Jen's review of "Dreamfever" by Karen Marie Moning

Dreamfever (Fever #4) by Karen Marie Moning

Publication date: August 18th, 2009

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Number of pages: 388

Format: Hardcover

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.


He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

Let me first say, when I first read this book I had just gotten into the series and read the first 3 books in an instant. But then, you know what? I had to wait over a year until this book and let me tell you --- I wasn't pleased at all. I was so very obsessed by that point that the thought of waiting so long displeased me to say the least.

This is the fourth installment to this amazing series by Karen Marie Moning. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, especially after that one hell of a cliffhanger that we were left off in Faefever, and boy was it insane.
The first page takes us back to the scene of the crime in Mac's POV, and the second chapter takes place with Dani -- since Mac is unable to respond at this present time.

When we come back to Mac, she isn't herself. We find out the damage that was done for her and just who her saviors were. There is one person in particular that will do anything to bring her back to herself, no matter what he or she does. It's something fans might swoon at, or some might just think and understand it's something that has to be done in order for Mac to get back to her super self, and the world the way he is... she is needed.

Mac goes through quite the journey during this book. If anything.. it just makes her stronger on the other side, and even she gains some interesting abilities that she might not have had before. The question is... where did they come from, and who or what is Mac turning into?

There are still millions of questions regarding Barrons, but we do find out some little bits of information where he is concerned, and it's one Mac didn't even see coming.

Mac soon finds herself involved with all sorts of people, including Barrons, Vlane, Rowena and the Sidhe-seers, Christian and even has an encounter or two of the mysterious Ryodan, who sounds mighty like Barrons does in the way he talks. Is there a connection?

Mac and Barron's relationship furthers along. Things change. Things progress, and when you get to the end of the book.. you feel like there is some sort of breakthrough between these two. Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.
She still seems pretty in denial about how she feels about him.. We as readers could see it a mile off, but Mac on the other hand.. and even Barrons tend to be a little slower to understanding this.

There is of course a major cliffhanger and makes you crazy just to think this is how she chooses to end the book. 

This book is one thrilling adventure to the next. Non stop action and exciting events that roll around. The world you find yourself in just gets more dangerous and exciting by the moment. And you'll start to wonder whether it can go back to normal.

The end also sets up for the finale, being the last book in the series.. It's been one hell of a ride.

Rating: 5/5

In My Mailbox #5

In My Mailbox is a weekly blog post hosted by Kirsti over at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Not much these week only these two:
 

   

These are titles which I purchased this past weekend.

Black Dawn (Morganville Vampires #12) by Rachel Caine
Until I Die by Amy Plum

Follow Friday #6

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read, which is basically a way to follow blogs and make new friends.
It's pretty easy. Head over to the hosts page, check out some blogs and follow. Make sure you let them know you are following otherwise they won't know.


For this week's question:Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading and relax?


Hm.. summer? *looks outside* looks like Autumn to me, LOL Yeah.. the fact I am on the opposite side of the world might have something to do with it.
But in this case..I think somewhere quiet and peaceful. Maybe somewhere with a beach? My family and I used to go camping down by the border of this state and the next which was isolated and nice and peaceful. I think that would be a nice spot to get some relaxing and catching up on some reading, although I haven't been there since I was young.
Other than that...maybe down to Queensland where its nice and warm most of the time, and I think if you are anywhere on vacation you should be able to relax no matter what you are in the world.

