Alice's Review: Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Released: 16th February 2010
Paperback: 431 pages
Price: $12.99
Publisher: Simon&Schuster
Source: Bought
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Immortals After Dark
Series Order:
Far too many to list - this is book 9.
Summary: 

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbours secrets that threaten to destroy her—and those she loves.
Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.
From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia's greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him.

My Rating:

My Opinion: This is my favourite book out of the entire IAD series so I thought I'd review it for you guys! This starts off with Lucia when she's sixteen and has made a very crap decision. Marrying some death god really isn't that great for anyone's health - but Regin rescues her and takes her to the goddess Scathi, who saves Lucia and gifts her her archery powers. 

Fast forward to the present when Garreth is playing rugby with a few of his fellow Lykae and Lucia comes by to shoot a kobold. Garreth can instantly tell that she's his mate but Lucia has to keep a lock on those panties due to the fact that Scathi's gifted powers rely on Lucia being celibate.

I loved this book because I feel like it's very relaxed compared to most other IAD books which always have the heroes save the world or involved in some long and winding plot. Lucia and Garreth basically took a vacation for a third of the book and got to know each other and had heaps of sexy times. They do save the world but it's only towards the end that things start heating up. I loved being able to enjoy the chill atmosphere and really get into the romance instead of worrying about the fate of the world every other minute.

Garreth and Lucia have excellent chemistry and whilst it's awesome to read about them and their adventures, we also get to know a few other people who are on board the same ship as it heads into the Amazon. Did I forget to mention that Lucia and Garreth practically take a cruise through the Amazon to hunt for a golden arrow to kill Lucia's hubbie? Whoops. Either way, there are a lot of interesting characters on board this ship and they livened up the already crazy time L & G are having on the boat.

Another reason this book is just chock full of greatness is that fact that it's about a Lykae. Lykae are my favourite species in the Lore (another Lykae book is coming out in July, woot woot!) because they're so perfect. Hot, ripped Scotsmen who would go to the ends of the earth to please their women? Umm yes please! Garreth is also my favourite hero out of the series because he's funny and light-hearted but is also serious when it's needed. He's also devious and that makes him ten times hotter.

My verdict: I could re-read this book a hundred times and it wouldn't get old. I enjoy Lucia and Garreth's relationship and the pace at which the book is set. A perfect read in my opinion as it has enough action, comedy and romance to keep me entertained.

Alice's Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Released: 1st February 2013
Paperback: 448 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Source: Bought
Genre: Young adult, romance, paranormal
Series: Unearthly
Series Order:
1. Unearthly (my review)
2. Hallowed (my review)
3. Boundless
Summary:

The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she’s headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.

My Rating:

My Opinion: I really liked the first two books in the series and I couldn't wait to read the last book in this trilogy. I was let down though and whilst I liked the book it wasn't as amazing as the previous two were. I didn't find myself as invested in it or its characters overly much.

I was disappointed with Boundless because there were so many elements that I disliked. First of all, there was that weird love triangle between Clara, Christian and Tucker which made very little sense. To me it felt like it was put in just to give extra drama but it contributed absolutely nothing to further the plot.

Another element is the fact that the first half of the book was just about Clara going to college and learning angel stuff with her dad and trying to get over Tucker. Nothing really happened and it was only during the middle that I really got into the book because that was when heaps of things started happening. Of course, I really did love reading about Clara's college experience because I'm starting uni next week and am obsessed with books set in universities.

Because pretty much nothing happened in the first half, the second half (especially the last third) was so chock full of big events that I almost got whiplash. This and that happened, Clara and Christian have to get here and do that, where's Jeffrey, Angela being in major trouble, oh whoops, look at Tucker all helpless and human caught up in angel business. I just really don't like big events happening one after the other in books when they could be more evenly spread out so the readers have time for their racing hearts to slow down.

Now onto something I loved: Clara's dad, Michael. As in the big archangel with the flaming sword. In this entire trilogy, he has to be my favourite character. I mean, him turning up at Clara's door in the 2nd book was just surprising and awesome and seeing more of him and seeing him and Clara bond was an absolutely joy to read about. I just can't get enough of him! I want MORE. I'm also glad that he can be together with Clara's mum now, though it's really sad that Clara lost her.

My verdict: Whilst I was a bit disappointed in it, Boundless does a good job of tying up all the loose ends and giving Clara a happy ending.

Alice's Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Released: 14th December 2012
Paperback: 147 pages
Price: $6.50
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Review copy
Genre: Young adult, paranormal romance
Series: No series title
Series Order:
1. A Shade of Vampire
2. TBA
Summary:

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

My Rating:

My Opinion: I have an embarrassing secret to admit! I'm kind of really into the whole damsel-in-distress thing where the girl gets captured and needs a hero to save her. I'm a sucker for those and was obviously keen to read this book when I read the blurb. What I first noticed was that the PDF is only 90 pages long and the paperback 147 pages. This means that there's not much room for character development.

Sofia is 17 years old, has been abandoned by both her parents and has been diagnosed with a whole host of mental disorders. She's basically super-aware of her surroundings and this is later explained as something called latent inhibition (LI) and that Sofia is special because to handle being so aware of the world all the time, a person needs to have a high IQ and is usually a creative genius. I'm at war about my feelings on this: obviously the heroine needs to be someone who stands out and Sofia's LI is a creative way to establish that, but I don't like how Sofia's LI has been given so much attention, as this screams 'special snowflake' to me. I do commend Bella Forrest for writing about LI though, I've never heard of it before.

Because the book (novella?) is so short, there isn't much time for romance, character or plot development. Basically, what's established is that Sofia is given to Derek and they fall for each other; Derek has some sort of big prophecy to fulfil; Derek's brother Lucas is evil.

The one thing that I felt had been given enough time to develop is the mystery of Derek's prophecy. Lucas was the textbook evil brother/villain: jealousy-fuelled and wanting Sofia for himself. The love between Derek and Sofia seemed to spring up out of nowhere. I did like how it's described that around Derek, Sofia feels most at home. I personally think that Sofia and Derek don't have much more than friendship going on between them. Sofia herself was nothing special either and I felt very 'meh' about her.

I did like the plot (I am a sucker for DIDs) but I do feel that it needs more fleshing out and more words. Everything happens too quickly and because of this, I felt no real connection to the story or characters, the latter of which I wasn't given enough time to get to know. The ending included making Sofia and Derek's relationship official and Derek's sister Vivienne talking more about the mysterious events ahead. After reading this book and giving it some thought, I was under-whelmed by it. I didn't think there was anything that made this book stand out from the hundreds of other vampire books on the shelf.

My verdict: The blurb promised a good plot and a strong heroine but it fell flat for me as the book was greatly disadvantaged by its short length and lack of any sort of real development of characters and plot.

