#BookCouplesChallenge Forbidden

Book Couples Challenge Day 11

Today’s topic is forbidden. And I noticed that what was planned later in the month is taboo.

So I was all going into a debate with my 18 years old son about what’s the difference between forbidden and taboo?

Well we came to the following conclusion: forbidden is not allowed at all. Like incest.

Whereas taboo is frowned upon but not really forbidden. You can think of it like a big age gap, bisexual (not forbidden in my country anyway) maybe very rich girl and poor guy… If you have other ideas just shoot you would help me!

Based on this fruitful discussion I have several contenders and one two winners.

First contenders all come from Cassandra Clare’s books. It seems this author loves forbidden love stories!

Clary and Jace from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

For a long time they thought they were brother and sister hence forbidden to love each other!

Synopsis (for the few who don’t know this series yet)

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Favorite quote

“Don’t touch any of my weapons without my permission.”
“Well, there goes my plan for selling them all on eBay,” Clary muttered.
“Selling them on what?”
Clary smiled blandly at him. “A mythical place of great magical power.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

Goodreads ->https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones

Amazon->http://amzn.to/2ABaNZ5

Second couple by this author Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn in The Dark Artifices series

They are Parabatai and Parabatais can’t love each other without becoming mad and having to be put to death. So far I confess that it’s my favorite series by Cassandra Clare even if I’ve loved each one.

Here is a long(er) excerpt of what I wrote about this book:

“I did not think I would be able to love another Shadowhunters couple as much as I loved Clary and Jace but I was wrong. Cassandra Clare did the impossible and made me fall in love with Emma and Julian. They are so beautiful and right together. Their love story is tragic and I was choking on my unshed tears countless times in this book.

Prepare to be deeply moved, not only by Julian and Emma’s forbidden love story as each character was touching and had his own ordeal to overcome. My heart hurt more often than I can count especially for Julian and Mark.
Mark because he is back from The Hunt as the faeries made a bargain to give him back to his family if Emma and the Blackthorns find the Fae murderer. The last years have been far from good for Mark and he is so broken.

If Mark was broken and lost, Julian was Atlas, shouldering the world and taking too much responsibilities for a seventeen years old boy. He was so tired. He hoped once Mark was back his older brother would take the lead but he soon realizes he would be the one to hold Mark up. The whole book I wanted to help him, to let him rest and enjoy his youth.”

Favorite quote:

“When you love someone, they become a part of who you are. They’re in everything you do. They’re in the air you breathe and the water you drink and the blood in your veins. Their touch stays on your skin and their voice stays in your ears and their thoughts stay in your mind. You know their dreams because their nightmares pierce your heart and their good dreams are your dreams too. And you don’t think they’re perfect, but you know their flaws, the deep-down truth of them, and the shadows of all their secrets, and they don’t frighten you away; in fact you love them more for it, because you don’t want perfect. You want them. You want—”

He broke off then, as if realizing everyone was looking at him again.

“You want what?” said Dru with enormous eyes.

“Nothing,” Julian said. “I’m just talking.”
― Cassandra Clare, Lady Midnight

Goodreads->https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25494343-lady-midnight

Amazon ->http://amzn.to/2AzTFmq

Now we have two angels who fell for human girls whereas it was forbidden. They became fallen angels…

Patch and Nora Grey in Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Synopsis

A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE

Romance was not part of Nora Grey’s plan. She’s never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora’s not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can’t decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen – and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

Favorite quote

“You possess other people’s…bodies.”

He accepted that statement with a nod.

“Do you want to possess my body?”

“I want to do a lot of things to your body, but that’s not one of them.”
― Becca Fitzpatrick, Hush, Hush

Goodreadds ->https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6339664-hush-hush

Amazon ->http://amzn.to/2zBX9EM

Raffe and Penryn in Angelfall by Susan Ee

This is one of my favorite angel stories and that of my daughter too (look after our Girl Talk of the week).

Synopsis

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Favorite quotes (you get two because I loved this book so much!)

“I never kid about my warrior demigod status.”
“Oh. My. God.” I lower my voice, having forgotten to whisper. “You are nothing but a bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I’ll grant you that. But you know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That’s what you are.”
― Susan Ee, Angelfall

 

“My friends call me Wrath,” says Raffe. “My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What’s your name, soldier boy?”
― Susan Ee, Angelfall

Goodreads ->https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15863832-angelfall

Amazon ->http://amzn.to/2AAZq38

And now again… a tie! Sorry don’t shoot me but it’s so difficult to choose between these two books. Very different from each other but so emotional! I really should think to invest in the tissues industry you know? 😉 

My two winners are:

Eva Rosseli and Angelo Bianco in From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

A catholic priest can’t marry or have carnal relationship with someone else. Completely forbidden love story. Utterly beautiful (review on the blog by the way).

Excerpt of what I wrote about them:

“Eva and Angelo’s love story was bitter sweet. They were in love but Angelo had found his calling enraptured by Donatello’s sculpture of Saint George. He was thirteen but knew he would become a priest. Eva the girl playing the violin did not own the one legged boy. His rejection hurt her so much…They won’t see each other for years until Eva’s safety was compromised in the midst of the Jews annihilation. Angelo made a promise to protect her, always.”

Favorite quotes (yes two again, sorry but not sorry):

” Confession: My name is Batsheva Rosselli, not Eva Bianco, and I am a Jew. Angelo Bianco is not my brother but a priest who wanted only to protect me from the very place I now find myself.”

 

Second winner Lochan and Maya in Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

“As the light begins to intensify, so does my misery, and I wonder how it is possible to hurt so much when nothing is wrong.”
― Tabitha Suzuma, Forbidden

“You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel.”
― Tabitha Suzuma, Forbidden