Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half Blood (Covenant Series #1)

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Spencer Hill Press

18th October 2011

 

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck

 

OH-MY-GOD. Seriously this book is just…WOW. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I literally couldn’t put it down. I knew after the first few pages that I was hooked on the world of pures and half-bloods.

"It was him - Aiden St. Delphi."

Sighs: Oh Aiden.

I loved that this book picked up right where Daimon left off. I was thrown straight back into the action and even though Alex’s life is still spiralling out of control from everything going on she doesn’t have time to sit around and cry, the daimons are still after her. Then in comes Aiden St Delphi, swoon worthy, lovable Aiden to the rescue. She’s taken back to the covenant and after some Alex style jokes and a bit of convincing she’s allowed to stay and train instead of being placed in servitude. The one problem? She’s training with the one and only Aiden, who she’s been in love with since the first moment she locked eyes with him, the other problem? Relationships between pures and halfs is forbidden, let’s just say sh*t’s gonna go down.  But when Alex learns about a secret everyone’s been keeping from her, the feelings she has for Aiden are the least of her worries. Now she has to face a harsh truth if she hopes to survive long enough to become a Sentinel.

I can see why this story is compared to The Vampire Academy but the setting in which Alex and Aiden find themselves aside, the story is completely different! Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing is incredible and just when you think you know something she throws in a plot twist that has you screaming at the pages. I love mythology and I love the whole concept of this book, I can’t wait to see where this story goes.

Alex is an amazing character, she’s kick ass and it’s so good to see a female protagonist with a bit of bite, she doesn’t let anyone walk over her and will never be a girl that hides away from the action. Everyone will love her, she’s got a great sense of humour and a badass attitude. Her snide remarks and jokey attitude will have you laughing out loud.

Aiden, oh Aiden with your lean body and muscled arms. I fall more in love with you the more I read. Alex and Aiden’s relationship will make you laugh and make you cry. Starcrossed lovers in a world where slavery is the punishment puts real tension on their relationship and makes every little thing even more emotional. Although at times I was annoyed by his typical self-hating attitude, I couldn’t help wanting him and Alex to just screw the rules and get it on!

Oh Seth. Seth, Seth, Seth. You are my favourite, I am on your team. Why? Honestly I know in my heart that there's something not quite right with his character and I know he's not everything he seems to be but something about his fierce protectiveness of Alex has made me fall head over heels for him and I hope JLA explores their relationship further.

Jennifer’s writing is extraordinary and will have you laughing out loud and crying with every reckless move Alex makes, read this book and you won't be disappointed! Every plot twist was a complete shock and had me going really? Did that actually just happen? It has been so refreshing to read a book with an original story that had me laughing out loud and crying when things just got too much.  

*  *  *  *  *

 

- Stephanie

 

 

 

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daimon (Covenant Series #0.5)
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Spencer Hill Press
10th May 2011

"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee ' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life." For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals--pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. According to her mother, that's a good thing.But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. The daimons have found her.

I really enjoyed this book, it was short and sweet but gave me enough to want to read the next in the series. It was a great prequel that didn’t just feel like an introduction to the story but more like a small segment of what’s to come.

Alex is a half blood. Her father is a mortal and her mother is a pure-blood. This leaves her with two options, spend her life on elixir as a slave for the pure bloods or become a Sentinel, a guard and protector for the Pures and fight against the Daimons, the pure bloods who have gone bad.

Now Alex is trying to live a normal life in the mortal world after her mother pulled her out of the Covenant, away from the pures and the halfs and away from the only world she knew with no explanation.  Alex only knows one thing- she is never to go back but even her hot mortal boyfriend doesn’t stop her thinking about the boy with thundercloud eyes from her old life who she can’t forget and when tragedy strikes and the daimons find her, she finds herself alone with no other choice but to go back to a world that she can’t forget.

I think this is a definite must read before beginning the series because you have a better sense of what is going on and the storyline becomes much more emotional after beginning with Daimon. This is definitely the best prequel I’ve read, it’s action packed, fast paced and will have you reaching for Half-Blood before you’ve put it down. I can’t wait to see where things go from here.

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout’s website here

 

*  *  *  *  *

- Stephanie

Prowl by Amber Garza

Prowl

by Amber Garza
20th January 2012
Createspace

Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Smith is sent away to spend a boring summer at her grandma's. But then she meets Wesley. He tells her exactly what she wants to hear and has information about her past that no one else knows. It's almost like he can read her mind.

Only Wesley isn't who he seems.

By the time Mackenzie discovers his true identity it may be too late. She's in too deep and he won't let her go. Now Mackenzie must call on the strongest power of all in order to save her life.