Alice's Review: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Released: 8th November 2012
Paperback: 528 pages
Price: AU$19.99
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, paranormal romance/urban fantasy
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy
Series Order:
1. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Tori's review; Amanda's review)
2. Days of Blood & Starlight
Summary

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

My Rating:

My Opinion: I personally loved Daughter of Smoke & Bone so I was very eager to read the sequel, especially since the UK cover is so gorgeous! This novel starts off hilariously with Zuzanna asking her adorable boyfriend Mik to pee on Kaz, Karou's ex who is milking his new-found fame for all it's worth. Will Mik do it or not...? Read the book to find out! ;)

We find Karou in Morocco, having taken over Brimstone's job as the resurrectionist. The chimaera are rebuilding their army since the seraphim brutally attacked the caged city where the chimaera live and killed off a lot of them. The seraphim are now scouting the forests of Eretz, their home world, for any more chimaera that they can kill or enslave, with Akiva leading one of those parties. Flashing back to Karou, she is working to create new bodies for the chimaera army, who are being led by... Thiago. Oh yes, guys, the tension is high!

This book took me almost a week to finish, which says something because once I'm stuck in a book, I find it very hard to put down. I didn't feel that draw I felt when I read Daughter of Smoke & Bone, probably because I thought there needed to be more Akive & Karou moments! This book wasn't about them getting together - because Akiva was responsible for Karou's family's death - which made me both sad and happy, considering that I love that Karou had a backbone. But I still miss their cute romance from the first book. I also felt that this book dragged on a bit during the scenes in Eretz where Akiva & the angels are trying to flush out the chimaera. The best bits of the book come in the last third, I reckon, leaving off with quite a big cliffhanger at the end.

So, speaking more about my love of Karou: Karou is definitely one of those strong heroines who can kick butt and doesn't rely on anyone for protection. Karou finds solutions to her problems and carries on despite some pretty terrible losses and traumatic events that occur in the book. She's interesting in the way she handles things and I liked reading her inner monologue as she's funny and smart; a real pleasure to read, honestly.

Another dynamic that I loved was Zuze and Mik's adventures in Morocco. This couple definitely picked up the slack in the romance department and they make one cool team. These two are smart and resourceful and charmed the pants off every chimaera they met. Though maybe not Thiago...

I can't say much more about the plot without spoiling it all, but I'll say this: it's a great continuation of the first book and I loved the writing. There's something about it that made me love it, a kind of flow to it. Laini's writing is something that I don't come by often and I found it very refreshing because it was so... different and rich and good. Much better than some of the recent YA books that I've read.

My verdict: This book is a must-read due to several factors: the characters, the strong heroine, the plot and the writing that will sweep you off your feet. I loved it and hate that I have to wait so long for the final book in the trilogy!

Alice's Review: Undeadly by Michele Vail

Released: 20th November 2012
Paperback: 267 pages
Price: AU$14
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Source: Kmart (hehe)
Genre: Young adult, paranormal romance
Series: The Reaper Diaries
Series Order:
1. Undeadly
2. Unchosen (2013) 
Summary

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath.

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble...

My Rating:

My Opinion: Michele Vail has brought something new to the paranormal fiction table (at least to me it's new): Egyptian mythology! I think the Egyptian mythology and the experience of reading about something totally new and unexpected is what made me like the book a lot more than I would have if it was something I'd read before. I'm rating this a 3 because of a few reasons, which I'll explain later. But now, let me gush about the coolness of the Egyptian stuff.

So this is a world where zombies exist (but it's not grisly or scary, yay!) and people who have the powers to raise, command, see or talk to the undead (called reapers) are pretty common. Molly is one of these and she turns out to be extra special. All of the reaper powers are gifted to humans by the Egyptian God of the Underworld, Anubis, in his efforts to fight his uncle Set, God of Chaos, for the position of top dog in the underworld because Set didn't want to give up his throne to Anubis, who is the rightful ruler of the place. There were some pretty grisly battles between Anubis and Set's followers/reapers but Set was locked away and is only now threatening to break his bonds...

So there's lot of cool Egyptian mythology, we get to meet the awesome Anubis (he seems like a pretty decent guy) and this was what made the book so interesting. What wasn't so interesting was Molly and her drama. Now, I was 16 pretty recently but I don't remember making such a huge deal out of everything. Molly is quite immature and a pretty bad narrator. She always adds in stuff that isn't necessary (like those little trivia bits added into some episodes of TV shows for fun) and it got annoying for me to constantly read her OMGs, LOLs, BTWs, etc. I also felt that this book was all over the place. Like there was an instance where a gun was being pointed at Molly and I had a hard time finding when it got pointed because it was surrounded by all the rubbish Molly kept thinking in her head/narrating. I just felt very disconnected and quite confused at times!

Another thing I didn't like was Molly's overall attitude to what was going on around her. She's a very 'watch the world go by from way back here' kind of girl, I felt, and didn't take initiative. She's just not fit to be the hero and champion of the future battles/events ahead of her. She let people just tell her what to do and didn't ask questions and ended up being confused by her abilities because she didn't bother to go up to someone and talk about her problems/questions. So I as a reader was also very confused because no one ever really even tells Molly what she is (she's not a normal reaper) but they all just imply that she's different.Molly doesn't even demand an explanation, just stands there in a confused daze! Asdfgjhdjkl. Another thing: Molly is so head over heels for this one guy Rick she is too dumb to notice that he is clearly NOT OKAY. She's all like "Nah, Rick wouldn't lie, he's perfect, Oh Rick, you put hearts in my eyes!"

My verdict: The richness of Egyptian mythology in this book makes it far more interesting to read than your run-of-the-mill vampire angst novel, but the main character fails to inspire my belief in her. A positive is that there are some good characters in it that I DID end up absolutely loving.

Alice's Review: The Violet Eden Chapters

Released: 2010 
Genre: Paranormal romance, young adult
Series: Violet Eden Chapters
Series Order:
1. Embrace
2. Enticed
3. Emblaze
4. Endless

My Rating:

My Opinion: The Violet Eden Chapters (by Aussie author Jessica Shirvington) are about angels and kicking butt. Featuring Violet, who didn't know she was half-angel, or grigori as they're called in the book, until her 17th birthday. Her workout partner/mentor/best guy friend/crush Lincoln (I personally picture Lincoln Lewis, which is totally fine by me) is her grigori partner - they're a kickass team - and that means that they can never be together romantically. Violet & Lincoln's job is to control all the exiled angels (those who were kicked out of heaven or wanted to be human and feel, since angels have no form). The books have been recently published in America but have been out in Australia for two years.

