So Silver Bright

Goodreads Synopsis:   All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a  vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate.

My Thoughts:  

-    I just can't get over the covers to this trilogy!  I love them all!!

-    This is the third and final book in the Theatre Illuminata series.  It is a really great conclusion. It wrapped everything up, and made me feel really happy at the end.  I'm sad that I don't get to read more about the characters, but it was a good ending, and I am fully satisfied! 

-    I love the cast list at the front of each book.  I wish every book had that.  It would help me a lot with some books.

-    This book was as good, if not better, than the first!  I really enjoyed the entire thing!

-    Mixing the powers over nature was a new and kinda weird development.  I didn't really understand why the author put that in until the ending.  Then it all kinda came together for me, and I liked it.  

-    This book had a lot more fantasy elements in it than the previous two.   

-    I know I said I hated love triangles, but this one ended really really really well.  I think it is probably my favorite love triangle ending.  I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say, it ended not as I expected, but I loved the decisions Bertie finally made for Ariel and Nate.

-    I loved the humor in this book.  The 4 fairies were a constant delight, and I enjoyed the other banter as well.

-    Overall, this was a really delightful book with lots of happy endings!  I thoroughly enjoyed it!! 

Perchance to Dream

Goodreads Synopsis:   We are such stuff as dreams are made on.

Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

 Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

 Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

 Once again, LISA MANTCHEV has spun a tale like no other—full of romance, magic, adventure, and fairies, too—that readers won’t want to put down, even after the curtain has closed.   

My Thoughts:

-    Another amazing cover!!

-    Not as fun as the first book, but it has a riveting ending, and I enjoyed it.

-    Most of the book feels like the characters are wandering around lost, and they never know what to do.

-    Bertie is kind of a jerk in this book.  She is mean to everyone.  Part of me doesn't blame her for some of it, but she could try to be more pleasant.

-    I no longer hate Ariel.  I think he is just misunderstood, and I find him quite charming now.

-    I really liked the power of words idea in the whole book.  Bertie has to be careful about what she says and writes.  It is a good lesson for everyone.  

-    The love triangle is more prominent in the second book, and I still don't like it.  I do like all the characters though.  I just don't like that Bertie has to decide.  Love triangles frustrate me. 

Eyes Like Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:  All her world’s a stage. 
Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own. That is, until now. 
Enter Stage Right 
NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie. 
COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks. 
ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom. 
BERTIE. Our heroine. 
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book — an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family — and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known. 
Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience. 
Open Curtain  

My Thoughts:

-   This is one of my favorite covers!!  It is so cool and beautiful, and it goes along with the book very well.  The font for the chapter headings and page #s are fun and some of my favorites as well.

-    The 4 fairies are really funny, and they always provide the comic relief.  It is hard to keep track of which one is which, but it doesn't deter from the story at all.  It was actually just fun to read their lines.  It really didn't matter who was who.  

-    This is a great book for Shakespeare fans!  The whole book is filled with Shakespeare characters, plays, and more!

-    Bertie is a wonderful female protagonist.  She is fun, spunky, and a bit mischievous.  I love the rebellious side of her.

-    There are a lot of characters in this book, and I usually don't like books with too many characters, but this one is different.  It is easy it keep track of who is who.  I liked the way each character was introduced as well.

-    I loved that the whole story took place in a theater.  I really loved the whole concept.  It was very different and fun from anything I've read.  The enchanted theater provided everything, and it made me want to live in there myself.

-    There is a love triangle, and I'm not too fond of it.  I have like/hate feelings towards Ariel.  He is so easy to dislike in the beginning, but then he starts to grow on you.  Nate on the other hand is the most charming pirate on the planet!

-    Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm eager for more!!