Review: Reap the Wind by Karen Chance

Title: Reap the Wind
Author: Karen Chance
Series: Cassandra Palmer Series, #7
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 2 / 5

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You’d think that being Chief Seer for the supernatural world would come with a few perks. But as Cassie Palmer has learned, being Pythia doesn’t mean you don’t have to do things the hard way. That’s why she finds herself on a rescue mission skipping through time—even though she doesn't entirely understand her dimension-bending new power.

Rescuing her friend John Pritkin should have been an in and out kind of deal, but with the near-immortal mage’s soul lost in time, Cassie has to hunt for it through the ages—with Pritkin’s demon dad in tow. He’s the only one who can reverse Pritkin’s curse, but with the guardians of the time-line dead set on stopping anyone from mucking about, Cassie will have to figure out how to get her friend back without ruffling too many feathers—or causing a world-ending paradox or two...

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Cassandra Palmer series is one of the few Urban Fantasy series I’ve kept up-to-date with from my pre-blogging days. It was one of the first UF series I read, and it still remains a firm favourite to this day. This is going slightly off-topic, but I find wait times between books in a series can be painful at the best of times, but when it’s a favourite series, that wait can become excruciating. Add in the fact that the sixth book in this series, Tempt the Stars, ended on yet another cliff-hanger, it was extra frustrating when I found out that Reap the Wind was set to be pushed back by an entire year. When the book finally arrived in the post a couple of weeks ago, I began reading straight away and my expectations were through the roof!

I don’t know what went wrong, exactly, but frustration was the main emotion I was left with after I finished reading. While I was reading, I kept thinking ‘was I satisfied with the things that were happening?’, and ‘was it worth the extra wait time?’ If I have to answer those questions, my answer would be no. This isn’t a small book by any stretch of the imagination, – 514 pages – yet I felt it turned into a giant recap of the previous six books in the series. It has been a long time since I read the previous books, so yes, this recap was appreciated. But, to be perfectly honest, getting a recap of the series wasn’t the reason why I wanted to read this book in the first place! Maybe if I wasn’t waiting for several dozen Cassie and Pritkin situations to be resolved, maybe this wouldn’t have bothered me so much. I hate to say this, but a part of me feels a little cheated. I expect what’s mentioned in a books synopsis to be solved – that’s its selling point, so I expect at least what’s mentioned in the synopsis to be addressed and resolved within that book. I don’t want to say any more, but I wasn’t satisfied with how little progress was actually made.

Here’s the thing: Cassie and Pritkin have been bickering and bugging the hell out of each other since the beginning of the series, and their dynamic together is AWESOME. It’s the main reason why I’ve stuck around for so long! I love it. In this book, however, there was a huge Pritkin shaped void. It was tolerable for a while, but by the half way mark, I was starting to get a bit angry with his continued absence. Also, I was starting to get tired of more and more unresolved stuff being piled on top of even more unresolved stuff . It became too much, and in honesty, and there are so many things going on I can’t keep it straight in my head anymore. What makes me really sad, though, is I’ve started not to care, and this breaks my heart. I LOVE Cassie and Pritkin, I really do, and I don’t want to be feeling this way after reading the latest instalment in the series.

Before I wrap up, I have to mention Mircea. I liked him in the first book, but by the second book I had jumped on the Pritkin bandwagon and haven’t looked back since. While I like Mircea’s character in general, I (surprisingly) found him extremely creepy in this book. There are some sexy time scenes with him, and honestly, I felt they were more unsettling rather than hot. I’m really glad Cassie FINALLY grew a pair and stood up to him – it only took seven books, but hey, better late than never, right?! Let’s hope she continues on this way in the future… but I’m not holding my breath.

I have to say, I think I went into this book expecting far too much. Reap the Wind isn’t really a bad book; it just didn’t live up to what I was expecting on any level. I guess my final thoughts come down to whether I want to continue with the series… well, erm, surprisingly yes. Yes I do! Seven books worth of investment isn’t something I’ll sacrifice on a whim, and Cassie and Pritkin mean too much to me abandon them just yet… but my patience will only last for so long. I’ll give the series one last chance, and I really, really, really hope Ride the Storm will deliver on all its promises. If it doesn’t, I’m gone.

Mini-Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal Instruments, #3
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 4.5 / 5

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To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Going into this book, I was fairly certain I wouldn’t like it as much as the majority of readers. I thought the first book was just alright, and the second slightly better and I had pretty much resigned myself that the series might not be for me. I did make a promise that I’d read the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series before I made up my mind whether to continue on or not. I had seen a lot of people mentioning that the third book was the best in the series, and I have to completely agree! I loved City of Glass. Completely loved it! It is easily my favourite so far, and it’s given me a lot of hope that I might like the rest of the series.