I'm totally proud of Jessica because these books are proving to be a hit in America (the US covers are so much nicer than ours!) and I found out that the rights have been bought by CW & Amblin TV to make a TV show adaptation! I'm not sure where it will be set but I'm really hoping they have some Aussie actors in it because whilst the books are set in a not-named-city-in-a-not-named-place, I like to think Violet lives somewhere in Sydney. :) That's actually something that annoys me - does everything have to be set in America or if not in the US, then a not-specified place? Australia can have some pretty cool angel heroes, too! I really wish Jessica had named where the Chapters are set because it would have made it more real for me and I reckon Australia needs to have more books set in it because we're always being left out of everything and forgotten. Must be the 14 hour-long flight it takes to get in or out of this place...

Anyways, the series (I finished the 3rd book and need to get the 4th book ASAP) is about Violet and Lincoln working together with the city's very own angel kickass squad to get rid of the bad guys - there are always bad guys - and it turns into Violet meeting a guy called Phoenix who turns out to be very-evil-and-not-trustworthy (aka an exiled angel) and basically turns Vi's world upside down by introducing a whole big mess for Violet & co to solve. This mess may or may not include there being a list of all the future grigori to ever be born that the bad guys may or may not have gotten to before the good guys have. Uh oh... There is also a love triangle between Violet, Lincoln & Phoenix, which I really dislike! I think some of the things Violet did were stupid and silly and she ends up regretting them, as she should.

The plot is thick and I got sucked right it. It will take too much time to explain all the intricacies so I will just say that the plot and angel concept are my favourite parts of this series. It's full of action, intrigue, mystery and the characters all have great depth and actually feel real and not like cardboard cut-outs of clichés. Despite me disliking some of Violet's actions & the love triangle, Jessica has done an excellent job with this series. I especially like Lincoln. I think he's one of the greatest heroes I've read about and he's very down to earth, loyal, protective and beyond brave. He also cares about Violet so, so much and she hurts him very deeply. Out of the YA I've read, Lincoln has to be my favourite hero.

My verdict: Of course I don't have enough room to tell you guys about all the great things in this series but I will say that it is a must-read and I am sure all of you will get obsessed! With such a great plot, a unique angel concept and some amazing characters, these books are something I will keep recommending to everyone I know!

Okay, I have a question for you: do you guys like these series reviews? I just don't want to spend heaps of time reviewing separate books out of a series that I've finished or read almost entirely (it takes time to re-read!) and doing an overview of the entire series allows me to point out all the good & bad points. Please leave a comment with your opinion so I have a better idea of what you guys want in the future! :)

Alice's Review: House of Night Series

Released: 2007
Publisher: St. Martin's
Genre: Young adult, paranormal romance
Series: House of Night
Series Order:
1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted
6. Tempted
7. Burned
8. Awakened
9. Destined
10. Hidden

My Rating:

My Opinion: Let me start off by saying that a few years ago, when I was younger and more naive, I actually thought these books were good. And then I re-read them. The sheer amount of slut-shaming, girl jealousy, pop culture references and stupidity that is present in these books makes me really want to ask the authors how they could come up with it. I guess two minds are better than one...? I really don't want to write a review completely trashing these books, but I just have to talk about all the bad things in this series so you guys will know what you're getting into if you pick these up.

HoN is a series about a teenage girl named Zoey who gets marked to be a vampyre (notice the New Age-y spelling) and then goes to vampyre finishing school (aka the House of Night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aka Why Not Somewhere Cooler Like Chicago or New York?) in the hopes of not dying before she transitions to be a full vampyre. Vampyres and fledglings are identified by the marks they sport of their foreheads: a sapphire outline of a crescent moon for fledglings, a filled in crescent moon and markings around the top half of the face for vampyres. Their goddess Nyx must be trolling them because it's cool in theory but when you actually imagine someone with markings (all different, some vamps have swirls, others have squiggles, etc, some of them form shapes like horses) like that, it's not that cool.

So the slut-shaming and girl-jealousy I mentioned. There are so many instances where Zoey either thinks girls who have any sort of sexual experience are sluts or calls another girl names because she actually possesses redeemable qualities (unlike Zoey) that it got to the point where I wondered how anyone could stand this girl. She is such a hypocrite! Zoey goes on and on about how terrible girls who like ro want sex are and then goes on with her three boyfriends and barely acknowledges the fact that she is, in fact, one of those girls she kept on insulting. Why do guys even like this girl? So far, I've gotten up to the 8th book and I still barely see why Zoey has practically her whole town beating down her door in order to hook up with her. The only semi-interesting thing about her is that she's some sort of super fledgling and is supposed to save the world from the evil vamps. Couldn't Nyx have given that mantle so some girl who isn't a hypocritical brat??

Each book has an abnormal number of pop culture references. The trendiest celebrities, popular TV shows, 'nerdy' references of comics and Star Wars (HA!), that sort of stuff. A reason I really don't like authors sticking heaps of pop culture references in their books is because five years down the track, most people won't even get the references and it will leave the scratching their heads. I DON'T NEED TO KNOW HOW SASSY PROJECT RUNWAY IS. (that is all.)

The books can't ALL be bad, can they? Well, no. In Awakened, two of the most annoying characters die and I swear to God I had like a mini party. Also, Aphrodite. Aphrodite starts off being this bitch and then turns into my favourite character. God, I love this girl. She and her super adorable relationship with Darius is what gets me through these books. Aphrodite is the one character who has actual depth and has evolved as the series goes on. She's also really hilarious and snarky. What's not to love? But apart from these two things, HoN is really not worth the read. All of the characters are one dimensional and clichéd and these books consist of Zoey being a bitch and all this drama being usually caused by her or something to DO with her.

My verdict: I realise I just spent thirty minutes writing a terrible review of this series, but in all honesty, there's not much more to write about than all the reasons I didn't like these books. I've listed the only redeemable factors that have kept me reading, so that's something, right?

Alice's Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Released: 26th June 2012
Paperback: 346 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Avon
Source: Book Depository
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Prince
Series Order:
1. Once Burned
2. Twice Tempted (26th March 2013)
Summary

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

My Rating:

My Opinion: So I really like Jeaniene Frost's books. I fell in love with her Night Huntress series (which is fantastic, you need to check it out!) a few years ago and the books have been re-read so many times. Vlad has been featured in these books quite a bit and each time I read about him, I liked him more and more! He's a great character and he's made me laugh with his quips to Bones, who he really doesn't like. I still giggle over his Anne Rice comeback. (It's the first one.) I knew I'd love this book and it's no wonder I gave it five stars!

This starts off with introducing the heroine, Frankie (whose real name we find out in the next few chapters), who can channel electricity through her right hand and can see someone's past or future when she touches a person or their belongings. She's working in a circus and practising her moves one night when she gets kidnapped. Asked to find Vlad through touching his weapons, she finds out that she can communicate with him through the connection she forms when she touched his weapons and so she bargains for his help and he agrees. This is what I like about Frankie: she's strong, quick and smart. She's not scared easily and fights for what she believes is right. Her quickness in making a deal with Vlad is only the first of the many awesome feats she pulls off.

