Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Erin Bowman gets down to the nitty gritty!

 

Kate Thompson is out for blood and vengeance when a gang kills her father, and she's not afraid to pull the trigger. Along the way she picks up a motley crew each seeking their own goals, but she learns a little from all of them along the way.

I'm just going to start out by saying how much I love Kate! She is a gun slinging badass. This girl has a mean shot and she doesn't let anything stop her! Don't expect much humor in this book, it's definitely on the darker side as a book with vengeance and gold should be. I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the book, it wasn't too overdone, and I didn't see the plot twist coming. It's a bit of a doozy, let me tell you.

I really enjoyed this book, there's no time for lagging in this one. The cover art is amazing, too! I hope to see more great books coming for Bowman!

5 stars

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Easily the best book this year!!

How does one describe a book so magical and captivating that you will stay up until 6am to read it?

 (Guilty as charged.)

Uprooted was sexy, intriguing, honest, and just all out well written and constructed.
Like a drink of cold water when one is thirsty for something more, I was enraptured and satisfied by this book.

What will you get when you buy said book? 

A delicious cover, an adventure, unique world building, complex and wonderful characters, and best of all an unforgettable experience.

Nieshka is a wild, headstrong, nature loving girl who is whisked away into a world of magic. Counter that with the Dragon: an uptight, magician who adores beauty and perfection, and prepare yourself to be amused as they pair up to counter an evil, living forest that contains terrible horrors within.

 Novik doesn't keep the book PG by any means, which helps make the book feel more real. She composes her literature to unfold naturally with smooth progression, making it easy to fall into pace and become one with Nieshka's world. I dare not reveal more and ruin any surprises for you, but I must insist if you are a lover of reading, give this one a try. I do not think you will regret it.

Lauren - 5 stars

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

 Once again, I've devoured this series...

(sequel to The Dream Thieves)

As usual, Stiefvater leaves me craving more with each book. I feel like this series is like a crime, and I only get clues piece by piece and its so deliciously frustrating!

 We pick up where our group left off; with a lot of drama. Blue's mother is missing, Blue and Adam's relationship has been injured, while Blue and Gansey's relationship becomes more desirable and forbidden. Noah's ghost status is still unstable and unpredictable, and Adam and Ronan's relationship is still left in question as they both struggle to understand their new found abilities.

Whew. Take a second to absorb all that.

We get to meet some new characters in this book, which really changes the game play this time around. Readers also get to discover more about the Raven King, but also more about another mysterious entity similar to the Raven King but much more ominous and evil who should remain unawakened. To add to the already building tension of this series, Stiefvater leaves this book with a cliffhanger that will leave you feeling robbed. 

Lauren - 5 stars

 

I am absolutely craving the next book! Bring on The Raven King! 

A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab

Magical and exciting! Another winner from Victoria Schwab.

Imagine if you had magic: the ability to travel from one parallel universe to the next. Pretty awesome, right? 

Welcome to Kell's everyday life.
At first a slow start, I found myself soon wrapped up in Kell's plight. His troubles begin with his irresistible urge to collect items from the other Londons that he visits. Tricked into smuggling over an extremely dangerous magical item, Kell must rise to the face the consequences or risk losing his London, as well as the others.

Schwab gave great details and emotional connections in this book that helped bring the different worlds to life. I could almost feel the dustiness of Grey London, the chill of White London, and the glow of the Red London. It was fascinating to know that each was connected, but became unconnected when Black London became corrupted and devoured by it's magic. Each character was unique, strong, and brave in their own way, but Schwab built powerful connections. I simply loved Kell and Lilah. Lilah is so headstrong and spunky, it's hard not to like her! I was easily ensnared, with the strength and connection of them, and there were plenty of things left open to amp up excitement for the next book.

Lauren - 4 stars  

Shit is going down!! Feb 2016! 

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

5 stars

(sequel to The Darkest Minds)

Such an amazing sequel, I want to kick myself for putting it off for so long!

We pick up where we left off in the previous book but some time has passed. Ruby is now an official member of the Children's League, and has become much more comfortable with her powers compared to how out of control she was before.

