World After by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Published: November 19, 2013
Genre: Paranormal, YA, Apocalyptic, Romance, Dystopian
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Purchased
Pages: 438
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

My Review

There are no words for this book. The funny thing is that I went in expecting nothing but perfection. Ee floored me with Angelfall and I just couldn't conceive of a world where the book following such excellence was lacking in any way. I needed World After to be as good, if not better than Angelfall. Spoiler Alert: It was.



The curse of the second is pretty much something I implicate when going into sequels, simply said, they tend to be less enthralling than their predecessors. But the curse? It didn't exist for this book. Ee is an author after my own heart, this is why her books are my kryptonite, I feel like she writes for me. So thank-you for this, Ee, it was superb.

World After follows the events of Angelfall and Penryn is slowly recovering from the scorpion sting that left her paralysed. She's with her family, Paige is finally returned, but the experimentations done on her have altered Penryn's baby sister in ways that go much deeper than the physical. Her pain was palpable, and finding the sister she lost in the "Low Demon" now in her stead was a struggle for Penryn. Her mother, craziness aside, latches onto her daughter and encourages Penryn to look in Paige's eyes because those haven't changed; she is the same sister and daughter they know and lost. Surprisingly, Penryn has difficulty with this, and if things aren't hard enough, they still don't know what to feed Paige. It isn't until one incident at their base refugee camp that the gory answer is arrived at.

Paige needs meat. Raw meat, most readily available in human beings. There is an uproar, and the rest of the survivors try to capture her and she flees the camp, leaving Penryn and her mother to find Paige yet again. Clara, an unexpected survivor who Penryn saves from being sucked dry by the scorpions/"locusts" comes along for the ride, and together they embark on the quest to save Paige from the unpredictable angels, herself, and from hurting anyone else.


Yeah, not so much.

I was taken rapture, by the incredible storytelling and the characters brimming with anguish and determination to survive. I think more than anything, this series is a chronicle of survival and persistence even at the worst of times.

Penryn grew, into the kind of Heroine one cannot forget about simply by closing the book. She stays with you, making you question her actions as well as what you might do in her place. If your world was turned upside down, the man you loved apart from you, and your family ravaged...what would you do? I'd hope I would act as Penryn did and kick some serious ass! Can I get a "what-what" for her skills with Pookie Bear!?



I was very pleased, and excited that more of Raffe's past was revealed through his sword and also that some insight as to what Paige went through was provided. I think I would have hated it if her whole experience with the angels was glossed over, and Ee gave just enough detail about her abduction that satisfied but did not completely satiate my curiosity. As always, I am hungry for more and the next book is something I absolutely must have.

World After was full of action and entertained me to the very end. Much is revealed about the Angels as well as their purpose on Earth. Uriah's motives are despicable, but then again was any less expected? Things are more complicated than they appear and I am glad there will be 5 books to unravel the mystery of this new world and its many conspiracies.

Did I mention, I am hella pleased to have more Raffe and Penryn coming my way? I NEED this two to happen, damnation aside. Their chemistry is crackling and my tummy warmed at their reunion. I'm shipping this so hard, it hurts. Raffe did not disappoint me and the fact that he recognized Penryn right away made the romantic in me swoon for days! I'm in love. World After is the kind of book that satisfies and I am so happy.



This book was everything I needed it to be, the perfect sequel with an ending that makes me ever loyal to Ee and this series. So beautifully written...All I want is the next book!

5 FLAMING GENIES!

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 genies
Published: October 1, 2013
Genre: Mature YA, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Pages: 336
Format: Hardback
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Shocking secrets.
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

My Review

Death.

Never before has Death looked so good. I give props to Kresley Cole; she wrote this character in such a way that completely changed my mind about the Reaper.