So, uhh, Vlad. Gosh, he is just so sexy. Like, I like him even more than I like Bones and I thought Bones was one of the hottest heroes I'd read about so far. As we read more about Vlad as he and Frankie interact, we see more of his awesome qualities, such as his loyalty, bravery, strength and... sassiness. On a scale of one to Crowley (any Supernatural fans out here?), Vlad is pretty much on par with Crowley. He's hilarious and I love that side of him. But don't forget, he's also a vampire who's survived for so long for a reason: he's bloodthirsty and cruel. We see some of his cruelty and yeah, it kinda scared me but it also showed that he's not a wimpy little vamp.

You know how Vlad Tepesh was nicknamed Vlad the Impaler? We see some of this impaling done in the book. Only from what I've read about Vlad in history books, he didn't impale people through their chests, as he does in this book. Of course, I may be wrong or this is different in the book due to the fact that the other method is just far too disgusting for me to think about. I really didn't like reading about Vlad's cruelty and I thought that some of it was overkill.

Frost does a wonderful job in creating two really great characters and making their adventures really bloody awesome. Frost also writes about Marty, a dwarf vampire who is like a father to Frankie. Marty is willing to sacrifice his life for Frankie and he's just a really great guy who I hope isn't killed off later in this series.

My verdict: I could go on and on about all the awesomeness in this book but who wants to read a short novel? All I can say is that this is my favourite book of Jeaniene's so far and I'm looking forward to more romance between Frankie and Vlad in their next book. Hurry up, March!

Hey guys, I wanted to apologise for being away for so long. This year was my final year at school and it was full of exams and just really stressful so I had to give up reviewing and most of my reading to focus on school and my future. Now that my exams are over, I'll be reviewing a lot more! :)

Alice's Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Released: 23rd August 2011
Paperback: 421 pages
Price: AU$17.99
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Series: Bloodlines
Series Order:
1. Bloodlines
2. The Golden Lily (review coming soon!)
3. The Indigo Spell (12th February 2013) 
Summary:

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathising with vampires. And now she has to live with one...

My Rating:

My Opinion:
In this book, a lot of mysteries are solved (albeit towards the end) and a lot of new ones start. First off: What's up with Keith's eye? Why is Jill acting all weird with Adrian? And can Eddie get any cooler? I've never paid any attention to Eddie, but this book made me realise how much I secretly love how awesome and cool and brave he is. Also, Adrian is a pretty cool guy.

I was looking forward to Rose and Dimitri's cameo! We got Rose but you'll have to wait for Dimitri. Here's a hint: His cameo is the last three words in the book. So, Dimitri fans, you won't get to see any sexy Russian in this book. (I know, I kind of teared up too!)

So there is always the notorious bad guy in books, and Keith is the one; Jill is the sweet, innocent one that the protagonist grows to love; Adrian is the potential love interest; Eddie is the loyal and faithful protector and friend; and everyone else is for story progressions. The story centred mostly around Jill, Adrian, Eddie and Sydney. I got to know Sydney in this book and whilst she is sometimes annoying, she is definitely a great character. I like how her values and fears are very realistically conveyed and shown, instead of us just being TOLD about it. Richelle doesn't just tell - she shows us. 

What I find an important factor in books is how emotionally invested in them I get: feeling emotional at certain events that happen throughout a book that I am reading makes me enjoy it that much more, and Bloodlines made me choke up a little at times, made me angry and made me smile. What also made me love it more is Eddie. He does something so selfless in Bloodlines and it made me all teary. I think out of all the characters in this book, Eddie is the one who made me look back and smile.

Okay, so this book has a loooot of things going on that mix into one big mess. Sydney is walking a thin line with the Alchemists and Keith is being a nasty bastard; Jill is getting bullied at school; Adrian is bored and moneyless; the students at school are raving about these special tattoos. This is all a big mystery and Sydney accidentally gets mixed up in it.

I thought this would be a romance but it wasn't! There was no room for romance to fit in anywhere, and that was completely fine. I'm sure that there will be some in the sequel, but there were no obvious hints at who the potential star couple would be. We obviously guess it's Adrian and Sydney, and I can see that happening... kind of... but Richelle does have five books to go!

My verdict: I cannot go on about how great this book is. I loved it and am so sad that I finished it so quickly! This is a must-read and will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning.

I needed to put my favourite parts in. These are two separate instances, by the way.

"They're waiting for you. Go on in." Adrian leaned close to Keith's ear and spoke in an ominous voice. "If. You. Dare." He poked Keith's shoulder and gave a "Muahahaha" kind of monster laugh.

Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favourite."

Keith sprayed out the wine he'd drunk and promptly started coughing. I was relieved that none got on me. Jill burst into giggles, and Clarence stared at his glass wonderingly.

"Is it? I thought it was a cabernet sauvignon."

Alice's Review: Shadow's Edge by J.T. Geissinger

Released: 12th June 2012
Paperback: 359 pages
Price: $7.16/12.96
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: ARC from author
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Prowler
Series Order:
1. Shadow's Edge
2. TBA
Summary:

Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a race of beautiful, savage shape-shifters lives hidden from the everyday world. Bound together by ancient bloodlines and a ruthless code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death, the Ikati send their leader Leander on a mission to capture one raised outside the tribe before she can expose their secret. When Leander tracks the unsuspecting outsider to Southern California, the hardened warrior is prepared for a fight—but not for the effect the sensual young beauty has on his heart.

Jenna spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone—or something—her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her father’s mysterious disappearance, not since her mother’s sudden death, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. When handsome, enigmatic Leander appears, promising answers to the mysteries that shroud her past, she knows she shouldn’t trust him either. But their connection is undeniable, and as powerful as the enemy hell-bent on destroying every one of their kind…

My Rating:

My Opinion: I was excited to read this book because it sounded promising. I sped through it (I finished it in one day!) and I thought it was a bit anti-climatic. Maybe a bit too obvious in its plot and ending. The novel starts off with a few news articles written about the Ikati, the cat shape-shifters and then continues on to Jenna walking around in a supermarket and then spotting Leander watching her.

I won't get into the plot because I honestly didn't think it was fantastic; it's predictable and didn't surprise me and I continued on because I knew there would be a happy ending. This is definitely a light read, without too many tense moments. I think the blurb made it out to be a lot more dramatic than it was.

I did like Jenna. She's assertive and strong and manages to hold her own against Leander and the Ikati leaders. I liked that she had the confidence to stand up for herself and get what she wanted. What I didn't like was how she made some stupid decisions, like trying to rescue a young Ikati woman by herself before she even learnt how to control her powers! She gained nothing from this and got herself captured and hurt and that was totally avoidable in my opinion! I know some people would consider her actions noble, but I think it was impulsive and stupid.