For me, the change of setting was a huge reason why I enjoyed the book so much. The descriptions of Alicante were awesome and so easy to picture clearly. Honestly, if the rest of the series was set there, I wouldn’t complain at all! For the most part, I really liked all the characters. We’re introduced to a few new ones, and it seems like they’re going to have a bigger role to play in the next few books. Jace did lack some of his humour, which was a little disappointing, but he’s still my favourite character overall. But the biggest surprise was SIMON! I really liked him here, and I’m so glad he’s developed beyond being the awkward third wheel. Oh, and Malec! Let’s not forget the awesomeness that is Malec! The only character I feel I’m not really connecting with properly is Clary. She was better in this book that the previous one, but honestly, she can be just too whiny. Letting off steam now and again, fine, whatever, we all do it, but sometimes it just drags on for far too long.

Also, I’m glad a certain… thing… has been finally sorted out. It was obviously a lie from the very beginning of the series, and I’m really glad that awkwardness is behind us. The ending was awesome, and the book was wrapped up quite nicely, so it’ll be interesting to find out what direction the series takes next. I’m really glad I decided to stick with the series… but I’m still a little apprehensive about the next book. Hopefully, I’ll love it!

Mini-Reviews: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Title: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
Author: Lish McBride
Series: Necromancer, #1
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 4 / 5

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Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he's doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

This mini-review will be on the short and sweet side, as I don’t have a whole lot to say about Hold Me Closer, Necromancer beyond saying I really enjoyed it. I was hooked right from the first few chapters, and I loved the blend of humour and snark throughout. I literally laughed out loud more than a few times while I was reading, and I love when I find a book that can maintain that level of humour throughout the entire story. The book never took itself too seriously, and it made the humour feel more genuine and appealing. Also, I really liked four of the main characters – Samhain (Sam), Frank, Ramon and Brooke. I loved the dynamic between the four of them, and I really wish the entire book was from just their perspectives. This leads me onto my one gripe, which was a bit too much POV switching. I prefer connecting with a few characters really well, rather than lots of different characters, but this didn’t impact that much on how I felt about the book overall. Oh, and for extra brownie points? I noticed those Soundgarden song lyrics! (Yeah, yeah, alright, easy to get on my good side, but... *shrugs* oh, well!) Overall, I really enjoyed Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for an Urban Fantasy book that’s just pure fun to read.

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, bought
My rating: 4 / 5

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Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was so much better than I had expected it to be. It takes a different approach to vampires, and with all the vampire books floating around these days, it was so refreshing to read a story that seemed quite unique in comparison to books I’ve read previously. Technically, this is the second book I’ve read by Holly Black: the first book I read was in collaboration with another author. I really enjoyed her writing style here, and I was wrapped up in the story really quickly. Plus, the world-building was awesome! I love the concept of Coldtowns, and it was really fascinating to see how they came to be and how their presence influences the rest of the world for both humans and vampires alike.

The characters were really good, and I liked Tana’s narration. Seeing the world unfold from her perspective was awesome, but if I’m honest, her personality didn’t jump off the pages as much as I would have hoped it would. Both Aidan and Gavriel were interesting characters, but Gavriel intrigued me a bit more. I liked that he was unpredictable, yet kind of sweet, in a completely insane sort of way. Actually, he reminded me a little of Myrnin from the Morganville Vampire series. Hey, not complaining! I really like Myrnin!

There was one little pit-fall, and that was the ending, or, more specifically, the final two chapters. While, yes, I did really like how things concluded overall, I’m a little iffy on a few things, and they’ve dimmed the overall great-book-euphoria. Namely, that was Tana’s final decision. To me, it just didn’t feel like it belonged in the context of the world that was built. I don’t think it was the right choice. Also, the ending is one I would have expected from the first book in a series, and I was under the impression that The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was a standalone? The ending, and it being a standalone, doesn’t really gel for me. Other than this, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was entertaining throughout, had a great writing style with engaging and entertaining characters. I’d highly recommend giving it a go if you’re a bit tired of the usual same-old-same-old vampire books that seem to be everywhere these days.

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4 / 5

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ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES…

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires—the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger…and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever…

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I’ve known about the Vampire Academy series for a long time, but, being honest, I had little desire to read it before I joined the book blogging community. When I saw the overwhelming amount of love for the books, I reconsidered and decided to give it a shot. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen, right? Now that I’ve finished it, I can see why so many love it, and I genuinely do wish I’d read the series long before now!

