Fairy Metal Thunder

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Indie Inked for giving me this book and the rest of Faery Worlds to review.

Jason is the guitarist in the Assorted Zebras with his friends, however, they have no gigs and no one has heard of them. That is until Jason follows a thief from his house, and ends up in the world of the fairies. He decides to take some magical instruments for his band, but they are destructive and lead him and his band members into a dangerous chain of events. Fairy Metal Thunder is a light fun paranormal book with some action but does not take itself too seriously. I like the POV of Jason and his struggle to become famous and win the girl of his dreams, but I prefer Aoide’s POV as it was interesting to see more of the fairy world and I felt sorry for her and her band mates. I would recommend Fairy Metal Thunder to people who enjoy light paranormal books with fairies in. 

The Changelings

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Indie Inked for giving me this book and the rest of Faery Worlds to review.

Jayne Sparks has always felt something was missing in her life. After running away from her troubled home life with her best friend Tony, they meet up with another group of runaways. Together they are sent to a forest with magical dangers everywhere. The Changelings is an enjoyable paranormal book and it was very fast paced. I liked how Jayne and Tony were just best friends, unlike most other paranormal novels, they were not romantically attracted to each other at all. I would recommend The Changeling to fans of action-filled paranormal books.

Initiate

*

1 Star/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Indie Inked for giving me this book and the rest of Faery Worlds to review.

Dindi is a young woman who dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, but cannot do anything right and prefers spending her time dancing with fairies. Kavio is a power Warrior-dancer who is exiled from his home for a crime he did not commit. I just could not get on with Initiate as I did not care much about what happened to the characters, and the plot was a bit confusing. If you enjoy fantasy books with fairies in, I would recommend Winter Queen by Amber Argyle.

The Longest Night

****

4 Stars/5

It has been 6 years since the Blood Moon battle, and Lucy, along with her boyfriend Nicholas, have set up a place where both vampires and Helios-Ra hunters who have problems with each other go, so they can get over their prejudices. Aggie, a Helios-Ra student, has been bought up by her sister to hate vampires but she particularly distrusts Cal, a vampire with burning blue eyes. As the winter solstice approaches and a new type of vampire hunter group are becoming more dangerous, Aggie and Cal have to work together to save their friends, and she must discover the real reason she thinks Cal is a threat.

The Longest Night is a good short story and it was nice to see some of my favourite characters back and to see what they have been up to since the last book. However, that being said, it felt like the characters had not matured much in the six years, and with how they acted it could have been set less than a year after the Blood Moon battle.

Aggie was an interesting character as she wants to live up to her deceased sister’s beliefs and decisions, but at the same time wants to make her own opinion on what is right and wrong. The romance in this book is good, but I wish there was more of Nicholas and Lucy as they are one of my favourite couples.

This is a really enjoyable novella, however I wish it was a bit longer. I would recommend The Longest Night to fans of the Drake Chronicles. 

Witch Rising

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Amber Argyle for giving me this book to review.

When her parents are killed and she is shipwrecked, Lilette, an 8 year old witch, is the only survivor. She is rescued by Fa, who adopts her as long as she promises never to sing. After years on the island, an accident causes her to reveal her long kept secret, it starts Lilette on the path to her becoming one of the most powerful and important witches ever born.

Witch Rising is the short story prequel to Witch Fall, it is a good, very quick fantasy read. Lilette is a nice character and I felt very sorry for her but I could not connect much with her, I hope I get to know and like her better in Witch Fall.

This novella did not come to a nice conclusion, which left many unanswered questions for the next book. I would recommend Witch Rising to anyone who is interested in reading Witch Fall.

The Seven Kingdoms

***

3 Stars/5

Peace has finally been reached in the seven kingdoms of Justava, but a new evil power is growing, the Necromancer empire. After they are betrayed and have lost their loved ones and city, Brenik and Nalia must find allies to stop the necromancer’s army. To do this they must overcome their prejudices and seek the outcasts of Justava to ignite their rebellion.

The Seven Kingdoms is an enjoyable book, which is a classic fantasy tale with good fighting evil. Whilst this book is similar to Lord of the Rings, it felt like it was more inspired by it than trying to be like it. The start of the book was a bit slow but soon it picks up as the story got more interesting.

I like Brenik and Nalia as they were trying to do what was right and save all races not just their own. However, I did find them a bit too prefect as they were good at everything. Even though I normally like romance in my books, the romance in this did not feel right to me, but I am not sure why.

I enjoyed this book and I hope there are more in this series. I would recommend The Seven Kingdoms to people who enjoy a good fantasy novel which has a good vs. evil theme.

  

Pawn

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin (UK) Limited for giving me this book to review.

After taking the test on her 17^th birthday Kitty has become an III, this leaves her with 2 choices, work very hard at a miserable job away from her friends and boyfriend or become a prostitute. However, the Prime Minister, Daxton Hart, offers her a third option to become a VII. She is Masked, surgically altered to look like the Prime Minister’s niece, Lila Hart, who was killed. With Kitty being a pawn in the Hart family power struggle, she must choose whether she should stay safe and stop the rebellion against the system and Lila’s uncle or continue Lila’s rebellion and risk facing the same fate.

Pawn is a likeable dystopian novel, full of twists, secrets and betrayals, however, the first half of the book was slow and was drawn out, but the last half got more exciting and was quicker paced. Even though there was a minor love triangle in this novel, I liked how the romance did not take over the plot, unlike most YA dystopian books.

