Review: Witch Emerging by Mona Hanna

Witch Emerging
(High Witch #2)
Author: Mona Hanna
Publisher: Createspace
Published: September 27, 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance
My Rating:

Sequel to High Witch.

After surviving being hunted by Julius, Brayden and Ariel settle into their married life. Ariel is determined to find the other High Witches to make sure they’re alright. But there’s something going on with her pregnancy, something unusual, and she needs to find out what.

In the meantime, Hallie, an eighteen-year-old witch, is being pursued by Nicholas, a strange young man who knows about her past. What does Nicholas want with Hallie, and how are they both connected to Ariel? And what about Sean, the man Hallie loves? Will they end up together, or will Nicholas’ plan hurt all of them? The two witches will need to work hard to save those they love, and each other.

There’s a bit of an improvement in this second sequel of the series. Like the first book High Witch, Witch Emerging is a quick and easy fantasy read that you can finish in one or two sittings. This time, there are additional important characters to read about.

The storyline of the book expands when Brayden and Ariel, now a married coupe and are expecting a child, are on a quest to find the other existing High Witch in order to protect her against possible threats. However, it’s difficult to trace her when the baby in Ariel’s womb is exhibiting some strange power that troubles them. Meanwhile, the other High Witch known as Hallie is being pursued by a warlock named Nicholas who is on a mission of revenge.

There were things that I liked in this book including the writing of the author which apparently improved. The characters were given much depth and there was also enough “creep factor” that kind of made my hair raise on the back of my neck. (I started reading this witch book at 2AM so you can basically imagine the freaky feeling I’ve had.)

“Watch out for the little witch, with golden hair on her head. She’ll say your name and your fingers will twitch, and then you’ll end up dead.”

I wasn’t fully convinced by the action in this book, though. For me, that aspect fell short. I was looking for a real elaboration of action scenes, like how the casting of spells are done, how they fight an enemy using their power, etc. And I’m not just talking about the descriptions via characters’ dialogues. I want more showing and less talking.

All in all, it was a good sequel. It was better than the first book for sure. Although there were elements that were missing here, a few things however, stood out. For fans of witch and fantasy books, I recommend you to check this series out. 🙂

(Thank you to the author Mona Hanna for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!)

Rating:

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Review: Transition by Paige Walker

Transition
Author: Paige Walker
Publisher: College Boy Publishing, LLC
Published: December 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating:

Nichole Roberts is a beautiful young woman with a bright future ahead of her. It is her eighteenth birthday, and she cannot wait to celebrate it at what will soon to be known as the party of the year. With her family and best friend by her side, everything seems perfect, that is, until that night. A romantic evening with her handsome and mysterious boyfriend turns tragic, and Nichole’s life takes a turn for the worse. Confused about what has happened to her, Nichole wakes up to find everything that she holds dear has been taken from her in a way she never knew existed. Will she ever come to terms with what she has become? Or, will she seek revenge against the one person that has wronged her.

………………….
From the book:
………………….

The sun descends and the moon rises, giving the only light that illuminates the darkness. Wind blows silently as if it is trying to tell me a secret. Our steps are quiet, we move like the wind walking along the forest floor, as we make our way to the hole I crawled out of just a few months ago.

We whip past the trees, rocks, and grass like we are floating in the air. The animals in the forest are neither seen nor heard. They are hiding, but I know they are out there. I can hear the steady pace of their hearts and the blood flowing in their veins.

We make it to our destination. No words spoken, no sentiments given. There is just quiet contemplation and preparation churning in our minds. I look at Jade and she nods. She quickly turns and climbs the tall tree, near me, looking like a spider silently climbing up a wall.

I turn my attention away from Jade. She is now invisible to me. I will neither give away nor tell her whereabouts. She is a secret, one that I will pretend not to know.

I look around through the darkness of night, taking my place, waiting for this game to begin. My stance is confident. My mind is calm. I survey my surroundings, like a predator who feels threatened, bracing for an attack. My eyes land on remnants of the trash bag that once held me inside. I laugh, Nate will have to do better this time if he wants to get rid of me.

Nate is going to come into the forest confident and cocky. He doesn’t realize that the girl he is coming to kill isn’t the same one he had attempted to kill before.

A Young Adult vampire book, Transition opens up when Nichole Roberts celebrated her eighteenth birthday and was turned into a vampire when her boyfriend Nate Blackwood transitioned her. All throughout her relationship with Nate, she didn’t know that he was a vampire. Not until his bad side suddenly showed up and she realized that he’s not at all the perfect boyfriend that she thought he was. It was too late when she decided to end their relationship though, because she already became a creature of the night.

I really tried to like this book but I felt underwhelmed in most parts. The plot was a little bit cliché to me. I’ve read this kind of vampire story before so maybe that’s the reason why it felt unoriginal to me.

I believe this book will not be so bad at all if it also wasn’t because of the female lead. Nichole kind of ruined it. I was fairly unimpressed with her bratty attitude. She was unnerving, whiny, and difficult to like. The moment she said these things, I knew she and I wouldn’t get along…

“Casey and I aren’t the most popular girls in school but we are likeable and easy to get along with so that gives us a substantial amount of popularity.”

Another problem that I encountered was Nichole’s over-the-top and perfect character. Literally perfect. She grew up in a rich and loving family, has a tall frame and beautiful face, has a boyfriend who’s also tall, good-looking, and wealthy (he even gave her a jewelry with real diamonds in them on her birthday), and even her boyfriend’s friends are perfect. She has many admirers and everybody in school loves her. In short, everything was unrealistic.

I also had an issue when it comes to the characters’ dialogues which sounded awkward. At times it even appeared repetitive. The world-building and the descriptions of actions were also vague and it was difficult for me to imagine what I was reading.

I give this book 2 stars though because of the interesting things that started to appear in the final chapters. The ending, which was a cliffhanger, was also strongly delivered. It gave the readers a glimpse of the exciting things that will happen in the next book.

(Thank you to the author Paige Walker for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Rating:

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Review: High Witch by Mona Hanna

High Witch
(High Witch #1)
Author: Mona Hanna
Publisher: Createspace
Published: December 2, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance
My Rating:

Brayden dreams for thirty nights, tortured by the vision of a beautiful woman. When Ariel Williams walks into his inn, he sees that she’s the one he’s been obsessed with in his night time journeys. But Ariel is fleeing an arranged marriage and keeps shyly to herself, until the worst happens and by mistake she casts a spell on a guest. Brayden works with Ariel to help her control her magic but discovers she’s a High Witch – one of only three witches in the world with a rare kind of power.