The first thing I have to mention is Rose. I kind of despised her for the majority of the book. If she was a real person, I’d be able to tolerate her for a maximum of five minutes before she’d do my head in, and I’d run away screaming. Yeah… not the best reaction to have toward the main character in a beloved series, is it? What surprised me the most was how much her attitude grew and evolved in a relatively short book, and toward the final quarter of the story I found myself starting to understanding why she behaves the way she does, and I began to like and root for her. I’ve done almost a complete 180 in my opinion, and this was a lovely unexpected surprise as my opinions tend to get set in stone pretty quickly. I can’t wait to read more of her story, and to see how she continues to grow and develop as a character.

Easily my favourite part of the book was the vampire lore and ethos that was created. It was a refreshing take as vampires in general have started to become a little jaded over recent years in YA. (Again, this cements in my mind that I should have read this series YEARS ago!) Combining this with the world building and the writing style, I was captivated by the story within a few dozen pages, and craving to know more about the vampire and damphir society. It was this combination that kept me glued to the pages despite not initially liking the main character. It feels like we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the world-building, which is really awesome, and I’m really curious to see where things will go in future books.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Vampire Academy, and I encourage anyone that’s been on the fence about trying the series to give it a go. I can only imagine the books will get better as the series progresses, and I personally can’t wait to see what happens next.

Review: Unspoken by C.C. Hunter

Title: Unspoken
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: Shadow Falls: After Dark, #3
Format: eARC, kindly provided
by the publishers for review
(Thank you!!)
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
My rating: 4 / 5

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Despite her superhuman strength and enhanced senses, Della Tsang's life as a vampire certainly hasn't been easy. Especially since she was reborn and bound to the mysterious, infuriating, and gorgeous Chase Tallman.

But if there's one thing that's always kept Della going, it's her dream of being an elite paranormal investigator. Her newest case is the opportunity she's been waiting for, but as Della tries to solve the twenty year old murder and clear her father's name. She uncovers secrets about the vampire council. And about Chase.

Feeling betrayed by all the secrets he's kept hidden from her, Della is determined to keep him as far away from her heart as she can. But she'll need his help to solve the case that will lead them into the darkest and ugliest vampire gangs in town and into the scariest reaches of her heart.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received an eARC from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This didn’t influence my opinions in any way.*

I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read Unspoken: it was, by far, my favourite book in the Shadow Falls: After Dark trilogy. The mystery aspect was a lot stronger than in the previous two books, and I was intrigued by the story right from the beginning. It was a lot more action packed, too, which is always a good thing!

Unspoken is told from both Della and Chase’s points-of-view, and I thought it added so much to the overall story. I’ve struggled to fully connect with Della throughout the trilogy, and it was nice to have a different perspective to break things up a bit. While I liked Della a lot more in Unspoken, she’s still a character I can’t completely empathise with. Her thought process can be a bit infuriating, and she brings a lot of problems onto herself unnecessarily. Chase, on the other hand, is the one character I’ve really liked throughout the series. I really liked seeing more of his character, but I felt the ‘I’ll-worship-Della’ button was pushed a bit too hard at times. While I loved seeing the story develop from both characters perspectives, there was a little bit of back-tracking with the same or similar information presented twice. It was a little annoying at times, particularly at the beginning of the book as it slowed down the pacing unnecessarily, but thankfully I was wrapped up in the story enough that it didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment.

For a series that’s quite heavy on communication between friends, the miscommunication that often occurs is a bit frustrating. Also, the lack of proper communication between the opposite sexes is a bit surprising. While the banter between Della and Chase, for example, is fabulous and entertaining, well over half of their problems wouldn’t have happened if they talked openly and honestly with each other. Chase, giving him credit where it’s due, tried his best, but Della usually blocked him whenever he tried to explain things. At one point I started to think Chase was far too good for Della… but that’s an argument for another day!

I was under the impression that the love-triangle was sewn up and resolved in Eternal, so colour me surprised when it resurfaced again. This was one of my biggest issues with the book, actually. I didn’t see any need to rehash it all over again. I can completely understand – and support – Della saying she needed time to figure things out and for the situation with her father’s murder charge to be resolved before she could process things properly. I actually really like this! BUT, here’s the thing, the vast majority of her angst was completely needless! Steve had already removed himself from the picture when he decided to follow his career and move to France, so I don’t understand why he’s been dragged back into the picture except for the sake of adding extra drama. I haven’t read the original Shadow Falls series, and maybe it’s because of this my impressions of Steve aren’t that positive. I’ve never liked his character that much – I thought he was quite bland, in honesty – and whenever his character appeared in Unspoken, I started to roll my eyes as I knew drama was following close behind.