She works for the League doing a variety of tasks, mostly unpleasant. Whether its missions to help attain goods for the League, or questioning prisoners aggressively, Ruby does what she needs to do though Liam and friends are a constant on her mind.

We get to meet a few new people, mostly people from Ruby's team. We have the sweet and loveable Jude though he can be annoying, to the rather bitchy but stunning beauty, Vida. We also get to meet Liam's older brother but with his arrival comes bad news: Liam is unknowingly carrying information that is important to his brother, and possibly vital to the League, which puts Ruby in a situation since she sacrificed everything to protect him. 

Things become especially complicated when Ruby finds that there are untrustworthy members of the League that have no problem killing children or any one who gets in their way of their higher goals. The story once again takes on an on the run theme, as Ruby seeks the information Liam carries in order to protect him while keeping out of the reach of the dangerous clutches of the rogue League members. 

Readers unite with old friends, meet new enemies, and encounter old ones as well. The ending of the book leaves off in a triumphant and dangerous cliffhanger that was absolutely brilliant. The third book, In the Afterlight, should be released this year!

Half Bad by Sally Green

4.5 stars

Loving the blood effect on this cover as well as this debut novel.

I stumbled upon this gem while looking for another book at the store. Honestly, I was not entirely sure what to expect, but what I didn't expect was such an amazing and heart wrenching story!

Nathan's tale is one of sadness from the day he was born, for he is a half white and half black witch. What makes this so unfortunate is that Nathan's black blood is of the darkest and most dangerous origins. Despite being constantly viewed with disdain and treated with hatred by nearly everyone he meets, Nathan is strong, clever, and optimistic in his own unique way.

Sally Green does an amazing job with her story telling for it ensnares you and compels you to finish this book as quickly as possible. Along with a rocky and deliciously forbidden romance, readers also get to experience living in a cage, tales of torture, and an underground system for witches on the run or in need of an illegal favor that comes with a price.

There are a couple pages told from a first POV but I found it to be unique and different almost like you're being woven into the story. The idea of good/bad and black/white is strongly put into question.  I also found Nathan's view on life and his interactions with family and the people he meets to be beautiful as well as a touch cynical. My only dislike was my concern with his instant turn to brutality in certain occasions.

The ending was satisfying and left off with a mild cliffhanger but I see promise in it's sequel, Half Wild.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

4.5 stars

I was a serious sucker for this cover. Dramatic wings? Yes, please!

A book that actually surprised me!

As mentioned on the cover, This book is a nearly perfect mix between Hunger Games and Ender's Game. Except people are classified as colors. 

Be warned, it takes a little bit for the story to pick up, so hang in there, because you won't regret it!

Darrow is a hero that you can't help but admire as he climbs the ranks in this tragic tale. His back story is one of hardship right from the beginning as he is a poor, hungry miner among his fellow people who are also suffering from the short end of the stick. Believing that some day their sacrifice will help make Mars habitable for future colonies you can imagine his anger when he discovers it is all for naught as they are considered merely slaves for the "upper classes," and that Mars has been lived on for quite a long time.

Darrow seeks revenge with the help of a rebel group, by taking on the disguise of a Gold, the highest rank of color in society, in order to earn the power he needs to complete his goals. 

I honestly expected something boring when I learned that Darrow was to enter a Gold's school. Classrooms, government, history, all that boring political stuff, right?  Imagine my surprise when he is forced to kill a fellow student with his bare hands in order to move on into a bloodier arena; a battlefield of strategic warfare.

The story itself was constantly exciting and yet horrifying, as we uncover secrets, experimentation, and how far humanity will go before they're simply monsters instead of men. There is an element of rape in here, so be warned. Nothing to horribly graphic, but it's there. 

I'm dying for next step of Darrow's story, because I'm honestly not sure what will happen next! 

Tune in, readers!

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

5 stars

Love the matching theme cover, I must say!

(sequel to The Archived)

No sequel trauma here! What a knockout!!

Back with our independent heroine Mac, we start off with a new beginning, a new territory: school. Mackenzie is trying to cope with the trauma she experienced in the previous book with Owen, while attempting to take control of her life. Easier said than done in her case.