I didn’t enjoy this book and the reason for that isn’t because it is based around religion, I have nothing against Christians or Christian literature. The reason I didn’t enjoy this book is simply because of the plot and the main character Mackenzie. I felt that throughout this book, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen… and nothing did until the last few pages.

This was only a short book but Garza made it feel never-ending by dragging out the plot, I was expecting a big surprise at the end but found that when the story came to its conclusion I had already guessed how it was going to end. I had also already guessed who Rhiannon really was and what her ‘hobbies’ were, I found that Garza made everything too obvious and this only made me more and more frustrated with the plot.

I also found the main character Kenzie annoying because of her relationship with the spirit/ghost Wesley, it was clearly obvious that he was not nice/good/honest and yet she couldn’t see that until the last couple of chapters. The themes in this book are very real for a lot of women out there and because Garza has brought them to life in this book in such a real way, I have a lot of respect for her and I understand that obviously Kenzie had to be depressed/gullible for the story to work and develop but she never developed any kind of backbone. Even her attempts to get rid of Wesley were half-hearted and weak. I don’t feel that she grew as a character in any way other than finding religion and even then it wasn’t a big deal – Which I feel it should have been because this book was a story of good and evil.

I hope the next in the series shows a different side to Kenzie but unfortunately it won’t be on the top of my to-read list.

Check out Amber Garza’s website here

Rating * *

Stephanie

Teaser Tuesdays #3

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading

I know it's late but here it is....

Virtue
by Amanda Hocking
30th May 2011
CreateSpace

"I'm going to take the gag from your mouth," Ira said bending down in front of her. "But if you scream, even once, I will knock all the teeth out of your face. Do you understand me?"



"What?" Lily asked, glaring up at him. "You expect me to thank you? I will spit on your grave before I thank you, and then and only then will I thank you for doing the world the service of leaving it."

- Stephanie

My Book Boyfriend #3 - Myrnin

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at the Unread Reader

This weeks book boyfriend is Myrnin from the Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine

Stats

Nicknames: Count Crackula, Nutty McFang, Crazy McTeeth

Tall

Wavy shoulder length dark brown hair,

Crazy

Unpredictable,

Bi-polar

Old fashioned

Bad dress sense

Vampire

And then he kept on pacing, his white lab coat (a recent discovery of his, he thought it made him look more official) flaring around him. It was somewhat spoilt by the flopping bunny slippers, their fangs showing with every step.

"I would be useful, you know. I can scare people quite easily when I want to. It's a valuable skill. Frank can't do that."

"You've turned into quite a bossy little thing," Myrnin said. "I think I might like it."

"Follow me," Myrnin said. "And do stay together. And by the way, this is the last time I go anywhere with you people. You are all insane."

"Claire, I need you here immediately. Something's wrong with Bob." Myrnin, her mad scientist, blood-addicted boss, sounded actually shaken. "I can't get him to eat his insects, and I used his favourites. He just sits there."

"Its been very lonely here these past few days. I'd like your company, at least for a while."

The bunny slippers!!! Friggin' awesome!!

Quotes from Bite Club and Last Breath.

I fell in love with Myrnin from the beginning even when he was all crazy and ill and weird. I love how unpredictable he is and how adorable he is, even though he's supposed to be a big scary vampire. I love his and Claire's relationship and basically just everything about him.

He is played by British Actor Ben Barnes because he really is Myrnin, and something about the first image just reminded me so much of him, how dark and scary he really is.

- Stephanie

The Lost Children: The Rising of Managrail by Aron Joice

The Lost Children of Managrail: The Rising #1
by Aron Joice
6th May 2012
Managrail has been at peace for one hundred years, but things are about to change. After a near-fatal fall, Prince Simian and his sister, Lila, find themselves lost in an unknown land, forced to embark on a dangerous journey. Far away, another brother and sister return home, only to find their village of Dirth plundered and their family murdered. Two brother and sisters, different in every way, are brought together by tragedy. As the queen’s champion leads a search for the heirs, a colorful cast of allies joins them. Can the powers of the enchanted Light Bringers help them escape from ancient beasts that hunger for the taste of human flesh, and save their lands and people from the dark powers of an evil sorceress? Love-ambivalence-betrayal. Who will live and who is to be trusted?

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I wanted too. I can't fault Joice's writing, the descriptions of the characters and the scenery were so well written that I could picture myself in the city of Managrail and I could see the characters in my minds eye however I did have a few issues with the structure of the book. I often felt confused in regards as to where I was in the story, there weren't proper breaks within the chapters or paragraphs to signify the different points in the story. The characters are often not together but this isn't made obvious in the writing, everything blends together and I often found myself re reading parts to get my bearings.

The only real problem for me was the character development or more precisely the lack of it. I was really disappointed by the end of the book when I realised I still didn't have a clue who any of them were. For starters how old are all of the characters? I don't have a clue.