Jen's review of "White Witch" by Trish Milburn

White Witch (The Coven #1) by Trish Milburn

Publication date: March 1st, 2012

Publisher: Bell Bridge Boks

Number of pages: 188

Format: Kindle

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Witchcraft Is Her Family’s Business.No One Quits The Family And Lives To Tell About It. “Jax” Pherson has power, enough power to know her future will end in service to the dark coven her father controls. Unless she can stay hidden in a small community in the mountains of North Carolina. She must find a way to live without magic and deny the darkness she feels welling up inside her—the same dark power that fuels the covens around the world. All she wants is a normal life. A boyfriend. Friends. Some place to belong, but all too soon Jax’s barely begun new life hangs in the balance when she discovers that the boy she’s attracted to is sworn to kill her kind. He’s a hunter with good reason to kill everything that goes bump in the night. Even the most fleeting use of her power is tantamount to signing her death warrant and will bring both hunter and coven down on her. But can she walk away when her friends are threatened by an old evil? Something created by the magic of witches? Jax’s only hope of survival is to convince the boy she loves to forget everything he’s ever been taught and help her find a way to fight the covens. To believe there is some good in her.

Thanks to Bell Bridge Books and Netgalley for allowing me to review this title in exchange my honest review and take on this book. It has been a pleasure. 

After escaping from her family controlled by her dark coven father, Jax runs toward a small town in North Carolina where she hopes will be far enough for her to start a new life without magic. All she wishes is to be normal and not be in the life that she was.
Things are easy said then done. Its not too soon that she meets a boy who she discovers is everything she has been taught to stay away from. A human. A hunter. It's the worst possible boy to fall for.
Her head knows that, but tell that to her heart.

Jax soon sees that she can't run from who she is. The closer she and the new boy in her life start to get, she suddenly realizes that she doesn't care. These two have this insane attraction that not even the forces would be able to keep them apart.

Everything is not all daisies and roses, because a newcomer arrives in town just as things are getting to normal. A blast from her not-to-distant past and the two join forces and discover certain things that make them see everything they had been told their entire life has been a lie.
They start to wonder whether they really know the truth about who they are, and their abilities. But one thing is for sure: they are about to find out even if it's the last thing they ever do in that town.

This was an enjoyable, if not short read. It was a nice story, even though I didn't feel a lot actually happened and when it did it wasn't until half way until the end.
I feel the story could have been executed better, but it was nice nonetheless. I enjoyed Jax as a character, but I do wish we could have seen when she escaped her father and the events that led up to it. I think it might have had more of an impact.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I guess it will spring into the second book to this series to see where Jax goes and what happens next.
I did like the interesting take Trish had on the Witch genre and her world that she created about Jax and her family and magic was not one I had read about before, so I would have to applaud her for that.
I definitely will check out the next book when it comes out to see if the story builds up with more excitement.

                                                          Rating: 3/5

Jen's review of "Faefever" by Karen Marie Moning

Faefever (Fever #3) by Karen Marie Moning

Publication date: September 16th, 2008

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Number of pages: 327

Format: Hardcover

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: He calls me his Queen of the Night. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him, too. When MacKayla Lane receives a torn page from her dead sister’s journal, she is stunned by Alina’s desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister’s killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil, it corrupts anyone who touches it.

Mac’s quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shape-shifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V’lane, an insatiable Fae prince of lethally erotic tastes, and Jericho Barrons, a man of primal desires and untold secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

As All Hallows’ Eve approaches and the city descends into chaos, as a shocking truth about the Dark Book is uncovered, not even Mac can prevent a deadly race of immortals from shattering the walls between worlds—with devastating consequences.…

In the third installment to Karen Marie Moning's Urban Fantasy "Fever" series, comes an exciting and packed full of adventure with twists and turns story. When we left off in the previous book, Mac didn't quite get to meeting Christian when she was stopped by the book which seemed to be going from person to person.

In Faefever, Mac battles more than she can take. From the other Sidhe-seers and Rowena to Barrons to the Lord Master, Mac goes through a specific journey where she will realize that people will take advantage of you if you let them.
New information gets revealed about Barrons, but to a point where it just brings up more questions and not enough answers. Christian provides to be quite an ally to Mac who discovers that he is more useful than she originally thought.