She finds it of course difficult since she suffers from morbid night terrors involving Owen that start to bleed into her waking life making her wonder if she's slowly going insane. What's especially difficult is that she can't show weaknesses right now since her job as a Keeper has been put on the line. 

To add to the mystery and chaos of it all people are disappearing and their only connection is to Mackenzie. 

Dun, dun, dunnn!

The Unbound round house kicked me in the face with awesomeness. We get more character development, more action, more mystery, and more layers of the "Archive" onion peeled away to reveal that there is more to this library of the dead than we could have ever hoped for...

For fellow Mac and Wes fans, I'm pleased to announce that they grow much closer in this book! (Finally!) 

Once again, I'm left dying for the next in the series, because everything was raw and intense. You feel Mac's pain, anxiety, and terror throughout the book and the ending leaves such promise for the third.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

5 stars

Look at that cover!! It's freakin' fantastic!

AHmazing!! I am so happy this book 
lived up to my expectations!

If you don't read this book you will be missing out. In my perspective, this book was a whole new view on the dead. This isn't about ghosts, and it isn't about a troubled teenager. It's about life, death, and something more. 

That's right, there's more!

So you have the three main "worlds" in this book. 

You have the Outers, everyday life for us normal beings. 

The Narrows, in my head I pictured a sort of go between for these different worlds for it has many doors and one narrow hallway like description with fog and darkness. 

Then you have the Archived, a library of dead people called Histories. 

Histories can awaken and they slip, where they start to lose themselves and their eyes become all black, it sounds pretty creepy. Mac's job is to find these histories and return them to the Archives. Sounds mundane, except that when they slip they can become violent and Histories don't bleed and are strong which ups the danger and excitement of this story!

What makes this book such a winner is the fact that its creatively imagined, the story is kept interesting because the apartment that Mac lives in has a dark back story of it's own which keeps the background intriguin. You also have a mysterious conflict and I loved the characters, and just when you think you know everything, there is much more to it than you thought you knew!

Just blew your mind there.
 All the excitement, mystery and action is why I can't wait for the second book, plus I want Wesley and Mac together. No lie.
The only complaint I have are that I pretty much figured out the villain right away. <spoiler>It had to be who I had priginally suspected, because the character was too...vague. We only knew that he/she was a sad character who had a somewhat mysterious past. 
I found Mac to be a strong heroine, defiant, and funny. I also thought the grief in this story was appropriate, not too whiny or clingy, but a family trying to recover from a harsh loss. The climax was awesome and blew my mind, especially when some of the clues were pieces together to reveal the "final form," as I'd like to put it.

The characters are wonderful and well developed as well. I simply adored Roland. Wes is pretty funny but I love Roland hands down. Just had to put that in there, that this book earns its fifth possibly secret sixth star for Roland. He is such an awesome character, I mean any character who wears Red Converse is just amazing automatically! I'm happy to find that Victoria Schwab has made another winner.

My review to the sequel, The Unbound.

Fragile Spirits by Mary Lindsey

3.5 stars

Such a unique cover!

(companion to Shattered Souls)

It felt so good to be back in Mary Lindsey's world of ghosts, Speaker's, and Protector's!

Such a unique little world that I, as well as other readers, got to be a part of. I admit that I longed to see more of the council but alas.

This was a really great companion, and it doesn't take long for things to get started. We begin in the book meeting Paul, a Protector. Fans of Alden and Lenzi from the previous book, will be pleased to hear that we get to see them quite frequently since Paul has been acting as their back up. 

It isn't too far into the book that we find out Smith is still at large, and that Paul will be finally be pairing up with a Speaker. To his shock he gets a rather prickly Vivienne. 

She is completely goth, from her black nails, bright pink hair, and torn stockings and yet everyone just cannot help but love her. I especially loved her simply for being goth! It was a lovely twist and made Vivienne appealing since she sounded dangerous and exotic. I also began to appreciate her Speaker method which was a mix between playing it cool, even though she was scared at times, and taking no shit even from Malevolent spirits. 

