Update: Finished this for the second time around, and LOVED it just as much. I can't wait to get started on Untold now. Hope my copy comes in the postUpdate: Finished this for the second time around, and LOVED it just as much. I can't wait to get started on Untold now. Hope my copy comes in the post tomorrow :)
4.5 stars...
I absolutely loved Unspoken. From the fantastic characters to the interesting plot and the funny quips that had me laughing out loud while reading this. It's shrouded in mystery and angst and kept me intrigued throughout.
The Lynburns, the town's founders, have suddenly moved back to the big house on the hill. Kami, as editor of the school newspaper is trying to get the story on them. So when Jared Lynburn turns out to be the boy that Kami has spoken to inside her head ever since she can remember, it seems she has an inside source.
Then the attacks begin. Kami, who aspires to be an investigative journalist, wants to figure out who's behind them, but she can't go to the police because they think Jared pushed her down the well. What secret's are the town, and the Lynburn's, hiding?
I adored Kami, I think she's my favourite female protag of all time. I just really took to her. I loved her crazy personality and totally enjoyed all her mad antics. Angela was great too and her snarky, sarcastic comments gave me some good laughs.
Jared was an awesome, leather jacket wearing, motor bike riding, mysterious bad boy. I feel we never really got to see the true Jared, he had walls built inside his head and didn't let Kami or the reader in.
While there isn't an actual romance in Unspoken, the relationship that Jared and Kami shared seemed filled with tension which I really enjoyed. I'm still not actually sure if they liked each other romantically as both their emotions towards each other seemed to change at times or their actions would contradict their thoughts. They do love each other deeply though, and I like to think that it will eventually turn romantic.
Which brings us to the cliffhanger ending. Why, why, why? It was just so cruel and I deducted a half star because of it. It was just too much for me. I can't believe I have to wait now until next June to see how things turn out....more
Falling to Ash was a book that I hadn't even heard of until I was offered a chance to request it. Of course, my love of vampires just wouldn't let me Falling to Ash was a book that I hadn't even heard of until I was offered a chance to request it. Of course, my love of vampires just wouldn't let me refuse and I just couldn't wait get started on it.
Marie, or Moth, as she now calls her vampire self was turned about a year ago when she was 18, but her maker, Theo, kept her hidden from the Family, for fear of repercussions to himself and Moth if they knew he had turned her without permission from them. The Family, are a vampire council who rule and police the vampires.
Theo, is the head vampire of Boston, a hot young looking vampire, who wooed and dated Marie before losing control one night and then turning her, rather than letting her die. He claims it was a lapse in judgement, but now, must face the consequences from the Family. Marie will be allowed to live if Theo can kill Thomas Murdoch, a notorious vampire hunter, and produce his head for the Family. Otherwise, Moth will be ended, taking a little bit of Theo's soul with her. He has one week.
Someone is killing teenagers who are connected to Moth in some way. The first guy, Rick, is a guy she went to college with. When Moth gets a visit from the police because the dead guy has her name and address on him, she senses something fishy and knows she needs to look into this herself. It appears to be a vampire attack so if she can get to the body, she may be able to pick up the scent of the vampire. If Theo gets wind of this she'll be in trouble.
She heads to the hospital, only to run into Jason Murdoch, son of Thomas, the vampire hunter. After a brief tussle, he decides to check things out with her. He can't let a vampire stroll freely around a hospital. They arrive at the morgue just in time to see Rick, sitting on a slab, chewing on an arm, the nurse dead at this feet. All of a sudden, Moth and Jace are on the same side.
I truly loved this book. Moth is a spectacular heroine, brave with a smart mouth but extremely caring when it comes to people she cares about. She's not happy about what she is but accepts that she has to get on with it. Despite Jace being a hunter, she can't help but find him attractive. He is definitely swoonworthy. While a romance doesn't actually take off between the two, the tension is there and when the two of them are together were probably my favourite times in the book.
Theo is Moth's maker, and therefore, she has to do what he says. While she complains about him a lot, I could feel a caring, compassionate relationship between them.
This is my first book to read by Karen Mahoney but I will definitely be looking into others. Falling to Ash is fast paced with sufficient action to keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn't want to put this book down. As yet there is no information on the second book but I really hope we're not going to be kept too long waiting....more
I'm not usually a big fan of novellas and rarely give them more than three stars, but when it has POV's from two of my favourite male characters from I'm not usually a big fan of novellas and rarely give them more than three stars, but when it has POV's from two of my favourite male characters from the Cambion series, Luke and Flynn, what's not to love.