Kitty is an interesting character as she wants to help the people who were like her and who are looked down upon by the higher ranks, but at the same time, is willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself and her loved ones safe. However, I felt the way she thought about and reacted to the decisions she made at the start of the book were not realistic. All the secondary characters are interesting and well rounded, but I did find it a bit irritating that everyone was keeping secrets except Benjy.

This was an enjoyable book and I would like to read the next one Captive. I would recommend Pawn to people who enjoyed reading Matched, The Selection and Inside Out. 

Revolution

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Baen Books for giving me this book to review.

Echo is still reeling after the assassination of Alex Tesla, and the usurpation of Echo control by Dominic Verdigris. Bull is still in a coma, and there is nothing Bella can do to bring him out of it. At the same time, Red Djinni has taken over training Vicki, the only person left of Bull’s team of misfits, as Scope and Acrobat are off chasing Harmony after her betrayal. Meanwhile, CCCP are still helping the community, stepping in where Echo cannot, and, with the help of John Murdock and Sera, gaining vital intelligence on the Thulians.

Revolutions is a rather disjointed read, which is to be expected as it is written by various different authors, however I really enjoyed reading it as there are several threads running through the story which tie it all together. Whilst Revolutions is not a quick read it is very engrossing and leaves you wanting more.  It did feel as if the authors were concentrating on Dominic Verdigris rather than the Thulians; the alien invaders were rather a side line than the main story.

Red Djinni is one of my favourite characters, as even though he is a (mostly) reformed thief and a con artist, he shows throughout the books that he has incredible loyalty to his friends and the causes he believes are worth it. I love that every day he changes his visage to look like a different celebrity. I also enjoy the contradiction that is Vicki, as in her domain she is so confident yet outside in the big, wide world she is so scarred and vulnerable. There was not as much of Ramona and Mercurye as I would like, and I would love it if they could have a bigger part in the next book.

Anyone who enjoyed this book would also enjoy the podcasts, available at the secret world chronicles wedsite, which has other unpublished short tales, by the way, Bella's voice is very annoying! I would recommend Revolution to anyone who likes the first two books, Invasion and World Divided, or who like watching Agents of Shield. 

Falling Kingdoms

*

1 Star/5

The death of a wine seller’s son sparks a war between three kingdoms, and four different young people, Cleo, Jonas, Magnus and Lucia are caught in the centre of this conflict. I felt I should have liked Falling Kingdoms, but I found it was boring and did not interest me, as the plot seemed very obvious and predictable. I could not connect to any of the characters as they all seem very stereotypical. Falling Kingdoms is marketed as a YA Game of Thrones, but I am not a fan of either TV series or books, so people who do like it may like this book more. I did not enjoy this book and did not finish it.

A Breath of Frost

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for giving me this book to review.

In 1814 London, the 3 Lovegrove cousins Emma, Penelope and Gretchen, are unaware that they are witches. When Emma inadvertently opens the gates of the underworld, it lets loose horrors into Regency London. The most deadly being the Greymalkin sisters, who are killing debutantes, and Emma is somehow connected to the murders as she keeps finding the bodies. Together Emma, Gretchen and Penelope must learn and master their powers, uncover the clues and discover the secrets of their families past.

I liked A Breath of Frost, but for some reason, I’m not sure why, I felt underwhelmed with it, compared to Harvey’s other books which I love. However, it was a nice, quick paranormal read set in Regency times.

I liked Emma as she is stubborn and tough, however, both her and her cousins act too much like modern women, as they do not behave how I believe most regency girls would.

I will probably read the next book and hopefully I will connect with it more than this one. I would recommend A Breath of Frost to people who enjoy Harvey’s other books.

Oath of Servitude

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to C. E. Wilson for giving me this book to review.

Teague is struggling since his perfect life was destroyed when he lost his sight, and now he has turned to drinking to smother his distress. Cailin is a Pixi who is being punished for being herself and being different from other Pixies. Her punishment is to pay off her father’s debt to Owen, Teague’s father, by being a companion to Teague and to try and stop him drinking. However, Cailin and Teague are more similar than they think, as they are both lonely people, where no one understands them. With Teague and Cailin grown closer together, will Cailin be able to complete her oath with trouble brewing at home.

Oath of Servitude is a likeable book as it is a quick, light paranormal read. One thing I enjoyed about this book is the mystery surrounding both the families. I also liked how the size difference was portrayed, and how Cailin has to cope with living with humans so much bigger than her.

I like Cailin as she is tough and gutsy while still being vulnerable, I also like how she will not stop being who she is just because she is not accepted by the rest of her people. At the start of the book I did not really like Teague as he was a drunk who was more interested in moping than trying to accept his fate and move on, but as the book progressed and he became less self-involved I grew to like his character more.

Oath of Servitude is an enjoyable book and it will be interesting to see what happens next to Cailin and Teague, and to uncover more of the mysterious secrets of the past. I would recommend this book to fans of Damselfly by Jennie Bates Bozic, or Need by Carrie Jones.

The Hunger Games

*****

5 Stars/5

Katniss lives in District 12, in Panem, ruled over by the Capitol. Each year 2 children from each of the 12 districts, between the ages of 12-18, one male, one female, are chosen to compete in the 74^th Hunger Games, where only one survives. This year, Prim, Katniss’s younger sister is chosen, and Katniss volunteers as Tribute in her place. She is determined to survive at any cost, the only problems being the other 23 tributes who wish to kill her, and Peeta, the other tribute from District 12, who saved her and her family’s lives when she was 11.

