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.

Tori's Review: Between by Kerry Schafer

Released: January 29, 2013  
Paperback: 304 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Between
Buy: Amazon


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Vivian Maylor can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because she just broke up with her boyfriend and moved to a new town, or it could be the stress of her new job at the hospital. But perhaps it’s because her dreams have started to bleed through into her waking hours.

All of her life Vivian has rejected her mother’s insane ramblings about Dreamworlds for concrete science and fact, until an emergency room patient ranting about dragons spontaneously combusts before her eyes—forcing Viv to consider the idea that her visions of mythical beasts might be real.

And when a chance encounter leads her to a man she knows only from her dreams, Vivian finds herself falling into a world that seems strange and familiar all at once—a world where the line between dream and reality is hard to determine, and hard to control…

My Rating:  

My Opinion:
Ever read a book that's left you scratching your head, wondering what you just read? BETWEEN is all that, and so much more. I feel like my review is going to sound confused at best. If it does, that is because this book left me so bewildered I still don't understand half of what I read one week later.

It started off well enough. There was an interesting heroine, an interesting back story, and the pacing was nice and even. Then we meet the hero(?) of the book, and things started to get a little trippy. Instant attraction, whispers of a past together, even though the two never met in that reality. Why wouldn't they have met in the same reality? Well, apparently, there are three different realms in this world: dreaming, waking, and the between. Interesting concept, right?

I remember thinking to myself: wow, this is so unique, what an awesome book! But then we shift. When Vivian comes to understand that she is some sort of Dreamshifter (I think that's what she was called), instead of becoming a badass heroine who takes her powers and destiny into her own hands, she seems to just drift. Vivian is wishy-washy at best. There is nothing about her personality that stood out, and I found myself growing more and more frustrated as things grew more and more confusing.

My biggest issue, however, despite the poor explanations of the different realms and where Vivian was traveling next, was the rape. I'm not sure which realm Vivian was raped in. It wasn't even that descriptive (I would have DNFed if it was), but it did not further the plot in any way. It sort of just happened, and she enters another realm 3/4 of the way into it, feels sore, and that's the end of it. No emotional reaction, no evolution of her as a character.

I am not okay with this, and I cannot figure out why authors think it is okay incorporating such a delicate subject in such tasteless ways that do not further the plot.

To make things worse, when Vivian meets the man who raped her in one world in the Between, he is dominating and arrogant, and you pretty much get the vibe that he will try to rape her again in this world. And how does Vivian react? Well... she doesn't. She just continues drifting, lets him manhandle her, and that's it.

Adding to the confusion of what realm Vivian is in is the addition of the same character, but as different characters. You have the real world versions, then in the Between, you have the "dreaming" versions of these characters. Vivian is confused, and that confusion was amplified for me as I struggled to understand just what was happening.

It's not often that I rate a book with 1 star. Even less that I have such an intense dislike for something I've read. If the rape was not included in this story, it would not have been memorable for me; since it was, I can't help but feel a little angry every time I recall this story.

Final verdict? Avoid this one unless you want to torture yourself trying to figure everything out. And watch out for the rapey scenes.


Series Order:
1. Between

Tori's Review: Playing with Fire by Tamara Morgan

Released: August 7, 2012
E-book: 81 pages
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: N/A 
Buy: Amazon


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Fiona Nelson has always been one hot ticket—even before she took the conversion serum that gave her superhuman abilities. Fiona's powers come at a price: lack of human contact, or she won't be the only thing burning. When she loses control of her emotions, her fire powers run rampant...and she's hurt enough people already.

Including herself.

But when the man behind her conversion returns to blackmail her into helping him gain power, the only person she can turn to is Ian Jones, the man who broke her teenage heart. The man determined to expose the criminal known as Fireball, whose explosive escapades are just a little too close to Fiona's M.O.

Ian is convinced Fiona's dangerous, convinced she's Fireball, and convinced he'll damn himself if he doesn't resist a heat that's always drawn him to Fiona like a moth to a flame—but Ian has his own secrets.