No mercy is set back before either of the guys have ever spoken to Mercy, but they both admire her from afar. Flynn is afraid to make a move because she's one of the only girls who doesn't fall all over him, he is an incubus after all, and never short of female attention. And Luke, not sure exactly how Flynn really feels about her, and if it would upset him, won't make a move because, total guy thing, Flynn seen her first. He is kind of waiting for Flynn's permission.
The majority of this book is set at Flynn's family lakehouse where he's arranged to meet up with a girl, out from under the eye of his current girlfriend, Amanda. And Luke, being the great best friend that he is, is playing wingman, and keeping the girl's sister occupied. We get an inside look into how Flynn actually feels about his womanising, even though it's something he needs to do to. We also get a greater insight into the powers that Luke and Flynn possess and how they use them.
I really enjoyed this and it has left me longing for even more. I can't wait for the third book in this series and I just want to read the first two over again right now. When I finished this book I was thinking that the only thing that would have made it better would have been if it continued up to the spin the bottle game that starts off the series in Beg for Mercy. And lo and behold, the next morning I go to my inbox and find an email from Shannon's newsletter basically giving me just that, the spin the bottle game from the boys POV. In the book we just get Mercy's. And it was just as awesome as I thought it would be.
This is one of my all time favourite series and if you haven't read it yet, then why not? If you don't enjoy it, I'll eat my hat.
Beg for Mercy is just 99c on Amazon, snap it up!...more
I loved this book so much. From the first page, I really like Celaena and it wasn't long before I was a big fan of Chaol and Dorian too.
The Crown PriI loved this book so much. From the first page, I really like Celaena and it wasn't long before I was a big fan of Chaol and Dorian too.
The Crown Prince of Ardalan, Dorian, takes Celaena from the mines in Endovier where she's imprisoned for being the infamous "Ardalan Assassin." He wants her to compete in a competition that his father is having to find a personal assassin for the king. Dorian wants her to be his champion, and if she wins, after four years of service to the king, she will be granted her freedom. Celaena really has no choice but to agree as she knows she won't survive much longer in the mines.
The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, takes charge of her. He helps her with her training to get back in shape and prepare for the competition, shows her around the castle and sometimes dines with her in her rooms, but always ensures that she is guarded.
I really enjoyed the banter between Chaol and Celaena, you could gradually see their opinions of each other change. Celaena had kind of a smart, funny attitude when she wanted to and Chaol was a more serious character but I loved the way they bounced off each other. Some of my favourite parts of this book were probably when they were together.
Celaena's character was a surprising one. I would have thought an infamous assassin would be rough and tough but she's completely girly and loves getting dressed up in fancy dresses. She's a beautiful, mostly pleasant, caring girl who just happens to also be a trained killer. It's not long before she's attracting the attentions of Dorian and he is flirting with her and hanging out in her rooms, much to the chagrin of Chaol. I felt there was also some attraction between Chaol and Celaena but we have to wait until the next book to see if anything progresses there. I was totally in love with Chaol and while I would have preferred for there not to be a love triangle, it didn't take from my enjoyment of the book at all.
Most of the action in this book surrounds the final test in the competition when there is only four competitors left. This was just a fantastic part that I really enjoyed. This book is an absolute page turner and it kept me entranced from start to finish. This wasn't a book I thought I would enjoy from reading the blurb, and it was the good reviews I read that pushed me to read it. I am so glad I did.
Sometimes, I love a book so much that I feel I can't write a review that will justify what an awesome book it really is. This is one of those times. So I just urge anyone who hasn't already, to pick up a copy and see for yourself how great this is. ...more
I've been on a bit of a paranormal kick for the last couple of years and have read very few contemporaries, but Pushing the Limits might just bring meI've been on a bit of a paranormal kick for the last couple of years and have read very few contemporaries, but Pushing the Limits might just bring me back to them. Although, it's a book about a couple of troubled teens, it had some awesome swoonworthy moments and I actually cried, something I haven't done when reading a book for a long time. And not always because of sad reasons, but happy, emotional ones.
Echo and Noah both attend the school counsellor and this is how they come to really get to know each other. Echo used to be one of the popular kids, before the incident, and her friends and family are trying to get her back to that place. While Noah, whose parents died a couple of years ago in a house fire, is a loser stoner who is in the foster care system. Usually, they would be keeping their distance from each other.