Immediately the two must flee; evil warlock Julius wants to enslave Ariel – mind, heart and body. Julius and his lover the High Witch Nadia will stop at nothing to capture Ariel, and the danger threatens to tear Ariel apart from Brayden. Ariel’s only hope is that her love for Brayden and her newly-discovered powers are strong enough to save them.

This is a NOVELLA of approximately 25,000 words.

Mixed feelings. I really loved the premise of this novella but I was expecting something different. I thought it would be more on the fantasy and supernatural side than romance.

High Witch, the first installment of High Witch series, was actually short (87 pages). It’s about a guy named Brayden who has been dreaming about a mysterious girl for a very long time. He fell in love with that girl even though he only saw her in his dreams. When he unexpectedly met her in flesh one day, he eventually learned that her name’s Ariel and she’s in fact, a High Witch, a powerful sort of witch. He was not really that dumbstrucked upon learning Ariel’s true nature because he came from a long generation of witches. He soon learned that Ariel is hunted by an evil warlock named Julius who wanted her powers in order for him to enjoy unending youth.

At first I found myself getting lost in the story so easily. The plot was promising. Although the writing was not that perfect, I had high hopes that the author can still pull it off. But when I got into the part where the romance was introduced, and not just simple romance but over-the-top, I-will-die-for-you romance, I found it quite off. The romantic development came a little too quickly. I love it when there’s romance in a fantasy book but I also wish it wasn’t the main focus of the story.

Despite my issues, though, I still found this novella quite promising. It had lots of potentials and the characters were likeable and very independent. The writing may need a little polishing and some improvements but I’m impressed ‘coz the author was able to think of a concept that will draw fantasy-lovers in. If you want a quick read with witches as main characters, then I recommend this novella! 🙂

P.S. Really loving the cover of this book. So pretty!

(Thank you to the author Mona Hanna for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!)

Rating:

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Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire
(The Mortal Instruments #6)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: July 2, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating:

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary’s own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris – but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee – even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned…

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

“We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who loves us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss.”

This is going to be a very emotional review fangirling so please bear with me….

I knew the conclusion of The Mortal Instruments will be beautiful. What I didn’t expect was how it’s even better than what I’ve expected. It was epic. The best of all the best. The kind of book that was well-molded from start to finish, closing the entire series with a huge impact to the heart.

DEFINITELY THE PERFECT ENDING AND THE PERFECT SERIES. EVER!

To Cassandra Clare, you have no idea how much I cried after finishing this book. With your brilliant writing and exceptional imagination, you simply hooked me. I loved how you created your characters and the Shadowhunter world. The way you designed this fictional world with so much love was so overwhelming. And no matter how dark it was, still, its overall greatness was worthy enough. I could read this series all over again!

“If people have a spark in them, yours is the brightest I know.”

City of Heavenly Fire Cassandra Clare is the longest sequel in this series. All the while, I thought City of Glass was the best book, but in my opinion, City of Heavenly Fire was everything. It was simply satisfying. I loved the carefully constructed plot as well as the series of twist and turns.

“The wishes of our hearts are weapons that can be used against us.”

Some of my favorite scenes in this book:

> The real Brother Zachariah – If you have read this book and the TID series, then you will know what I mean. The feels!

> Bat and Rufus’ fight and Rufus’ and Maia’s battle – Talk about a phenomenal battle of werewolves! This scene is not to be missed!

> The drunk Simon moment – This was the scene where I did laugh like a mad woman. Those funny and corny yet super swoony things that he said to Izzy were my undoing!

> Jace and Clary when they were at the cave of Edom – THIS. I’ve waited for this moment. NUFF SAID.

I’ll stop now. I couldn’t go on anymore without spoiling everyone but let me just tell you that there were so many amazing scenes in this book!

“You were the wrong person for the Jace that I was, but not the Jace that I am now, the Jace you helped make me.”

Now let me express my feelings and opinions toward the beautiful major characters that made up the whole series.

Clary – I loved her character development here. Gone was the reckless Clary Fray that we saw in the previous books. The Clary Fray that we see here is braver and wiser and so much careful with her actions and decisions.

Jace – He was phenomenal here and his character development was also remarkable. I think it’s about time to see a Jace that truly accepts and embraces his own self and not just his demons. Also, he was way sweeter here. This is the guy that I was looking for in previous books and because of that, I couldn’t be any happier.

Simon – Of all the characters, Simon is my most favorite. He just couldn’t stop being awesome! And what happened to him in the final chapters of this book… ugh, it made me feel emotional!

Alec – I didn’t quite appreciate his character until now. He was way better here! And not just because of his epic action stunts but because in this book, he loved Magnus so fiercely and unselfishly. Like the rest of the characters, he will be hard to forget!

Isabelle – Always such a sexy badass character and I couldn’t stop admiring her! I have always been a fan of her character since City of Bones. In this book, she became even stronger. And she was always a true friend and a sister.

Magnus – This man. This powerful warlock. He’s the reason why this entire series kept getting interesting. Life would be dull and boring without him, to be honest.

Maia – Who would’ve thought that this girl will impress me? She simply rocks! She has this hidden fire in her that was unleashed in this book. So surprising!

“Weapons, when they break and are mended, can be stronger at the mended places. Perhaps hearts are the same.”

To say I was amazed by this series’ conclusion is an understatement. I was left completely awed and emotional and even starting to miss the characters. 😦 The good thing is that there’s Lady Midnight waiting which I will be reading soon! If you haven’t started this series and The Infernal Devices yet, what better time? They’re ultimate favorites of mine!

I’m going to leave you with my most favorite quote from this book…

“We Shadowhunters, we put ourselves in danger, every hour, every day. I think sometimes we are restless with our hearts the way we are with our lives. When we give them away, we give every piece. And if we do not get what we so desperately need, how do we live?”