Here is where I felt a little like the book fell into the insta-romance department. Their relationship as Protector and Speaker is rocky since Paul tends to follow the rule book and Vivienne breaks said rules. But after one day of working together to take care of a border-line Malevolent, there's suddenly this connection they didn't have before. Trust I could understand, but it wasn't just that but this instant attraction and strong emotions for both of them towards each other.

More development! More character building! 

I need more than one day on the job and Paul covering her ass when shit goes down! In defense, I did find they meshed well together and the action scenes of the book were really good. 

The final showdown involving Smith was climatic, but it felt a bit too easy at the same time.

There were some serious topics at play in the book, like abuse and poverty. Learning to let go and open your heart to others despite your fears, and also that revenge isn't always as sweet as it seems. 

All this combined really made for a great book, and I cannot wait for more from Mary Lindsey!

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

5 stars

A truly heartwarming and heart wrenching story.

It is about love between a soldier of humble origins and a girl who is known from her connections to her father who is rich and successful.

They come from two completely different worlds but they learn to try and work together when their space ship crashes and they get stranded on a strange planet.

The point of view switches between Lilac and Tarver as they journey through the planet's grasses, mountains, and forests seeking fellow survivors, food, and salvation. Their relationship is not instantaneous but at least the interest was there. At first Lilac and Tarver struggle to get along. 
Lilac comes off as slightly snooty at first, but when we really get to know her, she is an admirable heroine and a clever woman. Tarver is likeable right from the start since he is a man of good character and strength. You cannot help but respect his humble living and love his good heart. 

What really makes this story interesting besides the survivor aspect is that things get interesting when Lilac starts seeing hallucinations, and Tarver gets a suspicious feeling that something is strange about this planet. His clues being that there does not seem to be any inhabitants, but there is signs that someone had attempted to make the planet habitable. 

As the story leads up to their remarkable discover I was turning the pages eager for whatever was next. It's an intense read, and the ending is sweet and happy. I recommend to sci fi and romance fans! 

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

3 stars

Loved the cover, its really eye catching and entrancing.

A fun action packed book that leaves you longing for the next change...

I've got to say I've been on a badass heroine streak and love it. With this story I was not disappointed with our heroine Kali; an average teenager every other day. But when she isn't simply human, she is a bloodthirsty hunter, seeking to sink her knives into supernatural baddies!

Her life takes an even bigger turn for the interesting when she sees the mark of the Chupacabra on a popular girl at school and has decided to save her no matter the cost.

Though Kali isn't exactly social, she warms up to most of the characters we're introduced to, and its quite a variety. Through Kali's eyes, the world of the usual bump-in-the-night creature genre is given a unique twist. Especially so when readers learn of a company with evil intention involving Kali, humans, creatures, and a certain somebody else.

It's what makes this book so fun, since things aren't what they seem! I really appreciated that while our popular girl did fit the usual bill of teenage snot, once Kali got past the facde there was someone truly lovable underneath. I did feel a little confused after some mysteries were revealed for example what exactly Kali was before things began to change was left...cloudy. Also a certain character death left me with a big angry question mark above my head. I felt the death was random and highly unnecessary, plus the ending felt slightly vague. 

These were my only complaints since the book was otherwise so good, I could not put it down. Great for a light, action read!

Hero by Alethea Kontis

4 stars

Another gorgeous cover!

(sequel to Enchanted)


Meet Saturday Woodcutter, a fierce, muscular girl who would much rather gallivant around the forest chopping down trees with her axe, than dance at a ball least alone in a dress!
A girl who is a fun rolemodel for tomboys out there!

While Enchanted was a mash up of fairy tales, Saturday's was more of an adventure. We pick up with the Woodcutter family's lifestyle completely changed thanks to the golden egg laying goose, so they find themselves with more steady financial support. Saturday's axe has changed into a sword, and she finds herself questioning her purpose and if she's really all the special since she believes herself to be the only non-magical person in her family.

But once she summons an ocean in her backyard, she finds out that she is more than she could ever imagine. Saturday sets out on her journey, but once she is captured by a witch she meets an Earl's son, a man who is more than he appears. They will need each other's help in order to get out of their predicament, and love will of course be part of the adventure, though Saturday wishes it didn't have to be so.