And he'll learn far too soon what happens when you play with fire.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I like novellas, I really do. What I don't always like about them is the fact that the romance sometimes does not work very well. For me, such was the case in PLAYING WITH FIRE.

I did not understand the attraction between Fiona and Ian. They supposedly have a rough high school past, but Fiona just finds him so delicious that, despite those harsh memories, she practically turns into a puddle of goo internally when they run into each other at the start of the story. "Okay," I thought to myself, "It can't be so bad, right? She just re-met some hottie with a body in the park!" My problem was that her memories of Ian turned me off from him almost instantaneously. If she felt she was so mistreated back then, why would she even give him a second thought so many years later? Is her self confidence that shoddy that she would settle for a jerk? Right from the start I was against this pairing, which did not bode well for the rest of the story.

Ian's character (and this is going from memory because it's been about a month since reading) was really not all that memorable, aside from the fact that he was like a stick in the mud and very broody. Fiona was a bit more likeable, but overall, these characters did not really stick with me.

What initially drew me in was the superpower approach the author took. I suppose I'm a sucker for humans with abilities such as controlling fire and the like. It was interesting, and I enjoyed the method of administering such abilities to the humans in this world. I think PLAYING WITH FIRE would have been more successful as an urban fantasy with a side of romance, as opposed to primarily being a romance. I felt like the interesting aspects of the novella were overwhelmed by lackluster characters. Too bad, too.


Series Order:
1. Playing With Fire

Tori's Review: Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole

Released: November 27, 2012
Paperback: 496 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 
Source: Bought 
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: The Dacians 
Buy: Amazon


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Shadow's Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament—to the death.

He won't be denied...

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people, striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore's most fearsome villains.

She's bound to another...

Desperate to earn her guardians' approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she's lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A battle for her body and soul...

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina's heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium's worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina's own desires to a fever-pitch...

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Bzzt, bzzt. Brain has short-circuited from the awesomeness of this book.

Okay, on a serious note, I don't want to write a fangirl review. BUT since I am a KC fangirl, I find it impossible to avoid. For that reason, I think it is safe to say that once again, Kresley Cole has written an amazing title that you would be silly not to read. These books just keep getting better, the characters are always unique, and there's always humor. Who doesn't enjoy a good old dollop of humor in their cup of romance?

I am intrigued to learn about the other Dacians now that we've gotten a taste of who each of these sexy vamps are through Trehan's story. I was particularly happy to see Lothaire make an appearance. I laughed my ass off in a lot of those scenes.

Another must read. I think you should read the IAD series first (just to attain a further understanding of this world), however, it is not entirely necessary to do so. You simply run the risk of not appreciating some of the characters as much as us IAD fans do.


Series Order:
1. Shadow's Claim

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! :)

Tori's Review: The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams

Released: October 30, 2012
Paperback: 304 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin 
Source: Bought 
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: McKenzie Lewis 
Buy: Amazon


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McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war between the fae.

With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I didn't think THE SHATTERED DARK (TSD) was going to blow me away. For starters, I absolutely fell in love with the first book in this series, THE SHADOW READER, and I did not think that any book following could top it. The love triangle was artfully done, the characters were so unique and lovable, and the world was well developed. For those reasons, my expectations were incredibly high.

TSD was good, but unlike the first book in the series, I found many scenes to drag. It seemed like instead of confronting issues, everything was shoved aside for a later date. The beginning was slow for me. It took me a while to get back into the world and to remember everyone's personalities. Once I did adjust, however, I was hooked--even with the slow middle half--because I was reunited with the characters I fell in love with.

One thing is that I wish there was more romance. There were a few teasers, but said teasers were more reflections of the past as opposed to any progress in the present. I took issue with this because the first book in the series set a certain tone, and TSD didn't exactly follow through in the way that I expected. It isn't until the final pages in TSD that we really see any relationship progression, and oh lordy it is heart wrenching. Worth the wait, but now I have to wait until the third book in this series comes out next year in order to find out what happens next.