From what I recall of Poison Princess he didn't feature that much in the story, save a few threatening inner monologues between himself and Evie, and the odd flashback here and there. Going into Endless Knight, Death was not my preoccupation, Jack was. The Cajun stole my heart during the first book, and while I still hold a tender place for him, Death shares more of my affections. I'll break the book down into sections and better explain what I loved:

Setting: This was perfect! Throughout the book, the group journeys through the wasteland in search of Evie's grandmother, also avoiding the other Arcana and Bagmen following closely on their tail. Firstly, Endless Knight picks up from where the previous book left off with Evie just having done away with the Alchemist and Jack standing there shocked beyond belief. There is desolation everywhere and from the imagery of blood splattered on the woodwork, dripping from Evie's talons, you get a sense that this world is far from ordinary. Other books I have read in the genre cannot compare to Cole's gorgeous and thrilling world of the A.F. I loved everything.

This is a world that I immersed myself in, picking up the book and not stopping until it was finished. I couldn't get enough of their terrifying circumstances and the world post Apocalypse is so very perfectly written and conveyed.

Plot: I couldn't believe how engaging this story was; I never saw anything coming, save a guess on rare occasions, and even then there was more to the revelations than I could have assumed. Impressed is probably the only way to describe how I feel about Endless Knight. It thoroughly impressed me, and this is a sequel done well. I never felt like putting it down, the writing flowed and a consistent peppering of adventure ensured that I never grew bored or tired.

Cole does dance a fine line between YA and Adult with some of the more mature scenes involving Evie and Death, even the cave scene with Jack seemed more risque than the average young adult book. For this, I have to suggest the book for older readers in the 17+ or 18 and above age range. The scenes are steamy and my contention is that Evie doesn't seem like a 16 year old in all of them. I am not complaining, yet simply noting that if a book is written for a particular age group, it should stick to content appropriate for that audience. Mainly, it would have been more consistent with Evie's character had she acted her age.

Then again, I suppose it isn't every day that the world ends and maybe those scenes are proof that she needed to grow up quickly? It depends. I loved this book either way, but that was me giving younger readers a heads-up.

Characters: Not going to lie, Jack got on my nerves a little at the beginning, he blamed Evie for keeping her powers a secret and had little hissy fits earlier on. Needless to say this was annoying, especially in light of what is later revealed about him and Evie's mom; his emphasis on truth is hypocritical in retrospect.

He would distance himself from the group and be all broody, but later when things worked themselves out and he accepted the truth of the Arcana I loved me some Cajun! I was all vouching for him to get Evie away from Death, sure he was trouble, until I met him.

Officially, I've jumped ships. A little. My feet are kind of half in one boat and halfway on the deck of another.

Death was trouble, make no mistake, but I can't for one second figure out a better reason to be bad than for him. He's a lesson in proper character development, and as I got to know Death better, I respected his character more. He isn't good, what he does at the end keeps him firmly from being that, but I have trouble detesting his character. In a weird way, this is pleasing. I like characters with shades of grey and because of their shared past he seems perfect for Evie; I want them to be endgame.

And Evie, she was the leader I needed her to be. Initiating the treaty with the other Arcana and also defying death, she was fierce and is coming gradually into her own. It is no secret that I've liked her from day one, she is relatable and someone I do not mind rooting for. I'm glad Cole kept her as the girl I fell in love with in the beginning. You get a good idea of what there is to lose, also how things hang in the balance, and as more characters like Lark and Ogen are introduced, other dynamic Arcana included, one thing is for certain: it is anybody's game to win.



The ending left me thrilled and equal parts worried. What will happen to Evie...and Jack? I wanted to slap Death and cheer simultaneously because he took control of his life and went about getting the girl he wanted, but I disagree with his method. The way I see it, he's going after what he wants, but her indecision aside, I wish he'd waited for Evie to resolve her feelings; it would have made him the better man.

*Sigh*

And then I remember, he's Death, and will probably never be the "better man" in that sense. I just hope his ultimatum doesn't ruin things for him and Evie's relationship. Cole did it again; I need her next book AASAP: Already As Soon As Possible!