Rating:

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Review: Oleah Chronicles: Justice by Michelle Johnson

Oleah Chronicles: Justice
Author: Michelle Johnson
Publisher: Michelle Johnson
Publication: May 15, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction
My Rating:

After discovering the truth about her Oleah origins, Angel thought she could still have a normal life, consisting of normal things – like her seventeenth birthday party. But there is no such thing as normal for Angel anymore. She learned that the hard way after Sindrell – the most powerful sorceress in the universe – crashed her party, destroyed the city, and took her best friend, Julie, captive. Determined to defeat Sindrell for good, Angel must risk her life, along with the fate of the entire universe to get Julie back…alive. The only way she can do this successfully, is to embrace her Oleah instincts and learn what it takes to become a true warrior. Problem is, Sindrell has an insurance policy of her own that will put millions of lives in danger – including Zander’s – to ensure her quest for power is brought to fruition. One way or another. In order to protect Zander, and save Julie, Angel has to make a choice… but will it be the right one?

Oleah Chronicles: Justice picks up where we left Angel Seriki in Oleah Chronicles: Truth. This time our heroine is doing everything she can to rescue her best friend Julie and to become stronger by training under the guidance of her Oleah parents and of course, together with the love of her life Zander.

I loved that the sequel was a light read and it introduced a whole new premise. The introduction of new characters was also a great thing since it offered a refreshing feel to the readers. What I just didn’t quite enjoy was how some scenes became abrupt. I thought the world building here also lacked and fell flat. Also, I was expecting a lot of romantic scenes between Zander and Angel, but… 😦 Then there’s Julie who kept annoying me most of the time. 😦 However, there’s this Zander line that made me swoon. 🙂

“Sometimes, you don’t realize you’re broken until someone brings you the piece that’s been missing in your life. You are my missing piece, Princess. Going back to a world that you’re not in, is not an option. My life belongs to you.”

The book was still beautifully done and though it lacked on some levels, the plot was spot-on and Angel’s character development was evident. In addition, the book’s ending was a BANG and it certainly made a difference. It made me question what will happen to Julie and Angel’s friendship now that there’s a huge change between them. 🙂

(Thank you to the author Michelle Johnson for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!)

Rating:

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Review: Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Temptation
(The Sweet Series #4)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: September 8, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating:

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the Dukes’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoonworthy, this companion volume to the Sweet Evil series, told from the perspective of the mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into the true emotions that drive him.

 

(Buddyreading this book with my sissy Avy)

Reading this book was reminiscing everything in Sweet series and bringing back the feels! I am not really fond of reading a book that rehashes the entire series using the voice of the male mc but this one was an exception because, *sigh It’s KAIDAN ROWE’S POV and why not?

I knew Kaidan was sexy in Sweet Evil, Sweet Peril, and Sweet Reckoning but I think he’s way sexier here. Lots of naughty things were running inside his head and I can’t help but blush. LOL. I think I even loved him better here because I was able to really see through his thoughts and his emotions and the way he regarded Anna. Right in the feels!

“Anna has ruined me with a craving for something far more substantial. She possesses the only thing that can fill the deep void within me, and nothing else comes close.”

Anna and Kaidan have always been one of my favorite OTP’s that’s why it was kind of difficult for me to read this book without missing this couple so bad! But I’m really glad because I already forgot lots of scenes in the series and I’m happy to rewind all of those, especially those scenes I consider my favorites. All in all, it was a worthy somewhat-reread of the entire series. Kaidan Rowe is truly worth it all!

“I can’t simply have a tiny slice of Anna. I’m no masochist. It has to be all or nothing.”

Rating:

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Review: The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Power
(Titan #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Published: February 23, 2016
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
My Rating:

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.
Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.
But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

This book is one of my most anticipated sequels this year. I loved it and I enjoyed some parts, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

The Power picked up where The Return left off. We get to finally see Seth once again and this time he’s continuing his mission to protect and train Josie against the Titans who became an absolute threat to them. They’re also preparing for their mission to find the lost demigods and to convince them to become their allies.

What I loved about this sequel was the writing. Of course, we’re talking about the Jennifer L. Armentrout. Give it to her when it comes to engaging her readers through magnificent writing style laced with humor and wit. Another thing was SETH. Apparently this guy is the main reason why I read this spin-off in the first place. I fell in love with him ever since the Covenant series. In this book, he still gave me butterflies because he’s so frickin’ sexy and the way he cared about Josie was PRICELESS. Perhaps there were times when he started to become a douche but I understood him because he had reasons.

Josie’s character, on the other hand, improved here. I saw some developments in her character and I think she’s on her way to becoming a badass heroine! Another thing that I loved about this book was the romance. Seth and Josie’s romantic development was awesome! And my, those sexy scenes… *blushes

I also loved the cameo appearances of my favorite characters from the Covenant series. WOW…. THEY’E BACK!!! And hopefully for good. 🙂

The thing that I disliked, however, was the pacing of the book. It was sooooo sloooooow….. especially the first-half where nothing much really happened.

Also, I was looking for a much better action scenes. The action scenes in the first book were epic but here… they were kind of lame. I wasn’t really that thrilled compared to how I freaked out in the first book. And when it comes to the ending… Jeez, another cliffhanger!

For me, this book was just okay. So-so. Not really an epic continuation. I hope the next book in the series will be better though. I am crossing my fingers to that because I am not giving up on Seth! 🙂

 

Rating:

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Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls
(The Mortal Instruments #5)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: July 2, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating:

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Cassandra Clare did a wonderful job once again!

City of Lost Souls, the fifth book of The Mortal Instruments series, picks up where City of Fallen Angels left off. I don’t want to give anything away by describing the things that have happened here, but the series already becomes more and more interesting. This sequel is actually a much better response compared to the City of Fallen Angels because all the events here were pretty much powerful and more remarkable.

I love how it started off as a bang!, eventually giving a slow-burn feels when the Shadowhunters were trying to figure out how they can come up with a solution to the dilemma, and ending up with a great and action-packed resolve. Although all throughout the book I must admit that I was really getting frustrated especially because of how badly things were turning for Jace. I mean, c’mon, why does Cassandra Clare keep torturing Jace and making him suffer all the time? It’s fricking unfair!