I'd say that the ending is a reflection of what I fell in love with in THE SHADOW READER. Everything else was a buildup, and while it wasn't my favorite, it certainly got me prepped (without me even realizing it) for what happened.

A good sequel, but THE SHADOW READER is still the best in the series thus far. Regardless of my complaints, this is one series you will want to read because of how well developed and entertaining it is.

Series Order:
1. The Shadow Reader (Tori's Review)
2. The Shattered Dark

Tori's Review: Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione

Released: November 20, 2012
Paperback: 432 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Netgalley 
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: Lords of Deliverance 
Buy: Amazon


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Jillian Cardiff came to this remote mountain town to forget the demon attack that almost killed her. Instead, she rescues-and falls for-a gorgeous stranger who has no memory of anything other than his name. Handsome, charming, and protective, Reseph seems like the kind of man whom Jillian can trust. But with hints of a troubling history of his own, he's also the kind of man who can be very dangerous . . .

Reseph may not know why he mysteriously appeared in Jillian's life, but he knows he wants to stay. Yet when Jillian's neighbors are killed, and demon hunters arrive on the scene, Reseph fears that he's putting Jillian in danger. And once it's revealed that Reseph is also Pestilence, the Horseman responsible for ravaging the world, he and Jillian must face the greatest challenge of all: Can they forget the horrors of a chilling past to save the future they both desire?

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Larissa Ione has done it yet again. She has blown me away with her superb writing skills, lovable characters, and a world that is so lush it's hard to remember that it's not real.

I think Reseph's story was the one I anticipated the most. I loved his playboy character, his carefree attitude, and I was so curious to see how she would redeem him after his ugly transformation into the wicked Pestilence. I was also worried that the heroine in this novel wouldn't live up to my expectations. I have a tendency to expect the heroine to be badass enough to be with the heroes I adore, and more often than not, a lot of the heroines end up being whiny and lack a backbone.

Not the case with Jilly (am I going to get hit with a frying pan??). Despite her traumatizing past, she essentially shoves her fears aside and defends those she cares for. Her character isn't suffocating with motherly instincts. She isn't a pushover. She knows what she wants, and she won't cave in--even to Reseph. And Reseph in turn doesn't turn into some whipped boytoy by the end of the story. He was humbled without being emasculated. Hoorah!!

I thought that this would be the end to the Horsemen series, but I was thrilled to see that there would be another book. No saying goodbye yet. There were so many twists this time around, and I came to care for characters I initially felt deserved whatever horrible fate they had coming their way. It's amazing how a few scenes can completely change my perspective, and I think this just affirms that Larissa is an excellent storyteller.

Worldbuilding is of course amazing. The plot doesn't have any lulls in it. The sex, like always, was hot. Not too many mushy scenes that would make you feel like you'd get a bunch of cavities; in fact, those lovey scenes didn't turn me off like they sometimes do in other books. It worked, and I think it worked because I knew that those scenes held so much more meaning because of the characters and their pasts.

Another amazing read. Start this series from the beginning. Like I've said in other reviews, if you really want to appreciate this world, start from the very beginning in the Daemonica series. Lots of books to read, but its worth it in the end.

Series Order:
1. Eternal Rider (Tori's Review)
2. Immortal Rider (Tori's Review)
3. Lethal Rider (Tori's Review)
4. Rogue Rider

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! :)

Tori's Review: Death's Rival by Faith Hunter

Released: October 2, 2012
Paperback: 336 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin 
Source: Publisher 
Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Series: Jane Yellowrock 
Buy: Amazon

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Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead…

For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane. But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey.

Now, to uncover the identity of the vamp who wants Leo’s territory, and to find the cause of the vamp-plague, Jane will have to go to extremes…and maybe even to war.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Holy sweet baby Jesus, this book was good.

It took me longer than expected to finish DEATH'S RIVAL (DR); I was planning on finishing the day after I started, and wanted to have my review posted before the October release date. Alas, GREs thwarted my plans--but I managed to survive them! ...unfortunately, I don't think I will survive the wait for the next book.