The worst aspect of the story is the love interests/relationships. Lila loves Medack. Medack loves Lila's mother, Raina (which again makes me ask, how old is he?) Bramon loves Cayda, Cayda loves Bramon. Simian loves Hafina and then Lila loves Locknair. All of the relationships are completely unrealistic and unbelievable. There is no evidence of growth in the relationships between any of these people which made them seem false. It took less than a chapter for these feelings to be realised in each of the characters and honestly that's ridiculous.

It seems that Joice has fallen into a style of writing that involves telling us all aspects of the story rather than showing us the story. We are told everything that happens and expected to believe it as true rather than being shown things and forming our own opinions of the events.

This is in no way a bad story, I really like the plot but the characters let the story down. I feel that they were overlooked so that the plot could be fast paced and reach the climax quickly.

Characters and character development are important to me and should be the key aspect in a story because if I can't connect with a character then I can't connect with a story.

I know I'll read the next in the series because I really did enjoy the plot and I really want to know what's in store for the children of Managrail, my only concern is that I'll be left feeling the same disappointment in regards to the characters.

Check out Aron Joice's blog here

Rating * * *

- Stephanie

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

I know it's late but I've been without Internet access for two days!! Feels like a lifetime. Still reading Other Systems...feels like forever since I've read a book this long!!

Other Systems by Elizabeth Guizzetti

A Human Element by Donna Galanti

- Stephanie

Ghostly Encounter by Suzannah Daniels

Ghostly Encounter (Ghostly Series #1)

By Suzannah Daniels
8th July 2012

Ghostly Encounter (Ghostly Series - Book One), a young adult paranormal romance

Seventeen-year-old Mia Randall longs for someone to take her mind off her heartrending breakup with her first real boyfriend. When she meets Benjamin, he does exactly that.

There’s only one problem. He’s a ghost.

Private Benjamin Alexander Richards, a Confederate soldier, is captivated by Mia the moment he lays eyes on her. He declares that Mia is his soul mate, despite the fact that she was born nearly a century and a half after he died.

But that's not their only obstacle. A much more menacing ghost lurks nearby. One summer evening by the light of a full moon, a ghostly encounter entangles Mia's life with Benjamin's in a way that she never imagined.

I really loved this book and I managed to finish it in one sitting because I couldn’t make myself put it down even when it meant getting on five hours sleep. The way Daniels built her story always kept me on the brink of my seat in anticipation of what was going to come next. Daniels writing is

stunning and every chapter was beautifully written, the story was slow at first but I can’t say it bothered me because the writing was brilliant. 

This was my first ghost story so I wasn’t really sure what to expect but this book far surpassed my expectations, I loved that Daniels incorporated history into the story and I loved learning about the civil war and the conditions in which the soldiers lived. It was great to be thrown back to a time that is so unfamiliar to us now and it was great to see how easy it was for Mia to fit into Benjamin’s world.

I loved Mia’s character, I instantly liked her and formed a connection to her character. She starts the book feeling completely miserable because she’s still deeply in love with her ex-boyfriend; her first love, which almost any young girl can relate too and it was the little touches that made her situation believable; the fact that she still has his pictures, she wholeheartedly believes that it is her fault they broke up. It’s her insecurities that make her character believable and it was a welcome relief after reading about so many characters that claim to be insecure, when in fact their actions say otherwise.

Benjamin is a real southern gentleman and his character charmed me from the get go. Daniels wrote him beautifully and I found him believable, he was charming and polite as I expected

someone from the 19th century to be. He spent years searching for something that could change his fate and he had no idea he would find it in the 21st century, even so he understands that sometimes you can’t change your fate, you just have to cherish the time you have left.

At its base this is a love story and it is beautiful and haunting to say the least. It explores the concept of soul mates, the effects the war had on relationships and how love can surpass any amount of time. I loved that their relationship was completely innocent, this book wasn’t about a build-up to sex, it was simply about two people getting to know each other and falling in love.

I loved Mia and Benjamin’s relationship because it wasn’t thrown in my face from the onset. Their relationship developed naturally and it was great to see the relationship grow, as they tend to do in real life. I was nearly in tears at the ending because this story is truly heart-breaking and although I had some idea of what was going to happen, I wasn’t prepared for it. I only hope that the next in the series brings happier times. This is a love story that’s full of happiness, tinged with sadness and full of hope.

Check out Suzannah Daniels blog here

Rating *  *  *  *  *

- Stephanie

Waiting On Wednesdays

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

The book I'm waiting for this week is:

UK cover

US cover

Hidden: House of Night #10

by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

16th October 2012

St. Martin's Griffin

Neferet’s true nature has been revealed to the Vampyre High Council, so Zoey and the gang might finally get some help in defending themselves and their beloved school against a gathering evil that grows stronger every day. And they’ll need it, because Neferet’s not going down without a fight. Chaos reigns at the House of Night

I fell in love with this series from the very first book and I cannot wait for this book! Only a few months to go!