Echo can't remember exactly what happened to her and the counsellor is trying to help her remember and deal with it. It was intriguing to fill in the gaps along with her, throughout the book. She is a really likable character and I loved seeing things work out for her. At the start of the book, she is a fairly weak character and gets walked on by everyone. By the end, her character has grown immensely and she is able to stand up for herself and take over her own life.
Noah is awesome, I loved him. He has been between a few different foster homes, and was separated from his two little brothers after the fire. His hope is to get custody of them when he reaches 18, but with the way things are at the moment, that's not going to happen, so he needs to make some changes.
When he starts falling for Echo, it is so sweet. With the tough exterior that he has built around himself, he hardly realises it and part of him doesn't want to accept it. And Echo can't believe that she is having feelings for Noah Hutchins "the stoner!" if she goes out with him, it will be social suicide. Seemingly, so wrong for each other, really, they are perfect together.
This was one of my favourite books this year. I loved the relationship between Noah and Echo and their scenes together were the best. It's fast paced and kept me glued to the pages. I can't recommend it enough. ...more
Goddess Interrupted, the second book in the Goddess Test series, was another amazing read. Again, I was very quickly hooked and couldn’t put this downGoddess Interrupted, the second book in the Goddess Test series, was another amazing read. Again, I was very quickly hooked and couldn’t put this down. It was filled with excitement and anticipation.
Kate has spent the last six months in Greece with James, but now she’s back and she can’t wait to see Henry. Unfortunately, she arrives back to find Henry is not around. Calliope has released a Titus, Cronus, one of the creators of the original six and therefore, they can also be killed by him. When she sees Henry for the first time, he is injured having just come from battle with Cronus. Henry barely acknowledges Kate and Kate’s left feeling like he really doesn’t love her and maybe she has made a mistake in coming back. Things continue like this. Henry doesn’t touch her, hug her, kiss her or show her any affection. It gets worse when Kate has to ask Persephone for help. When nothing changes, Kate decides to leave the Underworld. She loves Henry but she can’t stand it being unrequited anymore.
Once again, Kate was awesome. She is a character I really like. I couldn’t help feel sorry for her with the way Henry is treating her. She constantly tells him how much she loves him and that all she wants is for him to love her just a little bit, not even as much as he loves Persephone. Everyone around her tells her that he does love her, but she feels as though she is to him what he was to Persephone, a spouse of convenience. And she doesn’t want this.
When Henry, and the remainder of the original six are taken and held by Calliope and Cronus, their descendants are happy to just sit and wait it out, and hope that if Cronus succeeds, he will let them live. But Kate will not just sit by and let them die; she has to try to save them, even if she has to sacrifice herself. She knows how much Calliope wants her dead.
As Henry is held captive, we don’t see as much of him in this one, but we see more of James. He, along with Ava, Kate’s two closest friends, accompanies her in her efforts to save the gods from Cronus and Calliope. These are also two really likeable characters that we learn more about in this book. I enjoyed the interactions between these three and Persephone as they made their journey.
This book is based in the Underworld, and again, the world building is well done. I didn’t really like Persephone in the last book, well we didn’t meet her, so I guess it was her memory I didn’t like. The fact that Henry just couldn’t get over the way she had treated him and be open and loving with Kate. Anyway, in this book, I did actually start to like her and understand her better. She spent thousands of years with Henry, so she deserved her own happiness. I would like to see her and Kate build up a sisterly relationship in the future.
Unfortunately, this ends on a spectacular, totally unexpected cliff hanger with left me astounded. Roll on Goddess Inheritance, I can’t wait! ...more
++++++ Spectacular. This was just amazing. For me, it didn't feel like a Maggie Stiefvater book but saying that, I've onUpdate: Re-read September 2013
++++++ Spectacular. This was just amazing. For me, it didn't feel like a Maggie Stiefvater book but saying that, I've only read the Shiver series. But from what I remember, they were a very simple series, I felt The Raven Boys had a lot more depth. I loved all the characters but I think Blue and Gansey were my favourite. ...more
This book was nothing like I expected. And while I can't say exactly what I was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. And I wasMy Rating 4.5 of 5 stars
This book was nothing like I expected. And while I can't say exactly what I was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. And I was most definitely not disappointed. I feel maybe I would describe this more as horror than paranormal, it was at times, scary and gruesome, but I was glued to it the whole time.