The Hunger Games is a brilliant book as it is an intriguing look at the future of how the reality TV we see today, may evolve. The pace of the book keeps you hooked until the very end, with you constantly wondering what the Capitol Game Makers are going to do next.

Katniss is a fascinating character. She has had to be surrogate mother to her sister, as their mother went into deep depression after their father died, and is different to most of District 12. Katniss is willing to break rules to help those she loves by hunting outside of the district, surviving off her wits and ability, and even trading illegally hunted game to the Peace-Keepers.

Haymitch is a well-written character, who shows how winning the Hunger Games can affect a person, and it is not until he sees Katniss’s spirit does he allow himself to get involved. I also liked the character of Cinna. Katniss seemed to respond to him as an older brother, with him giving her advice and looking out for her.

I would recommend Hunger Games to anyone who has watched the film, as the film is a brilliant interpretation of the book.

Damselfly

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Jennie Bates Bozic LLC for giving me this book to review.

In the future, at the Lilliput project in Denmark, 6 inch tall engineered winging girl called Lina believes she is the only one of her kind and her only friends are the people meant to look after and studying her. She is isolated and alone until she meets a boy called Jack online and grows to fall for him even though he does not know her size. Everything changes on her 16^th birthday when she is going to become part of a TV programme to find a husband out of 6 “Toms” created at a sister project. With Jack being threaten to make Lina take part, and Lilliput hiding a dark secret, will Lina get passed her feelings for Jack and get to know the 6 “Toms”.

Damselfly is a good book, with a fast pace and an unusual and enjoyable idea. I was surprised by the twist at the end as I did not see it coming at all. However, I did not understand how making 6 inch people with wings meant to provide a solution to the worldwide crisis.

Lina was nice and a courageous character, but she was a bit self-centred and did not really think of others, however, this is not surprising as everything in her life has revolved around her. I would have liked to get to know Jack better I had no real idea why Lina liked him so much except that he treated her normally. Also I did not really get to know much about the “Toms” as, apart from Row and Blue, they all tended to blur together.

Damselfly is an enjoyable book and I would recommend to fans of The Selection by Kiera Cass or unusual dystopian books.

The Fiery Heart

*****

5 Stars/5

Sydney has gotten over her prejudices against vampires and is now in a relationship with Adrian. However, things are not going smoothly between them knowing that Jill can see their every moment together and having to hide their relationship from everyone, especially Sydney’s little sister Zoe. However, Sydney wants to get closer to Zoe and try to convince her that the Alchemists are not as perfect as they have been brought up to believe. With Sydney trying to keep so many things secret, such as her magic, and Adrian struggling with his Spirit will they be able to keep their relationship a secret while still enjoying their time together.

The Fiery Heart is the brilliant fourth book in the bloodlines series but is a bit different from the other books as it is from the POV of both Sydney and Adrian, however, this adds much more to the story. This book is really romantic, much more than any other book of Mead’s which I have read, but this did mean that there was less mystery and action but there was enough that it did not feel lacking.

We can really see how much Sydney has changed during this series as in the first book she was much more like Zoe, although a bit more open because of the events of Vampire Academy, but now she thinks much more for herself and does not just want to please her father and the Alchemists. However, this book is much more about Adrian and his struggles with Spirit, and I love seeing inside his head as we get to see how much he loves Sydney and how responsible he has become while still being the Adrian we have grown to love. The romance in this book is amazing and I love seeing Sydney and Adrian as a couple and them both knowing how much they need each other, and mean to each other.

The ending, whilst I knew it was coming, is a massive cliff-hanger and I am not sure how I am going to cope until Silver Shadows comes out. I would recommend The Fiery Heart to people who have enjoyed the rest of this series.

Fireblood

*****

5 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Spencer Hill Press for giving me this book to review.

The land has been destroyed and is filled with monsters, and Karm is the only safe place as it is protected by a barrier, and the king has ruled that it should be inspired on the medieval world of Camelot. Zara Dane has been hiding the fact that her father has The Virus, an illness which kills everyone in Karm, when she is chosen by Prince Sebastian to be his bride. Her father is sent away and she is forced to stay in the castle, under the watchful eye of the first knight, Sir Devlan, but all Zara wants to do is run away and find her father before it is too late. As Zara gets to know the people in the castle, she is drawn into the rebellion against the King, but should she trust their plan or the spark of good she sees in Sebastian?

Fireblood is a brilliant book as it is a dystopia but reads and feels like a fantasy which is really unusual. The plot is fast paced and engaging, and has the right mixture of betrayals, romance and action.

All the characters are really complex, but especially Zara as she strong-willed and determined to protect those she cares about, and while her judgement may not always be right, her decisions are made with a good heart. The romance in Fireblood is good as it developed at a steady pace, however, it was a bit predictable as it was obvious which person Zara would fall for, but it was much better than the love triangle it seemed like it was going to be. Sebastian was an interesting character as at some points I hated him, but at others I sympathised and understood him. Devlan is a strong, kind and loyal person, and I would have loved to have some chapters from his perspective to see what he was thinking.  

I loved this book and I hope there is more stories from this world, although the way it ended it does not need another to wrap up any loose ends. I will be reading more books by Wolfe and I would recommend Fireblood to fans of The Selection series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy and Throne of Glass.

