April's review of 'Halfway to the Grave' by Jeaniene Frost

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost
Publication Date: September 1, 2007
Publisher: Avon
Number of Pages: 358
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Nobles
Description:  Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side... and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

 Cat always knew she was different from the other kids, but her mother would never talk about it. When she turned 16 her mother finally told her the truth, she was raped by a vampire and Cat is actually half vampire half human. Since then she has been going out to night clubs and killing every vampire she comes across, hoping one day she'll find her dad and get justice for her mom. Things work out great until she meets Bones, a vampire master who just happens to be a vampire bounty hunter and kills vampires also. 


In exchange for her life, Cat agrees to work with him, but first but train his way. She hates every moment of it initially, but she eventually see that being a vampire, or in her case half vampire isn't that bad. Especially since all her life she's felt ashamed of what she is because of her mother's hatred. And somewhere along the way Bones and Cat falls in love. Which for me, I'm not sure if I'm just used to a few books in series like these before the couple are together, but I felt like it was a little too soon. But I still love them to death. It's not long until they go after the ring leader of a dangerous group of vampires. Cat soon realizes that they might not walk away from this mission alive. Which of course we all know both of them will. But Cat just may have to make a decision to leave Bones forever to save his life. 


Kick ass heorine. Sex. Humor. Action. This book has it all. If you haven't started this series then do is ASAP. 

Rating: 5/5

 

More Cover Reveals [Destroy Me, Unravel Me, Boundless]

It seems like its cover reveal week, and while I did post some... a few more have come out of the work.

Do NOT have this series to turn into a love triangle between Adam/Juliette/Warner.  Adam and Juliette are made for one another.
End of story. 
But I am looking forward to his story.

My only complaint. The change in style. Does not match my Shatter Me paperback. Which means one thing: I need to give my copy to April and I shall re-buy it in this new style when it comes out.

I do not do well with change.

PRETTY. I am more so looking forward to the Australian cover, as those are my favourite (plus with me being aussie), but this is great!

Cover Reveal: Echo by Alyson Noel

I am halfway through FATED, and here comes the cover for the 2nd book. Good timing, I think! This is gorgeous..although I wonder what the UK/Aus cover will look like, as that's the one I would be buying when it's out here.
But nonetheless, this is beautiful!

Cover Reveal:: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

*thud*

Isn't it gorgeous? I like the contrast how book 1 she was wear red, and now.. to make it a darker theme, she is wearing black.

Thoughts?

In My Mailbox #6

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


These books I bought over the last week. 

Rapture (Fallen #4) by Lauren Kate
The Divide (The Secret Circle #4) by Aubrey Clark
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
The Glimpse by Claire Merle

(and not featured) The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Click on the title to be taken to the Goodreads page for each book.

Jen's review of "The Golden Lily" by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Publication date: June 12th, 2012

Publisher: Razor Bill / Penguin

Number of pages: 418

Format: Paperback

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

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

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

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

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

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

My review: This book has been on my anticipated books of 2012, and boy did it live up to expectations.

Even though not much time has passed between Bloodlines and The Golden Lily, the view Sydney has on the world she thought she knew has started to change rapidly.
She is just as stubborn as ever, but slowly but surely she is starting to see that not everything is as it appears, and what she thought it was.
The relationships she has with her friends also change and they become something like a family. She knows this is not what is meant to happen. All she should be doing is protecting Jill, but by spending time with her and with the others, her feelings start to get personal. Although, that is something she refuses to think about deeply, because if she does, she'll know that she could be in a lot of trouble.

Sydney is still trying to adjust to this kind of life. A life where not everything is black and white. Everything she knows is through facts and what she has grown up to believe, so when things start to challenge those facts, she just doesn't know what to do with that kind of information.

Adrian, oh, Adrian. What can I say? There was so much progression between him and Sydney, even to a point where you just want to lock them in a room together until they can kiss and live happily ever after. I know that's not possible though. Especially not in book 2, and if I know Richelle and the way she does her books... this is only the beginning of the heartbreak for these two. It's gonna be a long journey to get to a point where they are both ready for what is lurking between them.