The best part of this book is SIMON. My boy always saves the day! He played a great part here and I think this is the book where he really shines best! When it comes to Clary, her character improved here (although I prefer her character development in City of Glass) but still, I like how bold she was here and how she resorted to critical-thinking. Alec and Magnus’ relationship here was tested big time and I don’t know what to feel about what happened to them here. As for Isabelle, once again this chick astounded me. As usual, she’s a fierce, in-your-face character and that’s what I loved about her! Maia and Jordan’s relationship was also highlighted here. I love the sweet reunion! And of course,Sebastian . Blimey, I am not usually a fan of villains but it’s so ironic how I fangirled over a bad guy all throughout the book!

The action scenes were great and although it happened at the final chapters, they still didn’t fail to bring out the adrenaline rush. The ending, on the other hand, was a blast and was well-executed. It had a surprise factor that will leave you wanting for more. All in all, it was a great come back. Cassandra Clare writes beautifully, but then I have always thought so! This book is really a world I could get lost in!

Rating:

(I’ve recently did a reread on books 1-4 of this series. Check out my mini reviews here:

• City of Bones
• City of Ashes
• City of Glass
• City of Fallen Angels

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Review: Amaranthine by Lanie Jacobs

Amaranthine
(Willow Shadows #1)
Author: Lanie Jacobs
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: August 7, 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery
My Rating:

With Graduation only weeks away, Khalida’s normal everyday boring life is turned upside down in one day. One day is all it took to change everything she ever knew. Never knowing her past, Khalida, is thrown into a world of vampires and just not any vampires, ones who will hunt to the end to kill her. Everyone around her is in danger and she must fight to protect those she loves. Thrust into the chaos, Luke, a boy whom she could never walk completely away from, one who would give his life to protect hers. And Carey, the ex-boyfriend who will stop at nothing to make sure that the darkness that surrounds Khalida succeeds in taking everything away from her. Though, Luke, would take on the world to save her, can he help Khalida save her from herself?

“Khalida was always his heart, but based on the rippling pain that scored across his heart, she was his soul.”

Gripping, intense, and charged with a combination of action and mystery. This debut novel is wonderfully written. It’s about a girl named Khalida who didn’t know she’s a hybrid vampire until she was nearing her 18th birthday and she accidentally bit the neck of her boyfriend Luke who’s also a vampire.

This book started so strong that even if I was still at the beginning chapters I was already on the edge of my seat. It was fast-paced and every chapter brought out some surprises. The characters were also introduced in a mysterious and interesting way. What I greatly noticed about this book was the author’s writing style which was surprisingly good for a debut novel. It wasn’t Stephenie-Meyer-and-Richelle-Mead-writing-style-perfect but if this author continues to do her thing, then I guess she’s on her way to becoming one of them.

I had a bit of a hard time adjusting with Khalida’s attitude, though. I admit I was really annoyed with her most of the time because of her aggressive and careless decisions which led her and other people to trouble. Nevertheless, I was glad her character developed in the last few chapters and she came out strong in the end. Never too late for that! Luke, however, was a great character for me. I loved how he continued to protect Khalida and kept his patience under control in dealing with her attitude. Also, this guy’s a caveman! He’s very territorial with his girl, which was kind of cute. 🙂

I also enjoyed the romantic plot here. It’s quite amazing how the author didn’t exert a great effort in initiating the romance between Khalida and Luke because they’re already lovers (although on and off) so the romantic build-up was already there.

The huge plot twist was the book’s ultimate strength here.. WOW, I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING! Not at all. And that cliffy ending! Ugh. Why did it happen? Overall, this book was a great read. Definitely waiting for the sequel to come out. 🙂

(A free copy of this book was given by the author Lanie Jacobs in exchange for an honest review.)

Rating:

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Review: Never Never: Part Three by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Never Never: Part Three
(Never Never #3)
Author: Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher
Publisher: Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher
Published: January 19, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating:

New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated final installment in the Never Never novella series.
Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything. Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?

“I could spend every day getting to know you all over again, Charlie, and I don’t think I’d get sick of it.”

When I started reading this finale of Never Never series, I’ve already decided to rate it either 4 or 5 stars. That moment when you’re confident enough that the final book will give you the grandest, most surreal surprise. (Guess we all deserve that after those series of cliffhanger endings..) I must say my expectations were too high on this because I’ve enjoyed the first and the second book real hard! (Part 1 – 4/5 stars; Part 2 – 5/5 stars).

The first half of the book hooked me big time! The thrill of getting closer to finding out the mystery behind Silas and Charlie’s amnesia was overwhelming and so were the series of events which were getting edgier as the chapters went by. I swear I got a lot going on on my mind and I was forming way too many theories, trying to figure out the dreaded truth! And BAAAM! The anticipated plot twist. Wait, is that even a plot twist?

In my opinion, it’s just an explanation. Nothing really exciting and I couldn’t bring myself to consider it a twist. It’s painful to say this but I was significantly less impressed with the revelation I’ve been freaking out over the months. There was this huge revelation about Charlie’s dad though, but… Is that it? After all? Ugh.

I guess the only thing that does not make this book a total let-down was of course, the beautiful and powerful writing of Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher. The story was a quick, fast-paced read and there were no boring parts all throughout the book. The romance also got me on my feels on a lot of levels. I guess those were the factors that held me together.

(Some beautiful quotes I’ve highlighted, by the way. 🙂

“I don’t see anything ever happening in this life that could make me not want you all over my skin.”

 

“I love you. Enough to camouflage you into my skin.”

 

“Fate is the magnetic pull of our souls toward the people, places, and things we belong with.”

 

“We can’t take back who we’ve been in the past, Charlie. But we can control who we are in the present.”

Overall, Never Never: Part Three was good, but I wasn’t really wowed. It could be an epic finale if there was a better twist. It really lacked the freak-me-out factor. But well… it wasn’t really that bad at all since the ending and the epilogue were great and the questions were answered in the end.

“Never stop. Never forget.”

Rating:

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Review: Smoke & Fire by Michele Wesley

Smoke & Fire
(Smoke & Fire #1)
Author: Michele Wesley
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Published: July 17, 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult
My Rating:

***Strong  Violence and Sexual Content, Adults 18+ please. Read the first six books of this series in any order.*** Smoke & Fire: Spicy and Dangerous Paranormal Romance (BWWM Romance) – Book #1
She has the Face of an Angel…mind of a Death Warrior.  Agent Sori Knight, codename ‘Smoke,’ curses like a sailor and leave bodies at every turn, but somehow manages to steal hearts and save the good guys. The headstrong agent is forced to unleash her inner-monster when an assignment leads her to the most elusive and deadly criminal she has ever had to hunt.      He is Breathtakingly Sexy…mind kissed by Rage. Agent Mycale Phillips’ attraction to Sori is instantaneous. He thinks he may be in over his head when partnered with her but soon learns that a touch of evil is necessary if you want to survive in a world of Smoke & Fire!      Will secret abilities they are determined to hide be enough to pull them from death’s grip?