As I mentioned earlier, I liked how the mystery portion of the story unfolded. It continues on after the developments in Eternal, and Della’s father is the main suspect in his sister’s murder. Della can’t accept that her father is responsible, and will do anything she can to clear his name despite their relationship deteriorating. There was quite a bit going on in the book, and I really liked the balance between each plotline. The ending itself was really well done, but maybe a little more detail to flesh out some of the reasoning behind certain things that happened would have made it amazing.

Overall, Unspoken was a really satisfying conclusion to Della’s story. The blend of mystery, friendship, swoons and self-discovery throughout was really addictive, and I’m so glad the series finished off on a high. Just a quick note, though: if you’re interested in reading this trilogy, but haven’t read the original Shadow Falls series yet, then I’d highly recommend starting with Born at Midnight before moving onto this trilogy. If you’re already read and loved that series, then, what are you waiting for?! I’m pretty sure you’ll love Della’s story!

Mini-Reviews: Feast of Fools and The Assassin's Blade

Title: Feast of Fools
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: The Morganville Vampires, #4
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3.5 / 5

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n the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Clare Danvers has never been convinced, though - especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

The more books I read in the Morganville Vampire series, the more I’m enjoying the series as a whole. Each book is really quick and easy to read, and oh so entertaining. Feast of Fools continues on immediately after the ending in Midnight Alley, and I’m not going into detail about what happens– avoiding spoilers and all. That ‘story so far’ section before the book begins, though – how I wish more series did this! Particularly when there are long wait times between books being released, it’s inevitable that details will be forgotten. Getting a short little refresher without taking time away from the main book is definitely something I’d love to see more of.

Myrnin has become one of my favourite characters in the series, and I’m really glad to see he had a bigger role to play in this book. He’s the wildcard, as you don’t really know which version of his personality we’ll meet next, and I really like this unpredictability. Claire had grown on me an awful lot since the last book. Yes, she had a few moments where I wanted to shake her, but overall, I’m really beginning to like her. Thankfully, Shane was a lot less stupid, and his over exuberance for getting himself killed at the hands of vampires was toned down an awful lot. My one gripe would be the length of time it took to get down to the main point of the story. Granted, I really enjoyed how the story progressed, but I feel there was a lot of waiting around until things began to kick off. Once they did, though, I really enjoyed the remainder of the book.

I can’t put my finger on what it is, but there’s something very compelling about this series. Right now, I really like it, but I’m waiting for it to become truly amazing. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed, and I can’t wait to read the next book.

Title: The Assassin's Blade
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.5
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 5 / 5

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Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Assassin’s Blade was amazing! It gave a completely different insight into Celaena, and showed us what shaped her into the character we know and love in the main novels. I read these novellas in between Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows, and for me, this was the perfect time to read them. I was familiar with some of the things that occurred, and I loved getting all the additional details that I was craving to know. I enjoyed some novellas more than others, and I’d rate each as follows:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord – 4.5 Stars.
Reaction: I loved Sam. I loved Celaena. And I loved seeing both of them together! Celaena is a little different, yet so familiar. She’s more… pure. Pure assassin. I love it!

The Assassin and the Healer – 3.5 Stars
Reaction: Not as good as the first novella, but I enjoyed it. And, I really hope Yrene appears in future books. She’d be an interesting character to know more about.

The Assassin and the Desert – 5 Stars
Reaction: Finally I got to see the story behind the horse that was mentioned so many books ago! This was easily my favourite novella, and it was completely amazing, awesome and perfect!

The Assassin and the Underworld - 4 Stars
Reaction: Three words: Dorian and Chaol!

The Assassin and the Empire – 4.5 Stars
Reaction: The tears. So. Many. Tears *sniffle*

Overall, I loved this collection of novellas. It added so much back story, and I didn’t think I could love Celaena Sardothien more, but I do. She’s is a fabulous protagonist, and she’ll always have a special place in my heart. And Sam! Let’s not forget Sam, and how truly awesome he is.

Mini-Reviews: Midnight Alley and Give up the Ghost

Title: Midnight Alley
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Morganville Vampires, #3
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

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When Claire Danvers learned that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving freshman would do: She applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Midnight Alley is the third book in the Morganville Vampire series, and I’ll admit I’m starting to like this series despite its flaws. They’re quick and entertaining reads, and I really enjoy that the vampires are more blood thirsty than some of their YA counter parts of recent years.