He also had other things to deal with in this book. First there was Dimitri, which was a constant reminder that Rose choose Dimitri and not him, which I think is still hurting a little bit.. but not as much as it used to.
Then, there is his issues with his dad, which come into play and you see just how much Adrian has to deal with when it comes to his family.
All you want to do is hug him forever for everything he has been through and want to protect him from anything that hurts him. But hurt is part of life... it's how you get through it that matters the most.

Next we have Jill, Eddie, Micah and Angeline, which becomes some sort of love... square, LOL So much goes on between the four of them. Poor Jill, for someone so young she has been through hell and back in a short amount of time. It's obvious the way Eddie feels about her, and he reminds me of Dimitri in the early days of VA when it came to Rose.

The plot of the book I really enjoyed. It was something that hit close to home to Sydney especially. She is human and being told that she has magic isn't something she can accept. It's like out of her little box she has created for what is realistic and what isn't.
But I think she will slowly adjust to the truth. It won't be easy, but I think it's a matter of time before she understands just how special she really is.

There was also a few surprises and shocks I didn't see coming. Some people did, but I sometimes don't think about certain things before they happen.

I did feel there was some foreshadowing in this book that might happen in book 3.. and it might have something to do with this quote..

"If the woman i loved was locked away, i’d be doing everything in my power to reach her”
Some of my other favourite quotes are..

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth."

“What are you wearing?” I sighed and stared down at the dress. “I know. It’s red.
Don’t start. I’m tired of hearing about it.”
“Funny,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at it.”

But perhaps the best part of al was that I, Sydney Katherine Sage, guilty of constantly analyzing the world around me, wel, I stopped thinking.

And it was glorious.

"When I’m around you, I want to be better because … wel, because it feels right. Because I want to. You make me want to become something greater than myself. I want to excel. You inspire me in every act, every word, every glance. I look at you, and you’re like … like light made into flesh."

Seriously. This book was better than I could have imagined. And of course, a cliffhanger to boot.. that brings your heart to the floor.

Oh man. The wait until the next book will be torchure.

I think... I just might love Adrian and Sydney as much as I loved Rose and Dimitri, and that is saying something.

                                      Rating: 5/5

April's review of 'Full Moon Rising' by Keri Arthur

Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen Guardian #1) by Keri Arthur
Publication Date: December 26, 2006
Publisher: Dell
Number of Pages: 372
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  In this exciting debut, author Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.…

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her.

 I had a hard time deciding if I really liked the book or not. I immediately loved Riley. A heroine who wears 8 inch heels and kickass? Absolutely love it. I loved the plot, and the close relationship Riley and her twin, Rhoan have. Before I get into what I didn't like about the book, I have to say I love smut. I live for smut. But I feel like this book was just a little too much. At times I felt like I was reading a really bad porn. Like I just mention I loved the close relationship between the twins, but them talking about their sex lives like they do...a little too creepy for me. I couldn't imagine having conversations like that with my brother. 


We can't have a story without a sexy love interest now can we? Enter Quinn. When we first meet him, he's sitting at Riley's front door waiting for Rhoan, NAKED. I'm surprised that Riley had the strength not to pounce on him then. Not to mention Riley have two constant partners already, Talon and Misha whom are completely opposites of each other. From the moment I met Talon I knew he was a douche. And I was right. Something always seemed off about him. Misha on the other hand, I really liked him at first. But as time went on I started to get suspicious of him. He proved the suspicions right, but not necessary the bad guy here. 


Even though the book was a little too sex crazed for me (which is saying alot), I will read at least the next book. I haven't completely ruled this series out yet. 

Rating: 3/5

 

April's review of 'City of Lost Souls' by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: May 8th, 2012
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry
Number of Pages: 534
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Since I read this book about a month ago, the book is a little fuzzy in my head. So this review will probably be a short one. 