I didn't feel any particular like for Leander. I was a bit meh - he seems like a nice enough guy and he's definitely checked all the boxers on the 'Handsome, Mysterious, Sexy Stranger' list that qualify him to be a suitable love interest. I thought that these two fell in love too quickly, despite any 'strong connection' that they may have. They didn't interact enough with each other for me to easily believe they had something other than chemistry.

One of the things I loved was the mythology. I love shape-shifter novels because of the huge variety of mythology in them - all the different lore never gets old and it's so interesting reading about authors' takes on it. This contained a lot of cat stuff, which is cool because I love cats and there aren't enough novels written about them, in my opinion.

My verdict: This is a book that sits solidly on a bench in between boring and amazing - it wasn't anything special apart from its fantastic and interesting take on feline shapeshifters.

Alice's Review: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Released: 13th March 2012
Paperback: 258 pages
Price: AU$21.95
Publisher: Atom
Source: Book Depository
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Action
Series: The Chronicles of Nick
Series Order:
1. Infinity (my review)
2. Invincible (my review)
3. Infamous
4. Inferno (17th March 2013)
Summary:

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him. He’s learned to raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive and keep a girlfriend so hard?

But driving isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is. And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known – or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about. Even himself.

My Rating

SPOILERS AHEAD

My Opinion: Kind of freaking out right now, guys. Because I just found out that Infinity, the first book in this AMAZING series, has got movie rights and will be filmed next year!!!

So once again, Sherrilyn has left the end of the previous book with a big, fat cliffhanger: Nick's just found out that his grumpy uncle Ambrose is HIM FROM THE FUTURE. So the book starts off with Nick having a big freak out, kind of like I did back when I figured it out in the first book, and then ANOTHER freak out when he realises that he will also become a Dark-Hunter and what made him turn. Lots of drama in the first three pages.

I don't want to go into too much detail about what happens since I don't want to ruin it for you guys, but let's just say I was on the edge of my seat, so to speak, holding my breath in anticipation of what would happen next. It was hard to even take a break from reading this!

Like the previous to books, this contains a lot of action as well as a bit of romance as Nick and his girlfriend Kody battle the dark forces out to get him. As well as that, we get to know Nick's father, Adarian, a little bit better and we find out the circumstances of Nick's conception. This made me feel sooooo bad for Nick's mum, Cherise! The one character that I didn't like was Cherise, Nick's mum, because she's so hard on Nick. She won't let him date because she thinks he'll get a girl pregnant! I just couldn't believe how little she trusted Nick and how she so easily thinks the worst in him. Cherise needs a little bit of this:

My favourite parts in this book included my favourite character, Acheron. Gosh, I just love him so much! He's such a badass but he's also so kind and amazing. I gotta say, his book is my favourite out of all the DH novels.

My verdict: This series doesn't have a second or third book syndrome, where the sequels just aren't as good as the first. These just get better and better!

Alice's Review: Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Released: 29 March 2011 (UK)
Paperback: 309 pages
Price: AU$16.99
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Book Depository
Genre: YA, Action, Paranormal
Series: Chronicles of Nick
Series Order:
1. Infinity (my review)
2. Invincible
3. Infamous 
Summary:

When teenager Nick Gautier was saved from almost-certain death by a mysterious warrior, he had a feeling his life was set to change. Fighting the undead has taken the place of fighting with his teachers (well ...almost).

But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he wakes up to find himself enslaved in a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul. He's being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn't learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them ... 

My Rating:

 

Be warned, there are a few spoilers below. 

My Opinion: So this starts off right where Infinity left off - which is when Nick saw Kyrian had fangs - and proves to be a compelling, fast-paced read. There's a lot of paranormal stuff going on and Nick finds out more about his powers and who he really is. There is also the enigma of Ambrose, who you'll know is Nick, several hundreds years into the future it seems, since Ambrose mentions how he's lived centuries.

And I must make a note of my previous observations in Infinity - since Ambrose is trying to change his future, of course things will be vastly different than they are in the Dark-Hunter chronology, so Nick meeting Simi isn't a mistake on Sherrilyn's part because Nick wouldn't have been in trouble with demons if it weren't for Ambrose and Simi wouldn't have had to help him! A big facepalm at my previous obliviousness! 

I feel like this book delivered a lot of paranormal action but not a lot of the parts I wanted to really read about, like Nick's job with Kyrian, Acheron, Cherise and his day-to-day life, if that makes sense. But I'm pretty sure that only a week or so has passed in this book, so I guess there isn't enough time to write about the secondary characters! I was disappointed that I missed out 'seeing' too much of Acheron and more of my other well loved characters, but this is focused more on Nick, who I love, so it was a pretty good deal!

Nick is super sarcastic and some of the things he says are quite hilarious! But because he's so sarcastic and never too serious, he has this inability to really grasp the seriousness of a situation. An example of this would be when he's been taught to use his powers by Grim, one of the MODs (Messengers of Death). He's just too flippant about it and I know he's only fourteen and it's in his personality to be like that (hello, I've read about what he's like in the DH novels) but it kind of annoyed me.

Okay, so I want to talk about Ambrose. Gosh, he's such a mystery to me! He's lived for so long and only now does he start trying to change his past. Why? What's happened to him in the centuries that have passed? My heart breaks for him and my feelings on his intentions to change his past are varied; for one, I don't believe in regretting anything for too long and since you technically can't change the past in real life, it's better to move on. But I do realise why he's trying to do this and how the good of the world and his life depend on it. I definitely want to read more about him!!

My verdict: I couldn't put this down and with such a cliffhanger ending, it makes me happy that the third book has been released! Filled with action, sarcasm, a little bit of romance and awesomeness, this book is just as good as the first.

Alice's Review: Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

Released: 10th April 2012
Paperback: 260 pages
Price: $9.99
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Source: Publisher/author for honest review
Genre: Dystopia
Series: The Lost Souls
1. Chosen Ones
Summary:

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I liked this book because it's got references to Frankenstein in it, a book which I'm studying for school, so I actually get all the different quotes from Frankenstein! I'm also studying Blade Runner (it's a horrible movie, I hate it!) and this book has elements that remind me of the Replicants in BR. So I was really able to get the depth this book has, which was quite awesome.

Tess is working in this training facility for the chosen ones and she meets James - she's drawn to him because of the scar on his chin and they're not supposed to have scars since they're physically perfect. I found her attraction to him because of this scar really interesting since it seems so different to the normal qualities many heroines in YA novels are attracted to.