I really liked that we got to learn more about why Morganville exists, and how the vampires came to inhabit the town. But this is the height of what I can take away from the book, and I can’t get away from feeling that Midnight Alley was all over the place. We have lots of Shane and Claire together. Roommate problems. A sprinkling of Amelie drama. Myrnin. Monica being… nice? Lots of random little things happened, but I don’t really see how they collectively came together to move the story forward.

While I like Claire, Shane, Michael and Eve in general, I don’t feel they’ve progressed or developed a whole lot since the beginning of the series. Claire, the genius that got into college at sixteen, continually makes stupid and irrational decisions. Shane is getting even more hot-headed and in honestly, it’s getting very frustrating to read. He needs to cop onto himself already! Both Eve and Michael sort of faded into the background despite having pretty big roles in the book, and it’s a shame as I felt they were two of the more memorable characters from the first two books. I don’t know what it is that’s addicting me to this series, but I need to know what happens next. Yes, maybe the cliff-hanger ending has a little something to do with it, but it’s more than that… that certain something I can’t put my finger on, but it’s got me hooked! I know it’s a long series and I’m really, really late starting it, so I think I’ll take it book-by-book, and see how far I get.

Title: Give up the Ghost
Author: Megan Crewe
Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: DNF

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Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

DNF’d @ page 51

I might come back to Give up the Ghost at some stage in the future, but for now, it’s a DNF. I was under the impression that it was something along the lines of The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade – which I absolutely adored – but this wasn’t the case. I tried to stick it out as it’s a short read, but from the first chapter I could tell the book wasn’t for me. I didn’t click with the writing style, and I didn’t feel any sympathy or connection toward Cass. She came across as vengeful and bitchy and it became off-putting very quickly. Not my cuppa, unfortunately.

Blog Tour Reviews: Eternal and Unbreakable by C.C. Hunter

Title: Eternal
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: Shadow Falls: After Dark, #2
Format: eARC, kindly provided by
St. Martin's Press. This didn't influence
my opinion in any way.
My rating: 3 / 5

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All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself.

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Reborn by C.C. Hunter

Title: Reborn
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: Shadow Falls: After Dark, #1
Format: Kindle
My rating: 3 / 5

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Return to the beloved world of Shadow Falls, a camp that teaches supernatural teens to harness their powers—and where a vampire named Della will discover who she’s meant to be.

For Della Tsang, Shadow Falls isn't just a camp: it's home. As a vampire who's never fit in with her human family, it's the one place she can truly be herself. But when a mysterious new guy arrives at camp, Della’s whole world is thrown into turmoil. Chase is a vampire with secrets, who knows more than he’s telling. But the more time she spends with him, the more she begins to trust this attractive stranger—and feel drawn to him. But romance is the last thing she wants—as she keeps telling Steve, the hunky shapeshifter who won’t stop trying to win her heart. And if Della isn't careful, he just might succeed.　 When a new case puts everyone she cares about in danger, Della’s determined to do everything she can to save them . . . even if it means teaming up with Steve and Chase, who leave her more confused than ever. With their lives on the line, will Della and her friends survive—with their hearts intact?

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Raising Demons (Demonglass) by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Raising Demons
(US title: Demonglass)
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall, #2
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3.5 / 5
Pages: 359

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Sophie Mercer's first term at Hex Hall turned out to be quite eventful. First the ghost of her evil grandmother haunted her every move, then her best friend was accused of murder and of course there was the discovery that Archer Cross, aka the boy of her dreams, was actually an undercover demon hunter - which would probably be something she could have worked on, if she hadn't also discovered that she was actually the demon Archer was hunting…

So, despite their issues, Sophie is actually relieved to be spending the summer in London with her father. But when your father is Head of The Council of Prodigium and your summer is being spent at the headquarters of everything magical, then a quiet holiday isn't really that likely. And, as Sophie struggles to come to terms with her new found demon powers, she finds herself thrust once again into a world of dark magic and conspiracies. The only thing that could possibly make things more complicated would be for Archer Cross to show up again, which of course he wouldn't, would he?

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin

Title: Deadly Curiosities
Author: Gail Z. Martin
Series: Deadly Curiosities, #1
Format: eARC, kindly provided by
publishers via NetGalley
My rating: 2.5 / 5

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Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store and high-end pawn shop in Charleston, South Carolina that is more than what it seems. Dangerous magical and supernatural items sometimes find their way into mortal hands or onto the market, and Cassidy is part of a shadowy Alliance of mortals and mages whose job it is to take those deadly curiosities out of circulation.

Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670—acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

-- As seen on Goodreads

Review: Beloved Enemy by Lacy Yager

Title: Beloved Enemy
Author: Lacy Yager
Series: Unholy Alliance, #3
Format: eGalley, provided
by publishers via NetGalley
My rating: 3 / 5

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She's the unlikeliest vampire hunter ever. A scientist.

Seventeen-year-old science prodigy Genevieve Quinn never thought she would be kidnapped from her college campus by a vampire. Or that said vampire would want her help on a science project. Genevieve has no intention of complying, but when an escape attempt turns deadly, it is a vampire that comes to her rescue.

Vampire Chad Matthews is an atypical specimen. He’s good-looking, in a dangerous kind of way. But that’s not what attracts Genevieve… it’s the shadows behind his eyes. As Genevieve and Chad team up to find a way to defeat a monster even worse than killer vampires, she discovers that not everything can be explained by science—like falling in love.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley, (Thank you!), in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.*

I love reading a series in order, and I didn’t realise Beloved Enemy was the third book in a series until shortly before I began reading. I haven’t read the previous two books, and I do think this had a big influence on my overall opinions on the book. I’ve read a couple of series out of order before, but I find I don’t get to know the characters as well as I want to. Plus, it usually cuts out the confusion of not knowing what is happening in the overall story line.

I’ll hold my hand up and say this is my fault, and I know that if I had read the previous books, I would have had so much more knowledge and familiarity towards the characters and story arc. I was confused for the first 20% or so. There are a lot of characters introduced very quickly and they are either fully human, vampire, warlock or Chaser. With all the names floating around I did get a bit confused with who was who, and who had what abilities.

Beloved Enemy is a very quick paranormal read. I’m not the fastest reader, and I finished it in one sitting. For such a short book, a lot happens. Our main female character, Genevieve, has been abducted and the book begins with her trying to escape her vampire captives. On her second attempt at escaping, she runs into Chad, our male MC, and the hormones kick in.

I feel like so much of the story was lost to me, and I would have liked to find out what happened to the characters before this book started. Several characters are mentioned but we don’t get to meet them, so my focus was really on Genevieve and Chad’s budding relationship, and the Catatatoares – bad vamp – problems .There might have been a hint of insta-attraction, but I enjoyed the way it played out. They didn’t immediately jump into the I-wuv-u’s which is so nice to see.

Overall, I did enjoy Beloved Enemy, but I really recommend reading the series from the beginning. While I did feel a bit lost at times, and I know this could have been avoided.

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 4 / 5

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Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Hex Hall is absolutely hilarious. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I decided to read it, but humour wasn’t on the list. I really enjoyed it.

Sophie Mercer is a witch. She was raised by her human mother, and they had to move around a lot as Sophie received her witchy powers when she hit puberty. Prodigium – witches, shapeshifters and fairies – are not supposed to show their powers to humans, so when a love spell backfires on Sophie, turning her High School prom into a disaster zone, she used up one too many of her last chances. She is sent to Hecate “Hex” Hall in Georgia, or “Juvie for monsters” – Sophie’s words, not mine – until she turns eighteen. It is a reform boarding school for supernaturals that have broken the rules and the aim is to try to teach them to be good little monsters.

I’m finding it a bit difficult to come up with a full length review without revealing spoilers. So I’m airing on the side of vagueness and sticking to what I enjoyed about the book. All the teens were very believably teenagers. I could picture them in any boarding school, just adding in some magic, fur and sparkly wings. I absolutely adored Sophie. She is such a fun and witty narrator. She’s quite like a regular teen girl, but with witchy powers that she doesn’t know how to control properly. I think one of my favourite moments is right near the start of the book, when she just arrives at Hex Hall and encounters a werewolf…

“For a second the werewolf, er, Justin, paused, his head cocked to the side, making him look less like a throat-ripping-out beastie and more like a cocker spaniel.

The thought made me giggle.

And suddenly those yellow eyes were on me.

It gave another howl, and before I even had time to think, it charged.

I heard the man and woman cry out a warning as I frantically racked my brain for some sort of throat-repairing spell, which I was clearly about to need. Of course the only words I managed to yell at the werewolf as he ran at me were, “BAD DOG!””

From that moment on, I knew I’d like the book. Sometimes when books are funny, it starts to go overboard and by then end I’m all laughed out. That didn’t happen here thankfully. I laughed out loud quite a few times, and I did earn a few disapproving glances from my dog when I woke her up giggling. Archer is our main boy crush. I liked his character. He’s quite realistic and I think most of us would have known a guy similar to him back when we were in school.