Out of the whole series I would think the cliffhanger at the end of this book is probably the worst there is. It's an event that I could not have seen coming and one that will affect Mac for the rest of her life.
We get to meet some of the other Sidhe-seers and see how they live at the Abbey.  Mac's friendship with fellow Sidhe-seer, Dani deepens while Mac's relationship with Barrons just gets even more complicated than before.
Barrons seems to give her what she wants, but yet.. doesn't give her the answers that she wants. It's one foot in and one foot out kind of situation and it's one that irritates Mac to a point where she doesn't know what she should do.

If you enjoyed the first two books in this series, then this third installment is of no exception.

Rating: 5/5

Teaser Tuesday 06

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Want to play along?

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers
• Share the title and author

This week's teaser comes from City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. All I have to say is I love Magnus.

"Saint Magnus's Home for Wayward Shadowhungers," he said in a deep voice. "Welcome." He threw an arm wide. "Spare bedrooms are that way. Wipe your boots on the mat." 

Jen's review of "Halflings" by Heather Burch

Halflings by Heather Burch

Publication date: February 1st, 2012

Publisher: Zondervan Publishing

Number of pages: 288

Format: Kindle - Thanks to Netgalley

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

First off, I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to review this book, as it has been something I have wanted to read for awhile. Next up. This book I quite enjoyed, but I do have a few complaints which I will go into soon enough. Nikki Youngblood is a very strong and kickass heroine who will do as she pleases and doesn't care what is happening. She'll be one of those girls that do head first into danger, not because she isn't scared, but because she is brave and refuses to run away from what scares her.

Then there are her two heroes who have a job to do and that is to guard her. Mace and Raven, who both find themselves falling in love with the young girl. They aren't alone. Nikki finds herself drawn to their whole family, which becomes her family the more time they spend together as a group.

As expected the relationship between Nikki, Mace and Raven soon develops into a sort of love triangle, or at least, the makings of one.
As much as I enjoyed this book, and Mace *swoon*, I do have some complaints.

I kind of felt this book was very similar to other books I have read. I know, a lot of books in this genre can tend to feel similar, while keeping their own unique feel to it. But I guess I was kind of expecting something else.

But I do applaud Burch for the world that she creates and the characters, which I did enjoy, and I look forward toward the 2nd book in this series to see where the plot takes me and to see how the relationships develop between the characters.

Rating: 3/5

April's review of 'The Hollow' by Jessica Verday

The Hollow (The Hollow #1) by Jessica Verday
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Simon Pulse 
Number of Pages: 544
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. It only makes things worse that everyone now treats Abbey like either a freak show or a charity case. Thank goodness for Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her -- one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

The story starts off at Kristen's viewing, and Abbey just doesn't want to be there. Still living in denial that her best friend is missing and has been officially pronounced dead, she hasn't given up hope that Kristen is still out there somewhere. I do have to agree with Abbey on her view on having a viewing and funeral when there is no body to be buried. A memorial service yes, but an actual viewing and funeral no. At the funeral is when Abbey first sees Caspian, and then he shows up at Kristen's house afterwards. Right away I could tell something was off about Caspian after their first conversation. And I'm surprised Abbey didn't write him off as a weirdo and stayed far away from him as possible. Especially after he had said that he was there for Abbey and didn't seem to know Kristen at all. If some guy I didn't know showed up at my best friend's funeral and tell me that he was there because of me, I would of ran far away from him as possible. 

At school isn't better. Abbey is sick of everyone "mourning" Kristen when they didn't even know her. I know that Abbey and Kristen were best friends and did everything together, but it seems like neither one of them had any other friends. I was surprised that there weren't anyone else that one of them were friends with, even if it was just a friendship that stayed inside school. She runs into Caspian again, at the bridge where Kristen disappeared, and has a conversation with him. Not only does she start to like him, but he makes her be able to deal with her grief. Abbey also befriends an old man she meets in the cemetery one day and his wife. When Abbey decides to try to figure out why Kristen was at the bridge, she discovers that she had a separate life she knew nothing about, and not anyone was whom that seem to be. 