This dystopian society is really stupid. They all think women are the bane of existence and force them to cover their bodies and spout how females are evil - basically back to the whole 'Eve ate the apple so all females are evil and have black souls' crap that we see in the pages of history. Pretty crap. But it does fit with the whole theme of the novel, which is how society has kind of fallen apart after a big war and created these super beings - so why do they need females anymore?

I read this a few weeks ago so I'm not sure I really remember Tess's personality, but I did like her. She's a bit cynical and she's really innocent, too, because she grew up in such a different environment and so she doesn't really know how to act around boys - or the chosen ones. The chosen ones are actually really arrogant guys and practically abuse the girls working at the training facility. They think they're superior (which they are...) and so they treat the girls horribly and no one will give a crap. So I wanted to shoot most of the COs.

So the plot isn't very fast moving, but I like that since I don't have to struggle to keep up. It does speed up at the end though, but the ending kind of let me down. I don't think I'll read the sequel to this.

My verdict: I enjoyed this book since it ties really closely with my English studies so I understood its depth better. I liked the heroine and whilst I don't think I'll continue on with this series, it was a good read that took me into a world that seemed completely realistic.

Alice's Review: Existence by Abbie Glines

Released: 13th December 2011
eBook: 194 pages
Price: $4.99
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Series: Existence Trilogy
Series Order:
1. Existence
2. Predestined (4th April 2012)
Summary:  

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.

Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realised the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.

Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realise is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

My Rating:

A BIG FAT ZERO

My Opinion:
The blurb of this book sounds awesome and once you get over the name 'Pagan' (really, what cruel mother would name her child Pagan? 'Paige' is way more suitable) it doesn't seem too bad at the beginning. But then everything goes downhill from there.

So Pagan and her (much more appropriately named) best friend Miranda are starting their junior or senior year at high school (I've honestly forgotten!) and they're wooing over a guy called Leif (which I pronounce 'Layf' not 'Leaf' because I read Deltora Quest in class when I was a little girl and Lief was called 'Layf', though now I realise they have different spellings). So Pagan walks into school and sees this hottie soul following her and - gasp - he speaks to her. She's appropriately surprised and tries to avoid him but eventually falls for him because he talks to her (they're very short conversations and there are only about six of them) and seems to care for her. All this time she has hooked up with Leif.

Then Pagan's soul appears at school and he is a kind-of-famous member of a band. His name? Dank Walker. You know, how you describe mouldy, wet places as 'dank'? Yeah... So before his appearance at her school, he prevents Pagan from dying (c'mon guys, we all know that Dank is Death, it's so obvious!) in a car accident and sings her to sleep every night in the hospital. During this time and their very brief and few chats (with him mostly appearing out of nowhere and scaring her) he and Pagan fall in love though Pagan continues stringing Leif on until who knows when because she doesn't break up with him in the end of the book, though she is about to.

So between Dank appearing at her school and the end of the book, Dank disappears because he and Pagan had a fight or something and erases everyone's memories of him (why?!?), Pagan is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and is sent to a mental institution for young people when she is clearly SANE. And then she kind of but not really dies and comes back to life. So yeah. I wanted to put this down. A lot. About thirty pages in, when it started going bad. But I wanted to know what would happen in the end. Let me tell you: not worth it!

First off, what the hell is this author thinking? Why would she make Dank (I can't get over his name!) go to Pagan's school for a few months and then suddenly disapepar? What is the point of this? As well as him flirting with the slutty girl in her year? WHY? I don't understand. ._.

And why was Pagan sent to a mental institution? How could the docs not see how sane she was? Why would she string Leif along even when Dank is flirting with and almost kissing her every ten minutes? I just don't understand why most of these things happened. I was WTFing most of the way through.

The only redeemable character in this was Leif and he's revealed to be some supernatural creature at the end and is implied to be evil. I was sad because I like Leif. He was so sweet to Pagan when she was such a stupid brat. This novel has cemented how some characters in YA novels are stupid and useless. This is not a good example of a great YA novel and it makes me weep for all the fantastic ones out there.

My verdict: My dear subscribers/readers, please do not purchase this book because it makes barely any sense. The concepts of this book could have been so much better executed! But they weren't and I ended up wondering what the author was smoking whilst writing this.

Alice's Review: Embrace by Cherie Colyer

Released: 20th December 2011
Paperback: 207 pages
Price: $14.99
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Source: Publisher for honest review
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Series: --
Summary:

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realises he’s a guy harbouring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I gotta say, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book at the beginning but I did end up enjoying it quite a bit. I would say that this is a light read to take with you to the beach (as I have done) or to read between homework as a small break. It's not that short actually, to fit in for a small break though, don't worry. This is a full length novel.

This starts off with a girl named Madison going to a party with her bestie and meting a guy - Isaac - and being really hot for him. They hook up pretty quickly, too, which disappointed me because I love to read romances where the falling in love part takes time as the leads get to know each other. But of course, this isn't part of a series so the author really doesn't have much time to develop a proper relationship.

Things start getting shifty when Madison receives a necklace from an admirer - which I thought was really stupid of her to do because she'd told him she'd never see him as more than a friend but still accepted the necklace. Umm, okay. I knew something bad was going to happen. What surprised me was that it happened to her best friend and it had me wondering why it was happening to Kaylee instead of Madison. This mysrery is solved and then the paranormal happenings begin!

For those of you who want to know what paranormal element this book has - vampires? werewolves? aliens?! - you'll have to read to find out. Though I myself was surprised! The paranormalcy didn't start till about the middle or so and that was when I started getting sucked in. The ending completely surprised me - like who the bad guy was - and I liked how it wasn't the obvious person!

I want to say that Madison wasn't my favourite character - Josh was. Josh is Kaylee's boyfriend and he's such a great guy. I kept picturing him as one of my friends whose name is also Josh. Josh really cares about Kaylee and turns out to be even awesomer than I thought he was, which was really cool. He and Kaylee played such an important part in this that I have to say that they're the it couple, not Madison and Isaac. 

My verdict: Embrace has a gorgeous cover and a good plot. While I didn't like some bits, I did enjoy reading this because it has good paranormals, some great characters and isn't part of a series - and I haven't read a stand alone book in quite a long time! It was a good break to my usual books.

Alice's Review: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Released: 25th May 2010
Paperback: 306 pages
Price: AU$16.99
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Book Depository
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Action
Series: Chronicles of Nick
Series Order:
1. Inifnity
2. Invincible
3. Infamous (13th March 2012)
Summary:

Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is renowned. But his whole world is suddenly turned upside down on the night his best friends try to kill him.  Saved by a mysterious warrior, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters - immortal vampire-slayers who risk everything to save humanity - and he quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one that's filled with all kinds of evil. Nick knows he's in real danger and he soon has a lot more to deal with than starting high school - all without getting grounded, suspended...or killed.

My Rating:

There are spoilers but they will have warnings before them in red.