Hex Hall has is similar to most Academy or boarding school YA books out there, and the plot is as expected, but I didn’t find that off-putting. The writing is quite simple. It’s not trying to be a literary masterpiece, just a good story and I think it succeeds on this front. The mystery element isn’t anything unusual, and there is a twist toward the end that reminded me of a book I read recently. I won’t name the book as the twist is very similar, and it’ll spoil the surprise element if you’ve read one book and not the other.

I’m so happy I tried Hex Hall. It ticks the boxes for a really funny, light, entertaining and quick read with really nice characters. I’d definitely recommend it.

Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Title: Glass Houses
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: The Morganville Vampires, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3.5 / 5

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From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I noticed some not so favourable reviews for Glass Houses, and after my little disaster with Carrier of the Mark a few weeks back, my expectations were quite low. I’m so relieved to say I was pleasantly surprised. I could poke holes in a few things, but you know what, I enjoyed the story enough to overlook them. I don’t want an overly formulistic version of our reality superimposed over a paranormal backdrop. It is fiction after all! Leave reality at the door… or the first page.

I’m a bit confused about which age-genre Glass Houses best falls into – Young Adult or New Adult. We have a sixteen year old protagonist, so that gets the YA vote. But the book is set in college, and the other characters are all eighteen-plus. That gets the NA vote. It was first released in 2006, so that was a long time before the NA genre came into being… so I guess it gets the overall YA vote?

By now, I think this quote could be infamous:

"What normal girl loved physics? Abnormal ones. Ones who were not ever going to be hot. And face it, being hot? That was what life was all about."

It crops up very quickly in the first chapter. I knew about it going into the book, and I did have a moment of hesitation when I read it. I wasn’t sure the book was going to be worth it. Tone can be a hard thing to accurately interpret in the written word. After I continued on with the story, I discovered Claire is a very wry and sarcastic character, and I began putting a snarky, almost bitter tone to some of her words, and it worked for me. I mean, if I read that sentence out loud a few times, and change my tone I get completely different interpretations. Hindsight it a wonderful thing and I personally think this quote would be so much easier to take if the following words were added:

What normal girl loved physics? Abnormal ones. Ones who were not ever going to be hot. And face it, being hot? According to the Monica Morrell’s of this world, that was what life was all about.

A big positive: Vampires are actually portrayed like vampires, not cuddly bloodsucking bunnies. Also, I’m so glad Glass Houses is pretty much insta-love free. Claire didn’t run into a guy’s arms and declare her undying obsession-love within the first fifty pages (or anywhere in the book for that matter.) So, I tentatively say ‘Success’

I’m not sure how I feel about Claire as our main character and narrator. On one hand I kind of like her. She showed a lot of backbone on some occasions, yet at other times she could be incredibly obtuse. I don’t believe that she is sixteen. How many parents actually would let their sixteen year old daughter go away to college and live in a dorm? I would have had an easier time accepting this if Claire was seventeen. I could make up some excuses and it would be within the realms of possibility. We are told Claire is a budding genius, but she comes across as being shallowly intelligent. She isn’t very good a copping on to basic stuff, and she has little to no street-smarts. I preferred Shane, Eve and Michael over her character. I thought they were more consistent in their personalities and their behaviour.

The ending is depicted as a cliff-hanger, but I honestly didn’t feel it bad. I think I’m becoming immune to them and they no longer affect me too badly, so I guess I’m not really a good judge in this area anymore! I’m definitely curious as to what happens next, and I suppose that was the intended reaction. I won’t rush out to buy the next book, but it’ll be on my ‘will eventually get around to wish list.’ I think this series has at least thirteen or fourteen books? Maybe more? I’m not sure I will manage or have the patience to read them all, but I’m curious enough to consider reading the second one at least.

Overall, I didn’t have too many complaints. It’s a pretty good, solid and entertaining read: Yes, some of it I found improbable, but the characters entertained and engaged my attention enough to let me overlook some of the things that bothered me, and I ended up enjoying the story.

Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Title: Evernight
Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Evernight, #1
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

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Bianca wants to escape.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

-- As seen on Goodreads

*This review contains both unintentional and intentional spoilers after the bold text two paragraphs in. Best to avoid reading further if you haven’t read the book yet and don’t want the story spoiled.*

My Thoughts

Everything about Evernight is just ok or good. The characters are ok. The writing is good. The plot is ok, but nothing terribly unique. It’s a thoroughly middle of the road book: not great, but certainly not a bad either. Basically… I have no clue how to accurately rate it!