And aren't these covers gorgeous?!!

- Stephanie

Justice: Deck of Lies #1 by Jade Varden

Justice: Deck of Lies #1
By Jade Varden
23rd December 2011

A House of Cards...
When you build an entire life on a foundation of lies, it only takes one truth for the whole thing to come crashing down. I never invited the truth in. I never went searching for it. I never had any reason to suspect that the two people I loved most were dishonest with me every second of every day.

I made one bad decision, and in a single day my entire world changed. If I'm ever going to discover the truth about myself and my parents, I have to trace all the lies back to their source. I have to try to find the truth that they're hiding.

The more I discover about myself, and my past, the more I realize that lies really are better than the truth. But now that I know the lies are all around me, I can't stop until I've discovered them all. I'll pull each lie away, one by one, and examine it to see what's underneath…until this house of cards crumbles into dust at my feet.

I just hope I can survive the crash.

Initially I didn't think I would enjoy this book because at first it seemed to be another story of how a normal teenage girl, living a normal unprivileged life couldn't possibly fit in with the rich and powerful students at her new school and I couldn't help but despise the cliche but boy was I WRONG!

I really should take my own advice and not judge a book by its cover because this story was not even close to what I was expecting. Varden's writing is fast paced and leaves you wanting more, the secrets come thick and fast and where each secret is revealed and resolved a new one quickly rushes in to take its place.

At times the story was a little predictable but this in no way ruins it because it is great to see how Rain deals with everything thrown her way. I like Rain, I think she's genuine and easy to connect with. She's a typical teenage girl: awkward and shy at times but she's always herself no matter how much the people around her want her to change. Her situation is far from normal but she seems to take everything in her stride and it's endearing to say the least.

The interesting thing about this story is that there isn't a love triangle it's more of a love quartet. Revolving around Rain, River, Tom and Owen. This may make it seem like there's too many characters in play but Varden doesn't make things easy and the results are surprisingly unexpected.
River is an interesting character and although he seems like the typical bad boy/damaged kid in the beginning, he is far more than that. It's not surprising that he has more than a few secrets of his own. I really like him as a character and I really hope his his issues get resolved in the next book because I am dying to see more of him. His relationship with Rain is complicated and yet surprisingly easy at the same time, when they are together i can't help but smile. He distracts her with normalcy at a time in her life when everything is far from normal.

And Owen? I can't even begin to describe how i feel about his character, at first I really thought he was just a sweet, nice guy that was obviously with the wrong girl but now? Now I believe he's got deep dark secrets of his own that are just waiting to be spilled. I have a feeling they are going to be far worse than anything else we've covered in the book so far.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotion, full of so many twists and turns that it's hard to remember what's real. Everyone has secrets but these secrets are unlike anything Rain has ever come across.
I reccommend to anyone that wants a book that's shrouded in mystery, tainted with sadness and full of intrigue. Varden does not disappoint. I can't wait to read the next in the series The Tower: Deck of Lies #2

Check out Jade Vardens blog here

Rating *  *  *  *  *

- Stephanie

My Book Boyfriend #2

This weeks book boyfriend is Dank Walker from Existence by Abbi Glines

Stats

Dark Brown Hair

Piercing ice blue eyes

Sexy smirk
Toned Body
Tall

"She means nothing to me." Dank's voice sent tingles down my neck and across my chest. "I would never lie to you, Pagan."

"I need you. Never doubt my need for you. But right now is not the time to explore my need. You have a love-struck boy downstairs needing your assistance with his homework,"

"I want to rip his arms from his body so he can't touch you again."

"I would love to accompany you into the bathroom while you shower and if I were truly as wicked as you think I am, I would do just that."

"You want me to fly away? That's cute."

"You're the one thing I want the most in the world yet the one thing I cannot have. Because to have you would be completely impossible. You can't go where I walk."

I picked Dank as my book boyfriend this week because he's sexy and mysterious and it wasn't just Pagen that he had at hello...

Dank walker is played by American Actor Ian Somerhalder

- Stephanie

Teaser Tuesdays # 2

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading

Glamour (Rae Wilder #1)
By Penelope Fletcher
7th October 2010
Poison Princess

The teasers are:

"As dumb as stashing a vampire in a wardrobe?"

"My skin was on fire, my blood boiling. He broke away to trail kisses down my neck then was still, holding me. Both our chests heaved. I realised he was hot, hard and had his mouth at my throat"

- Stephanie

Vortex: Return of the Effra by Lindsey J Parsons

Vortex: Return of the Effra Vol. 1
by Lindsey J. Parsons
June 2012
AFS Publishing

On a night when prophecies stir, an outraged dragon vents his anger, Damian is ripped from everything he knows and Sam's nightmares become real...