My Opinion: 
Okay so I'd seen this a few years before in Kmart but didn't buy it because I hadn't read the DH (Dark-Hunter) books and had no idea why I would want to read this book. Then, last year I started the DH books and they soon became one of my favourite series! And then I remembered that Infinity book I'd seen but hadn't bought but now needed to read. So I went online and bought it (for a great bargain too - $4.50!) and impatiently waited for it to arrive. Which it did two days ago. I may have finished it within hours.

Anyways, enough back story. Let's get to the review. You guys don't necessarily have to read Kenyon's DH books but they provide a lot of context - and you will also LOVE them. So get on in there and read a couple before you try out this book because I know I would've been really confused if I hadn't read the DHs before it. I think I prefer CoN to DH because I really love Nick. I feel so bad for him but I also want to kick him in the arse a lot of the time, so getting to read about him and knowing his thoughts and feeling was awesome.

This starts off with Nick as a fourteen year old going to an exclusive high school as a scholarship kid. He and his mum aren't well off and he gets a hard time because of it, which then leads to him getting suspended for punching a kid and then getting into a bad sitch in the evening. When he tries to get out of it, his so called 'friends' decide to beat him up and then shoot him - but luckily he is saved by Kyrian, who is a DH. I won't explain the entire plot because this is a must-read book and I don't want to spoil anything for you!

This is a really funny book. I laughed a lot in this and absolutely loved it. I thought Nick was a bit too mouthy sometimes and wanted to punch him for some of the things he said and I also thought he sounded a bit too mature for a fourteen year old.  But hey, he'd grown up really well with his mum (I love Cherise, she is one of the nicest characters in the DH books and is so lovely to read about) so maybe his childhood accounted for him being mature. What I found super annoying was him falling for every hot girl he saw! Sheesh, Nick, horny much?

*Spoilers in next paragraphs* 

There were times when the book kind of dragged for me, but only because I couldn't wait to get to the more exciting parts. What boggled my mind was the appearance of 'Ambrose', who is revealed to be the present Nick trying to reverse his fate! At first I was confused but when it was explained, Ambrose made me so proud because of his efforts to change his future. He really warmed my heart and that scene in the car with Cherise made me burst into tears.

As I was reading this, I realised something: there was a plot hole. In one of the DH books (in Tabitha and Val's book) Nick ends up sleeping with Simi and tells Tabby that he'd never met her before because Ash never allowed her near him since he knew what a womaniser Nick was and Ash didn't want Sim to have 'carnal knowledge'. But Nick has met her because Simi appears in this book! Maybe I'm missing something, please correct me if I'm wrong!

*End of spoilers*

My verdict: This is a book I will reread many times and each time I will enjoy it just as much as I did the first time. For those of you who are Nick lovers, CoN is a perfect book series because it features Nick and provides so much more insight to his history and personality!

Alice's Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Released: January 2012 (Aus)
Paperback: 390 pages
Price: $19.99 (Aus)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, adventure, action
Series: Healer 
Series Order:
1. Touch of Power
2. Scent of Magic (2013)
Summary: Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. 

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince - leader of a campaign against her people. 

As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

My Rating:

My Opinion: Since March of last year, Maria has become one of my favourite authors. Her books include action, adventure, great heroines, romance and handsome heroes. What could I not love about them?  I was super excited to finally spot Touch of Power in my local Kmart and bought the book for a discounted price (a bonus!).

It starts off with Avry getting caught by the police for being a healer, which is very, very bad. There was a huge plague and someone spread rumours that the healers (people who are able to heal any injury by  absorbing it onto themselves. Eg someone has a cut on their arm, so Avry can use her magic to absorb it to herself, so she will assume that cut and it will heal quicker on her because of her powers) were the cause of the plague, so any healer was put to death. She is saved from death by a band of rogues and quickly makes good friends with them.

This band of rogues would become her little family, which is really awesome since she'll need all the help she can get to escape from the various mercenaries out to hunt her down for the huge bounty on her head. I really liked Belen because he is like the older brother I don't have but want!

Reading this book was awesome because the lead, Avry (pronounced as Avery), is strong-willed, stubborn, opinionated and sassy. She doesn't give in to anyone's demands, is smart and very likeable. I loved that she was witty and quick with comebacks and she made me laugh. She also irritated the hell out of Kerrick and it was so obvious that they would fall in love. Kerrick is smart, brave, a good fighter and a forest mage, which makes him very stealthy in the forest. He's also quick to anger when Avry speaks out against Ryne, the sick prince he needs her to save.

My verdict: I couldn't put this book down! Combine a great plot with a set of great characters and that equals Touch of Power. Maria's talent for writing such great books needs to be admired.

Alice's Review: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Paperback: 256 pages
Price: AUD$17.95
ISBN: 9780061978845
Released: 23rd June 2011(Aus)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Author's Website: http://www.gwendolynheasley.com/
Obtained: Bought
Genre: YA
Summary: Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City--shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . . 

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shovelling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.--before the recession--was as perfect as it seemed.

My Rating: 

Beware, there are a few spoilers in this review. Read at your own peril.

My Opinion: I thought this book would be completely different. The cover, for example, led me to believe this would be a cute girl gets cute cowboy type of story. I mean look at that gorgeous cover. How could I not buy this book hoping to be totally engrossed and love the story? It wasn't a love story. Not even close.

Corrinne is basically one of those clichéd rich-bitches from Gossip Girl: shallow, uncaring and pompous. She includes this letter in the beginning going on about how much she's changed and how mean she used to be and blah blah blah. Right. I just wanted to get on to the love story that never happened. Corrinne annoyed me. Something else annoyed me too: the use of 'I am'. Do you know anyone in this world who says 'I am' instead of 'I'm'? Like, no one in this book says 'I'm', it's always 'I am' and it got so damn annoying. And 'you are' instead of 'you're'. Ugh!! Why didn't the editor pick up this totally annoying mistake? I got so sick of reading I am not ready, I am going out, I am sorry and etc.

Those of you who wanted a sweet little love story to pick up your day will not get it. I considered just DNFing this book but I read some reviews on Good Reads about the ending and just decided to plough through it to see what kind of ending it would have. I finished the book twenty minutes ago and I barely even remember the ending; shows how much I was into this book, huh?

The only redeemable characters were Corrinne's grandparents, brother Tripp (who names their kid Tripp?), Corrinne's lovely friend Kitsy and her boyfriend, Hands. I really liked Hands, he seemed like a great guy even though he wasn't really featured a lot. That hottie from work turned out to be a major jerk and Corrinne ended up going for this guy named Bubby in the last two pages. Bubby is the guy who constantly made fun of her, by the way.

I guess a lot of people like the story about the reformed diva but this wasn't my cup of tea. I much prefer a love story and this had great potential to be a love story about a reformed diva, which, truthfully, is an awesome concept, especially if you love cowboys, which I do. 

