Hawksong - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

"Danica Shardae is an avian shapeshifter, and the golden hawk’s form in which she takes to the sky is as natural to her as the human one that graces her on land. The only thing more familiar to her is war: It has raged between her people and the serpiente for so long, no one can remember how the fighting began. As heir to the avian throne, Danica will do anything in her power to stop the bloodshed–even accept Zane Cobriana, the terrifying leader of her kind’s greatest enemy, as her pair bond and make the two royal families one. Now Danica must convince her people that Zane is just as committed to peace as she is–though she can’t help fearing that, despite his word, he will strike as swiftly and lethally as the cobra that is his second form. Among the serpiente, she’ll have to pretend to be in love, though when they’re alone, her reserve threatens to keep her and Zane worlds apart. And in their midst are dissenters who will do whatever it takes to destroy this union. Trust. It is all Zane asks of Danica–and all they ask of their people–but it may be more than she can give."

4/5 -  Lovely.

Love. Love. Love.
There's something about this book that is simply amazing. The idea may seem a bit cliche and you may be thinking right now 'I know exactly how this is going to end'...which is somewhat true. Regardless, this book is filled with tragic passion and somehow surprising twists and turns. The characters really bring the story to life. I can't help but adore Zane and strongly respect Danica, and they were cleverly written so that their personalties contrast one another to bring out each other's strengths and weaknesses beautifully.

I've actually read this book twice (and I'm sure I'll read it several, several more times), and every time I'm reading it, no matter what, I find myself smiling at the book like a total idiot. It's adorable and precious in a gently passionate way that I've never seen portrayed so masterfully in any other book. Ideas of love and hate are presented in a new light, along with the desperate desires of peace and the union of two opposites to create something new and stronger. Hawksong is exciting, romantic, funny, and full of truly amazing, dynamic characters. This is a book you'll want to pick up over and over again, just to get swept away by this oddly formal but magically unique love story.