Sam isn’t enjoying university life, she’s disillusioned with her course and having second thoughts about her future. It doesn’t help that she keeps having a scary, recurring nightmare and when she thinks things couldn’t get worse a creepy man follows her back to her room.

Damian is unique, he has silver eyes, horns and wings, he is also being visited by a ghost girl. She looks so sad and frightened he feels compelled to help her, but the night he reaches out to save her from a dragon’s fiery breath he gets ripped from his life, his world, from everything he knows.

Now it’s Damian who’s lost in an unfamiliar world that’s devoid of magic and full of strange monsters. His only connection with home is Sam who he recognises as the ghost girl. Sam has to put aside her fear and disbelief in Damian’s explanations about himself to try and help him find his way home.

But in a world without magic is this possible?


First of all let me start by saying I love love LOVED this book, seriously it is made of the most awesome sauce in the world. The story is written in such a way that I felt as if I was watching a movie. I could picture every little detail, every facial expression and almost hear every sound. It was fast paced from the beginning and I was immediately thrown into the story, there was never a dull moment. Parson's writing is incredible.

My favourite character? Hands down Damien!! At first I wasn't sure what to make of him but after his first meeting with Sam, I fell in love. He is completely clueless about everything going on around him and this lightens the whole tone of the book, he is like a child when it comes to everything in the human world and it's impossible not to love him, especially the moment he thinks Sam doesn't like him, I was so sad for him that all I wanted to do was give him a cuddle. He also has a dark side that we only see glimpses of but it's enough to make me believe we will be seeing more of his 'true' nature, I think he is the perfect example of human nature at it's worst and it's best which is ironic considering he's not human.

And Sam? She is a REAL character and I say this because her reactions when first meeting Damien are what I would expect from myself if I was in her position. She thinks he's crazy and dismisses everything he tells her and it's a long time before she even begins to consider that he might be telling the truth, and even then she doesn't fully accept anything until she has seen it for herself. She is a typical teenage girl that has no clue what she wants to do with her life, she also isn't afraid to be mean to the people around her, typically speaking her mind wherever necessary, no matter the situation. I love that she hasn't been described as having a boring, mundane life which is typical of YA books but instead her life really is normal, sometimes boring but real and I appreciate that because I can relate.

I also loved how Parsons wrote from both of their perspectives as it gave me, as a reader such a good insight into how they are both feeling in every chapter. I was filled with tension throughout the whole book because I desperately wanted Sam and Damien to realise how they felt about each other and Parsons didn't disappoint. This story really puts to rest the old saying, never judge a book by it's cover.

I recommend this book to anyone that wants a good love story that is touched with humour, tinged with sadness and full of hope. Big thumbs up!!

Find out more about Lindsey J Parsons here

Rating * * * * *

- Stephanie

It's Monday! What are you reading?

This is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey

Justice: Deck of Lies by Jade Varden

Other Systems by Elizabeth Guizzetti

Vortex: Return of Effra by Lindsey J Parsons

Ghostly Encounters by Suzannah Daniels

I was given these books by the authors for review and I would like to thank them for providing them.

Reviews will be posted in the next couple of weeks and I can't wait to get stuck in.

Check out Jade Varden's blog here

Check out Elizabeth Guizzetti's website here

Find out more about Lindsey J Parsons here

Check out Suzannah Daniel's website here

- Stephanie

Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)

By Melissa Marr
12th June 2007
HarperTeen

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty - especially if they learn of her Sight - and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
 
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost — regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

I have mixed reviews about this book, I really enjoyed reading it and being in Aislinns world but when it ended I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment and it wasn’t with the story, I felt that it came to a natural end and Marr has definitely given faeries a new identity but something is missing. I feel as if the relationships weren’t developed enough for the story as a whole to be truly believable or they weren’t explored any further and I was expected to already understand the previous relationships.

I really loved Seth as a character and loved that he was so open and honest throughout the whole book, it was refreshing to have at least one character that wasn’t hiding something and I also loved that he wasn’t described as a typical ‘preppy’ boy. He’s a goth/emo (It’s not quite clear) and he has piercings and tattoos and still he’s described as beautiful. I love that Marr broke the mould with this character and I think he fits in well with today’s society and he’s more ‘real’ than any other character I’ve come across even if he does live in a train.

Aislinn on the other hand is a character that I can’t quite relate to. I really loved her in the beginning because her reactions to the situations she manages to find herself in are real and believable but once the faeries start interfering more in her life, her whole personality seems to change and she forgets every rule that she’s been brought up with. She goes from being a wary teenage girl to a gullible one. It makes the story less believable and confusing.