Fast and deadly, she moved like a mixture of smoke and wind.

I thought this book was pretty good and a promising introduction to a new series.

Agent Sori Knight a.k.a Smoke is hired by the government to work as a spy. When she was assigned to a mission, she incidentally met her biological brothers Drake and Damon– brothers she didn’t even know existed, and vice versa. Like her, the guys are also closely associated with spies and top agents. When Sori and her brothers collided, they eventually worked together as a team alongside the nerdy but attractive Agent Mycale Phillips. As she and Mycale especially teamed-up for a certain mission, they eventually developed feelings for each other which made everything quite tough.

This book is fast-paced and action-packed, with a deadly and badass heroine that really makes the book surprisingly good. Not only that. The book is also packed with non-stop humor. Sori’s character is fun to read. Her character was like nothing I have ever read before.

However, I have some issues with the book such as the whole narration. I love how the author made the story a real quick read, but I wish everything hadn’t been quite so fast, because it left me clueless on some parts, like how on earth Sori instantly became comfortable with the new people she’s working together with. Even though Damon and Drake are her siblings, still, she knew they’re complete strangers, and yet she was able to easily work well with them. With a character like her, I expected her to be somewhat a bit mistrustful especially with strangers. Also, I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the side characters. Everyone seemed to share the same kind of characterization (even the President)… like for example, the good-natured treatment with each other. I wish I was able to find characters here who are also kind of stoic and poker-faced because they’re secret agents who deal with confidential information, right?

The book, however, have positive traits. As I’ve mentioned, Sori is a fiery and kick-ass heroine. I love kick-ass leads! She does not depend on other people and she focuses on her capabilities in order to succeed in her missions.

The action scenes also blew me away! And of course, the romance which gave spice to the whole book. Sori and Mycale are a strong and amazing pair it would be good if they have cameo appearances on the next books! As a whole, it’s still an enjoyable read. It’s the action scenes that hooked me. I recommend this book if you are in for a fun and dynamic spy novel!

(A free copy was given by the author in exchange for an honest review.)

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Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell
(Bloodlines #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication: February 12, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating:

An ancient magic.
A heart-wrenching decision…

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist. She protects vampire secrets – and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she is struggling to decide between following her Alchemist teachings – or her heart.

Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch, a former Alchemist who is now on the run. As Marcus pushes her to rebel, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought.

There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as Sydney searches for the person attacking powerful young witches, she realizes that she must embrace her magical blood – or else she will be next.

I’ve read this gem together with sis Bea. You can read her beautiful review here. 🙂

The Indigo Spell has put a spell on me! Once again, Richelle Mead captivated me with yet another amazing Bloodlines sequel.

This book was overloaded with so many happenings that are very significant and important. In this sequel, Sydney Sagedelved into more dangerous situations– discovering her magical abilities and even finding out the conspiracies hidden by The Alchemists. Adrian was there for her all the time, supporting her and looking after her in every perilous occurrences.

Sydney’s character became incredible here, though I must say I have mixed feelings with her. She was at times, very stubborn and too reluctant to give in to her heart’s desire which is to return Adrian’s feelings. Nevertheless, I admire her bravery and her usual critical-thinking that can always make the situations bearable and manageable. Adrian’s character was also great. He became more passionate and swoony and a total bae!

The romance in this book was beyond amazing. I mean, who couldn’t resist the romantic scenes between Sydney and Adrian? Those scenes absolutely outdid the ones in the previous books. I couldn’t stop myself shipping them because it’s hard not to. They’re too perfect! *sigh And their chemistry!

I guess what I truly love about this sequel, apart from the great romantic development, was the action scenes. Totally amazeballs! Those scenes, especially the one where they were running away from the evil witch, were EPIC! Simply adrenaline-pulling that I found myself truly thrilled.

At some point, I found some dragging parts but the remaining chapters saved everything. I was about to rate it 4 stars but Chapters 24 and 25 were a game changer and it’s hard to resist it when you’re fangirling over everything– especially when it has something to do with SYDRIAN.

Overall, a great sequel! Hands down! The series gets better and more thrilling and I can’t wait to find out what will happen in The Fiery Heart.

Rating:

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Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily
(Bloodlines #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication: June 12, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists protect vampire secrets – and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California – tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formorly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and her sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi – the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that – special, magical, powerful – that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Braydon, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else – someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists – or her heart?

Another successful buddyread with my sis Bea. You’ll see her beautiful review when you click her name. 🙂

One word to fully describe the awesomeness of this book: ADRIAN.

Holy craaap! This boy is one of the best, swoon-worthy fictional guys and it’s so unfair we could not see him in the flesh!

After reading this book, I was left utterly speechless and blown away. It was way too good! Most sequels in a series tend to give me some doubts with their potentials because oftentimes an author changes his or her tune and the end product sometimes disappoints me. But in this sweet, sweet sequel, I put all my faith and 100% belief that it will turn out good and I was right. It was one of the most amazing installments in a series. Because Richelle Mead apparently does not disappoint.

I loved how The Golden Lily lived up to the interesting plot and romance that made the first book Bloodlines an enjoyable read. In this book, Sydney Sage and Adrian Ivashkov‘s character was greatly developed as they continued to hide under the radar of the enemies of St. Vladimir Academy. There were lots of things that happened here and new characters were introduced, too.

I wasn’t disappointed with the way things had panned out in this book. The plotline was so good and the pacing was fast. No dull moments as well. It was also nice to see the (non-insta-love) romantic development between Sydney and Adrian. Their romance, in a way, was slow-burning and tension-fueled and I totally loved it!