It's no secret that I am a fangirl of the JY series, and these books hold a special place in my heart. SKINWALKER was the first novel I ever wrote a review for on Book Faery. Jane, Beast, Leo, Rick, and Bruiser are a unique bunch, and they never fail to keep me amused. Much like Kresley Cole's IAD series, whenever I read about Jane and her world, I feel like I'm coming back home and reuniting with some good friends.

The start, much like RAVEN CURSED (RC), was somewhat slow for my tastes. It took me a brief period of time to become fully immersed in Faith's writing. Like I said in my review of RC, those who may not be as invested in the series (or those of you sillies who read this series out of order) have a higher chance of not feeling invested enough to continue reading the book. I hope not, but based off my own reading experiences from new-to-me authors/novels, if I'm not pulled in right away, I probably won't continue reading. What I've come to notice in the more recent books in the JY series is that the beginnings are a slow buildup. By the time you finally get to the last few scenes, it's like an avalanche effect; Faith hits you over the head with one thing after another and I absolutely love it.

Religion and Jane's faith came up again, but I did not find it to be as obnoxious as it was in MERCY BLADE (MB). Jane has, for the most part, come to terms with her beliefs, and she has come to understand and accept what is morally acceptable for her person. I never thought I would say this, but I felt like her religion humanizes her when compared to the vampires that she interacts with on a daily basis. This is especially true by the final showdown...which was amazing.

There are quite a few plot twists in DR; one in particular made my jaw drop and had me squealing in displeasure about halfway through. I was so pissed on Jane's behalf, and I really wished I could have punched Leo for her. I eventually forgave him, but then the ending of the book had me about to start squealing again. By this point, I didn't know who I wanted to punch, though Rick may be the most likely candidate, surprisingly enough.

Speaking of the ending of the book: wow. It wasn't a cliffhanger by any means, but it was open-ended regarding a fairly important issue affecting both Jane and Beast. For that reason, it kind of feels like a cliffhanger for me--hence my angsting as I await the next book release.

One thing I think readers with similar tastes to my own will take issue with is the romance in this series. There is no set love interest (well I guess there kind of was before, but I'm not so sure that he is now after the way he reacted to Jane's reaction *sad panda*), but there are quite a few men that Jane and Beast either want to mate with or flirt with. I have no problem with this, because I think Faith handles everything both tastefully and realistically, but some readers who are jaded when it comes to YAs and the notorious love triangles may reflexively cringe at the number of men in Jane's life. I view it as: there aren't a lot of women in this line of work. Jane is a strong, beautiful, and independent woman with a mysterious air about her--of course all these single men are going to start panting over her if they interact with her on an almost daily basis. Hell, one of her nicknames is Legs. She's getting a lot of positive attention. What girl wouldn't react in a similar fashion?

Like I've been saying, if you haven't given the Jane Yellowrock series a shot, you really need to. The character development throughout the entire series is astounding, the worldbuilding is well thought out and unique, and the characters themselves will squirm their way into your heart and never let you go. The best piece of advice I can give is to start with SKINWALKER, and work your way through the series in order. If you start with a later book, you will be missing valuable information and character development. Definitely a must read.


Series Order:
1. Skinwalker (Tori's Review)
2. Blood Cross (Tori's Review)
3. Mercy Blade (Tori's Review)
4. Raven Cursed (Tori's Review)
5. Death's Rival

Tori's Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Released: July 10, 2012
Hardcover: 480 pages
Price: $17.99
Publisher: Random House 
Source: Amazon Vine 
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Series: Seraphina 
Buy: Amazon

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Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I am so depressed that I finished this book.

I wasn't expecting to have such a strong reaction to SERAPHINA; in fact, ask any of my friends the first day I started reading it and they could tell you that I was not impressed with this novel. The writing at the beginning reminds me of DoSaB By Laini Taylor, or anything by Maggie Stiefvater--not in how poetic it is, because I did not find SERAPHINA to be very poetic--but in how...different it is from the typical YA novel. I believe that, because this is a fantasy, the foreign names contributed to this "eccentric" writing style, if you will.

