The Nine Kingdoms series by Lynn Kurland

So we have three books that make up the first trilogy of The Nine Kingdoms series. They are:

Star of the Morning

What the back of the book says:
"Darkness covers the north, for the black mage has begun his assault on the isolated kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held in trust by Neroche's king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades...

The Mercenary - Morgan is a practical woman with no use for magic. Yet she feels compelled to offer her sword to the sorcerer king of Neroche. Her fateful decision will lead her to a magical destiny...and a man whose love will change her life forever.

The King - Adhemar of Neroche's connection to the magic of the land is fading. Helpless to defend his country against the black mage's forces, his only hope is to travel in disguise, searching for the one who was foretold to bring victory.

The Mage - Miach, the archmage of Neroche, is Adhemar's youngest brother--and duty bound to aid his king. Though they find what they seek, Miach will lose his heart in a way he never could have foreseen.

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. For the king is less than he should be, the mage is far more than he appears, and the mercenary will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword--and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined..."

The Mage's Daughter

What the back of the book says:

"Darkness in the kingdom...
Neroche is under assault by a mysterious magic that has stripped its king of his powers and unleased nightmarish creatures as weapons in a war of evil. Morgan of Melksham is fighting against that menace as well as for her life. Struggling to regain her strength after a near-fatal attack, Morgan realizes that she must decide between two fates: that of being a simple sheildmaiden or accepting her heritage as an elven princess. If only she could forget that she was the daughter of the perilous black mage of Ceangail...

Magic in the blood...

Duty bound to aid his king, Miach of Neroche is torn between what his responsibilities demand and what his heart desires. He is willing to risk his life to rescue Morgan from the darkenss that haunts her, but he must do so at the peril of his realm. Forced to choose between love and the burden of his mantle, Miach sets out on his most deadly quest ever."

Princess of the Sword

What the back of the book says:
"When darkness falls...

As the mercenary daughter of Gair, the black mage of Ceangail, Morgan is the only one who can stop the terrible sorcery her father unleashed. To do so, she must race against time and find the spell that will allow her to close the well of evil he opened. But that quest will lead her to places she never dreamed existed and into a darkness she would give anything to avoid...

The magic rises.
The fate of the kingdom of Neroche is intertwined with the closing of Gair's well. Miach, the archmage of Neroche, is determined to help Morgan find what she needs, not only because the safety of the Nine Kingdoms hangs in the balance but also because he will do anything to protect her. Together they must search out the mysteries of Ceangail, and the dangers of Morgan's own bloodline.

Now to rescue the kingdom from total ruin, Morgan and Miach have only each other to trust, heart, and soul..."

What I have to say (about the entire series):
I've had my semi-rant about romance novels before, but finally found a series that seems to defy all that lust crap! Now, I am not going to tell you that this is the best series ever, fantasy-wise. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a romance novel this much, though. Kurland created some really awesome characters here in Miach and Morgan (though Morgan gets a little less cool after the first book). Miach is kind of dark and powerful and brooding, and I do have a thing for guys like that, but he's sweet too! And the romance in this series is really romantic. There's no sex scenes (thankfully) and I feel like the romance was more real for it. The story wasn't really complicated, but I guess I wasn't reading it for a complicated plot. She seems to focus more on the characters, and that's ok. An author with a complicated plot and complicated characters would probably make my brain explode, which isn't what I'm going for in light reading.

So, my final thoughts are this. They're good. Not fantastic, not the best books ever, but they're good. The characters are funny and the plot isn't too boring. The romance is something I feel comfortable with reading in public (/class) without feeling dirty. Also, it's cute. Miach might not beat out Ash in my list of best guys in books, but he is on that list. So read them, they're fun and interesting light reading. I'll probably end up buying them, which is shocking since they are considered romance. That's saying something.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

What the back of the book says:

"Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is - no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheet damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood...and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together - and trying to tear them apart."

What I have to say about it:
Slow starter, I had trouble getting into it. But once I got into it, I was stuck. I've mentioned my love of mythology before and Starcrossed's plot takes its origins from one of my favorite stories - The Trojan War. Win.
The general plot was pretty generic, but Angelini had enough little plot twists to make it interesting. And I liked the idea of the book, I'm really looking forward to the sequel (which comes out in May 2012...sad face!) I can't say I've got any kind of book-crush on Lucas, but I like the chemistry between him and Helen. And Helen herself is a great character, a great mix of being strong and being human. I don't like main characters who sob all the time, but I get frustrated when they don't show any kind of reaction to the crazy stress on them. Helen is good with having a little meltdown here and there without coming across as too whiney. And she's pretty good at realizing when she's being self-centered. It's refreshing.
Some parts of the book are a little reminiscent of Twilight, but it's different enough that it really doesn't bother me. The fact that it involves Greek Mythology might make it easier for me to swallow, too.
Final thoughts, pretty good. A pretty typical paranormal YA romance, but just different enough to keep me interested. I'd recommend it, for sure.

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

What the back of the book says:
"A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence - and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.
Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help - into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice - betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist."

What I have to say about it:
I had a complete brain fart yesterday. I knew this was coming out and it wasn't until I was sitting there, waiting for a class to start, that I remembered. And then I thanked God for my Nook, since I was able to get it about 2 seconds later. The story itself was short and sweet. I love Puck and Ash, though Grim was sadly missing, and for 53 pages, I was enthralled. The story was amusing, I found myself on the receiving end of a couple funny looks in class. As usual, Kagawa gives just enough twists to keep you wondering what will happen next. The ending may not have been a shocker, but the route to it was.
So, does Puck betray Ash? I guess you should just read it and find out!