The vampires in The Vampire of Highgate are what I would describe as the old style vampires that I was used to (before I discovered Twilight and developed my paranormal addiction), not the romanticised version of today. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the romanticised guy, but this was a nice change. Real horror, real terror. These vampires are still affected by crosses and holy water.
Kathy goes to Highgate in London to search for her sister Amber. They didn't grow up together as their parents died when they were young, but since Amber disappeared, Kathy has been dreaming about her. Then she receives a package in the post from Amber and she knows what she needs to do.
Kathy is a really likeable character, very easy to connect with. She takes all of the revelations of horror and magic in her stride with courage and acceptance. Her character grows immensely while she's in England. She does things she never would have done in the States, where she was a shy, awkward girl who lacked confidence and suffered from panic attacks. She embraces her heritage and is definitely making headway towards becoming a kick ass character.
All of the characters in this book were well written with depth pertaining to their role in the book, be it a long or short appearance. My favourite character was Kathy, but Antwain would have been a close second. I'm really hoping to see a lot more of him in future books. There is no romance in this, which usually puts me off because I love some romance in the books I read, but it didn't take away from this one at all. I am hoping though that what we seen in this was the build up to something that may occur in future instalments. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. There are flashes back to the past which I enjoyed as it enhances the present story for the reader.
When I started The Vampire of Highgate, I believed it to be a stand alone novel and was disappointed in the ending. But after some research, and a quick chat with the author, I've discovered that it's part of a trilogy. Yay! This totally changed my mind about the ending because I knew loose ends were going to be tied up. There's no cliffhanger, but the ending was open and I was left with some questions. And apparently, there is also going to be three movies made of this series and some spin off's. This sounds like it is going to be big, so make sure you don't miss out. ...more
Absolutely amazing. I am in love with this series. I think they are getting better every book.
Gwen and Micah get kidnappeSpoilers for previous books.
Absolutely amazing. I am in love with this series. I think they are getting better every book.
Gwen and Micah get kidnapped by a mage demon. And the ransom he requires, is the Encyclopedia Magicka. A book that is kind of like a witches book of shadows but this one is written by witches and is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, mainly, the hands of a mage demon. So Val needs to find a way to free Gwen and Micah without handing over the books.
On top of this, Val also has to help the vampires find the chupacabras (goat suckers) who are killing animals all over the city of Austin before the vampires of the New Blood Movement can make themselves known to the public and Val can be released from her contract with them.
And to top it all, she had to leave her boyfriend Shade in the hands of another succubus, Dina, the leader of the Demon Underground in Austin, who wants him, a lot.
Again, this was a fantastic story filled with action and suspense. It is fast paced and flows along really well. Another one that I just couldn't put out of my hands for very long without the lure of it calling me back.
Val is her usual awesome self, but this time she's accompanied by Austin, a sexy cowboy vampire, who helps to protect her since she's lost her kick ass powers by cashing in her "v" card. Jack, the previous keeper of the Encyclopedia Magicka is along for the ride too to try to help her, as the new keeper, to use the books and get her powers back from them. Dan also returns to the fray in this book to help rescue his sister, Gwen. We also meet a couple of new characters who help out along the way, David, another incubus and Pia, a siren.
Again, I cannot recommend this series enough. If it sounds like something you think you might be interested in, you need to read it now and wallow in the awesomeness that is the Demon Underground series....more
I received a copy of this book for review as part of a blog tour. I didn't really know what to expect from it, I think I thought it was more a thrilleI received a copy of this book for review as part of a blog tour. I didn't really know what to expect from it, I think I thought it was more a thriller kind of thing. I didn't read the blurb again before I started to read it and I was just blown away. The book kicks off almost immediately and doesn't slow down until the very end. It is so much more than the blurb would lead you to believe.
Birdie's parents died when she was young and she has went from foster home to foster home until, at the age of 18, she ended up living on the streets, which she has done for the last four months. When she sees a man, claiming to be giving away money, she follows. Little did she know, that these events would change her life forever. She gets chased by thugs, meets the hot Grey Mathews and through Jeff (the money giver), learns of her heritage. Now she must decide whether to risk her life accepting what has been handed down to her.