I couldn’t stand Keenan in the beginning because although he is meant to be this old, wise king, he acts like a typical teenage boy and when things don’t go his way he begins to act like a spoiled brat. His feelings for Donia were completely predictable and I could see that coupling a mile away even if he seemed to be clueless. I felt her appearances in the story didn’t add to it as a whole and weren’t necessary or they could have been, if they were longer and more relevant to the situation instead it just seems that she is a whiny, jealous ex.

And Beira? She’s supposed to be this scary intimidating villain but I wasn’t convinced. She’s portrayed as almost too cruel if that’s even possible? And there wasn’t much of a backstory involving her, except that she killed Keenan’s father and bound him using the Dark Court. I haven’t found an explanation as to why. She is just a power driven woman with no personality.

I enjoyed this book as a whole and I really love the concept of the courts and the invisible faeries, Marr made it all believable but I feel that the characters should have been revised because they lacked a certain…something. They didn’t feel real to me and I didn’t believe that their actions are typical of who they are. I am excited to see where the characters go from here and I hope that Marr manages to give them more depth, I feel that this was more of a starting point for a story than a story as a whole and I am looking forward to being thrown back into it.

Check out Melissa Marr’s website here

Rating *  *  *

- Stephanie

Nocturnal by Chelsea M. Cameron

Nocturnal (The Noctalis Chronicles #1)
by Chelsea M. Cameron
11th February 2012
DRC Publishing

Seventeen-year-old Ava-Claire Sullivan isn't one for doing the expected. Especially when she finds out her mother's cancer is terminal. After a crying session in the local cemetery where she's attacked by one strange guy and saved by another, she doesn't call the cops. Because those guys definitely weren't your average hooligans.

And the one who sort-of saved her? Well, he's odd. He doesn't seem to breathe or smile or have anything better to do than wait in the cemetery for Ava to come back. Which she does. Call it morbid curiosity. Even after he warns her that he's dangerous, she can't stop wanting to see him, talk to him, be with him.

There's something about Peter that provides a much-needed escape from her mother's diagnosis and her tenuous relationship with her father. Even her best friends Jamie and Texas don't know what it's like to face death. But Peter does. He already has. He also made a promise a long time ago that could destroy both of them.

When everything in your life is falling apart, what are you willing to give up to hold onto the one thing that could last forever?

I did enjoy this book but I can't say it wowed me, in fact at points I was ready to put it down and forget about finishing it but because I hate to leave things half done I carried on and I'm glad I stuck with it because I ended up liking the story even though it felt like more of an introduction than a full book. I feel like I've been introduced to a story and a bunch of characters but I don't feel like I really know any of them.

The story started out strong with Ava finding out her mother's cancer is terminal in the first chapter and with the arrival of Peter shortly after i thought it was going to continue at the same pace but it slows considerably and with the next fifteen chapters I found myself daydreaming because there was nothing remotely interesting happening.

There isn't much I can say about Peter, he doesn't have much of a personality and I understand why. His character only works because he's supposed to be devoid of human emotion but this does make the book rather boring because there isn't an exaggerated, over the top personality to balance out his lack of one. In my mind this should be Ava but she's too preoccupied with her depression, which has filled the book with melancholy. I found it really hard to connect with Ava because I can't relate to her situation, all I can do is speculate about how I would react and feel if I found out my mother was going to die. It was frustrating because i could understand her feelings and her actions but I couldn't relate to them.

The only thing that had me laughing out loud was the moment Ava finally finds out the truth about Peter because she reacts like a NORMAL human being. She doesn't smile and pretend it's fine, she freaks out even though up until that point she'd known there was something off about him. It's a real display of human nature and it was refreshing to have a real human reaction to a situation that is far from normal.

I also felt that the book was all about Ava which for the most part is fine but I wanted to know more about the other characters. I have a vague understanding of their back stories but I'm still not sure of who they are or what role they play in this instalment.

I love Ava's mother and she is definitely my favourite character because she has me believing that things are really going to work out well for Ava and that even though the situation seems hopeless, there is always something to be thankful for. She is the one thing that made this book even remotely cheerful, which is ironic considering she has terminal cancer.

This book may have been slow to start but I won't hold that against the series and I'm looking forward to the next instalment. I'm hoping Cameron provides more information about the Noctalis and I want to see more of Ava's relationships with her friends.