It was not until Seraphina met Lucien that I really took an interest in the book, if I'll be completely honest. I've been craving a good old romance, and once I realized that there was the potential for one between these two, I was hooked. I am still hooked now, and am desperately awaiting the second book in this series. Yes, there is the potential for a romance. Does one ever blossom? Maybe. Either way, I'm satisfied...for now.

I will say that Lucien is certainly not the typical romantic interest that I would squeal over. He's not dark and not an ass (well, not without good reason, anyway)--not that I support either of those qualities. He's very bubbly and cheerful, and I think he is like that in order to draw Seraphina out of her shell. I didn't see myself swooning over him like I would some other YA or adult heroes, but I liked him. He needs to grow on me more.

Seraphina was peculiar. I liked her as a character, but she kind of fell flat for me. I felt engrossed in her trials, felt myself tearing up at one particular scene, was cheering her on as she developed and grew a pair, and at the same time, I was apathetic about her. I can't describe it. I suppose I felt some sort of disconnect when it came to all the characters. They didn't pop, but I would not go so far as to say they're 2D.

There was another factor that kept me reading, even before I caught on to the potential for a romance: the dragons. I found this entire world, and how the dragons play a role in it, to be incredibly fascinating. Even when I felt myself growing tired of Lucien at some points, the dragons and my curiosity of them made me continue on. Then that curiosity shifted to the half dragons, and all the illusions inside Seraphina's head. When those creatures were first introduced, I had no interest... But leave it to Rachel to suddenly make them so important--and in turn, so mysterious--that I'm dying to learn more about them! Especially the girl who was sealed away (won't say anything more, you'll just have to read the book to know what I'm talking about).

Does this novel end with a cliffhanger? Yes and no. No, you will not be screaming and threatening the air because the story was suddenly cut off at an important scene. Yes, there are plenty of loose ends that have not been acknowledged because there is a second book in this series. I am content with how the story ended and will be able to survive the wait for book two, though I would be pissed if the series was suddenly discontinued.

Do I recommend? Well, you're either going to love it right away, you'll love it eventually (like me), or you'll probably feel apathetic. I don't think many people will hate it, but I do see people DNFing it because of the slow start. Honestly, this is one book that I'm wary of recommending because I had such an unexpected response to it.

Series Order:
0.5. The Audition (Tori's Review)
1. Seraphina
2. Dracomachia (2013 release)

Tori's Review: The Audition by Rachel Hartman

Released: June 19, 2012
Paperback: 19 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: N/A 
Source: Scribd
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Series: Seraphina 
Read: Scribd 



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My Rating: 

My Opinion:
This was such a cute little piece! It contained everything I fell in love with while reading SERAPHINA, and it was such an unexpected teaser that it made me want to reread SERAPHINA as soon as possible.

For those who loved the first book in this series, you will love THE AUDITION. Seraphina and Orma's interactions held more meaning to me after learning about the two in the novel. I found it humorous, to boot.

For those who were not too crazy about SERAPHINA, I am unsure if this short story will appeal to you, either. I've found that people either love Hartman's writing style, or they don't. It can't hurt to give THE AUDITION a shot, since it's free, though.

For those of you who have not yet read this series, I would suggest you save it to savor once you have finished SERAPHINA. I think that THE AUDITION gives readers a good taste of Hartman's writing style, but, unless you are familiar with the characters to begin with, I do not think many will appreciate them.

Either way, THE AUDITION is free, and I suggest you take the time to read this piece. I'm so happy I spent ten minutes to!


Series Order:
0.5. The Audition
1. Seraphina (Tori's Review)
2. Dracomachia (2013 release)


Seraphina Prequel WEB

Tori's Review: Crave the Night Anthology

Released: October 5, 2011
E-book: 372 pages
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Swell Cat Press
Source: Author
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: N/A
Buy: Amazon

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This collection of never-before-published novellas features paranormal pairings romance readers will pine for. Vampires, demons, werewolves, faeries and even a mermaid will satisfy the darkest of cravings.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Hidden by Sharon Ashwood -- 3/5
Lila and Rafe are a cute couple, but they don't hold a candle to Sharon's characters in her full length novels. This was not my favorite Ashwood piece of writing, which I am sad to say, since I've loved every book I've read in her series thus far. If this anthology is your first foray into her writing, I highly suggest you give her a second chance if you found HIDDEN to be anything less than amazing.

