Review: Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication Date: November 2, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Number of Pages: 297
Format: Paperback
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It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

All I have to say is thank god the series is over. The books in the middle I loved, but the first book and these last two books? Not so much. I only read this since it was the end of the series, and I was curious about Seth. This will probably be a short review since I don't want to spoil anything.

I ended up skimming through a lot of the book. I just couldn't bring myself to actually read a lot of the scenes, especially the Alex and Aiden ones. They are just so boring. From the moment I started reading I just wanted to bang my head against something hard. There was a situation in the beginning of the book that almost made me put down the put and not continue. It was really unnecessary, especially in an YA book. Also, there's way too much pop culture references in this series. Don't get me wrong, I love references but there's a right and wrong way to do them. This series is filled with them, and in 10 years if someone picked up this series and read it, they would be like wtf is this. I prefer books/series that make references without actually naming them. Not to mention the term cray-cray was actually used. Come on, really? Yes that term is hot right now, but it's a fad.

I wasn't even impressed when Seth first came into the book. I get it, to redeem him he had to act a little ooc. But I was so glad when Seth went back to the one we grew to love. But what really saved the book, or at least made it bearable was when Apollo showed up.  He's by far, my favorite character in the book.

The book itself, wasn't all that bad. It was decent. The ending was a bit of a surprised though. And it actually made me want to cry. But the twist of events, well I knew it was coming how it all ended.

I still believe this series, especially the first book is a rip off of Vampire Academy. I'm sorry but I don't believe it's a coincidence, and she's never read VA, there's too much similarities.  I want to like this author, but this series made it so hard. Although I have a few of her other books on my tbr list, I'm not sure if I want to read them.

Rating: 2/5

 

Review: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods  (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Dutton
Publication date: June 4th
Number of pages: 464
Format: E-format via Netgalley
Preorder: Amazon | The Book Depository (Free Shipping)

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

I originally reviewed this when I receieved an arc for it, but a few months ago, I decided to buy the book and give it another shot thinking that maybe I was a little hasty with when I first read it.
I'm glad I did because I ended up liking it a lot more than I first did. Funny how those things can happen, right?

We're quickly introduced to Mae, who after the death of a friend (and maybe more than that?), one of the members of the miltary's most elite, gets sent to pick up someone who has been exiled because they need the experience and his talents for a case that only he can solve.  Mae doesn't know who he is or what it's concerning, doesn't know what he looks like either, so when she meets Justin at a party who saves her from a group of thugs, the two of them hit it off instantly...

Justin... I loved him. He isn't your normal hero, but then again, Richelle never does things the easy way, and so he has a complicated past, invisible friends and a prophecy if it ever comes to pass, it would spell no good things for him, and he would do anything he can to stop that from coming true.
But sometimes... not everything will go the way you wish or want it to... Justin knows this first hand.

Mae, I came to like her. She was strong with also a complicated past with a complicated family life she doesn't like to speak of. I felt she and Justin connected because of their common interests, their lonliness and their sad souls. I bet they never expected to meet again after their first encounter, but sometimes things are meant to be whether or not you want them to be.  I really adored the relationship between them.  It's not an easy one, and I have a feeling it's gonna be one that is a work-in-progress for the series.  They may have had some moments, but I wouldn't say they have a romance in this book. It's more like a beginning, but it can only envolve and progress from here on out.

The world-building was fascinating. The first time Richelle has done dystopia/sci fi, and I think I like it. It's certainly different, but I can't wait to see how the series folds and pans out in the next book, because the end certain sets things up nicely, especially where it comes Justin+Mae, plus Justin's little prophecy  he needs to be concerned with.

If you haven't given this a shot, then go ahead, you may end up being surprised.

Rating: 4/5

Review: The Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10) by Gena Showalter
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Number of Pages: 466
Format: Paperback
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Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

I've been putting this off for almost a month. Honestly, I'm sorry for being MIA lately. But also this is going to be a very short and brief review.

First off, I absolutely love the cover model. He looks like Paul Wesley. *drools* I had a mix of emotions going into this book. On the one had, the memory of the disappointment with Paris' book, and the failure of the second angel book had me hesitant. But I had friends say this book was a lot better, that it seems like Gena is getting her groove back.

While this book was a great improvement, I still found it lacking. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. But once they go back to the land of the Fae, I found it a little slow and almost boring. Even after they leave, I still couldn't invest myself fully in. I really liked Kane and Josephina. Or at least at first I did. Don't get me wrong I still liked the book and both the hero and heroine, but I could tell the difference. Josephina was strong, but she had a vulnerable side too.  And towards the end I felt like she was too vulnerable. Also with Kane we saw his vulnerable side, a soft side that we haven't seen in any of the Lords. One that I felt was too soft. Yes it's nice to see a soft side and not just the "caveman" affect on these men, but it was just too much for me. I like to see these as the alpha man, and when they fall in love they take charge and protect their woman; not saying Kane didn't do that, I just don't want to see them weak in love.

Also something different in this book, the Fae  knew all about the Lords. And to them the Lords were celebrities and watched their every move. Even had fan clubs, and the girls even fan girl over them. There was no retelling of the Lords backstory, which was kind of nice. After so many books you get the picture. We got to see Torin's story being set up, which I was more interested in. I didn't like how the story ended, where ended up living.

This wasn't her best book, but he wasn't her worst. Although I still love this series and remains one of my favorites, I'm looking forward to the series wrapping up.

Rating: 3/5

 

Review: Beauty Awakened by Gena Showalter

Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2) by Gena Showalter
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: HQN Books
Number of Pages: 448
Format: Paperback
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His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own....

 I was excited to read this. I love Gena Showalter, and the first book was amazing. But sadly this book falls short on my scale. I just couldn't really get into the book, and it took forever to read. I also heard she wrote this at a time where she rediscovered faith and got real religious. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking down religion, I'm religious myself. But you can tell it impacted the book. It was toned down a lot, and not a lot of steamy scenes that you expect with one of her books. Once my friend told me she had gotten religious, the style of the book made sense.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, but it wasn't one of her best works. I couldn't really connect to either main character. And felt like the plot just dragged on, and felt like the book could of been cut by at least 100 pages. I really did like Axel and want to see more of him. William showed up for a brief moment and we got hints to William's heritage.

The one theme that kept repeating was that to heal yourself you must let go of the negative thoughts and focus on the positive. Also that the Most High loves them and will always answer their pleas. It's a good message, although I felt like it was repeated a little too much. Like I said I liked the book but it felt like something was missing.

I almost consider not finishing the book and continuing with the series. But I was told that the new LotU book is a lot better and steamier. And the next Angel book sounds better too.

Rating: 3/5

 

Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Dulton Adult
Number of Pages: 448
Format: Hardback
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In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

I was a little hesitant to read this since I heard a lot of people gave it bad reviews and didn't like it. Not to mention I had forgot about the book, but I had saw it in Books a Million for half off, which I didn't take as a good sign for it to be marked that low so soon after it's released. But I love Richelle, and haven't found a book by her I didn't like.

If you've noticed I've tagged this book both as sci-fi and paranormal. Is that even possible? I couldn't decide what genre this book would fall under. At first it seems sci-fi, but as you get deeper in it, there's some paranormal aspects to it. Hence I put in both.

Right off the bat, this book is completely different from Mead's other works. It doesn't read like anything she's written, and it's in the third person. It had me wondering if the negative feedback was because the book was so different, fear of the unknown?  I do have to say there was a scene where Mae is remembering how she met her ex, it felt outplace and like it was just stuck in placement.

I really enjoyed the book. The world it is set in is interesting, and has more of a dystopian feel to it. The humor that is presented in all her other books was missing in this one. She keeps strong characters, and even a kick ass heroine.

I wouldn't say this is her best work. I didn't love it. But I really did enjoy it. And curious on how things will play out. More curious about Mae and her past. And I can't help but shipping her and Justin.

Rating: 4/5

 

Review: Rise of the Gryphon by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Books
Number of Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
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To prevent a genocide, Evalle is forced to embrace her destiny…but at what cost?

As an Alterant who fights everything from trolls to demons, Evalle has lived as an outcast among the Beladors, but can now change all that…and find answers to her origins as well. Those answers and a traitor hide within the Medb coven, an enemy poised to destroy the mortal world and all that Evalle holds dear. While her best friends Tzader and Quinn want to help, they have their own conflicts and face unthinkable choices as relationships with the women they love twist in unexpected directions. With time ticking down on a decision that will compel allies to become deadly enemies, Evalle turns to Storm and takes a major step that only complicates matters more when the witchdoctor he’s been hunting now stalks Evalle.

 Evalle is running out of time to find five Alterants to swear loyalty to Macha, and to find Tristian to find out their true origins. But first they must find a way into an illegal beast fight club, one that if she gets caught nobody will able to save her. Not to mention succeeding means going with the Medb, where she might not have a way out of their plans for her.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others. Don't get me wrong I still loved the book, but it felt like something was lacking. Maybe barely any scenes with Evalle, Quinn, and Tzader. Also we only got one scene with Isak. But on the plus side this book is filled with Storm and Evalle moments. I felt like some scenes were a little too cheesy, but I've been waiting since book one for these two to get with the program.

A little change from previous books, this one focus a lot less on the other characters and subplots, and focus mainly on Evalle. We do get a few answers in this book. We find out about Evalle's past, which I'm sure most of us had already figured out what had happened. Also we FINALLY get to know the other half of Alterants origins. And I was shocked. Thinking back, it kind of made sense. But still.

There's a significant death, that was both shocking and unexpected. I wanted this character gone from the beginning, but when it came down to it, well I realized I came to kind of like this person. Plus along with the death came a shocking revelation. The ending came with a few other surprises. Without giving anything away, Evalle stands up to Macha and basically tells her they will doing things her way from now on.

Giving how everything is coming together, I'm sure the next book will be the last. I can't wait to see how everything is wrapped up.

Rating: 4/5

 

Review: Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication Date: April 4, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Number of Pages: 343
Format: Paperback
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Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

 From the last book I pretty much stopped shipping Alex and Seth. I recognized that her heart will always belong to Aiden, BUT I just can't like him. Even so I had high hopes for this book. But if left me feeling disappointed. It took me almost a week to read this book. I just couldn't get into it, and I would go days without even reading or even remember I was reading it. Even though I'm Team Seth, while Alex was under the influence of the bond, I hated how she referred to him as "my Seth". It made it sound like he owned her. Which that is another thing that bugged me, the bond. Earlier books made it seem like the bond was this powerful thing and almost impossible to break. But Alex remembering her love for Aiden broke it no problem. I guess the message was that their love is more powerful than the bond? I was hoping we would get to see Alex and Seth together before she broke the bond.

Speaking of Seth, we barely saw him in the book. We saw conversations between him and Alex through their connection, and there was a scene where he was able to pull her into his subconscious. I'm still holding on to some hope that he can be redeemed. Like Alex has realized he just wants to be accepted and loved and he's drunk on power. Another question arosed in this book about Seth. Alex and every other Apollyon eye's turned amber once they awakened, but Seth was born with amber eyes, the eyes of the Apollyon. Why?

The first half of the book was very slow, but if you love Aiden/Alex then you will probably love it. It was too much for me. I guess not enough action. I ended up skimming through a lot of it. I was ready to give up on the book, but the second half really picked up the pace and had me interested again. Alex travels back to the Underworld to seek out Solaris. There she finds out the secret to stopping Seth. But if seems impossible, she must transfer his power to herself and become the God Killer instead of Seth.

 We finally find out what god is responsible for Seth and behind the destruction. Honestly I wanted to slap Alex for not realizing it sooner.  I swear these books needs to have more of the gods in them, especially Apollo. I loved at the end when Apollo tells Alex a story behind one of his sons and tell hers the moral of the story is he always finds a way to take care of his own. I swear if Alex wasn't a descendant from him I would so ship Alex and Apollo.

Overall this book was blah to me. Not sure why I didn't noticed it till now but there are tons and tons of pop culture references in this series. Which I do find neat and usually enjoy. But what about ten years down the road? It's not going to appeal to those who pick the book up then. I did enjoy one that I'm pretty sure is a reference to the author's LUX series (which is on my tbr list and dying to start). I'm glad there's only one more book in the series. With how this book turned out, I'm not sure I could take much more. I'm curious how things will be wrapped up.

Rating: 2.5/5

 

Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels World #1/Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Number of Pages: 326
Format: Paperback
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The New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels novels have been hailed as “top-notch urban fantasy” (Monsters and Critics). Now, Ilona Andrews delves deeper into Kate’s world, and reveals its untold stories…
After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea’s whole existence is in shambles. She tries to put herself back together by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend. When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano—the male alpha of the Clan Bouda, and Andrea’s former lover—die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate. Now she must work with Raphael as her search for the killer leads into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta. And dealing with her feelings for him might have to take a back seat to saving the world…

AMAZING! I can't believe I've put this book off for so long. I almost love it more than Kate Daniels books. Seeing as it's set in the same world with pretty much the same characters, there is nothing wrong with this book. If you haven't read Magic Gifts and were planning on it, you should read it first. Especially since it's a special feature in the book. And that the short story and this story takes place about the same time.

Andrea has had a tough life. Trying to keep the fact that she's a shiftshapers is hard work. But after the Order found out they kicked her out.  Not to mention the breakup with Raphael. But when she gets assigned a case where she will be working close with Raphael, she may just have to face her feelings sooner than she thought.

I know that everyone was sold on an Andrea series, but I found her to be amazing. And love seeing more of some of the characters that we haven't before. I've fallen completely in love with Roman and I adore Ascanio. I'm hoping we will see more of them two in the future.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Did those nice church ladies come by again?"
He nodded. "I asked them if a man died and then the woman remarried, and then the three of them met in heaven, would it be a sin for them to have a threesome, since they were all married in God's eye. And they decided they were late to be somewhere else.”

 “You will not pass!” Roman thundered.
Great. Now he had decided he was Gandalf.”

 “You’re the most experienced investigator I’ve got who’s not tied up in something, and I can’t ask the Consort to look look into it, because A) she and Curran are working on something else and B) when the Consort gets involved, half of the world blows up.”

"I can shoot you right here, on this road, and nobody will ever find your body.” “It’s never a good thing when the black volhv says “Uh-oh” and then runs for his life.”

 “I was so happy to be out of there. “Barabas, if you weren’t batting
for the other team, I’d marry you.”
He grinned. “If I weren’t batting for the other team, I would accept your
proposal. You had me at ‘No comment.’ If all my clients were this smart, my
life would be much easier. Much, much easier.” 

Overall I fell in love with this book. And I'm glad to see Andrea finally joining a pack and hopefully overcoming some of her childhood traumas. And that she and Raphael got back together. I'm hoping they won't become mushy and boring. If you love Kate Daniels but haven't decided about this series, read it. Trust me, you'll love it.

Rating: 5/5

 

Review: The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love

The Curse (Belador #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Books
Number of Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
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Description: Evalle Kincaid will fight to the death for her supernatural friends. But when Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love’s tough-as-nails heroine reveals her darkest secret, who among those she had trusted will be left standing?

With the freedom of an entire race hanging in the balance, Evalle has two days to make good on a promise that she suddenly has no hope of fulfilling when demonic Svart Trolls invade Atlanta. She takes a leap of faith, seeking help from the one man who recently put Evalle in his crosshairs—Black Ops specialist Isak Nyght. While trying to stop the bloody troll-led gang wars, Evalle unwittingly exposes a secret that endangers all she holds dear and complicates her already tumultuous love life with the mysterious Skinwalker, Storm. But when Evalle discovers she’s the number one target in the Medb coven’s ruthless plan to destroy all Beladors, the deadly Alterant is forced to make a game-changing decision with no time left on the clock.

Evalle Kincaid is one badass woman, and also a Belador warrior. The Beladors are a line of warriors of Celtic descent who answer to the goddess Macha. But things aren't easy for Evalle, who isn't full blood Belador; she's an Alterant, half blood Belador mixed with an unknown species. The result is glowing green eyes and the ability to shift into a monster. Evalle is the only free Alterant and is working for VIPER.

The third installment in the series picks up about three weeks after the second book left off. Evalle had failed in bringing in the escape Alterants and was placed in the Tribunal prison, only being freed by making a deal with Macha. Macha is filling to stand behind a petition to make the Alterants a recognized race. But Evalle first has to bring forth other Alternants to pledge their loyality to Macha and discover the origins of their species. Tristan knows the origin, but Evalle hasn't been able to find him and his sister and her time is quickly running out. And of course Evalle has her VIPER duties to attend to. Their has been a lot of troll activity in gang wars outbreaking all over town. Not to mention she hasn't heard from Storm in three weeks and not even sure if he is still alive. Not to mention the seed of doubt that Kizira had planted in her mind about one of her best friends, Quinn.

I had forgotten how much I love this series. The book was very action pact. I just simply couldn't put the book down. I absolutely love Evalle and Storm. And add Isak into the mix, I couldn't help but laugh through the scenes. I just wish we would of gotten more of Evalle, Quinn, and Tzader scenes. I love how the men see her as a little sister. Their friendship is one of the many reasons why I love this series so much. I just wish Quinn would confess to Evalle. Speaking of Quinn, I'm torn between how I feel about him and Kizira. Some points I just wish they could be together. But they are at opposite ends of a war. Most of the time I just wish Quinn could move on from her. And then we have Tzader who is in love with their warrior queen, Brina. A last wish before Tzader's father's death made him immortal preventing him from entering the castle where Brina resides. And Brina being the last in the bloodline cannot leave the castle. From her deal with Macha she must make Tzader think she's moved on but still want her. She begins her plan in the book. I really hope her plan doesn't backfire on her.

With one word this book was amazing! This series is one of my favorites. And it makes me sad that it seems like the series isn't as well known. I encourage everyone to read this.

Rating:5/5