Birdie is a fantastic character who I just couldn't help but love. I really enjoyed seeing things from her POV as she dealt with what her heritage had thrown at her, discovered that Mr. Rich was interested and wanted to protect her and learned to fight and protect herself in a battle which could result in her and/or Grey's demise.
The secondary characters in this book were also great, written really well with definition and personality. Grey is really swoon worthy and one for the book boyfriend list, while Jeff is regal and mysterious. They all work together and make this a fun, romantic, mysterious and suspenseful read. This did read like a thriller at times with paranormal elements of time travel and a fantasy world.
Julie is an amazing author who took me easily onto the battlefield with the vividness of her descriptions of battle, death, and gruesomeness including, aromas of death. Her world building here was just fantastic and I could see it all clearly. It's a long time since I read a book with such good battle scenes. Normally I zone out a bit at this kind of thing and just skim over it, but Julie kept me totally riveted.
I really feel that I'm not doing this book justice with this review. I've been thinking about it for the last few days and I'm just stumped. It's so hard to write a review when I loved a book so much. I can't think of anything negative that I could say about it at all, I just loved it!
This is a stand alone book unfortunately, so we won't get to see more of the awesome Grey and Birdie, that's a negative I guess. So I found one!
I can do no more, only urge you all to pick this one up, you won't be disappointed....more
Savannah makes a promise to the vampire council that she'll stopping dating Tristan. And back in Jacksonville, she makes the same promise to the clannSavannah makes a promise to the vampire council that she'll stopping dating Tristan. And back in Jacksonville, she makes the same promise to the clann, against the wishes and pleas of Tristan. She knows it's the right thing to do. She could kill him with a kiss, or the bloodlust could take over. It's harder for vampires to resist the descendants magic blood than it is a regular human, even for older vampires.
Savannah's vampire side is taking over and becoming stronger than the witch in her. Her strength and speed increases, her bloodlust gets harder to control and she develops the gift of mind reading. But all the while, she's missing Tristan and trying to come to terms with the fact that he's dating again. But Tristan is broken hearted and will try any means possible to get Savannah back, he even looks into becoming a vampire himself, something that he discovers a descendant can't do.
Like Crave, this book is written from the perspective of Savannah and Tristan. We experience Savannah's changes with her on a personal level also learning more about the vampire council. From Tristan's aspect, we see how much he still misses Savannah, how he's still trying to protect her and also providing more insight into the clann.
We see a lot more of Savannah's dad as she has to move in with him once it becomes apparent that she is becoming a vampire. He was really likeable and interesting and I enjoyed watching him come to terms with living with and looking after his teenage daughter.
There was a lot going on in Covet with some surprising twists and turns. Clann members are being murdered by what appears to be a vampire, or is it just someone making it look like a vampire in order to start another war between the vampires and the witches. I wasn't sure.
A shocking and exciting ending leaves me longing for the next book in the series, Consume. I couldn't stop thinking about Tristan and Savannah long after finishing Covet so I can't wait to see how things turn out for them in book 3....more
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana anAlso reviewed at Paranormal Book Fan
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
This book was amazing, Lauren has outdone herself. I enjoyed reading this so much, the writing just flowed from start to finish.
I had one big question starting this book. Did Alex survive? And a big part of me saying, "please let him be alive". I don't want to say "yay" or "nay" and spoil this book for anyone so I am going to review it without going too much into the storyline.
Pandemonium is written in alternating chapters of 'now' and 'then'. In the 'now', we learn the story of Lena's emergence into the Wilds and how she deals with the struggles and hardships of this new way of life. A better way of life?
Through the 'now', we see Lena working as part of the resistance, and she is about to embark on her first mission.
The ambience of this book is very downbeat throughout. Lena really struggles with her new life in the Wilds and at times, even wonders if she wants to survive. Life is hard in every way and sickness and death are a regular occurrence without access to medical supplies and often, a shortage of food.
There are a lot of new characters and I did lose track of who some of them were but it didn't impede on my following the story. The main characters are well written, identifiable and likeable.
We see a completely different Lena than we did in Delirium. She grows into a much stronger person, in every way, character, mind and body. She is amazing.
The ending of this book is explosive. While the book was suspenseful at times, I really didn't see the ending coming. It is probably the happiest part and my heart was in my mouth. Then it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger.