Having not read any of her books in a while, I felt like I was reentering the universe as a brand new reader. I recognized Darrak's name, but aside from him, I couldn't connect what I read in HIDDEN to anything in the PNR series. So, feeling like I was reading about a brand new world, I was left wanting more romance and worldbuilding. Lila and Rafe have an almost instant attraction, but Lila is the "bad" guy--albeit, a pitiful one. I was disappointed in the romance because it felt slightly rushed, but I understand how difficult it can be to flesh out characters, the romance, and a world in such a short word count.

Final verdict: a good piece, but nothing mindblowing like Sharon's PNR series is.


One Soul To Share by Lori Devoti -- 4/5
OSTS kept me interested the entire time while reading. The world was unique, and I found that, while I may have been weirded out about a mermaid having sex with a vampire (even if she had a human form, I just kept thinking about the tail and fin), I was able to ignore this knee jerk reaction and focus on the characters instead once the story picked up.

My only complaint: I was disappointed when it ended as abruptly as it did, and found myself wishing that Lori had a larger word count to include a final showdown with the Hag. As it currently is...well, I'm disappointed, and a bit agitated. The ending felt anticlimactic at best..

The romance between Nolan and Sarina was convincing, and I found the conflict to flow naturally--two qualities I notice most novellas lack in general. OSTS did not blow me away, but Lori's execution was impressive and I am interested in checking out other titles under her name. Novellas do not usually have that effect on me, so I think that is pretty spectacular.


Cruel Enchantment by Michele Hauf -- 3.5/5
I think this story had the most engaging intro out of the three so far. The big thing in CE was the idea of an Intended, but thankfully, there was no love at first sight. The romance felt a bit rushed, and I wasn't fully convinced that Bree and Rev fell in love as quickly as they did. Part of that was because Rev was an addict, and I felt that he spent a lot of time battling his addiction, and less focused on loving Bree.

This story didn't blow me away, but it was entertaining, albeit, a bit cliche.


Enemy Embrace by Patti O'Shea -- DNF
For whatever reason, I couldn't get into this one. I'm still not entirely sure why.

Overall this is a good anthology. I may not generally be the hugest fan of novellas, but I found at least one new author to check out. My primary reason for checking out CRAVE THE NIGHT was to read Sharon Ashwood's piece. It was not my absolute favorite, it did help make the wait for her next book release to become a bit more bearable.

I would say to definitely check CTN out if you're into anthologies. If, however, you're not a fan and prefer full-length books, you may be better off passing up this title if you're familiar with these authors already. And if you aren't? Well, it can't hurt to check it out, anyway.


Series Order:
1. Crave the Night

Tori's Review: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Released: October 2, 2012
Hardcover: 384 pages
Price: $18.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: BEA (and Karen, specifically!)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Series: The Arcana Chronicles 
Buy: Amazon

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Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Woah.

Worldbuilding is one of the strongest features in Kresley's books. She has these complex and captivating environments in her series that pull me in and keep me coming back for more--and POISON PRINCESS (PP) is no different. Instead of following before the Flash and after in a chronological order of events, we bounce back and forth between the two. Even better? Instead of a jarring experience, I felt that the shifts enhanced the story. By the end of the novel, all loose ends were tied and I felt like i had an "Aha!" moment. I understood this book in ways I did not before.

The concept of the Arcana is a unique approach to a new series that many YA readers have not yet seen, and I feel that this new and shiny allure will beckon many new readers. I have no doubt that Kresley will earn an even larger following of rabid fans. I'm convinced she can't write a bad book.