What also basically got me hooked was how likable the characters were. Sydney is a female lead that I will love to befriend in real life because she is so smart, determined, and mature. I loved how she has this positive attitude that everything can be done– no matter how difficult that thing is. She especially encourages and inspires Adrian to be the best that he can be, and that is something. Adrian is also one great male lead. Since Vampire Academy, this guy already took my breath away because of his humor and romantic gestures. He didn’t change in this series. In fact, his character became even better!

I also loved the humor and the witty exchange of dialogues here. When you pair Sydney and Adrian together, everything collides so perfectly!!!

Apart from that, Richelle Mead also made this book even more interesting because of the side characters like Eddie, Jill,Angeline, Sonya, Trey, Dimitri, etc. The value of friendship and family love was so touching!

These are my favorite lines from Adrian that basically knocked me off my feet:

“I tried to be a better person for her (Rose)– but it was to impress her, to get her to want me. But when I’m around you, I want to be better because… well, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like… like light made into flesh. You have no clue how beautiful you are or how brightly you shine.”

*gasps

All in all, I had a great time with The Golden Lily. After reading it, all I wanted to do was read the next book which is The Indigo Spell. 🙂 It was just everything I wanted in a sequel!

Rating:

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Review: Air Awakens by Elise Kova

Air Awakens
(Air Awakens #1)
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication: August 27, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
My Rating:

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

An overall stunner!

I went into this book barely knowing anything and without any specific expectations because I had a vague idea what it was about. Sorcerers? Library apprentices? Royal characters? It’s quite hard to imagine them all tangled up into one big knot. Luckily as I went through the pages, I didn’t experience difficulty in absorbing everything because it was so darn good!

The book mainly centers on the heroine Vhalla Yarl, a library apprentice who later on discovered that she was entirely something else… something more than just a library girl. And then there’s this swoony, smart, a totally mysterious crown prince and sorcerer Aldrik who later on became her mentor in discovering more magical things. Things became more interesting from there and more discoveries were unraveled about Vhalla and everything in the palace.

This book is an incredibly written debut novel. Elise Kova sure knows how to manipulate everything in her plot– from the characters’ development and of course, the series of events. The world was also beautifully constructed and it sucked me right in. It actually has the Grisha feels and a bit of Red Queen feels. I just wish there’s a map at the beginning though, to have my imagination be more stimulated about its beautiful world.

And as for the characters– I adore them with all my heart. Vhalla is total sweetheart. Smart, feminine, and a very strong character. And of course, my lovey dovey Prince Aldrik who is now added to my list of book boyfriends. *swoons!

Prince Aldrik is what I’m looking for in a YA fantasy book. He’s cocky and a bit sarcastic, but there’s gentleness in him that will have you falling in love. He’s also protective over Vhalla. You see, this is why I love royal characters! I basically swooned over Dorian from Throne of Glass and Prince Cal of Red Queen so there’s no reason to dislike this newly found fictional boyfriend! Okay, Pearl, just stop blabbering! Anyway, Vhalla and Aldrik’s relationship was also admirable here. There was no insta-love. Everything progressed at just the right and perfect timing.

What was slightly missing, in my opinion, was the twist. I kept wanting to know how things would pan out all throughout the book. Plus, there was a slow plot progression at first. Somehow, the book picked up and things started to become interesting after a few chapters and there were already some actions that made the book magnificent in the end.

The ending was surreal! The author left the final pages in a place where I can anticipate that there’s so much more to come. Overall, it’s a stunning, brilliant, and a promising start to a great series. I will definitely read the next book, Fire Falling. 🙂

(Thank you to Elise Kova for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. :))

Rating:

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Review: Demons at Deadnight by A&E Kirk

Demons at Deadnight
(Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1)
Author: A&E Kirk
Publisher: A&E Kirk
Publication: January 5, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
My Rating:

The non-stop action romantic adventure featuring the hextraordinarily sexy HEX BOYS!
———————————————

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.

DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti. ´

CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.

LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

I’ve read this book as a birthday gift to one of my sweetest friends on Goodreads, AJ the Ravenous Reader (Click her name to read her awesome review of this book) 🙂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GORGEOUS!

Demons at Deadnight offered a great introduction to a series, with such an interesting premise– featuring demons and demon hunters. This book started out really, really good. And it has tons of crazy humor that got me really cracking out loud. I love the main character Aurora Lahey who is all kinds of kickass. And ohmygod the boys are extremely cute and hot– and they are 6! Not one, not two, but SIX! Sign me up!

TEAM AYDEN here!

What made this book a not-so-perfect book for me, however, was the writing of the authors. As an average reader and one that enjoys words that are simplistic and easy to digest, I found the writing of the authors a bit difficult to get into. There were also some descriptions that kinda made me want to repeat it all over again just to get the point. Thankfully, it was mended by the humor which was always present in every line. Another thing was the character development of the mc and the supporting ones. I love how strong they are when they’re introduced during the first parts of the book, but as the story goes, most of them sort of faded out of the picture. Also, I became really exhausted with the plot. I was looking for a mind-blowing twist or some interesting thing that will happen but it wasn’t met.

But as a whole, I have fun in this book. Aurora is such a refreshing heroine and a very different one. I admire her for being such a silly and a funny character and for being independent. While the boys always come to her rescue, she makes it a point that she’s really strong enough to need them. And of course, the involvement of the family was so genuine. I love Aurora’s family and their witty conversations.

Will I recommend this book? YES. It may not be a perfect YA fantasy read for me, but given the fact that it gathers strong ratings on GR, then this might be your next favorite book. 🙂

Rating:

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Review: Ascend by Amanda Hocking

 

Ascend
(Trylle #3)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: Tor
Publication: April 26, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating:

Wendy Everly can barely remember what it was like to feel like a normal girl. She’d wished for her life to be different but everything is so much more complicated than she’d expected. And she certainly hadn’t dreamt she’d be getting married at 18 to man she didn’t love – all for the sake of duty.

“Don’t act on everything your heart says, but make sure you listen to it. Sometimes your heart is right.”

Well, where should I start? This book… This series… *cries with happy tears

One of my biggest problems in reading a final book of the series is the separation anxiety that I always get. With this book, I found myself experiencing the same. It’s hard to let go of a series that basically makes you feel attached to the story, the characters, and its world.

Ascend is another one of those series-enders that basically make you feel happy and sad at the same time because of its unforgettable closure. I love how the series ended in a sweet and satisfying appeal.