Elantris

****

4 Stars/5

Elantris, the capital of Arelon, was a beautiful city filled with once ordinary people who, when touched with the mysterious Shaod, turn into powerful beings with magical powers. That is, until 10 years ago, when all those affected by the Shaod, past and future turn into weak and powerless people whose skin turns grey and hair falls out. In the new capital Kae, Princess Sarene of Teod has come to secure an alliance between their two kingdoms through marrying Prince Raoden. Though when she arrives, Sarene finds that she is a widow. However, Raoden is not dead, but has been affected by the Shaod and has been put into Elantris with the rest of the Elantrians. He finds cannot stand idly by and watch them suffer, and so he hopes to find a way to help the Elantrians become human again and discover what happened to the magic. With both Teod and Arelon under threat from the religious empire of Fjordell, Sarene must use all her political skills against Hrathen, a high priest of Fjordell to stop him from converting both countries to be under the control of Fjordell.

Elantris is a really good fantasy book and I wish I had read Sanderson’s books sooner as he has an interesting way of telling stories. This book has an interesting religions and plot twists, however, it was let down by a very slow start and too little magic and too much politics.

Sarene is an OK character as she tries to do what she believes is the best and is willing to help those most in need, but she is annoying as she is too perfect and good at everything which makes her hard to relate to. Raoden has a similar problem as he does not have any real flaws and is too selfless. Hrathen is surprisingly the most interesting character as even though I didn’t want to like him, I could understand him, relate to his lack of belief and see how he thinks what he is doing is right.

I liked this book as there is room for a sequel but it also works well as a standalone book. I would recommend Elantris to people who liked the Mistborn Series.

Wildfire

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Mina Khan for giving me this book to review.

25 year old Lynn Hana Alexander is a dragon shapeshifter who does not trust herself or her dragon side since she was unable to save her grandmother. When her best friend’s life is threaten by dangerous fires happening, Lynn is determined not to fail someone she loves again. She has to find out who the arsonist is as she can sense it is a rogue dragon. She suspects Jack, a volunteer fire fighter and farmer who is disliked in the area because of his ancestors, but can she fight her feelings for him to find out the truth?

Wildfire is a good paranormal romance and mystery book, and I like the way the dragons were in this book and I would like to learn more about them. At the beginning I felt a bit lost as it felt I had missed a prequel, especially about her grandmother and Rob. I also felt like the arsonist was too obvious and I was expecting a bigger twist when it came to them.

Lynn is struggling and vulnerable because of the death of her grandmother and does not trust herself, both human and dragon side, but that does not stop her from being strong and trying stop the arson and the fires. I enjoyed the romance but it did not over power the story and the mystery.

I would recommend Wildfire to fans of paranormal mystery books.

The Faerie Guardian

***

3 Stars/5

It is Guardian in training Violet Fairdale’s job to protect humans and other creatures from dangerous magical beings. All she wants is to be the best guardian in her year, but that is put in jeopardy when a teenage human boy, Nate, follows her through to Creepy Hollow, her home. Now she must return Nate back to his home and make him forget that faeries exist. However, Violet does not find this easy with someone wanting something from Nate’s absent mother, Vi’s unusual powers, evil faeries and Vi having romantic feelings for a human!

The Faerie Guardian is a good YA paranormal book with danger, action and romance. It also has a brilliant twist which really shocked me as I did not see it coming at all. However, I did feel that the story changed in the last part of the book and that it did not have a good conclusion to the story introduced in the main part of the book.

I like Vi as she is strong and knows what she wants in life, but the way she acted against the guild she has always believed in, for a boy she just met, seemed to go against her character. I also liked Nate as he is likable and charming, who uses his humour as a coping mechanism, but my favourite character has to be Ryn.

I liked The Faerie Guardian and would recommend it to people who enjoyed reading the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike.

Daylighters

*****

5 Stars/5

Morganville has changed since Claire and her friends left, as everyone seems happier and the vampires are nowhere to be seen. Now upon their arrival their group is separated, with the vampires Michael, Oliver, Myrnin and Jesse staked and taken and the humans arrested and bought to see the leader of the Daylight Foundation, Fallon.  The Daylight groups aim is to free the humans from the fear and oppression of the vampires, and to bring salvation to both humans and the vampires. However, Claire and her friends know that they are not as moral as they seem, and have to try to break the vampires from a type of prison before the Daylighters make all vampires extinct.

Daylighters is the last book in the Morganville series and it is brilliant, as it has lots action and I never got bored. However, I did miss the different points of view from the previous books as I really liked seeing what others were thinking.

As this is the final book I can’t help but look back as see how much the characters we first met in Glass Houses have changed and grown as people. Especially Claire, as she has developed into a strong, independent woman. This is really shown in Daylighters, as she has to deal with the grey area of doing what is right by trying to free the vampires, even though the humans feel safe and secure. Also, the other characters, particularly Shane and the rest of the Glass House, have developed as they are willing to stand up to the vampires and for what they believe in and I have loved getting to know them.

I am sad that this series has ended as I have really enjoyed reading them but at least it was a good ending and we got closure. I would recommend The Morganville series to anyone who likes YA paranormal books.

Scorched

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me this book to review.

Trinity Foxx’s main worry is paying the bills and be able to stay with her grandfather, but then her grandfather uses money they desperately need, to buy what he believes is a dragon egg. She does not believe him until she keeps hearing a voice in her head, but she is not sure if it is coming from the egg or if she is going mad like her mother. However, people are after the egg including two twin brothers from the future that has been almost destroyed by dragon fire. Connor is on a mission to do anything to destroy the egg before it hatches and make sure that the world is not destroyed. Caleb wants the opposite of his twin and wants Emmy, the unborn dragon, to be born in order to save the world. Trinity is scared, and does not know which brother to trust, and with Emmy talking to her, she doesn’t know whether to believe that this seemingly innocent creature is able to destroy the world.