In Delirium, we see life from one side of the fence, the Cureds. In Pandemonium, we get to see life from the other side, the Invalids. I can't wait to see what Requiem will hold for us.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Publishers for providing a copy of this book for review....more
This book opens with fourteen year old Ismae Rienne taking part in an arranged marriage. That night, after being attacked by her new husband, she is rThis book opens with fourteen year old Ismae Rienne taking part in an arranged marriage. That night, after being attacked by her new husband, she is rescued and taken to the Convent of Saint Mortain, the patron Saint of Death and one of the old gods. She meets with the abbess of the convent and learns that she was sired by Death and is one of his handmaidens. She is to train to be one of Deaths assassins, learning martial arts, how to use many different types of weapon and how to make and administer different poisons. She will then carry out Deaths work.
Three years later, she is ready for her first assignment.
When her second assignment doesn’t quite go to plan, she is placed in the household of Gavriel Duval, half brother to the Duchess. She is to watch and see if he is a traitor. And if the marque of death appears on him or anyone else at Court, she is to kill them.
But what will she do when the man she has fallen in love with has been marqued?
This is the first historical fiction book that I have read and I did not think that this was a genre that I would enjoy. But I enjoyed every page. I could not put it down. I did no housework yesterday .
Ismae is an amazing character. She is definitely kick butt as she has been well trained but she is also intelligent. She is able to work with Duval to figure out who is traitorous and how they can secure that France doesn’t take over Brittany while making sure that Anne, the Duchess, gets a suitable husband. She is very likeable not only to the reader but also to people that she meets at Court. She is brave and merciful.
I also loved Duval. He is definitely one for my book boyfriend list. I loved the way the romance played out. They started off really not liking each other, which gradually grew to respect and finally, to love. I love a romance where the characters start off not liking each other and when the love interest is not “hot”, but becomes beautiful and sexy in their own right because of what we see on the inside.
This book had a lot of action and mystery and was not just built around the romance. The romance very much played a background part here. The characters were all really well written though I did have to really work at times to remember who everyone was. The politics throughout this book were interesting, surprisingly, as it’s not something I would have expected to enjoy.
There isn’t anything I can find to fault with this book. I would recommend it to everyone even if it’s something you don’t feel you’d like as that’s the way I felt and I absolutely loved it. It is one of those books that keeps playing on my mind, even though I finished it yesterday.
I will read the second book in the series, Dark Triumph. From the blurb, it appears that we will not be continuing on with Ismae’s story which I am sorry to see, even though the ending of this was perfect for her. I can only hope that we will see her and Duval at some point throughout the series.
"Whenever you are ready, or if you never are, my heart is yours, until Death do us part. Whatever that may mean when consorting with one of Death's handmaidens."
Julie Kagawa is amazing. She reeled me in with her Iron Fey series, even though I wouldn’t have been a great fan of faery books. I read great reviews Julie Kagawa is amazing. She reeled me in with her Iron Fey series, even though I wouldn’t have been a great fan of faery books. I read great reviews for that series and I had to give it a shot, and I love it. It has become one of my favourite series. And I now have a new favourite to add to my list, The Blood of Eden series. When I heard that Julie was writing a vampire series, I was excited to see her take on vampires. And I wasn’t disappointed, she did an amazing job.
Allie (Allison) is an unregistered. She is unknown to the vampires who run the city and treat humans like blood cattle. Because she’s not on the system, she doesn’t have to attend the blook bank to give regular donations but that also means that she doesn’t get any food stamps. She lives in the Fringe where she has to scavenge for food.
When she is attacked by the rabids, and on the brink of death, she is given a choice by a vampire, Kanin. He can let her die from her attack, and maybe turn into a rabid, or he can change her into a vampire. Ultimately, still killing her. She chooses to live after death and become a vampire, one of the monsters she detests so much, because when it comes to it, she doesn’t want to die.
Kanin teachers her the vampire history and how to fight and live as a vampire. When they find themselves being chased down by vampires from the city, she must separate from Kanin and make her way on her own. This is how she meets a group of humans who are searching for a better place, called Eden. They believe her to be human and invite her to join their group. She travels with them, and vows to protect them. To hold onto her humanity and not become the monster she is destined to be.
Allie is an amazing character, a hero I would say. She cares so much and wants to help even those who hate her for what she is. Even as a human, she looked after the weaker in her group. She will risk her own life for others. Her strength of character is clear as we see her fight her inner monster throughout the book.
I really took to Kanin. He was a dark, brooding vampire with a heart. I am hoping he is making a comeback in the second book.
The love interest, Zeke, is such a sweetie. And yet, he is tough and brave when the need arises. He is second in command to the group, under his stepfather Jeb. He has a fantastic manner for dealing with the group and has all their best interests at heart.
The romance was written really well. No love triangle…..but as I loved Kanin so much I had a bit of one going on in my head because Zeke was so lovable too lol.
Julie once again does a fantastic job of the world building. Her descriptions are so good, you can literally visualise yourself there. I would give this book a 5+ star rating as I couldn’t fault anything about it. I absolutely loved the story line and I can’t wait for the next instalment in this series. ...more
Where to start. I always find it really hard to review a book that I loved as much as this one. I just want to gush, gush, gush.
This is Elizabeth NorrWhere to start. I always find it really hard to review a book that I loved as much as this one. I just want to gush, gush, gush.
This is Elizabeth Norris’ debut novel and she has done an exceptional job. She is an extremely talented writer. I absolutely loved her style. The way we learned a lot about some of the characters through Janelle thinking about experiences she had with them rather than them being involved in the book and interacting. I felt we found out a lot about her dad like this. We really got to know him even though he was absent for most of the story.
This book had a great cast of characters. I really liked Janelle. And Ben. And Alex. And Struz, her dad and Jared. I enjoyed them all. And the stoners, Elijah, Reid and in the beginning, Ben. I really liked the way Reid and Elijah were portrayed and their indifference and dislike towards Janelle, even though Ben was crazy about her and they were his best friends. And the understanding that Elijah and Janelle come to in the end. Struz was amazing and I loved that he was so protective of Janelle and Jared after what happened to her dad.
This may sound odd. But I liked the swearing in this. There wasn’t a lot of it and I thought it suited where it was. It was realistic, they are teenagers after all. And Janelle standing up for herself. Guys don’t always have to run to the rescue, sometimes girls are capable of looking after themselves, and Janelle definitely was. She has had to grow up before her time because of her mom’s mental illness and she does a great job of looking after Jared.
I loved the romance between Janelle and Ben; I thought it was really well done. There is no love triangle although a couple of times I felt we were getting to the point where Alex, Janelle’s best friend, was about to confess his love, but thankfully, it never came. This book was heart breaking enough without adding a love triangle.
I am trying to find something negative to say about this book and I just can’t. I LOVED it. As soon as I finished I was online to see if there was a sequel and when I discovered that there was, I was so happy I was practically bouncing on the chair like a 3 year old. Now unfortunately I just have to settle in for the long wait....more
Waiting for Mercy is the second book in the Cambion series. Mercy is a half demon succubus, with a succubus mother and a human father. This makes her Waiting for Mercy is the second book in the Cambion series. Mercy is a half demon succubus, with a succubus mother and a human father. This makes her a cambion. Her mother recently married David, an incubus and now they live in his house with him and his son Flynn. Flynn is HOT. Mercy's mother, David and Flynn have to feed from the lust of humans to survive, but for some reason, Mercy doesn't have to, although she can still drain a human's life force with her kiss. She's not sure why she's different, her mother keeps a lot from her about what she is and Mercy is not the type to push for it.
Mercy is a really likeable protag. She is surrounded by amazingly hot guys who all seem to be interested in her. Luke is her nephilim on/off boyfriend who is completely in love with her and she's in love with him. Flynn, seems attracted to Mercy but she thinks its just because he can't have her. He can have any girl at school he wants, and does, to keep himself fed. Sebastian is a pure demon who Mercy met in the first book, Beg for Mercy. He is now living with them and Mercy is not sure exactly why. He also seems to be attracted to Mercy. And Paul, Mercy's first human boyfriend, whom she nearly killed with her kiss because she didn't know what she was. All of these guys are awesome. Its kind of like a love pentagon, and I find myself rooting for whichever guy she's with at the time. I just can't decide who I like best.
Shannon has created a bunch of awesome characters and together they all make for a really entertaining read. There is a lot going on in this book and I loved all the action, suspense and interaction between all the characters. I really like Shannon's writing style and this books flows along so well. I couldn't bear to put it out of my hands. It's great to start to enjoy a book from the first page on. The world that Shannon has created seems to be one where anything exists. In this we have the existence of demons, vampires, werewolves/shapeshifters, elves and fae.