5/5 genies

Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
My rating: 3.5 of 5 genies
Published: April 30, 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal/Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Pages: 371
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: Amazon.com or The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

My Review

This book could have been better. I say this because Sweet Evil was the book that I pimped everywhere. I can't say that I will be doing the same with Sweet Peril because Wendy Higgin's second instalment wasn't as strong as her debut.

Sweet Peril takes off where its predecessor left and we're back with Anna and her daily Nephlim grind. She's got to work to keep her dad off of the other Duke's radar, turning the human population towards alcohol and drugs, but her heart isn't in it. Partly because she's half angel, and also because Anna's predominantly occupied with thoughts of Kaidan, missing him. They are still trying to take down the Dukes and gather allies, but it felt like all that really mattered was how much Anna missed "Kai." The fate of the world rests in her hands, and all Anna really wanted to do was see the boy.

To be fair, she does take the responsibility of saving Neph and Humankind seriously, but the teen swoony romance could have been dialled down. They are in love, I get that, but it felt like their romance dominated most of the book. I was looking forward to reading more of Kaidan and Anna, but with the way it was handled in Sweet Peril, I began to tire of their romance. It was like her life basically revolved around him, and one can only read about how smouldering a guy is before it gets to be enough. There are issues with Kopano, as can be expected, as well as an interesting revelation that has to do with Neph and their badges, but in all honesty Sweet Peril had more to do with Kaidan and Anna not being together than anything else.

I expected more substance, and even though we meet more of the other Neph, discovering additional information in regards to the prophecy, I wasn't as enamoured this time around. The series is still fantastic, I love you Wendy, but I'm hoping that Sweet Reckoning will more than make up for where this book fell short.

3.5/5 genies: Sweet Peril is compelling, and while it picks up nicely from where the former left off, this book fails to deliver as emotional an impact as the first.

Review: The Mackenzie Legacy by Derrolyn Anderson

*A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.*


The Mackenzie Legacy by Derrolyn Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Published: April 4th, 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Mature YA
Series: The Athena Effect
Pages: 200
Source: Review Copy
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com or Smashwords.com

Goodreads Summary

As their story continues, Calvin and Caledonia find themselves madly in love, on the run, and nearly out of money. When Cal stumbles upon a way to cash in on Cali’s powers, their life on the road becomes a life of leisure. Despite the easy money and newfound luxury, Caledonia’s conscience begins to trouble her.

A disturbing warning only serves to confirm her misgivings, making her question her purpose in life. Finally, a shocking discovery about the true nature of her powers points the way forward, sending the two Cals on a dangerous rescue mission.

Caledonia tries her best to right the wrongs of the past, but will she only end up provoking new and even more dangerous enemies?

My Thoughts

This is a very easy book to like, and more so, read and fall into. I liked being effortlessly drawn back into the complexities of Cal and Cali's life. The novel literally picks up where The Athena Effect left off, and while both Cal's are still on the run, they are still very much in love. With the threat of recapture at the hands of Max looming in the backs of their minds, Cal and Cali need to lie low. Initially they stick to camp grounds, distant roads, and avoid drawing attention to themselves by living modestly off the few funds they have left. This doesn't last long however, and as the money quickly disappears, one thing leads to another and the young lovers find themselves on a journey neither could have ever bargained for. Monumental secrets regarding The Athena Effect as well as Cali's heritage are unravelled, and as the long hidden truths come to light, everything changes.

Firstly, let me say that the stressful conditions mentioned above do nothing to disrupt the romance between Cal and Cali, and I loved seeing them grow and really mature as characters. Truthfully I don't see why anyone would want to keep them apart; they fought like hell to be together and they just work. I like their relationship because Cal and Cali are made for each other and you really can't picture them happy and apart. Things like that just shouldn't happen, so you can imagine how beyond pleased I was that Derrolyn kept them together. As is expected, they do fight to a degree, and rather realistically, but the arguments never grow so out of control that there is talk of permanent separation. It was good to see them keeping things in perspective and managing disagreements like the capable adults I knew them to be.

*snaps for Derrolyn*

WOOT.



Yeah, girl!