I once again found myself falling in love with the Woodcutter family.

They are all so unique, close together, and amazing. Saturday is such a brave woman that is an admirable heroine in this book and her love interest, Peregrine, is quite admirable and unique himself, and their chimera friend tops off the trio perfectly. Though the story is slightly cheesy, it is really enjoyable and fantastical none the less.

We don't get much insight into the villains from Enchanted until the end, which leaves me wondering if things will be summed up in Friday's book, Dearest, or if there will be more?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

4 stars

 

Can I say I love you Neil Gaiman for asking a 1922 version of your book to be released?

You can imagine the book-gasm I had when I found this beautiful classically designed book with cloth cover, and gold pressed into the cover. Gorgeous.

This book is in fact the inspiration for the movie, which I loved, and so heck why not pick it up for a read? Young Tristan Thorne, half fairy and half mortal, steps over the forbidden Wall in order to complete his destiny of finding a fallen star in order to win his love's heart. Tristan meets new friends, and his pure heart and good intentions help him out of hard fixes on his journey.

While I loved the classic magic this book invoked, I felt a little torn. Tristan's journey was very epic, but at the same time I felt it lacked some major action. Despite this, I liked how Tristan became a man when he got to know himself  better, once he realized what kind of man he wanted to be and who he was. 

 

If you've seen the movie first, the differences are noted, but at the same time I couldn't help but think they did a damn good job on the movie as well.

Vicious by Victoria Schwab

4 stars

 I love the details in this cover. Amazing art!

Victoria Schwab has fast become one of my favorite authors. 

From the Near Witch, to The Archived, and now Vicious, I have to say that she writes engaging stories that absolutely thrill.

With her newest adult fantasy novel, Vicious, we are introduced to a new creative world. She gave a whole new spin to the idea of superheroes or ExtraOrdinaries (EO's). I loved how in this book, technically nobody is the good guy.

Both Eli and Victor have their dark sides, both have killed people in the pursuit for something bigger and greater.

The story swings between past and present and pulls together as we collect the little pieces of the puzzle to Victor and Eli's tale. A few chapters help us get to know the side characters like Mitch, Sydney, and Serena, in more depth.

Victor and Eli become involved in the study of Eo's and how they come into existence or whether or not they actually exist. After discovering how people attain their unique gifts, which is very fascinating and creative, they decide to take it a step further and experiment on each other to in order to attain results.

It's here that things start to get ugly and our characters begin to change. The boys split ways; Eli begins his killing spree and Victor his life in jail. Then the story amps up when Victor escapes from said prison, and picks up a stray on his pursuit on Eli who is trapped in his God mode.

The story dragged just a little at some parts, but I was otherwise highly entertained. (Out of all the characters I found Sydney to be my favorite!)

The ending was brilliant, and left it open in a way that was satisfying in my opinion. To others, possibly not so much, but this a book that's meant to be given a chance!

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

3 stars

The cover is so cool, too!

I found Coldest Girl in Coldtown to be good, 

 but somewhat disappointing. I went in expecting the thrill of Holly Black's previous work and found it slighly lacking.

Our heroine, Tana, is a young girl of the age oh, I'd say 18? Her life has a complicated past, but her life manages to still be drastically changed when she wakes up the next morning. The story starts off really exciting and thrilling. Holly Black's interpretation of vampires is dark and fascinating. Instead of your usual vampire, her vampires are more sinister, unpredictable, and way more dangerous. They are truly monsters.

The vampire's sharp sharp canines are the source of the spreading disease which is shared when a vampire bites a human. The human is then infected and has one of two options;

to sweat the disease out for 88 days and remain human, or drink human blood and begin the process of turning.

"Coldtowns" have been erected for vampires to be secluded from humans and live on their undead past times but this is where humans and the dead alike flock to gather together. This is where our group heads.

Tana makes a great heroine, I liked how she wasn't this jealous, simpering, swoony character. She had feelings, and she had mistakes in her past which could have made her more vulnerable, more human. Instead all Tana did was kick some serious ass.