Scorched is an unusual book as I felt like I should not have like it as much as I did, as it takes recognisable elements from books, TV programmes and films. It is also rather predictable, but that being said, I really enjoyed this book.  This book has an interesting story and is different as it has elements from lots of different genres.

Trinity is an okay character and I can understand her confusion over who to trust and her determination to find a place she can call home because of her past. Even though Connor and Caleb are described as being opposite but I found them very similar apart from their beliefs about dragons and it took me a while to tell which brother was narrating a chapter. I also liked Emmy as she is sweet yet also fierce and tough and I liked the added depth of her fear of rejection.

I would recommend Scorched to fans of Firelight by Sophie Jordan or people who enjoy paranormal books with hints of sci-fi or dragons. 

You Are Mine

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Chardonian Press for giving me this book to review.

                             

Serena has always known that she will be owned by a Warlock and they will be able to punish her if she does something her warlock does not like. After her horrible fiancée is killed her engagement is passed over to a barbarian, Zade, from another land. When Serena makes some decisions which would have caused her to be punished at home, Zade looks the other way, Serena starts to think that not all warlocks are all bad. But Serena and Zade are in danger from people who do not want him in Chardonia, in a position of power.

You Are Mine is a really interesting fantasy world with good pacing and at some points I could not put it down. I would have liked to learn more about the magic system in this world as we only get a limited insight into how the magic works.

I like Serena as she is very protective of those she cares about, and will do anything for them. However, she is not perfect as she makes some choices which she did not think through or were that sensible which makes her very relatable. I also got on with Zade as he wants to fit in with his fellow warlocks but he is not willing to go against what he believes is right, but I would have like to know about his past and his country and why they are labelled as barbarians. One thing I would have liked more of in this book is romance as it was a little bit lacking.

This is a really good book and I want to see what happens next in Mine to Spell. I would recommend You Are Mine to people who liked Broken Aro by Jen Wylie or Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan.

Angel's Blood

***

3 Stars/5

Elena Deveraux is one of the best guild hunters, a group of people who hunt down rogue vampire for their angel bosses but she has a dark past. Everything changes when she is hired by the Archangel Raphael for her most dangerous job to date, to hunt down an Archangel who has crossed a line and is going on a killing spree. Raphael is fascinated by Elena and wants her as his, but can he risk being with her as it makes him weaker and more human. Elena cannot deny her attraction to Raphael but she does not want to be his play thing to be pushed aside when he is done with her, plus she has to focus on hunting the Archangel that if not stopped could change the world forever.

Angel’s Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series and the first book I have read by Singh. It is an enjoyable paranormal romance book but I felt it was not as good as Sherrilyn Kenyon or Jeaniene Frost novels as I could not connect to the story or characters that much. The plot was a bit slow especially in the middle of the book as even though there is a killer on the loose they did not seem to focus much on that and more on the relationship between Elena and Raphael.

Elena is a good paranormal romance heroine as she is feisty and loyal but also vulnerable, but apart from her cool scenting powers I could not connect with her as she seemed very similar to other females in the genre. I had a similar problem with Raphael, as I am getting bored with the very possessive alpha male and even though he is meant to be sexy I just did not find his personality appealing.  Also I found the sex scenes a bit dull as the flirtation between Elena and Raphael was much more interesting and had more chemistry.

Angel’s Blood is an enjoyable read and I would recommend to fans of paranormal romance novels. 

The Alloy of Law

****

4 Stars/5

It has been centuries after the events of the Mistborn trilogy and the world has changed with guns, electricity and railways, the world is very different from the world Vin, Elend and Spook knew.  Waxillium is a noble born who has been living in the Roughs for the last 20 years, but after a tragic accident he has decided to put aside his law keeper days and look after his house in Elendel. But when his old Roughs friend Wayne turns up and his arranged finance is kidnapped, Wax begins looking into the robberies and kidnappings of this mysterious group called the Vanishers. With help from Wayne and unusual noble lady Marasi, will Wax be able to use his Allomancy and Feruchemy powers to stop the hardest enemy he has yet to face?

The Alloy of Law is the sequel to the mistborn trilogy and is really good just like I have come to expect from Sanderson. However, because this book is shorter it lacks some of the world building compared to the other mistborn books. What I really liked about this book is how the world has evolved from the first 3 books in to a western but with the same cool powers, which is unusual in fantasy books, as the world tends to stay exactly the same centuries later.

I like Wax as he is willing to fight and die for what is right, however, I don’t know why maybe the age difference between us, but I did not feel like I could click with Wax as easily as I could with Vin. However, I really liked Marasi but especially Wayne as I enjoyed his sense of humour, his way of looking at the world and his weird obsession with hats.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next to Wax, Wayne and Marasi in the next Novel Shadows of Self. I would recommend The Alloy of Law to people who enjoyed the Mistborn Trilogy or just good fantasy. 

World After

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Goodreads and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me this book to review.

After what happened at the Aerie, Penryn is rescued by the resistance, along with her mother, and her sister, Paige, who is scarred, changed and disfigured, from the angel’s actions. But, the Archangel Raffe believes that Penryn died in the scorpion basement and does not know that she is ok and with the resistance. When Paige is captured after the resistance believe she is a monster and try to kill her, it turns into a massacre and Paige flees. Now, Penryn and her mother have to find her and at the same time, they discover the angels horrifying plans.