As a second book in the series, The Mackenzie Legacy adds a substantial amount of detail and revelation to the series overall; it is mind-blowing how much changes and the impact of these developments. Derrolyn carried the story over seamlessly, and The Mackenzie Legacy proves itself a worthwhile sequel because it does help the series progress. There is just so much excellent and right with this book that I was hard pressed to find the bits just short of brilliance.

There is a strong connection felt with almost all the characters. Cali struggles with honing her abilities while still adjusting to the world outside her cabin, coming to terms with the truth of the experiment that ultimately claimed the lives of her parents and still largely governs hers. Cal helps her a lot through these struggles, but battles with his own share of insecurities. Every time he worried that Cali would leave I wanted to shake him a little and be like, she isn't going anywhere! Yet if I had done that, the pleasure of watching him work through it on his own would have been lost. He supports her and accepts everything, even Cali's more dangerous connections, such as her bond with the twins Layla and Michael. He would do anything for her, truly the author is successful in showing much more than telling the lengths each Cal is willing to go for the other.

As a backdrop to the story, the setting is great, and the added tension of characters being on the run made for a suspenseful read. There is a healthy amount of mystery and romance throughout the plot which pretty much guarantees readers will gasp at least once, if not twice. The writing improves in The Mackenzie Legacy, and although some portions of the book felt a bit rushed, and some resolutions hurried, this book ultimately makes for an exciting and rewarding read. I definitely recommend it - reader discretion for the more mature scenes is advised - and I am an even bigger fan of the series than before.

Get your hands on this series now!

3.5/5 genies: A satisfying continuation to a great series, The Mackenzie Legacy isn't a book to miss and fans of the series will be thrilled with startling revelation, touching romance and a suspenseful, rewarding plot.

XX

WIN: "The Mackenzie Legacy" AND Charm Bracelets

Hey Guys!

I'm so excited to share this post with you, mainly because I have a huge prize up for grabs! One winner will get 3 fabulous prizes, one beautiful charm bracelet and both books in The Athena Effect series! Derrolyn Anderson, the author, has generously included her newest release, The Mackenzie Legacy in the prize, so be sure to enter for your chance to win! If you're unfamiliar with the series, please see the blurbs below:


The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson
Published: August 30, 2012
Format: ebook
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 221

Goodreads Summary 

Country girl Cali has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.
Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.
 Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.
He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?

The Mackenzie Legacy by Derrolyn Anderson
Published: April 4, 2013
Format: eBook
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 200

Goodreads Summary

As their story continues, Calvin and Caledonia find themselves madly in love, on the run, and nearly out of money. When Cal stumbles upon a way to cash in on Cali’s powers, their life on the road becomes a life of leisure. Despite the easy money and newfound luxury, Caledonia’s conscience begins to trouble her. A disturbing warning only serves to confirm her misgivings, making her question her purpose in life. Finally, a shocking discovery about the true nature of her powers points the way forward, sending the two Cals on a dangerous rescue mission. Caledonia tries her best to right the wrongs of the past, but will she only end up provoking new and even more dangerous enemies?

If you haven't read The Athena Effect, then not only are you missing out, but this is your chance to read the novel, and its sequel, for freeeeeeeeee. Haha, kidding, but on a serious note, I read The Athena Effect months ago and really liked it. I'm so excited that the author has written a second book in the series! The ending of the first one was kind of a cliffhanger so that bummed me out a little, but now I can't wait to read more of Cal and Callie in this next instalment since the first book was great!

For those interested in the bracelet, this is what you stand to win:

It has adorable little hearts, motorcycles and Hamsas that totally emulate the whole series and its vibe; I'm really happy to be giving one gorgeous bracelet away :D


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quick Rules:

- Be fair, no cheating y'all! I will be checking.
- The Giveaway is International (as long as you have an eReader for the books). I will forward both email address and mailing address to the author as soon as the winner is chosen.
- Make sure to fill in your details in the Rafflecopter below so that I can contact you!
- Have fun! I know that this is kind of implied, but I couldn't help myself. GOOD LUCK!

Have you read the series, what do you think of the books so far? Let me know!