So much had happened in this book. Wendy‘s character became more developed. She became more responsible, strong, and independent. Same goes with the supporting characters — especially Loki, Tove, Finn, Willa, and the rest of the gang.

What made this book a remarkable one was theunpredictability. My oh my, the romance’s plot twist really surprised me! I was like, ‘WOW, am I really reading what I’m reading???” Because OMG, MY SHIP IS SAILING SO BEAUTIFULLY and it’s FOR REAL!!

I practically swooned! I won’t be mentioning who Wendy ended up with because it’s a huge spoiler but OMG, the romance really got me in my feels!!!

“I don’t think I’ve ever really felt like I had a home before. Not until I met you.”

What just stopped me from rating it a perfect 5 was the action scenes. As a final book of the series, the action should be intense and extremely boundless — scenes that will wow you and give you goosebumps. But in this book, the action scenes were kind of lame and they were just basically heard from the characters and were not really seen. I was expecting really mind-blowing action scenes where supernatural powers are exhibited. There was none. 😦

But all in all, this book made a really great ending, emotion-wise. I love the romance, the characters, and the satisfcation I got after reading this. Trylle trilogy is one of the loveliest YA fantasy series I’ve ever come across!

Rating: 4 Stars

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Review: Torn by Amanda Hocking

Torn
(Trylle #2)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: Tor
Publication: March 1, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
My Rating:

Acknowledging that she was different from everyone else wasn’t difficult for Wendy, she’d always felt like an outsider. But a new world and family is a little hard for any girl to accept. Leaving behind the country of her birth, she is determined to fit back into normal life. But the world she’s left won’t let her go that easily.

What happens when everything changes?

Switched may not be the great introduction to this series, but Torn made it all up. There were a lot of developments here in this book thanks to my new favorite character– ladies and gentlemen, Loki Staad!

I have to make a special highlight to this awesome character because he deserves it. Loki is one spectacular character. I admired his realness and the way he treated Wendy in this book. He may be a Vittra but he wasn’t considered a villain. To be honest, he was the one who totally saved this series. He was created in such a way that readers like me will totally swoon.

Handsome, confident, and one that exudes so many potentials. He should be the male lead. I ship him and Wendy so bad!

Anyway, this book offered revelations– at long last! In the first book, almost everything was kept in secret to Wendy but this book is a breath of fresh air. Also, Queen Elora finally made a great character development and she no longer played an evil witch in the series.

The plot was good albeit some imperfections (there were still dull moments) but they weren’t that bad compared to the first book. There was a twist! But I hate to say that I was spoiled and it’s all because of my fault, however it was just mild and my feelings and opinion toward the book were not affected.

There were action scenes but nothing like the first book. Finn, on the other hand, made me feel disappointed. He was a jerk all the time! I hate the way he treated Wendy, the way he basically pushed her away just because he thought he was never enough. He spent so much time wallowing in self-pity and I just didn’t like it.

Tove, however, became an addition to my new favorite characters. The guy is a real gentleman. I admired his devotion to Wendy. I also admired Duncan and Rhys. Matt was annoying but he was tolerable though.

Torn had a promising ending. I hope the next and final book will not disappoint because I already find this series captivating. 🙂

Rating: 4 Stars

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Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched
(Trylle #1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publisher: Tor
Publication: January 5, 2012
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating:

What if your entire world was built on a lie?

Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claims she is – she does feel that she doesn’t quite fit in…

She’s bored and frustrated by her small town life – and then there’s the secret that she can’t tell anyone. Her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why…

When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night – her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Förening, the home of the Trylle.

Finally everything makes sense. Among the Trylle, Wendy is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about.

The fate of Förening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever…

First off, Switched is really gorgeous. Just look at the cover. Isn’t it so beautiful? I personally chose this edition because the cover has some work of magic in it. It’s like, it has an ability to suck me into its world. Beautiful!

Second, the premise is really, really good. I love fae stories, andtrolls are something new to me. I wanted to know more about trolls because I really find them interesting.

And of course, the fact that the female character Wendy Everly is a troll and a changeling, I knew I will really like this book.

So, was this book a yay or nay?

I must say, a little bit of both.

I love it because honestly, Amanda Hocking‘s writing style is so flawless and very easy to read. She uses words that are light and undemanding. She doesn’t complicate everything and she doesn’t give me trouble analyzing such things. Her character and world-building is also non-complex. What you read is what you get.

Now what made me become (a little) bit disappointed was theplot. It was neatly done, but it was weak. The progression was poorly established. I think there were scenes that weren’t really necessary but they were given emphasis (I guess to lengthen the whole book) but to be honest, the interesting things only happened at the last few chapters of the book.

Another thing that bothered me was the existence of theVittras. These are the creatures that act as antagonists. They are Trylle’s greatest enemies. In this book, their descriptions unfortunately didn’t make an exceptional appeal. Their physicality was so vague. I couldn’t really imagine how they look like. Do they look like human or something?

My expectation for this book was also different. Because this book talks about trolls, I really expected to see some unworldly mythical creatures here. Creatures that look like these:

Because we’re talking about trolls, right?

So why did I only see humans and no trolls at all? This is fantasy so I was looking for something different. Anyway, I understand it as I’ve read further, because the author eventually explained it through her characters that trolls don’t really look mystical but instead, they look human. So yeah, I couldn’t do anything about that. BUT STILL. I want to see REAL TROLLS.

Nevertheless, the thing that absolutely lifted the whole story was Finn. This character is so amazing. I like him from the beginning up to the end. Even though he’s brooding and he was quite snobby in most parts of the book, the gentleness and protectiveness in him were so tangible.

I have nothing against Wendy, on the other hand. She’s an okay character and she doesn’t annoy me, but I think she needs some development. There were parts when she doesn’t know what to do and she’s very dependent to other people despite her extraordinary abilities. Hopefully her character will get better in the next books.

As a whole, this book is good. I just think it needs more elements to make it really sensational. My friends who have already read this series told me that it’s going to get better in the next installments, so we’ll see. Good luck to me! (oh, it rhymes! ha!)