World After is the really good sequel to Angelfall as it is addictive and has everything I liked but darker and grittier. I also liked how we got know more about the Angels and their plans.

Penryn has grown as a person since the beginning of the series, as she is still a reluctant hero even though she is going through so much, plus it makes Penryn seem more human the way she struggled to cope both with Paige and what happened to her, but she still has a sense of humour such as “Pooky Bear”. However, I did miss Raffe, as he is not in this book as much as I would have liked but the bits with him in were brilliant.  I also liked the secondary characters such as Dee-Dum and Penryn’s mother, but my favourite has to be Paige as I felt so sorry for her and I just want to give her a hug.

I hope we don’t have to wait as long for the next book as I really want to know what happens next with Penryn and the rest. I would recommend World After to fans of the first book Angelfall. 

Angelfall

****

4 Stars/5

It has been six weeks since the angels have come to earth, and them, plus the catastrophic weather has killed most of the population. But 17 year old Penryn only cares about protecting her family, as she has always had to look out for them, with her insane mother and disabled sister. When her 7 year old sister Paige is taken by angels Penryn will do anything, even make a deal with another angel to get her family back together. Raffe has just had his wings cut of and needs to head to the angels base in San Francisco to get them sewn back on. Raffe and Penryn must work together and rely upon each other to survive the journey.

Angelfall is a very interesting and unique dystopia about angels but it manages to avoid the normal stereotypes of both angles and young adult books. What I think makes this book so good is that it has a simple yet dark, gory and captivating storyline and pacing which is non-stop. I also like how Susan Ee was able to put a hint of romance which had brilliant chemistry and you rooting for them to be together, without having it take over the story.

Penryn is a very strong person, who reminds me a bit of Katniss from The Hunger Games, as she does not want to be a hero, she just wants to protect her baby sister. Raffe is a very complex character and not at all what you would expect from an Angel, I like how he softens towards Penryn as the book progressed. I really liked the witty dialog and chemistry between Penryn and Raffe, and the author’s ability to keep us readers interested them even though it is mostly just Raffe and Penryn on their own for the majority of the book.

I really like Angelfall and I hope in the next book, World After, we get to learn more about the Angels and their plans. I would recommend Angelfall to fans of dystopian books whether YA or Adult.

Silevethiel

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Purple Sun Press for giving me this book to review.

After her father’s murder, Princess Irewen is betrayed and left for dead in the forest of Mistwood. She is rescued by the prince of the wood elves, Laegon, and he protects her while she recovers from her attack and realises that she has no idea what to do next as she has no home or country. Irewen, Laegon and the rest of the elves are in danger from an evil king and unusual creature hunting them down. Is Irewen the answer to saving the wood elves home Vaelinel and is she the person talked about in the mysterious elven prophecy?

Silevethiel is a likable and quick fantasy book, with action and romance. I liked the idea of the connection between the protectors and the lion guardians as it was really interesting.

I did not feel I could connect to the 2 main characters Irewen and Laegon, and I think part the reason was that the romance felt very rushed and really unrealistic, as they fell in love after only a day or two. However, I did like Bregen, as he was funny and loyal; I especially like his teasing interactions with Laegon.

I would recommend Silevethiel to fans of YA fantasy Novels.

Halloween

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Prime Books for giving me this book to review.

This book is an 18 story anthology of weird and macabre tales revolving around the foremost night of the dead and the paranormal, All Hallows Eve, Halloween.

The Halloween Men by Maria V Snyder

Ever since the Halloween Men arrived, nobody is allowed to leave personal homes without wearing a mask, all except on one day a year, Halloween. Nella works in her father’s mask shop, and is experimenting with making her own designs, however, the Halloween Men do not approve of her designs, and so she has to make them in secret. I really enjoyed this book, especially seeing Nella grow and evolve, which is a considerable feat in less than 30 pages. Maria V Snyder has shown that she can write a short story as well as she can write a novel, as this story drags you in, and I like it if she decided to write any more books set in this universe

We, the Fortunate Bereaved by Brian Hodge

Once a year in the village of Dunhaven, on Halloween, one spirit is allowed back from the underworld, one spirit who has died in the last year since Halloween. Drew, Bailey’s late husband, and Cody’s father, died from a congenital heart condition 8 months ago, and Bailey is hoping, for Cody’s sake, that Drew is the one brought back this year. This short story examines the relationship which both adults and children have with death, and how both look at it. I enjoyed this story and you can tell that the author of this short story is a crime novelist as there is a twist in the tale which will surprise most.

For the Removal of Unwanted Guests by A. C. Wise

Michael has just moved into his new house, when a witch arrives and invites herself to live in his loft, because apparently the house needs a witch in it. This story is quite good, and makes you think about the relationships which we have with other people. My favourite character has to be Spencer, the witch’s cat, because even though she doesn’t say a word, she speaks volumes.

Long Way Home: A Pine Deep Story by Jonathan Maberry

After serving a term in Afghanistan, and being heavily injured, Donny is returning home to the town of Pine Deep, which a few years ago was involved in a large paranormal disturbance. On his way back, near town, he meets Jim, who Donny thought had died. I liked this story even though I have not read the series, and I am considering reading the Pine Deep series.