Love you lots,

XX

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

*A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.*

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
My rating: 3.5 of 5 genies
Published: December 14, 2012
Source: Review Copy
Format: eBook
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Goodreads Summary

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hourwhen I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me frombehind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showedup beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on hislips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times myfather had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in hisappearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a manhe was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how hisblue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. Itwas such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair.Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height,broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence thatwas far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closelyas I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. Igave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notionsof heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a longtime ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all thecourage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even amoment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed,annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his headtoward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like hedidn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back,unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, notquite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his gamewhether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. Thismotion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in afrenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggleaway from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to findmyself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with akind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumbover my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl fortaking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil apretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil hewas. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. Mysenses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelledthe ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manicappearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I wasbarely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything tosensing absolutely nothing.

My last consciousthought was that I may never see Ben again.

My Thoughts

I was approached by the author to write a review for this book at a time when Goodreads seemed to be blowing up with A Shade of Vampire updates. Every status from my friends reading it seemed to be positive, and almost every reader was enthused with the YA Paranormal novel. Needless to say, I may have squealed like a little girl when Bella Forrest asked me to read it.

This is a great, sweet story. I don't know exactly what I was expecting going in, maybe a short read and some romance, but this book certainly does pack a punch. A fascinating New Adult Paranormal novel, I really enjoyed getting into the story and its mechanics, primarily the Shade. The beginning did not immediately rapture my audience, but the latter half completely drew me in! I grew to adore Sofia and Derek, they are a cute couple, and I like that she makes me love him more.

At first Derek came off as a sulking, brooding prince, afraid to take up his responsibility, and I thought that if I had to hear him complain again about his being awake, and not in his prior four hundred year old slumber, I would put the sleeping spell on him myself. Then he meets Sofia, recently abducted and forced into life as the Prince's slave at the Shade. She changes everything for him, provides Derek with reason to stay awake, and really just makes him a better person. Not going to lie, I'm still not swooning hard for him, but I do like his character and think that there is much left in store for Derek.

Sofia is an empathetic heroine, sensitive and easy to read about. She has a deeper connection to her senses, something that doesn't really make sense at the beginning. I kind of asked myself why it mattered that she was so in-tune with the senses, but the author's reasoning behind this particular character trait clicks halfway through the book. I will not spoil the surprise, but let's just say that it makes sense and does work out.

The main conflict in the book is between the Hunters and Vampires, Hunters hunt Vampires and Derek is supposed to save his race from extinction, a weighty role when you consider that Derek himself was once a Hunter! I liked the inner turmoil, and how every character had some drive. There are dark themes in this book, slavery and mentions of torture and bondage; kids 16 and under shouldn't read this without some consent from an adult. The overall mood is dark and haunting, the story switches from both Derek and Sofia's perspective, affording readers a more personal encounter with the characters. I couldn't help but feel that amidst the dark lushness of the Shade, Derek and Sofia's affection for each other shone beautiful and warm.

I liked this book and recommend the read to fans of the Paranormal and Romance genre. As I mentioned, the story isn't massive in length and I felt that it didn't immediately take off, and at times it felt like not much was happening since the characters stayed primarily in the same place. In the end though, that is a minor concern and my experience with A Shade of Vampire is positive; I have my hands itching for the sequel!

A great début, 3.5/5 genies!

LINKS:

Buy A Shade of Vampire from Amazon:

USA,paperback or USA,eBook

UK,paperback or UK,eBook

Add A Shade of Vampire to your Goodreads shelf!

That's all, Loves! Take care!!

XX

Waiting on Wednesday (7) : The Chaos of Stars

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*

Hey guys!

This week I'm waiting on...

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
Publishing: September 10th, 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Mythology, Paranormal, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen

Goodreads Summary

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

What are you waiting on?? I love the cover, and when the awesome folks at Cuddlebuggery shared it earlier this week I knew I was 100% sold. This book was on my wishlist prior, but I had no idea a cover had been released :) Out of all the books I am dying to read this year, The Chaos of Stars  is most definitely near the top of that list. 