Sometimes the world building felt a little weak, but I guess my main source of disappointment was because I had been expecting some exciting plot twist for the entire book, something that would blow my mind. Sadly, it never happened. Due to this, the plot felt rather...lame. 

Their whole goal was to go to Coldtown to get her infected ex-boyfriend there, and then once they were there it was just one thing after another keeping Tana from returning home. Not to mention at some point it just felt like Tana was asking to be infected.

To sum up my frustrations, I felt like the ending left a huge "then what?" Will Tana go home? What happens after?

Now don't get me wrong, Coldest Girl in Coldtown is not a horrible book, but it wasn't mindblowing either. It's a simple pleasure kind of book which in my opinion, doesn't make it Holly Black's best work. Especially compared to her roller coaster ride of a trilogy, The Curse Workers.

 I hope she writes another book soon, because I will be reading it!

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Steifvater

Loving this cover! 

5 brilliant stars~

(sequel to The Raven Boys)

FINALLY. 

It is here! I finished it and damn it! Why must you cliffhang us, Stiefvater?!

I'll admit to it being awesome though...Dream Thieves was so amazing that I was dreading the end. It was simply just one of those books, the ones you fly through so quickly. They say that sometimes that sequel can be the slump book but this one was everything a sequel should be in my opinion!

After the puzzling cliffhanger in the first book where Ronan reveals his unique nature of being able to pluck items from his dreams, we pick up immediately and get a deeper view into the progressing tale of Blue and her Raven Boys.

Ronan was definitely one of the boys that we got to take a dive into. All those questions about his complicated and mysterious past are given answers, and we get to explore and discover all he does, on the abilities of what I like to call dream manifestation. It's called something else, but I'd hate to spoil it for you guys!

 We also get some pov of  Adam, after his life changing and sacrificial decision in Cabeswater. It's interesting since he is changing, but at the same time Adam has some inner demons and struggles with the past to deal with.

I had some serious feels with this book as well, since there was a lot of the same old, but at the same time things were changing for everyone. They're closer to finding their Raven King, while all the while trying to discover themselves and what they want, where they belong. Not to mention, what the future holds for them. 

We also get to meet a new character who I was honestly, was unable to to classify into one category until the end. The Gray Man is definitely an interesting add-on. Although some might seem him as kind of unnecessary? Possibly.

I seriously enjoy Steifvater's style of writing, how she develops her characters, and how she describes surroundings, situations, and feelings. It was a wonderful, exciting, and amazing book! And I'm dying for the third one, Blue Lily, Lily Blue!

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

 

A dazzling and striking cover!

 4 stars

Jay Kristoff, you've earned every star. 

Though you tore my heart out...quite brutally. I still give you the honor of a slow clap.


How do I describe a book that is so fantastic, there is a loss of words? I shall try my best.
We meet Yukiko, our heroine, who accompanies her father on the hunt for the legendary Ashitora, Thunder Tiger, or as we Americans call them, Griffins. It is said to be a myth or at least extinct thanks to the Blood Lotus, a red flower that is toxic and addictive. It slowly kills their land, animals, and people. Imagine everyone's surprise when they discover that they do still exist. 

Yukiko later names it Buruu, and events lead to the two of them being stranded in the wilderness together, relying on each other to survive. It was here, ladies and gentlemen, that I found the book to be at it's reading peak. For it is here, that Yukiko truly discovers herself,and the truth behind her mother's sudden departure, which really shape her as a person. It was also an important period for them since Yukiko and Buruu truly bond and become brother and sister. Which i adored by the way, it was really cute!

All in all, the book is chock-full of awesome action and suspense! Who would have guessed that there was so many people within the Kingdom who hated the Shogun's guts? I mean, his own sister is even against him!
We also meet a lot of interesting characters like Yukiko's father, The Kage, and Kin, a friend she makes on her father's boat, the Thunder Child. Each character has a complicated past, which of course, only makes everything more interesting.

Not to mention, the complicated love line. Kin loves Yukiko, Yukiko loves Hiro & his green eyes, Hiro has sex with her but is eternally loyal and obsessed with the Shogun, and the Shogun is an all out tyrant when it comes to women but is apparently in love with his sister. Ew. What is with screwed up leaders being in love with their sisters? Do I even need to bring up Gladiator? 

The sex between Yukiko and Hiro was tasteful considering it's in the YA genre. I again, felt a bit of mixed feelings, towards Hiro. He seemed so perfect considering all Yukiko did for a good third of the book was dream of him, and then readers finally get up close and personal and I felt myself thinking, "Eh." I understood Hiro was needed for some romantic conflict, maturing of Yukiko, and role of scapegoat. But I wasn't all that aggrieved when Yukiko and Buruu killed him. It almost felt like Stormdancer would have been find without a romantic interest at all this time around. I got to say I'm interested to see if things go anywhere with Kin and Yukiko especially considering she broke his heart.

What broke my heart was when we lose someone very important to our story and Yukiko. My heart...

I knew somebody important died and I was really worried it was going to be Buruu. Now that would make me cry. Especially with my favorite quote of the book being Buruu saying to Yukiko: "Feathers grow back. Sisters do not."

I am really excited for the second book! The first book leaves it open to possibilities. Readers obviously know that war will most likely happen, but it ended on such an upbeat rebellious note. I found myself not dreading the sequel, but anticipating it! Bring on the heartbreak!!

 GORGEOUS! *fangirls*

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

5 stars

To be honest, I was skeptical about this book at first. We get this huge info dump in the beginning of the book that we have to try and sort through to the point of re-reading a couple of times to try and grasp the concept. But that's what I'm here for; sarcasm and summarizing. 

(Plus there's a glossary in the back. Wish I'd known that before.)

Welcome to New Age London, run by a government, Scion, that hates clairvoyants.

Year 20-something or other. Meet main character, Paige, who is a clairvoyant of a more rare class: dream walking. She can project her spirit and did I mention she works in the crime syndicate?

 But hey, who can blame her, I mean the government is pretty much a giant asshole. Think "Watchmen" here, people.

When some unfortunate circumstances come into play, Paige learns a more dangerous trick with her power, and a guard ends up dead, the other insane. Paige gets caught, and knows it's the end for her, the government has killed for less after all. 

Imagine her surprise when she finds herself taken to a hidden city where clairvoyants are hidden right under everybody's noses. Everybody's but Scion who plays a hand in this project. The city is run by creatures who aren't human called Rephaim. 

I wasn't a 100% sure what these guys were exactly, but all we know for sure is that they come from the aether; a place where spirits go for peace and clairvoyants draw their power.

The only reason Scion is working with them is because of these nasty creatures called Emim who hunger for human flesh. Due to these monstrosities Scion needs the Rephaim, thus helping form the reluctant pact between alien and human. 

Now you're thinking, what is so bad about a place that caters to clairvoyants? They get to escape from a society that hates them, to a place where their talents are rewarded.

 Except that Rephaim treat humans and clairvoyants that are useless like slaves, dogs. They beat and starve them, use them for entertainment, for personal slavery, feed from the 'voyant's auras, train most of them to be soldiers to fight the Emim and capture more clairvoyants. Rephaim can also take clairvoyants under their wing, and become their "Keeper's." 

All around assholery 'round these parts.

Just wait until you meet the Queen of these winners, Nashira. This woman is all out poison, and the more you read about her in this book the more you despise her.

We also get to meet Arcturus. 

Yummy!

 

 Also known as the Warden. Dark, sexy, mysterious, and yes, different, from the other cruel Rephs.

(You'll come to find that the words "special" and "different" in a book describing a love interest are serious taboo for me.)

He changes this story, and helps Paige. He takes her under his wing, becomes her Keeper and trains her to help master her unique gift.  He has quite the history and Paige is out for freedom, for a revolution and she plans to escape or die trying.

 Intriguing, yes?

Now a lot of people are calling this story unique and original, that Shannon is the next J.K. Rowling, and that there is a possibility of seven books.

I wouldn't say this story is original, but it's very entertaining, a great read! One for my personal shelves. Exciting suspense once you stick through the beginning, but I don't see a necessity for seven books. (Dear God, please, no.) Just seems highly unnecessary.

The next book's release does not have a date yet! Also, if you'd like give me a shout out on your opinion of the book, feel free. :)

Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand

This review will include the entire series.

5 stars

 A truly unique angel series.

 I usually avoid the cliched themes if I can help it, I'm sure you've all noticed when there's a theme in the book business. Vampires, werewolves, mermaids, you get the gist.

I was drawn in however, when I saw promising reviews on this angel series! Yes, it has a love triangle, and yes it's about a young teenage girl trying to fit in.

But it exceeded the usual crap by starting out immediately with Clara, our main character,  
receiving a vision.
From the reaction her mother takes of immediately picking her family up and moving to another state in accordance with this vision, we know these things are pretty damn important. There is also different types of angels. You have your quarter bloods, half bloods, and triple bloods which are more rare, and of course your full blood angels whose appearances come and go on Earth.

You also have your good and bad angels.
Which are defined by the color of their wings, since their wings represent their soul. So naturally, evil angels are called "dark wings." 
 Intriguing little concept that was thrown in there!
The whole story revolves around Clara moving from California to Wyoming with her mother and brother, in order to complete her vision and meet the boy in them.
We find out later that this boy is Christian, local popular boy but we also get to meet Tucker, our hometown cowboy; meet our love triangle. It was definitely one of those rare good love triangles, but for the first book the love triangle doesn't get competitive just yet.


As Clara tries to adjust to a more simple lifestyle with new people, she of course pines and pursues her vision boy, Christian. All the while, trying to be a good angel, and live a somewhat normal life. When Clara reaches a low point in her romantic pursuits, Tucker is there to pick up the pieces which leads to a budding romance that nobody can honestly dislike.
What makes the romance wonderful and difficult for readers is that for once, both boys are crush-worthy gentlemen!  
 The book is definitely has its action points, for example, a stand off with Clara and a dark wing! The ending of the book definitely hints at future romantic tension, people. Prepare yourself.

Don't you just love matching covers?
5 stars


What a follow up!
Usually sequels are outrageous disappointments, that "slow book" in the middle to lead up to the final book and it's (possible) excitement.
Cynthia Hand said NAY.
I found myself engaged in an exciting rising action book, that made me cry bitter tears into the pages. Bitter not because I was frustrated, but because this book was genuinely sad.

To start off, I can see why this book was named Hallowed since "hallowed ground" plays an important and often used appearance in this book. Clara's complicated life has taken a definite turn for more drama, as it has now peaked with a moody brother, new angel related worries, and Christian determined to put himself into Clara's life and Tucker trying to make sure he stays out of it.

We find out more about Clara's secretive mother,  and are introduced to a  
ton of new angel bloods!
We also get to FINALLY meet Clara's mysterious father and what we find out is wow, mind blowing.
 Samjeeza, the dark wing who was causing a lot of trouble for Clara and family, keeps pestering and causing problems more than ever in this book, but this time we find out a little more about his history and how it ties into Clara's future and how he was was an important part of her mother's past.

5 stars

I've got to applaud Cynthia Hand for writing a smooth flowing story that never slows, is well paced, developed, and keeps readers engaged.
 Each book is fascinating, 
I was never bored. I especially appreciate how she developed her characters in this series so you can feel how they've matured since Unearthly and Hallowed. The way she ties angels and religions together appeases readers, and the importance of family is beautifully displayed, a concept lost on a lot of books from the YA genre in this day and age. This really is a must read series.

A flaw in the book though was that I felt honestly torn when it came to Clara choosing between Tucker and Christian. I found Tucker to be a great romantic interest, in the first book especially since I felt Christian had a lot of maturing to do. By the second book, I found myself torn. By the third book I truly felt that it should be Christian. He makes a lot of sacrifices for Clara in the third book, and they have an amazing connection as fellow angels, two of only nine triple blood angels on Earth! 
There was even a great opening in the book where Clara could have truly chosen between the two but instead it took us for a twist, and I found myself disappointed feeling that the book had copped out when it came to choosing the permanent love interest. 

Despite my disappointment, this book was the best out of the entire series! It really had meaning and feeling!