Trick or Treat by Nancy Kilpatrick

Malina was raised by her mother, a dark witch, and is trying to be an earth witch, and cast off the traditions and superstitions. However, on Mischief Night the town’s children smash her car windows, will she return to what she knows, or will she stay on the path of good? This story reads like a continuation of a series, and that left me feeling a bit confused. 

I also enjoyed the other stories in this anthology, however some were very confusing as they were obviously part of an existing series. I enjoyed this anthology of Halloween stories, and would recommend Halloween to anyone who enjoys books written by any of the authors of any of the short stories in this book.

Beauty

***

3 Stars/5

Beauty and her two sisters Grace and Hope have always lived a comfortable city life until their father’s business collapses. As her family move to the countryside and live a happy, if modest, life next to an mysterious forest until one day her father gets lost and ends up spending the night at a castle in the middle of the forest. While leaving he takes a rose for Beauty, because of this he is forced to promise to Beast, the creature living in the castle, to have either one of his daughters willingly stay with the Beast unharmed or return himself and die. Beauty who is looking for adventure accepts the Beast’s promise and goes to the castle. But the castle is anything but ordinary with no animals, invisible servants and the Beast whose personality is not beastly at all, but does Beauty hold the key to free the Beast and the rest of the castle?

Beauty is an enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retelling; however, it is not my favourite as it felt too similar to the Disney version. That being said this book is full of imaginative descriptions and is full different types of love, both romantic and family.

I like Beauty as she loves her family and is willing to help in any way to support those she loves, plus one thing I love about the Beauty and the Beast story is how Beauty is smart and loves reading. However, I found the beast a bit boring as we did not get a good description of what he looked like; he did not seem to have much personality and he was a push over as he did anything Beauty asked of him. I also found the ending very rushed and anticlimactic, which left me feeling unsatisfied and a bit disappointed.

I enjoyed Beauty and would recommend to fans of Beauty and the Beast and fairytale retellings. 

Unleashed

****

4 Stars/5

Everyone believes that the prophecy has failed, and King Ashan and his dark forces have taken Taramon, now that he has nothing to fear from the prophecy. With Taramon defeated, Ashra and the rest of the men are being forced to tear the city apart brick by brick, while the queen, and the women and children are being taken by Safeer to Mezrah to face Ashan. But the prophecy has not failed; Kyla and Jethro have found all four of the elemental children and have accepted the light. Now Jethro and Kyla must rescue their people and bring light to the world which has for years been overwhelmed by Darkness.

Unleashed is the really good last book in the elements trilogy and it has a lot more action and fighting than the last two books. However, I did feel that this book was a bit rushed and I felt it could have done with an extra 50 pages.

The characters are the same as we have grown to know and like from the first 2 books but one thing I did find irritating was that the characters where either good or bad, and there was no one who was in-between. I also liked the different creatures in this series, but my favourite one is Flynt, and I wish he was real, as he was so sweet.

I will be reading more of Melissa Pearl’s books as I really enjoyed this trilogy. I would recommend Unleashed to fans of the first 2 books, Unknown and Unseen. 

Unseen

****

4 Stars/5

Kyla and Jethro are the seekers of the prophecy and have already found two of the elements, and now have to find the other two immortal elements children of air and fire. At the same time they have to fight their growing love for each other and Kyla is lacking in faith as she is struggling to believe in Oron. The dark forces are willing to do anything to stop the seekers, and make sure the prophecy does not come to pass. In Taramon, Ashra is worried both about his fiancee, and about King Ashan’s darkness threatening his city, but when Ashan’s soldiers commit a terrible crime, Ashra decides he cannot stand idly by, and that Taramon needs to be able to defend itself.

Unseen is the really good second book in the Elements trilogy and it starts right were Unknown left off, and it is just as good if a bit darker. This is because it has more action, romance and with a brilliant adventure that leaves you wanting more.

I really like the sweet romance between Jethro and Kyla as the bond between them was so charming and they would sacrifice so much for the other’s safety and happiness, yet still understand that they have to complete the prophecy and stop the darkness. I also liked how we got to know Ashra better in this book, and we get to see how much he cares for Taramon and the people.

I will be reading the final book Unleashed to see how the trilogy concludes. I would recommend Unseen to fans of YA fantasy novels. 

Unknown

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Indie Inked for giving me this book to review.

With darkness spreading over the world, as King Ashan’s growing greed for power; it seems that the light will never return. However, there is a prophecy that when a diamond falls in the north, the god Oron will return and bring the light with him. In Tamamon, princess Kyla and Jethro were best friends and were even born on the same day, but time and Kyla getting engaged to Jethro’s cousin Ashra have created distance between them. But when a star falls next to the city and Kyla and Jethro have unusual reactions to touching it, they discover that they have to set out on a journey into the unknown to find the elements earth, water, air and fire to bring back light to the world.

I really liked Unknown as even though it is a bit predictable, it is a light, addictive YA fantasy book, and I could not put it down until I found out what happened next. Unknown is good as it has adventure, betrayal love and good fantasy world building.

I like Kyla as she is a feisty person who does not want to be a princess instead she wants to escape and have an adventure, I also can sympathise with her struggle to believe in the prophecy and Oron, because of the death of her father and brothers. I also really like Jethro as he acts realistically in his struggles with his feelings for Kyla, while at the same time respecting and not wanting to hurt his cousin. Pearl is really good at writing complex characters such as Ashra and Nikara, but my favourite secondary character is the queen as, while she is weak, she does care about her people and will do anything to protect them, but is still conflicted about how to deal with her daughter.