My only complaint, and why I rated this 4 stars, is about the characters. I'm used to Kresley's adult romances, which feature one couple per book in an overarching series. I've almost come to expect character flaws to be resolved and for the couple to live HEA and that's it. Instead, I'm now exploring a new series which is solely based on Evie's experiences, and for that reason, we obviously can't have everything perfect between her and Jack by the end of PP. I wish the other Arcana characters didn't annoy me as much as they did at times, but something tells me that they were purposefully written that way because the group just met and don't know each other. Regardless of logic explaining the why's, it was difficult to like many of the characters.

I want Evie and Jack together, and I appreciated the glimpses of the strengths these two shared as a couple. The problem was that both are very...difficult to like due to their pigheadedness. I have no doubt this will change in future installments, since Kresley doesn't ever leave her characters that lacking, but I think those new to her writing will write the duo off as hopeless. I hope new readers will hold out until at least book two.

Evie is a spoiled brat, which did not bother me since she does have a few redeeming qualities (which I think are related with her abilities), but I know many will not like her initially. My problem with her had more to do with her lack of development as a character until literally the last ten pages. She has a bad case of denial, and tried to run away from her problems and avoid confrontations. It took me until the end of the book to fully understand why she was so reluctant to tell Jack any of her secrets, and by that time, I was honestly glad that she didn't. The girl needed to have her own badass moment.

Jack...not many are going to like him, I think. He's a sexy Cajun, but he also drinks booze way too much. To top it off, he is a loose cannon ready to go off on anyone around him that doesn't deserve the treatment (but perhaps my conclusion has been tainted since I was reading this from Evie's POV). I couldn't understand his temper tantrums half the time, and yet, despite that, part of me connected with this character and his frustrations. I think Evie's annoying denials would have made anyone explode, and for that reason, he didn't come off as a completely unlikable hero. Just one that is a bit too rough around the edges at this point in time.

Aside from that complaint, this book was flawless, and I think this series is going to be another big hit amongst the reading community. Definitely recommend reading this!


Series Order:
1. Poison Princess

Tori's Review: Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Released: April 11, 2012
E-book: 60 pages
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Hachette 
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Jessica McClain
Buy: Amazon

Add this book to your Goodreads shelf

Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring. 

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .

My Rating:

My Opinion:
Chapter one has an interesting start, and one that instantly pulled me into the action and kept me reading despite some questions that kept bouncing around in my head; the first and most important question being: how on earth is a human surviving a brawl against a werewolf who is willing to risk his life in order to fight said human? I'm wondering if the threat of the Alpha is ever-present in the werewolf's mind, and in turn, making him hesitant to go all out?

Loved the witty dialogue in the first few chapters. Jessica is definitely feisty and made me laugh two pages in. I like her already. Also enjoyed how we are thrown into the bigger conflict right away, and very smoothly. I think I have a good general sense of Jessica thus far, which is a feat for a new character--in a novella, no less.

Some pieces of the dialogue following chapter one's strong start were a bit long-winded. Realistic in real life, maybe, but I felt it was a bit too long for one person to be talking in a book. I also found descriptions regarding Jessica's father to have a bit too much telling, and not enough showing for my tastes. Necessary, perhaps, considering this is a novella, though.

Both of these, however, were balanced out by my intrigue of the supernatural community that keeps getting mentioned. So far we know that werewolves are prevalent, but what other magical nasties are lurking to munch on our heroine for lunch?

Final verdict: loved the beginning, but after the confrontation, the novella began to drag a little bit with all the exposition. Since this is a prequel to FULL BLOODED, it would make sense to read this first; however, I do not think BLOODED gave the series and characters justice, though from what I've seen, many people absolutely loved the novella. I think the long-winded dialogue will improve as Amanda writes more novels. Hell, maybe this is just a fluke. We'll see when I read FULL BLOODED.

I think that BLOODED would be better to read after checking out the novel. I need a better sense of all the characters, and I currently feel like I do not appreciate them enough yet. I will address this further in my review of FULL BLOODED.