Rating: 3 Stars

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Review: Eternal Darkness by Stacy Reid

Eternal Darkness
(The Amagarians #1)
Author: Stacy Reid
Publisher: Stacy Reid
Publication: October 6, 2015
Genre: New Adult, Erotica, Paranormal, Fantasy
My Rating:

The darkest taste of temptation…

Fleeing from a blood oath made against her will to a man known in the seven realms as the tyrant king, the last place Princess Saieke Shyokara, expected to be trapped was in the Darkage, the land of the feared shadowed demons. Even worse, she’s stuck with Archduke Drac EL Kyn, a Darkan–a creature of darkness and sensuality, who entices her with passion, intrigue, and danger. The only thing she needs from the fierce warrior is his body to further her own plot…certainly not the dangerously irresistibly desire he rouses.

As one of the deadliest shadow assassins of his realm, Drac must use his skills to unearth the factions who murdered his king. Drawn by an irresistible hunger to the princess, he struggles to maintain distance from a woman who is utterly forbidden to those of his race. Yet, as she navigates the treacherous schemes and traps laid for her by the kingdoms of the seven realms, Drac must decide if he will claim Saieke as his mate, or will he relinquish this woman, who stirs in him the darkest hunger he’s ever known, to avoid embroiling his kingdom in war…

**Heat level: Scorching**
**Mature audiences only! **
**Word count: 86000 words**

**Eternal Darkness is the first book in the Amagarians series and is a standalone**

Thank you to Stacy Reid for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review!

My experience with New Adult Fantasy is so limited that I always crave to read more of this genre. Thankfully, Eternal Darkness did not fail me, and instead, it thoroughly surprised and amazed me.

Eternal Darkness is the first installment of The Amagarians series. It’s actually my nth time to read a book written by Stacy Reid and I must say that she continues to astound me. I’ve known her for her historical romance specialty (and she’s very good at it) and I really admired her works. This time around, she ventured on a new genre and came up with this delicious fantasy tale that is totally a bomb.

The story focuses on the heroine Princess Saieke El Shyokara, the sole heir of Boreas which is also known as Kingdom of Winds and Mountains. Out of seven kingdoms of Amagarie, Boreas is the one that is most abundant when it comes to natural and essential resources– which made it become a target to most of the kingdoms. One who was destined to marry the tyrant King Ajali Haddin from the Kingdom of Nuria, Saieke has been meaning to break her engagement to him. Unfortunately, her parents fully decided her fate– which led her to flee. She eventually landed into the comfort of The Darkage— a vicious, cruel kingdom led by Gidon. There, she met the dark and mysterious Drac El Ryn who became the man she eventually fell in love with.

What I love about this book is the incredible world building. Stacy Reid was able to deliver an intense plot that is enriched with magnificent action scenes. I thought the concept was amazing, too. The use of chakra as a form of magical element and the fact that Saieke has the ability to control water and wind– it’s something spectacular and refreshing. And what I also love is how the author built a heroine that is strong and passionate at the same time.

The male character Drac was also one interesting character. He totally swooned me the first time he was introduced. He aired such mystery and masculine qualities. Not to mention the fact that he has that beast in him that gave him that bad, cruel side. The romance is also one of this book’s greatest strengths. All those details– Totaly sexy, enticing, and full of emotions!

“You are mine and only mine. There will never be another for me.

What I also notice about the book was how it turned out to be such a page-turner. I found myself fully engrossed to the story, thus making me feel like I’m actually there in Amagerie.

The only flaw I observed was the descriptions of the secondary characters. I thought they were not fully well defined. I wanted to know more about Thyon and Kamu. I thought they are remakrable characters here.

As a whole, Eternal Darkness is one captivating and exciting read. I definitely will watch out for the release of the second installment!

Rating: 5 Stars

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Review: Oleah Chronicles: Truth by Michelle Johnson

Oleah Chronicles: Truth
Author: Michelle Johnson
Publisher: Oleah Publishing
Publication: January 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Science Fiction
My Rating:

What would you do if everything you thought to be true in your life was a lie?

Sixteen-year-old Angel Seriki must face overwhelming truths about her family when she meets Zander Black, a new student to her high school who is smart, charming and devastatingly beautiful. The revelations he uncovers to her about her family’s past changes everything, and as her relationship and feelings for Zander deepen, so do the risks involved. She must now accept her fate and face the true reality of who and what she is. Even if that means giving up everything, including being human.

(A free copy was given to me by the author Michelle Johnson in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating and opinion of the book.)

Surprisingly good! It’s a debut novel and it successfully made a great impression.

The story opens with the protagonist Angel Seriki living an ordinary life together with her parents in Ontario. Set in a Young Adult setting, she didn’t have any idea that she’s not a human but an Oleah— a creature with a combination of human and lion features. Oleahs originally live in a planet called Uforika. While growing up, her parents kept this huge secret about their true form from her in order to protect her against Sindrell (an evil witch known as the sister of Satan) who’s on a mission to abduct her and steal her unusual powers that could distract enemies.

What made me feel drawn to this book was the clever and incredibly dynamic theme the author was able to come up with. I haven’t met a mythical creature with lion features. There were witches, wolves, vampires, faeries, but Oleah? It’s something new and refreshing, it simply opens a lot of fascinating things to my imagination.

The writing style of the author was simplistic and very easy to digest. Though there were some parts that made me crave for more descriptions and elaborations, especially the action scenes, still, Michelle Johnson was able to nail important details about the story.

The main characters and secondary ones were not difficult to love as well. Angel was a genuine character. I like how she was able to unfold herself over the course of the story. How she dealt with the truth about her identity and the way she accepted her fate and the dangers that surround her and her family.

Zander, on the hand, (MY OH MY, ZANDER), was one of the characters that intrigued me. He was so mysterious and well, a hotness incarnate and swoon-worthy fictional guy who can easily get into the hearts of the female readers. Why not? In this book he was described as someone with an air of mystery, danger, and oozing sexiness. Sign me up!

This book, all in all, took me by surprise. I did not expect to like it, but I did. This book simply offered a refreshing charm that kept me turning pages to see how the story would unfold. The pacing was fast and there were no boring parts. It was easy to read, and if only I’m not a very busy person, I would’ve been able to devour it in one or two sittings, because it’s simply addictive and a very interesting read.

This is the first book of the series. I don’t have an idea how many sequels are waiting, but surely I will keep myself posted because I want to follow this series. Thumbs up for a very well-done debut novel, Michelle!

Rating: 5 Stars

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