My verdict: If not for Kitsy and Corrinne's adorable brother, this book would have been a DNF. The characters alone-- excluding Corrinne and her friend Waverly-- made me give this book a two-star rating instead of a one-star. Don't spend money on this book, just borrow it from the library.

Alice's Review: The Shadow of Tiamat by Sean Poindexter

Paperback: 342 pages
Price: AUD$29.99
ISBN: 9781937254193
Released: 1st December 2011
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Author's Website: http://www.seanpoindexter.com/
Obtained: Author review copy
Genre: Adult, urban fantasy
Series: Dragon's Blood Chronicles
Book Order:
1. The Shadow of Tiamat
2. The Will of the Darkest One (TBA)

Summary: On a dark Ozark highway, two souls meet in tragedy and find their lives are connected to things bigger than them both. Megan Crunk, a social worker from Joplin, uncovers vampires preying on a small community. That same day, she meets Garrett, a fascinating stranger who is clearly more than he seems. But, as Meg slowly learns, so is she...

Garrett Terago is an ancient dragon, and until now, content with the secluded Ozark mountains. Disguised as a human, but rarely paying them heed, until he meets Megan. He offers her love and protection from the vampires but can he keep her safe from his own kind?

War looms between the dragons. Some long for a time lost to prehistory, when they were worshipped as gods, masters of the world. Somehow, Garrett is instrumental to their plans and Megan is in their way.

My Rating: 

My Opinion: This is an urban fantasy novel with dragons, vampires and whatnot. It has a romantic element to it (the two protagonists fall in love and etc) and that element wasn't to my tastes. Most of you guys are females, right? (I assume because it would be slightly embarrassing for a guy to be browsing a site called The Book Faery.) I know a lot of us are guilty at balking at reading a romance written by a male, which is why some male writers of romance often use acronyms or pseudonyms.

I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read this book because of that, but I did because hello, dragons. I love dragons. (For those who love dragons, check out Katie MacAlister's books. Her dragon series are Aisling Grey, Silver Dragons and Light Dragons. All books are romance and full of laughs.) I must say, the dragons in this book are quite cool and I did like the parts with dragons in them.

The first chapter starts off with Garrett telling Megan that he is a dragon after she asks him if he's a vampire. This was way out of context and, in my opinion, should have been in the middle of the book when she actually confronts him. It felt like the chapter has been taken out of where it should have been and placed at the beginning for no logical reason. I did like Megan's character because she's strong, independent and resourceful. What I found annoying was her 'natural pessimism' because she was sure everyone would be thinking badly of her and her actions all the time. Sheesh, calm down, girl.

What put me off was the romance. I admit to thinking female writers write better romance than men and this book still has me firmly hanging onto that thought. I can't pinpoint it, but there was something off about the way Mr Poindexter wrote the romance. I can't put my finger on it, but I just didn't like it. Also, did there need to be girl-on-girl scenes? Really, Mr Poindexter? Very classy.

This book does have sex scenes in them, but I just skipped them. I wasn't in the mood for reading sex so I just avoided it. Plus, it would have felt weird, being written by a man, since this book was in third person but did focus a bit on the girl's thoughts and feelings. Just... not my cup of tea. Truthfully, this book was almost a DNF for me. I just couldn't get very much into it. Plus, talk about a freaking cliffhanger ending! It was stupid how the entire second half of the book talked about how Megan was different (as in, a paranormal creature) but didn't reveal WHAT she was at the end.

My verdict: Sure, if you like dragons, overly described naked females and action, this book is for you. I had a hard time getting into it because of several turn-offs, but I can admit that others without my prejudices will enjoy it. Just not, you know, me.

Alice Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Paperback: 448 pages
Price: AUD$24.99
ISBN: 9780732292614
Released: 1st January 2011 (Aus)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Author's Website: http://cynthiahandbooks.com/
Buy it: Fishpond
Obtained: Bought
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
Series: Unearthly
Book Order:
1. Unearthly (my review)
2. Hallowed
3. TBA
Summary: Clara Gardner knew that as a part angel she would one day have to fulfill her purpose, rescuing Christian from a forest fire...what she never considered was what might happen if she were to fail.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend Tucker, Clara must deal with the repercussions of what happened the day of the fire as the two boys vie for her heart. And, as she is drawn further into the world of angels and part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain after a shocking revelation, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning...  

My Rating:

My Opinion: God, where do I start? You know that whole thing where the sequels aren't really ever as good as the first book? I was so worried that this would apply to Hallowed and that I wouldn't like it, but that is so not true. This book blew me away.

Unearthly and Hallowed are in my top ten of 2011 list because they are both so good.

What saddens me is that I really can't go in too deep with this review because of spoilers! I would love to discuss so many awesome things with you guys but most of you haven't read this yet and won't for at least a month! I was lucky enough to spot this in Kmart early. :)

Cynthia Hand writes beautifully; she describes places, Clara's emotions, thoughts and the dialogue clearly and beautifully. Her writing is very pleasant to read and the imagery is vivid. That's what I enjoy about it-- you can almost see it like a movie in your head. 

For those of you who have read Unearthly, you'll know about the big plot twists and questions left behind in the first book; well, some of those questions (as in, What the hell was Jeffrey doing? and Christian or Tucker?!?!) are answered, some of them not (like, Who is Angela's secret Italian boyfriend!?). Oh, and there are a few big surprises in this book that completely knocked me off track, but I definitely liked one of them.

So the plot leaves off a few weeks after Unearthly ended and it's about Clara going back to school and having to deal with the big Christian or Tucker question. Tucker of course is not happy to learn that Christian believes that he and Clara are destined other and Clara feels guilty every time she hangs out with Christian, even though she and him are now friends.  She's also having these visions of a funeral and we find out whose it is towards the middle, which left me extremely sad.

I love it when I'm emotionally invested in a book because it makes the reading experience so much better, you know? Well wow, this book was one big emotional roller coaster. Some bits made me smile a lot, others had me clutching the book tightly and wondering if our brave protagonists would survive and others? A few tears may have slipped out during a few moments. This book isn't as funny as its predecessor but only because it's a lot more serious. This is about Clara growing up and deciding her future and coping with a huge loss as well as a gain. Clara really shows maturity here and it made me admire her more.

My verdict: The ending of this book had me in tears but also gave me hope. A definite page-turner, Hallowed is a must-read that needs to be at the top of everyone's TBR pile when it comes out in January!

Happy New Year's, guys! In my little corner of the world (aka Australia) it's New Year's Eve RIGHT NOW and we've only got five hours of 2011 left. I hope you guys are enjoying your holidays (skiing, snowboarding, swimming, surfing, eating huge amounts of food, etc) and that the new year will treat you all well. ~Alice xx