I'm interested to know what you think, what books are you dying to read? Share in the comments below, Loves.

Until next time, take care!

XX,

Cover Reveal: Sweet Peril

**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**

Now hold onto your seats, and get ready to lose it a little, because it's finally here. I kid you not, ladies, he has arrived! KAIDAN FREAKING ROWE!!! Gosh, my life is so totally complete.

Check out this GORGEOUS cover!

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Publishing: April 30th 2013
Pages (est.): 464
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Angels and Demons, Romance

Goodreads Summary

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

How can you not sigh after reading all that?!? I cannot wait for April of next year to come! The Author is a total sweetheart, you should check her out in the links above and comment with me on your thoughts on this awesome series, YES IT'S A SERIES, and I'll chat right back!

Love you lots!

XX,

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*

This week I'm waiting on... 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Publishing: December 18th, 2012
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

When Ruby wakes up on her tenth birthday, something about her has changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her--East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Publishing: October 16th, 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's/Amazon Children's Publishing

"My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple."

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos's best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance – hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn't just anyone – she's determined to save her best friend's soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she's captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city's endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn't – the dark city isn't the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

Beautiful Redemption by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
Publishing: October 23, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

I'm particularly excited for Beautiful Redemption because this is the conclusion to the Caster Chronicles and I absolutely adore that series! I am also pretty stoked for The Darkest Minds and Sanctum too, these débuts are looking FANTASTIC! My hands, they need to cuddle with these killer reads!

What are you waiting on?? Share in the comments below. Are any of the books on my wishlist similar to yours? I'd love to know :) 

Until next time...I love you lots!
XX,

**Disclaimer: All book summaries were taken from Goodreads.**

Cover Reveal: Infatuate by Aimee Agresti

**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**

Infatuate (Gilded Wings #2) by Aimee Agresti
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Summary

Haven Terra is still recovering from an internship that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble. Graduating early from high school leaves the spring semester free, so Haven and her friends Dante and Lance head to the Big Easy to volunteer with community service projects. But their true mission becomes clear when they run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe. New Orleans is a free-for-all for these shape-shifting devils, who are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered. And they soon discover their French Quarter housemates are also angels-in-training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings. But Haven’s resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks her for help escaping the underworld. Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings—and her life? Thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises, this gripping sequel to Illuminate takes the battle of good and evil to the next level.

I haven't gotten to reading Illuminate yet, the first book in the series, but I'll hurry up on my task to get it read because I really do want to get my hands on this next instalment. What do you make of Infatuate and have you read Illuminate, if so, how did you like it? I'd love to know, feel free to respond in the comments below!

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
My rating: 2.5 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fiction, Romance
Published: February 15, 2011
Pages: 453
Publisher: HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Library Loan
Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts

I decided to do something interesting with this review and have an interview-type questionnaire regarding this book and my experience with it and its characters. This way, I get down to the gritty without really beating around the bush. You like? Proceed!

Q: What did you make of Angelfire as a whole, did it meet or surpass your expectations?

A: Well, in some cases it really did see to my expectations and I really couldn't find much to complain about. Sure, the plot was a little elementary - I saw some things coming from a mile away - but otherwise, it was alright.

Q: Biggest like of the book as a whole...Go!

A: Will! Will was very nice and at some instances he was the only thing making sense. When Ellie was being kind of a pain, I looked to Will.

Q: Any big issues with the book? What do you dislike about Ellie?

A: I hated the lack of choice, I mean, why does Ellie have to do it; why does one immature teen get the charge of saving the world from eternal damnation? I was very starved for choice. There should have been someone else, a wild card; Will should have had some hand in the life-saving other than just being there for Ellie. The boy was a lot more than an emotional crutch and his potential just wasn't met.

I think I kind of let my problem with Ellie out of the bag with the statement above. I disliked that she was really whiny at times and didn't fully grasp the role she played. See, this is what went down between her and Will every time he told her to practise harder on her heroism:

Will: Ellie, practise is tonight, don't miss it.