CoLS picks up two weeks after CoFA left off. Sebastian has been raised from the dead, and Jace is missing. Search parties have been searching for him nonstop, only Clary isn't allowed to join them. Now that the secret that Clary had asked Raziel to bring Jace back to life, she is awaiting the Clave's decision if she had broken any laws and if punishment awaits her. Thankfully the Council had decided she was clear of any charges, but at the same time they decided that the search for Jace wasn't a priority anymore. Clary turns to the Seelie Queen for help, and in exchange the queen wanted her to steal something back from the Institute. During the act, Clary is stunned to see that Jace and Sebastian. Even more stunned to see that they were acting like the best of friends. After that it wasn't long for Jace to come back for Clary. And to get to the bottom of everything, Clary eventually goes with him. Leaving her friends to search for a weapon that would sever the tie between Jace and Sebastian. 

Even though I didn't think this book or even CoFA was up to par to the first three in the series, I still loved CoLS and thought it was a lot better than CoFA. Even though some parts really did bore me, especially the Jordon and Maia ones. I really have no interest in them at all. I've been back and forth with Simon and who I want to see him with. This book sealed it for Simon and Isabelle for me. Even though there were a lot of Jace and Clary scenes, I couldn't really enjoy them that much since it wasn't really Jace. Even though I love them, this book made me realize that my OTP of the series is Alec and Magnus. Magnus doesn't disappoint in this book. He has to be one of the greatest characters of all time. Even though Magnus does break my heart at the end. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. 

I've known all a long that Sebastian is just plain evil. But for a while I really hoped that some part of him had change and wanted to be a brother to Clary. I think it's I'm a big sucker for sibling relationships in books. I do love the items that show up from TID series. And I'm pretty sure I know who Brother Jeremiah is. 

Rating: 5/5

 

Jen's review of "Every Other Day" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication date: May 1st, 2012

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Number of pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Description: Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She's human.

And then every day in between... she's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive... and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Kali D'Angelo is human.... Well, every other day, that is. But, every other day (I know, confusing) she isn't. She is a hunter. Someone that has the scent and the ability to track demons and monsters. It's a hard life to keep up with, but she manages to do just fine. Just as long as she can time when that day ends, and the next one begins.

Kali is quite a strong sixteen-year-old, who probably has had more to adjust to then anyone else there is, but it's interesting that when she finds herself having to protect someone she wish she could just avoid --- well, that's when things get interesting.

I admit, this is the first book I have read by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It's not really on purpose. I have been meaning tor read her 'Raised by Wolves' series, but something always seems to get in the way, but I will definitely get around to them, because I did like her style of writing and would like to see what else she can create and come up with.

While this book, which feels like a stand alone - anyone, tell me differently if that's the case, was interesting. I found myself involved in Kali's world and life as she goes through some tough situations.
There is actually no real romance in the book, surprisingly. I kinda expected there would be, but it didn't take away from the story at all, if in fact, it only made the book even better.
There was alot happening, and I am not sure if it would even be possible to fit in any romance in the story.  It does involve action scenes, revelations and startling confessions. Kali discovering that she might not even know who and what she is, and of course friendships, even those unexpected turning up.

The blurb was the thing that interested me when I got this book. It definitely sounded like something I would enjoy, and I did.
If you are a fan of paranormal creatures and an interesting and compelling story, then I would reccommend this book to you. And of course, if you are a fan of her work before this, then I would say picking this up should be a given.

I would like to thank Pan Macmillan for letting me have this opportunity to review this title in exchange for an honest review.

                                                        Rating: 3/5

Cover Reveal: Entice by Jessica Shirvington

ARE YOU READY???

ARE YOU SURE? 

Well, okay.....

Isn't it gorgeous? Even though, since I am Aussie, I have read this book and anxiously awaiting book 4, but I can't help but squee on how I love this cover. It makes me want the US books as well. Hah.

Anyway. this is the blurb.

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

With a release date of Sept 4th, 2012 -- so set your calenders guys.