Check out Chelsea M. Cameron's blog here

Rating * * *

- Stephanie

Hollowmen - Amanda Hocking

Hollowmen (The Hollows #2)

by Amanda Hocking
8th November 2011
Fraggin Aardvark

After six months in the quarantine, Remy finds out things are much worse than she feared. Her plans to escape come with a heavy cost, and she realizes that zombies aren't the worst of her problems

I was slightly disappointed by this book because although it picked up where the first one ended and the story never faltered it was almost an exact replica of the first book, in the sense that it was about Remy’s journey to find her brother again and then it swiftly turns into a journey across country to head to somewhere that isn’t overrun with flesh eating zombies.

The one aspect of this book that really frustrated me was that I was hoping to find out more about the original characters in the first book but Hocking killed them off early on and introduced a whole new group to travel with Remy and although I developed connections with the new group of people it was hard not to think about Harlow, Blue and Lazlo.

I missed Lazlo in this book, I missed his charm and carefree attitude and I was extremely disappointed that he was only present for a couple of pages because I was really hoping that Hocking would explore his and Remy’s relationship further instead of creating a Boden as a new love interest for Remy without a conflicting one.

Again it was filled with brilliantly described action scenes and plenty of gore and there’s no doubt that Hocking is a beautiful storyteller but at the rate the characters are killed off I couldn’t help but feel that they were put in the story simply to fill up the pages. I enjoyed the book because I enjoy Remy’s world but I felt that the story had major holes in it and was again frustrated that there was no search for a cure to the Lyssavirus and the characters seemed to give up and just accept the world they are living in.

The ending was sweet and I felt that the story came to it naturally but I was hoping for something that would provide some answers about the zombies and how exactly they came into the world but my questions remain unanswered. I can’t believe that someone with Remy’s nature would simply stop fighting and decide to settle down as a family, especially since from the beginning the story led us to believe that Remy and her brother were the only people that could save the world.

I was hoping for another book but after reading Hocking’s blog can see that it’s unlikely there will be another one in the near future however if her plans change I will be looking forward to seeing what’s in store for Remy and her new family (also I hope Lazlo is thrown back into the story).

Check out Amanda Hocking’s blog here

Rating *  *  *

- Stephanie

Darkness Breaks - Jessica Sorensen

Darkness Breaks (Darkness Falls #2)

By Jessica Sorensen
4th June 2012
Createspace

Kayla made her choice and now she has to live with it. She stays with the Day Takers, hiding in the city, staking vampires. But fighting vampires as a human is difficult.
Sylas constantly pressures Kayla to choose the life of a Day Taker. But until Kayla knows what Monarch is planning, she can’t make her choice. Plus there’s Aiden. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop thinking about him.
As Kayla’s memories resurface, the pieces of her history unfold. She learns of Cell 7, a place that Kayla believes holds the answers to the creation of the virus. But getting to Cell 7 is a dangerous mission. And with Kayla's strength weakening, it's one mission she might not make it through alive.




This book was as good as, if not better than the first and I finished it from cover to finish in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down, it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride and my emotions are all over the place. I was immediately thrown back into the action and questions from the end of the first book were established again within the first few pages, so it was easy to get right back into the heart of the story. Sorensen is an amazing storyteller and her ability to mix glimpses of the past with the fast moving action of the present if truly remarkable, she uses every word carefully, never wasting a moment and each chapter propels the story forward.

The thing I loved the most about this book? Sylas. If you know the series then you know we meet him briefly towards the end of the first book. From the first glimpse I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I knew everything there was to know about him and although I still have a hundred more questions I haven’t been disappointed. It is great to see the relationship between Sylas and Kayla develop and some of his walls begin to come down but what surprised me the most was that when Kayla’s memories begin to resurface it’s more about Sylas than Aiden despite what Aiden’s had her believe from the beginning.

I was surprised to find that my opinion of Aiden changed completely in this book, originally I thought he was sweet if not a bit too sensitive but now I have this sense that there’s more he’s hiding from Kayla and his treatment of her is starting to grate on me. It’s one of the things I don’t understand about her, she is a strong independent woman and yet she still allows Aiden to put her in a position that delays her in completing her task. The one question I want answered about him, why doesn’t he want Kayla to change the world? I was also glad to have more of an insight into Ryder and her true feelings towards the brothers, I never expected to find out that she was a key player in the story and that’s what I love about Sorensen, she never fails to surprise me.

I can’t wait to read the next book because I’m hoping there will be a more in depth look into the mind of Monarch and exactly what his plan is and whether he truly has lost all of his humanity, I want to know who’s side he’s on and if Kayla will finally accept the truth about him- that he isn’t the person she thought her was. The one question I can’t wait to have answered and I’m sure Kayla can’t wait either is how did the virus spread?

The expected release date of Darkness Fades, the third book in the series is expected for October 2012.

Check out Jessica Sorensen’s blog here

Rating *  *  *  *  *

- Stephanie

Hollowland - Amanda Hocking

Hollowland (The Hollows #1)

by Amanda Hocking
5th October 2010
Createspace


"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.