Ellie:'Oh noes, but Will, I missed movie night for the 3rd time this month because I was practising.

Will: You do understand that people die while you're away chomping down on those maynards and caramel corn, right?

Ellie: Just get someone else to do it, I gotta hang with the group. Any more cancelled dates and they'll, like, dump me from the crew!

Will: And this is more prevalent than someone's state of eternity, how?

Ellie: Ugh. Will, you just don't get it. I care about those people...sort of. Ooh, is that Marc Jacobs's new fall design?!
Gimme.

See? It was hard not to cringe a little, she could be airheaded at times.

Q: If you could change one thing about this book, what would it be?

A: The progression of the story. At times, the action dragged, like, it would take 2-3 chapters for the story to pick up again, which was kind of ridiculous. I would also change the cover, because Ellie is really nothing like the 30 something cover model. She's supposed to be bubbly, beautiful and popular. The girl in the picture gives off the impression of staidness and long nights spent reading in cemeteries; I guess she has friends, if latent spirits from another world count.

Q: Why 2.5 out of 5 stars, what made you rate the book this way?

A: Like I mentioned, the predictability could have been helped and character development kind of lacked. It went from Ellie being this clueless teenager to suddenly a saviour struggling to put back the pieces of her previous lives, because she's been reincarnated before, without so much as an appropriate enough explanation. The character development was unrealistic, and then there was the whole issue with her not taking her duties so seriously. To be honest, Will was kind of dry too, this is why I can't really fangirl about him, but the way I see it, he was better than Ellie even then. I don't hate the girl, but she needs work. Just putting it out there, things were wrapped up poorly in the end, I wasn't impressed with the interpretation of who Ellie really is, let's just say, Gabriel and I are not pleased.

Q: It's been great talk, thank-you for chatting with us. Any closing words, recommendations to those still on the fence about Angelfire?

A: I guess the only thing I can say is, read the book if you're interested. If you see it and think, 'hey, why not?' I'd give it a try just out of curiosity's sake. It isn't a bad book, and Ellie could be sweet at times; she wasn't all bad, and having Will around didn't hurt!

2.5/5 genies: This novel had its perks, I wouldn't read it again, but it was an okay read.

Review: Howl by Annalise Grey

Howl by Annalise Grey
My rating: 1 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters
Published: January 4, 2012
Pages: 217
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Requested Review
Format: eRead
Purchase At: Amazon.com

**A copy of this book was provided to me through Godreads's 'Authors Requesting Reviews Program' and by the author in exchange for an honest opinion/review. Thank-you!**

Goodreads Summary

Nineteen year old Sophie Matthews is a line-walker between two worlds - human and werewolf. She lives around humans but is never truly part of their world. That is, until she is spotted by a hiker.

What should have been a passing glance becomes so much more as Sophie falls for the one thing she is forbidden from ever having: a human mate.

Adding to her stress is newcomer Daniel, the arrogant wolf on Sophie's tail.

Then several humans are killed by a mysterious and dangerous beast within the pack's hunting grounds. The humans begin whispering of wolf-men roaming the forest and the threat of discovery looms heavy around the pack.

Everything is falling apart and Sophie realizes just how little control she has over her future.

Will she risk everything - her heart, her family, and her safety - for a chance to control her own fate?

Firstly

Gosh, this book hurt. I think I'll start with the positives - I will try because, unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the good. But first, we need to understand something: This book definitely did not do anything for me, but that doesn't mean I'm saying the same will be true for you.



Go ahead and read the book for yourself if you disagree with my thoughts on the matter. In no way do I delude myself into believing that people take my reviews as the final word in the regards to whether they choose to read a book or not. People will undoubtedly make their opinions up themselves. But firstly, a book is not expected to work for everyone, period. Please, do not take on the defensive just because you happened to think Howl blew magical glitter everywhere and could possibly save the world, curing cancer on the side. NO. Let's just not, okay? No trolling. Capiche?

