars when I had so much to be unhappy with (up to and including I think there's a third book I had no idea about?), but in truth I kept reading. This book kept me reading despite my anger, despite my complaints and I can't fault Jacobs for accelerating the plot. Happy Greta and Happy Isaac wouldn't have worked half as well as a second book, especially as there are still a LOT of unanswered questions.

Like just how bad are things in the world of Mylena that Isaac is covering up to Greta about? Or why in the holy hell can't Greta find one freaking friend who doesn't have ulterior motives? JUST ONE. That's all I'm asking for here.

As for the ending...:sigh: Portal fantasies are, by in large, groused about for good reasons. Whether it be by science or magic that sends out main character to a land of Not Their Own, portal fantasies need for the reader to buy into the conceit of how it happened. Since in the first book Greta is already in Mylena, and we only have her recounting of how she ended up there as to the "how it happened", not such an issue. Similarly we could discount Agramon and his minions threatening to throw her into a portal somewhere since they're bad guys. Rule #1 as a bad guy is to lie or obfuscate the truth.

In this book we get a first hand dealio with the portal transport and its rushed. The whole last chapter is rushed. For spoiler reasons please highlight to read why:

They wind up back in "our world"--they being all those Lost Boys, Greta and Isaac--thanks to, you guessed it the bad guys. Okay great wonderful. Instead of ending the book there, with them confused and dazed Jacobs hand waves it all until we get to where they're all headed to see Greta's parents for help.

I'm sorry what?

We're told how confused Isaac--the only truly new to our world person in the group--is. We're told how they scavenged and hid and worked out what to do. We're told how they came up with a somewhat plan to see Greta's parents and go from there. This is all stuff I would have liked to see. It would have made a good way to start the next book and a solid way to have readers want to come back for more.

Reading about Greta's half-angst about how the boyfriend/husband/partner she has (Isaac) isn't who her parents (that she hasn't seen for almost half a dozen years) would have wanted for her is not what I'm interested in reading about. Greta's earlier angst were good reasons for her to worry about her relationship (namely humans are hated in Mylena so making her their QUEEN suddenly wasn't going to improve matters). Greta's angst that her parents may disapprove is not a good reason.

In the end this book kept me reading, but I grew more irritated as I went on. This was a 2.5 star read for me--basically I only enjoyed it half as much as I expected to--so its rounded up. Here's hoping Book 3 resolves some of my issues.… (more)

Firstly, I was a bit reluctant to read this initially. I was interested, but I was really worried it would be hokey as heck. Second, that cover does this book no justice. Its pretty enough, but the novel is much darker then it suggests.

Greta is, for all intents and purposes, the Special One in a world where being the Special One is not something you want. She's faster, stronger and way more reckless then your typical human (and some of the supernatural creatures running around), but she's also grouchier, snappish and wholly more anti-social then nearly everyone else too.

Issac meanwhile is pretty much everything you've come to expect from the Alpha Males of paranormal/fantasy romances of late (YA or otherwise). I'm with Greta--where the hell is the teasing, kind of dorky guy she kind of talks about and kind of shows up on occasion? When did 'love interest' in a PNR become short hand for 'guy who pushes the heroine around while manipulating events'? The possible romantic third did nothing for me as well--he annoyed me MORE because it was obvious he was a third wheel to the romance. Why does everyone have to be in love with everyone else? Why can't they be really good friends who care about each other but don't necessarily want anything more?

Mylena itself was a bit iffy world-building wise. I think its a land of perpetual winter, or at least where Greta was hanging about it seemed to be (which was the Goblin territory). How anybody managed to survive though is beyond me. Economy, trade, agriculture--the world is given a very basic and broad swipe. Part of it may be because Greta really only knows the Goblin territory (having never ventured outside of it, that she mentions) and if they had sat down to discuss the economical division of each 'kingdom' it would have tanked the suspense of the plot, but seriously. Something.

There's a surprise for Greta, that isn't much of a surprise since it was telegraphed unsubtly, though I was surprised at some of Issac's actions. Relatively speaking Greta's only known him two weeks (their meeting occurred off screen, before the book began), and she has the barest understanding of how being the Goblin King works so its not terribly surprising she doesn't understand the position Issac is thrust into, but she reacts badly.

That aside, this book didn't mess around. Practically nothing got a pass because its meant to be for the teen set--someone does something stupid they died, didn't matter who they were. Someone doesn't think of the consequences, well they got the bitter pill of reality right quick enough. Even Greta, who as the title character is almost guaranteed a pass to surviving, gets herself routinely beat up, scratch, cut, stabbed and thrown around. More than any of the male characters.

Really this didn't feel like a YA fantasy, this felt a bit more like the old school portal fantasies and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm interested to see how Greta's actions play out and I sincerely hope that certain people do not pop back up. Not needed. Cut them out. Throw them off a cliff.… (more)

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Greta and the Glass Kingdom is book two of The Mylena Chronicles. This book continues where book one left off. Greta is living in the Goblin King’s palace. Every night she has nightmares and the dark magick that seeped into her at the portal fights to overtake her. Siona, Issac’s cousin seems to be the only one capable of helping her tamp it down. When the rest of Mylena gets word that the Goblin King has chosen a human to be his queen, skirmishes begin everywhere. Will Greta be a good choice for queen? Will she ever be rid of this dark magick gnawing at her core? What of her relationship with Wyatt???

The Mylena Chronicles is a fantastic series! Book two was definitely worth the wait. It has nonstop action and edge of your seat excitement to keep you turning pages. You most definitely won’t want to put this book down. The emotional aspect was very realistic as Greta wondered what became of Wyatt and the boys, also her worry about whether or not she could keep the dark magick at bay. This was an amazing book and teaches that it is possible for true love to conquer all.
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