Let me start with the positive: overall, I liked the book. I’m surprised that I do considering the issues I have with it. There is an addictive quality to the story, and it kept me hooked. And now, for the not so good: it is your stock boarding school story, with all the dramas associated, but with added vampires for a little bite. *cough*

(And here begins the spoilerish part – you have been warned!)

I’m all for plot twists, but I hate being lied to. My problem here: the first 130 pages felt like a lie. When a story is written in the first person, I expect a personal connection with the character. On the other hand, if it is written in the third person, I expect more impersonal objectivity with more convincing and vivid plot twists. Evernight is written in the first person, so in this instance, I am expecting to see through Bianca’s eyes – her thoughts, feelings, sights, sounds and all the rest – and have the same knowledge that she has. Connecting the dots is not hard to do, but I felt the first 130 or so pages were insulting. Chapter eight becomes nothing more than an info dump on the vampire backstory that we should have had from the beginning. This forced me to discredit Bianca’s character as an unreliable narrator – I couldn’t trust the story she was telling.

I think this has become obvious, but I disliked Bianca. She is incredibly self-centred. A little bit is normal in a novel, but my lord everything was constantly about her! Granted she appears like a normal teenager, and her dialogue is believable, but I just found her to be annoying in general. Lucas was an ok character, but he could have done with a bit more development. He’s likeable enough, but there wasn’t anything to make him stand out.

And yet another point that didn’t sit well with me: The insta love between Bianca and Lucas. I could understand the connection between them if they got all “obsessed” after Bianca bit him. We could blame it on the blood, and it could be used as an excuse if we wanted to take the glare away. As it stands, it’s suspect. Considering it was from first sight and Bianca is completely consumed by Lucas right from the beginning, I can’t justify it as anything other than more annoying insta-love in YA.

The secondary characters are treated very inconsistently, and some are developed better than others. Take Raquel as an example. I felt her character was quite meaningless. She was there to provide the female friend role and nothing more. Her presence felt like a cardboard cut-out with a “Raquel” name-tag on it. I didn’t see her as real.

Usually if I find something that bothers me more than once and it keeps happening, it sort of snowballs and I end up hating whatever it is in question. But with Evernight, despite my grievances, I was hooked on something and I kept reading and wanting to find out what happened. I have no idea why, but I liked it! It gripped my attention, and I wanted to keep reading, and this is the hallmark of a book I really like. But I have issues with it that should have detracted, but they didn’t stop me from enjoying the story... Argh! I’m so confused.

I definitely liked it a lot more that I was expecting considering the issues I have. The authors writing style is engaging and addictive and she can certainly tell a good story. It is not a bad book, and I’m not sure how to really sum it up. I think the best advice I can give is to try it for yourself, and come back and tell me how nit-picky I can be!

Review: Into the Vampire City by Phil Tucker

Title: Into the Vampire City
Author: Phil Tucker
Series: The Human Revolt, #1
Format: Kindle
My rating: 1.5 / 5

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The Vampire War is over, and Miami has been walled off and given to the undead. The innocents within live like animals, not knowing if they will survive the night, playthings for their vampire masters.

When seventeen-year-old Selah Brown's father disappears while investigating the new drug 'Blood Dust', she masters her terror, abandons her quiet life, and follows his trail into the rotten heart of Miami. Yet despite her attempts to lie low, once inside her investigations bring her to the attention of the handsome rebel leader Cloud... and the darkly seductive vampire known only as The Dragon.

But there is more at stake than Selah can possibly imagine - the secrets she uncovers are so terrible they might start Vampire War anew.

[Formerly titled: Vampire Miami]

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Into the Vampire City started off really well, and I made some highlights and notes on my kindle stating that I really liked it; that it’s looking promising. But I don’t know what went wrong. I can’t pinpoint an exact moment where my feelings changed. In theory, I should love this book; an interesting dystopian twist with vampires that act like vampires. What can possibly be wrong?

Well, the problem is, I feel… nothing, absolutely nothing. And I don’t know why. I don’t have a set of “this is exactly why I don’t like it” reasons either.

My main stumbling block: I couldn’t connect with Selah. I suspect this could stem from the choice of point of view. The story is told in the third person, and I think a first person approach might have suited it better. It could have helped create a rapport between myself and the MC, as we see through her eyes. The way the story is presented at present, left me feeling like an unwanted bystander looking in on her life. She is one tough character, and I like this attribute in MC’s; yet others that I have found this in have some form of likability and an approachable quality. I didn’t find that here.

The whole book has an unpolished quality. A little smoothing here and there and you could have a good story for a certain type of reader. I can’t say who that is, but unfortunately it’s not me.