My Thoughts

Bah!! I think I'm frustrated. In this case I really don' know what to do other than maybe find a rock, sit atop it, and scratch my head awhile until something in regards to this book finally makes sense. I guess I just don't see why any of it was worth it. Granted, this is a DNF (Did-Not-Finish) review and everything I say should be taken with this in consideration, the book didn't make sense. It's characters made even less sense, and the writing made the story very hard to progress let alone enjoy.

But the blurb promises something original. From the summary above, it can be gathered that Sophie is a shape-shifter. Truthfully, nothing really strikes me as new with the premise, and I have read a fair amount of shape-shifter novels in my day. Usually I can tell if a book will be some serious awesomeness by the blurb, in this case, I was wrong. Sophie isn't the kind of protagonist I was expecting at all, and she exists within a book absent of any real story. Not only was there a problem with continuity, but, Sophie didn't really strike me as a girl with anything new to offer. Some aspects of her life were really odd at best:

- Like how her family insists on cleaning so much. I don't get it, not one bit, and why are all the wolves limited in terms of appearance? I've read of shapeshifters with multiple eye colouring, and to limit them to just one shade - grey - takes a lot more from the genre than should be allowed. It adds nothing.

- Her distaste for humans in general really struck me as condescending, and when you consider that she eventually falls in love lust with one, it really doesn't make sense. I kept reading and asking myself, why?! Why is this girl willing to risk so much, the family she is apparently so close to, for a human she considers beneath her at best? I recoiled at the author's attempts to jazz it up with lines like, 'he was comfortable to be around' when their conversations suffered from massive info-dumps and stilted grammar.

- Her relationship with Jaime is laughable because it consists of the typical instalove and the literally 'electrifying' chemistry pandemic currently sweeping the YA genre. Even if I wasn't reading this to review, it would still be clear how little sense their relationship makes, how lacking it is in substance. The reader is treated to witnessing one short date between the couple, as well as a summary of some supposed others that happened somewhere along the line, but basically these take place all before a really weird consummation. Quite frankly, this scene creeped me the fuq out. When this happened, I had to pull back a little and be like, dafuq?!.

Just recapping, but she meets him - and naturally he's attractive as a Greek god - and because of his dashing looks, this girl concludes that he might be worth throwing everything away for. Her sister just gave birth And she looked better than a Botticelli painting doing it. I'm not going to get into that. but who cares really? God forbid Jaime decides to tattle her family out to the authorities, those young'uns are gonna learn fast how to run on their little wolfie paws away from impending SWAT teams! Kidding. Wait, no, I'm serious! This could eventually be one really big problem. And I think that something is terribly wrong when I am the one considering things which never cross the protagonist's mind.



You know what? Looking back I still do not get it; Sophie alienated me with her great attitude of superiority, confusing me when she chose spontaneously to risk the existence of everyone she cared about on a whim. I can stomach instant attraction, heck I get it, but at least let there be a valid reason! There were too many contradictions going on for my liking; Sophie loves her family but doesn't really think too hard on betraying them, and Jamie states a couple times at the beginning that he respects her brother. And yet, he sneaks behind the man he respects back with his little sister. Jamie has no problem keeping their relationship quiet, not really, he's fine with meeting clandestine even at her brother's workplace. Some respect! I didn't buy it.

They were just two people thrown together, nothing more. Could something else have happened? Possibly. But you have to understand, a lot of things occurred before I decided to let this book go, and yet all of them were pretty inconsequential in the end because I still couldn't finish. Sadly, Howl is the kind of YA novel which could go 200+ pages without anything really going on. Sure, I only got 30-31% far, but there is a reason for that, the story never progressed significantly enough for me to care. And eventually I just gave up. I'd had it, with the plot that didn't cut it and the characters and writing that begged no indulgence. I was done, the end.



So, like I said, this review is a DNF and you should take it lightly at best, but those are my thoughts and you're free to consider them. I couldn't read anymore of this. Just, no...

1 genie: it wasn't that great, obviously, and I would 

NOT recommend the read.