Even though I've never read the legend, I love how the story is based upon The Sleepy Hollow Legend. The plot sounded amazing, but I was ended up disappointed in the book. The majority of the book I just wanted to finish the book. to me it only got interesting at the end. There were little details that I was surprised that Abbey never questioned. With how much she loves the legend, I'm surprise she didn't make a comment on when Caspian told her his last name was Crane. Or at the end when they ended up in the mechanic shop where his dad works, I'm surprised it never crossed her mind that it could of been the shop he works at. I just wanted to smack her half the time. Especially how desperate and pathetic she became about Caspian. I did enjoy her friendship with Ben, and wished we saw more. I was also disappointed when they found Kristen's body. And the fact that when they reburied her with the body, Abbey refused to go. I know she probably didn't want to go through it again, but that was her best friend, she needed that closure. I also thought there would be more revelation about her disappearance/death than what there was. 


I was also confused on a few details. The fact that the old couple said they knew what Caspian was a shade by the black streak in his hair, but he had that when he was alive. I also got the impression that White Plains, where Caspian said he lives, is close by. I would imagine that the car crash a few years ago would of been well known, especially since both seems like small towns. 


I'll keep reading the series, since I'm curious on how everything will pan out. I would say I give the book a 2.5 rating, but officially I'll make it 3. 

Rating: 3/5

 

Jen's review of "Spellbound" by Rachel Hawkins

Spellbound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: March 13th, 2012

Publisher: Hyperion

Number of pages: 327

Format: Hardcover

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

In the final installment to Hex Hall and Demonglass, comes a new and exciting story that takes us through Sophie's life one and final time.
When we left her in Demonglass, Cal had told her to go to the Brannicks, even though she has no idea why. She just wants to find her mom, but why would her mom be with the Brannicks?
We enter this story pretty much where the previous novel left off and Sophie finds herself on the floor of the Brannicks.
She soon discovers that things are worse than they anticipated, and that her whole life as a witch/demon she had been taught the the Brannicks, The Eye were the bad ones, not even realizing the ones telling them this stuff is the real culprit.

The journey that Sophie goes on in this story is one that will change her entire life forever. She finds love again, after so much time thinking it was wrong. There are tragic events that occur that shake the core of who Sophie is, and makes even more discoveries about her family that she couldn't have predicted even if it was the last option in the world.

While there was some moments I didn't like or approve of in regards to her decisions and actions, but I slowly overlooked it eventually.
I wouldn't really go as far as to say that she was torn between Archer and Cal, because it was obvious to me where her heart lies, but I think in some moments she might have confused love with  --  LOVE.
But I loved the way the book ended. It kind of felt like going full circle with the first book. And I couldn't imagine a better ending.

We also see some of the characters from Demonglass, and discover the true plan the sisters plan to do with Hex Hall. Their true intentions is something that takes you back to the first book and everything begins to make sense.

I was happy to see Archer again, as he is my favourite character after Sophie. Things did not look well for him in the previous book and had no idea what was going to happen to him.
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the events that happened, but it was the kind of things that I hoped would happen.

As we trail toward the end of the series, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, but some of the new characters has the potential to hit off a spinoff. It's all up to Rachel Hawkins.
I can't wait to see what she has planned next.

                       Rating: 5/5

In My Mailbox #4

In My Mailbox is a weekly blog post hosted by Kirsti over at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

First, I would like to say that I will be continuing to do IMM here. While I would never condone the act in what happened.. the fact is I think Kristi has been punished enough, and I don't even know her. But I think everyone deserves a second chance.
This is my opinion, and while I do respect those that choose not to follow with this meme, please respect that I am.

Anyway...
Here what I got this week:

Bought -
Fury by Rebecca Lim
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

For Review -
Whisper by Alyson Noel
Every other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes