Visions by Kelley Armstrong

 Ugh, I am so torn!!!

(sequel to Omens)

I absolutely loved this book, just like the first! While Olivia managed to clear her parent's names of two murders of the eight, there are still plenty of mystery ahead. Such being what about the other four murders and what secrets does Cainsville contain?

Gabriel and Olivia continue their partnership, despite some hitches along the way, and Ricky has made a more prominent place in the story this time around which leads to my internal conflict. Ricky is such a charming character being a dashing and caring man. We can't help but like him, but seeing as I am Team Gabriel, I found myself not exactly thrilled by Ricky's presence. But at the same time, how can one hate some good steamy romance?! What is a girl to do?

 

Despite the blossoming romance, we also get to know the secrets of Cainsville, and to what exactly Olivia is. Cainsville is definitely not all that it seems... prepare yourself! There's plenty of mystery, murder, and omens ahead! Tread carefully, fellow readers!  

 

Lauren - 4 stars

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

 Well, well Kelley Armstrong. Nicely done.
I must say I liked your books when I was a teen, and now I'm enjoying your books as an adult. Or should I say really enjoying? Cuz hot damn I tore through this like a ravenous animal.

Armstrong starts off with a simple life and a complicated girl; Olivia Taylor Jones. First a rich, well known socialite, suddenly thrown into the harsh spotlights of the media when it is revealed that she is the daughter of renowned serial killers, The Larsens.

Instead of sitting around crying about it, even when the people around her prove utterly useless and unreliable, Olivia takes matters into her own hands and seeks refuge. She finds it Cainsville, a mysterious, small, yet quaint town. It is here that she also meets Gabriel, a ruthless lawyer and this, in my opinion, is where the real adventure begins.

I liked how even though there are small descriptors given to our characters, Armstrong gives even better personality shape. I fell in love with our characters just by who they were rather than what they looked like which was nice. I wasn't forced to deal with the cliche, "he was dreamy, with wind-swept black hair I longed to tousle, and eyes so green they swept me away to the Irish fields!"

Kelley also did a fantastic job of tinging a mystery with paranormal. It wasn't all about Olivia's gift, they just helped move the story and mystery along. They helped increase the climax of a dangerous moment, or unveil more complications in an already messy situation! All books can be also easily swept away with romance, but Omens seemed to promise it more for the future, and build the tension leaving readers wanting more. (Oh, do I want more.)

Some might say that there were too many questions, but this book doesn't feel like your average book. The ending doesn't wrap up the way I'm used to, leaving things feeling slightly unfinished, which in an odd way, I enjoyed. It made me more eager to pick up the next book. There are many questions readers have, many Welsh words that are left untranslated, but at the beginning of the book Kelley promised that we would find out at the pace of Olivia. So I decided to be patient and wait, as frustrating at times as that may be!

 Lauren - 4 stars

My review to the sequel, Visions, is here! 

 

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?

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

5 stars

Gorgeous cover, amazing story.

"He wished he could bottle up the smile she gave him and save it for a rainy day. Of course, if all went as it should he'd have those smiles every day, bottle or no, rain or shine, now and forever, until the end of time and after."

That is just too cute.

I have to start off with saying that I felt the summary did not give justice to this book. And if you are a book cover fan like me, look under the dust cover! I felt it was very elegant and pretty! :) I found myself completely enchanted by this novel! While it remains unique in it's own way, it is a mash-up of several different fairy tales like Rumpelstiltskin, a slight pinch of Rapunzel, a reference to the rhyme of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, as well as Princess and the Frog.
I immediately fell in love with the Woodcutter family and their overall bizarreness, for each family member is unique in their own magical way. Sunday's story is very intriguing, and it jumps right into the part where she meets Grumble the frog who becomes her companion, her friend, and her love. Of course as the story goes, she kisses Grumble and he later transforms into Prince Rumbold.

The story was light, entertaining, creative, and unique to say the least. I found all of Sunday's family, including herself, to be quite loveable. The scenery was described and written beautifully I found myself longing to see the Elder Woods, and I also found Rumbold's character to be adorably complicated, especially post-frog enchantment. He was just so eager to love Sunday...

The tale takes a steady route, and while you know where it's heading it's still an excellent read that you can get caught up in. I was actually surprised at actually how dark the book became regarding the King and his reign.

Follow my review for Hero!

 

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.