Series Order:
0.5. Blooded
1. Full Blooded (Tori's Review)

Tori's Review: Grave Memory by Kalayna Price

Released: July 3, 2012
Paperback: 384 pages
Price: $7.99
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Alex Craft 
Buy: Amazon

Add this book to your Goodreads shelf

When the dead need to talk, Alex Craft is always ready to listen…

As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead—an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn’t the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she’s always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there’s her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top everything off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie.

But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a mysterious suicide occurs in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shade she raises has no memory of the days leading up to his brutal ending, so despite the very public apparent suicide, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why does the shade lack the memory of his death? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all…

My Rating:

My Opinion:
I don't think I have ever closed a book and immediately had to satisfy the need to rage on twitter as badly as I had to after finishing GRAVE MEMORY. As I attempt to type this review, I am trembling because I am so pissed off (and happy, I'm very happy too) and I can't stand it. For that reason, I will start the review off with negatives, and end it with positives so I can go to bed thinking about my book husband.

Falin. I want to snarl whenever I think of him now. If anyone has read my reviews of the other two books in this series, then they know I am definitely rooting for Death/Alex. Hell, my placeholder review on Goodreads was "GIVE ME DEATH! I love that sexy beast! Rawr." So for that reason, I was not thrilled reading about Alex still straddling the fence regarding these two men. What is even worse is the fact that, while I actually DO like Falin's character, I do not like how he is being flung around as this object by the Winter Queen (understandable, but I don't have to like it), and I don't like how everyone's feelings in this triangle are getting trampled on.

I suppose this means I am invested in the story, huh?

What is even worse is the ending--literally the last couple of paragraphs--that totally trampled on the happy bubble I was temporarily living in. I think I was even on the verge of squeeing because I was so thrilled with how things were going. This ending is the sole reason for my rage. It literally jumped out of the bushes, stole my candy, and flipped me off before scampering away. It is somewhat like a cliffhanger, but not in the traditional sense. I won't say anything more, and I feel only those invested in the universe will truly feel elation or rage over the conclusion. You know which side I'm on.

The last thing that was a bit of a bummer was the first half of the book. There was a lot of detective work in this novel, and frankly, it was not my thing. I dont like books based soley on mystery; I want my fantasy, and I want my worldbuilding, and I certainly want my romance and kick ass scenes where the supernatural villain dies a supernaturally violent death that he/she deserved. That is why I read urban fantasy. Regarding the first half of the novel, well, I wanted more action, and I wanted all the characters I love in this series to have appeared sooner and stayed longer. I thought there was something wrong with me initially, since this series always sucked me in from page one, but once more of the fantasy elements resurfaced, I was engaged again.

Now for the good: Death.

No seriously, he made this book for me. I've never claimed a book boyfriend out loud before (though I may have thought of a few throughout the years as one. It's like polyandry, minus the marriage and the boyfriends knowing about each other...because I've claimed so many), and Death, after the scenes in this book, has been upgraded from boyfriend to fiancé, and now I am claiming him as my book husband. I know I sound like a total lunatic, but I am okay with that.

In all seriousness though, readers finally get to catch a glimpse of this mysterious, yet sexy, character, and he did not disappoint. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's an alpha male, but he certainly has some qualities of one. He also has so beta qualities, but is not entirely beta, either. I only wish he had more screen time, because I just cannot get enough of him. He made such an impression that it truly kills me to know that there was ever a love triangle to begin with.

I'm only tacking off a star because of the mystery-novel-who-dun-it that pervaded throughout most of the first half of the novel. Aside from that, I really do not have any other complaints, and I think the "bad" that I mentioned is bad because this series has sunken its claws into me and made me care. How often do we truly feel passionate about a book enough that we feel not only mad, but sad, and happy as well by the end? Especially as reviewers? Not often enough for me, that's for sure.

I'll take it, love triangle and all. If anything, I'll just claim Death for myself and Alex can have Falin.

Verdict: Must read. Go buy it now.

Series Order:
1. Grave Witch (Tori's Review)
2. Grace Dance (Tori's Review)
3. Grave Memory