This book shows an apocalyptic world full of zombies and one girl’s struggle to find the brother she was separated from. I was drawn into Remy’s world from the very first page and enjoyed the exploration of human nature when faced with only one choice. To survive.

I enjoyed that this book focused around a strong female lead and it reminds me very much of Alice and the Resident Evil series, considering that humans are turned into zombies by a virus; the Lyssavirus. Remy is tough, brutal and incredibly strong in every sense of the word. She has one focus; her brother, and refuses to let anything stand in her way. She is a born leader and fiercely protects her pack of sidekicks; Harlow, a 13 year old girl with an attitude; Lazlo Durante, a spoiled rock star who has survived purely by luck and Blue Adams; a medical student with a soft nature but this doesn’t stop her considering branching out alone, she isn’t afraid of what’s waiting for her but only of what’s happened to her brother.

This is an action packed story from start to finish and Hocking’s action scenes are so well written you can picture every punch (which isn’t an easy thing to do). She never misses a chance to throw in some gore which is perfect for this genre although not great if you have a weak stomach and the best part of the story hands down is Remy’s ‘pet’. Along the way she finds a lion which she quickly names Ripley (anyone else thinking of Alien?) that seems to have an affinity with Remy; she recognises the heart of another lioness.

The end is somewhat anti-climactic and predictable but raises questions that I hope will be answered in the sequel, this book honestly blew me away and exceeded my expectations because Hocking has written a book based on the end of the world but manages to sneak in romance and love although Remy would never admit to those feelings.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the sequel and hope Hocking throws in a search for a cure to the Lyssavirus because so far there has been no mention of it and this detracts from an otherwise brilliant story.

Check out Amanda Hocking’s blog here

Rating *  *  *  *  *

- Stephanie

Darkness Falls - Jessica Sorensen

Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls #1)
by Jessica Sorensen
14th March 2012
Jessica Sorenson 

When the disease spread through the world, people had no choice but to go into hiding. The Colony is hidden deep underground, far away from the vampires—humans that were transformed by the disease. The vampires are hideous, starving, and they will kill any human they come across. Seventeen-year-old Kayla is a Bellator, a warrior that protects The Colony. In order to survive, there are three rules she must follow:
Rule #1—Never go out after dark.
Rule #2—Always carry a weapon.
Rule #3—No matter what, never EVER get bitten.
But what happens when the rules Kayla has always lived by can no longer apply?
The Highers run The Colony and accept nothing less than perfection. One slip up can mean death. Kayla has always worked hard to follow the rules and strive for perfection. But during a moment of weakness, she lets her imperfections show. Her punishment is worse than death. She is chosen for The Gathering and is thrown out into a world full of starving vampires.
No one has ever survived The Gathering, at least that’s what Kayla’s been told. But when she runs into a group who insist they were once part of The Gathering, Kayla discovers the Highers have been keeping secrets. Secrets that could lead to a cure.

Sorensen has completely changed the word vampire by portraying them as not the beautiful, mysterious creatures that we have come to know but by making them ugly, scary and the monsters that they were originally made to be, this book is a refreshing break from today’s stereotype.

I fell into Kayla’s world easily and after the first few chapters it was easy to grasp the backstory and understand just what Kayla’s world was about. This book shows an apocalyptic future filled with vampires that were created as a result of something humans did but the most intriguing thing is that no one seems to remember life before the virus spread, except Kayla. Just one memory, but it’s enough to keep her asking questions.

I was completely blown away by this book because it has kept me confused and intrigued, I still can’t figure out how everything fits together or even who Kayla really is and that’s how I know I loved it. Being able to see the end of a story a mile away is something that constantly irritates me because I want to feel shocked and surprised by a character and their decisions.

Sorensen has achieved this flawlessly because Kayla herself doesn’t even know who she really is or what she wants. The gaps in her memories creates gaps in the story that make it impossible for me to fill, I can’t guess what’s going to happen because I don’t have all the information and that makes this a gripping read.

My favourite element of this book is that it’s not a love story; it’s a story about a girl struggling to figure out who she really is and what role she plays in the world, much like the rest of us. Love does come into the story pretty early on but not in the way I was expecting and it never becomes the focus of the book, it is something that so far has been kept to the side and only mentioned where necessary and that’s because Kayla doesn’t really understand love or any of her feelings in general and this is something else that makes it impossible to know which direction she’s going to take.

I couldn’t have guessed that this story would take the direction it did and I was genuinely surprised to find that it is not a story that focuses solely on the supernatural but a story that combines magic and science to an extent. I am looking forward to seeing where this story leads and what’s in store for the next book it has already become one of my favourites.

Check out Jessica Sorensen's blog here

Rating * * * * *

- Stephanie