The ending of this was awesome....and cruel. We end on a major cliffhanger. I finished this book over 24 hours ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. This is shaping up to be an absolutely amazing series. I know I will be reading both of these books again soon as its a while since I read Beg for Mercy and I want to go back and read them both again, together. I cannot wait until the next book comes out. These books are extremely cheap on Amazon and I just urge you all to take a chance. Don't miss out on a great series. ...more
I was really looking forward to reading this as I loved Starcrossed. And as hard as it may seem to believe, I think this may have topped Starcrossed. I was really looking forward to reading this as I loved Starcrossed. And as hard as it may seem to believe, I think this may have topped Starcrossed. Except for one thing, the love triangle. This really upset me. I really, really like Lucas. And then we were introduced to another great guy, Orion. He is sent by Daphne to help Helen out in the Underworld. Helen is the only scion who can descend at will. So it is up to her to find the furies and kill them to free all the scions that are suffering and living as outcasts because of blood debts caused by their ancestors. Especially Hector. Helen is literally going to hell every night when she sleeps. She’s no longer dreaming, and it is slowly killing her.
On top of that, she is still dealing with learning that Lucas is her cousin and trying to get over him. They are trying to stay away from each other, but this just seems to be making things worse. I’m still rooting for Lucas but I can’t tell which way this is going to go and I’m half afraid to read the next book.
There is a lot going on in this book. It is fast paced and action packed. The world building around the underworld is done really well. We learn more about the greek history, different gods and the different houses. I feel I will need a re-read of this before I start on the third book. But when that time comes, I know I’ll look forward to it because I enjoyed it so much. Helen grows as a character so much in this book. We get to see how strong she really is, and not just powerful, but also strength of mind. Lucas also discovers some new powers, and not all is good. Another character that gets an overhaul here is Matt. He feels weak and helpless around the powerful scions so he trains and learns how to fight. Jason and Claire finally get it together and they are such a cute couple.
The ending of this is quite dramatic and heart wrenching and I loved it.
This book just reeled me in and kept me hanging until the very last word. I just didn’t want to stop reading it. And when I did have to stop reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and trying to get back to read it again.
If you haven’t read Starcrossed yet, I would urge you to pick it up and give it a go. This is an awesome series. ...more
What can I say, Ms. Vincent has done it again. This is the penultimate book in the Soul Screamers series and it is just as epic as previous instalmentWhat can I say, Ms. Vincent has done it again. This is the penultimate book in the Soul Screamers series and it is just as epic as previous instalments, maybe more so. So much has happened since we first met Kaylee back in My Soul to Take. I never, in a million years, would have guessed at the direction that this series would take. And while I will be truly saddened to close the curtains on this series, I can't wait to see how Rachel will conclude such an amazing series with so many well loved characters.
Before I Wake had me thinking about my own mortality, during Kaylees moments of reflection, and I realised how much Kaylee gave up when she agreed to become a soul reclaimer to ensure that Nash wouldn't be charged with her murder. And it's this selflessness and virtue that attracts Avery to her soul now, she is the polar opposite of him and he can't understand that.
It seems things turned out well for Kaylee in the end though. But did they? I can't be sure. You can come to your own conclusion after reading. When Kaylee is awake at night, no longer needing to sleep, and she dwells on her future, I found eternity sounded quite daunting and scary, even with the prospect of Tod by her side.
I felt really bad for Nash. He is still madly in love with Kaylee, and to have to see her with Tod must be one of the hardest things ever. I found him to be really annoying in If I Die, but that was mostly the demon's breath addiction. My heart just went out to him, even though he has Sabine, who I have kind of a love/hate relationship with, she's just not enough for him.
But as bad as I feel for Nash, I just can't help but be totally happy for Kaylee and Tod. Some of their scenes together are just so sweet. He is amazing and he is crazily in love with Kaylee. Her really bright spark on a dark horizon. With the prospect of "living" forever and watching everyone she loves die while she lives on, never ageing, never changing, and Avari still trying desperately to gain her soul, now threatening to kill people she loves if she doesn't hand herself over, Kaylee needs something really good in her life, or unlife, as the case may be.
A lot of doom and gloom, but also some happy moments and some awesome moments. The usual wit and sarcasm that appears in these books and the awesome characters, all mash together to make this an awesome read that I just couldn't put down.
"I wouldn't trust the two of you to hit the pot when you piss"
"Careful, pot," Tod said. "Someone might notice your resemblance to the kettle." ...more
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