I will be reading the next book Unseen to find out what happens next to Kyla, Jethro and Ashra, and would recommend Unknown to fans of Slumber by Samantha Young or Broken Aro by Jen Wylie.

Scarlet

***

3 Stars/5

Will Scarlet, one of Robin Hood’s band of outlaws, is not all he seems to be, as he is actually a young woman called Scarlet, and only a few know her secret as she is hiding from a dangerous past. Scarlet is loyal to Robin and is willing to do anything to help the people of Nottingham. That is until the Sheriff of Nottingham hires the thief taker, Gisbourne, someone who Scarlet knows from her old life and could cost Scarlet her life and more. Will Scarlet, Robin and the other outlaws, Little John and Much be able to avoid Gisbourne and raise enough money to cover the high taxes the sheriff is asking of the people of Nottingham?

Scarlet is a twist on the Robin Hood tale and is really enjoyable as there is lots of action and romance. However, even though I am rubbish at geography I am fairly sure Gaughen has underestimated the distances between different places as they seemed to travel dozens of miles in only an evening.

I like Scarlet as she is willing to do anything the boys can, and is loyal and self-sacrificing but is very naïve about boys and romance. However, I felt  she is a bit too self-sacrificing such as her refusing to eat just because others were going hungry, and I felt like it could have been explored and dealt with but near the end it was ignored.  I liked all of the “merry men” (I’m not sure I can call them that) but my favourite is Much as he is the only one who did not want anything out of Scarlet. Out of the other two I preferred Robin as John only felt like an obstacle for the romance between Scarlet and Robin. That being said I did not like Robin much as he either thought he was better than everyone else or was just rude to Scarlet.

While the romance in this book was disappointing, I will be reading the next book Lady Thief to find out what happens next to Scarlet and the gang. I would recommend Scarlet to fans of historical fantasy retellings. 

The Bitter Kingdom

*****

5 Stars/5

17 year old sorcerer queen Elisa is in a desperate situation, with her country on the brink of civil war and the man she loves having been captured by Inviernos, in order to get her to willingly go to the gate of her enemy. With her friends Storm, Mara and Belen they chase after Hector, hoping to rescue him before they enter Invierne. At the same time Hector is struggling to stay alive in the freezing temperatures while trying to slow down his captors. With both her own people and Inviernos out to kill or use her, will Elisa be able to survive her destiny as the bearer of the Godstone and marry the man she loves, but with Hector not even knowing they are engaged, does Hector want to be with her after she deceived him at the Zafira?

The Bitter Kingdom is the incredible final book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy as it is non-stop action, a romance to die for; incredible characters and world building so realistic you feel like you are actually there. I did feel The Bitter Kingdom could have even been turned into two books with the amount of things that happen in this book. This led to some things being rushed especially the ending as it happened to quickly; also I felt Carson focused too much on the group travelling and too little on when they actually got to their destinations. This book could have been a bit less predictable as I felt there were no real shocks like there was in Fire and Thorns when Humberto died, I thought Carson was brave to do something that unexpected in her first book and I was hoping for something more astonishing in this book.

I love how much Elisa has grown as a person over this series from the timid, shy person who comfort ate and was kept hidden from her destiny, to a strong and confident leader, who makes mistakes but learns from them. Hector is the perfect leading male and I love that we get his point of view in this book as we get to see how loyal, brave and honourable he is, and how much of a perfect match he is for Elisa as, while she is queen, it is a truly equal relationship with them both relying on each other. What I love about their romance in this book is that while there is sexual tension between them there are also simple things like what they say and do, that show that they truly are meant for each other. I really like all the people in this book, good, bad and neutral as the characters are well written and you can understand their motives, but my favourite character is Mara as she is one of the few people who does not want anything from Elisa which makes her a perfect best friend.

I love this series and I am not sure I am willing to say good bye to this world as, while Elisa’s story is over, I feel like there is more to discover. I would recommend The Bitter Kingdom to people who have enjoyed the rest of the series and I would recommend the Fire and Thorns trilogy to everyone who likes fantasy novels. 

Last Sacrifice

*****

5 Stars/5

The queen is dead and Rose has been framed for her murder and is facing execution. However, she is rescued by her friends and now she and Demitri are on the run along with the Alchemist Sydney. But instead of lying low as everyone wants her to, Rose is determined to find who actually killed Tatiana and discover if Tatiana’s note to Rose is true about Lissa’s secret half-sibling. At court Lissa wants to find out who framed her best friend but is caught in the struggle for the throne. Are both girls able to achieve their goals or will they be able to survive with a killer still out there and the guardians out to kill Rose?

Last Sacrifice is the final book in the Vampire Academy series and is just as amazing as the others in this series. This is because they have everything; there is humour, politics, romance, action and friendships. I did not predict who the killer was and it was such a shock and a real twist.

While Rose and I have had a rocky relationship over the series I love her character as she is so loyal and passionate and it was nice to see how much she has matured since the first book. I also like Lissa and how selfless, good and a smart leader she is.

SPOILER

I am so happy that Rose and Dimitri have their happy ending as they deserve it after everything they have both been through. However, I did not like how they got together as it felt like it cheapened their love by having Rose cheating on Adrian, even though I don’t think Rose and Adrian belong together, it made me think less of both Rose and Demitri.

SPOILER END

While it is bittersweet that it is the end of the Vampire Academy series I am glad Rose and Lissa got their happy endings and that we get to see them in the spin-off series Bloodlines. I would recommend Last Sacrifice and this series to fans of YA and/or paranormal books.