Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

 Book description

“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.”

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.
 

  Review

Karen Marie Moning is a master of Urban Fantasy. When I started Shadowfever, within four pages I could tell that the book was going to be something great. This is one series I recommend to everyone. A series that I suggest to people I want to get addicted to the genre like I am. Even though I'm sure it's possible, I can't conceptualize someone who likes the genre, not liking this series. For me this is a series where I want every book in hardcover. I want the books to last a long time. 

I had the book ready to read for over a week before I actually read it. I was super excited but I couldn't bring myself to read it because I knew that as soon as I did, I would no longer have it to look forward to and that first time read experience would be over. Eventually though, my anticipation couldn’t wait any longer and I devoured it in one day and one sleepless night.  I then proceeded to wish I hadn’t read it so quickly and savored it instead. After I finished it, I also didn’t want to read anything for the next few days day because I didn’t want whatever I read to pale in comparison. Of course, this all shows, how tragically emotionally involved I get when I find a series I love. 

So, do I think there is anything that could have been improved….um no. No way. Not in any of the books.  It was awesome. Change one thing and the whole feel of the book or series could come crashing down like a house of cards. Sometimes bits you may not like have to be there. I think Shadowfever is one of the most satisfying endings to a series I ever read. It was complex, engaging and emotional. It wasn’t rushed, it tied into the previous books, it explained all the loose ends, it didn’t end abruptly and by the end I was smiling like an idiot. 

How did this book in particular stand up to others in the series? Fantastically. The book is dramatically written, with inspired statements about life, love and pain. It uses heaps of descriptors in an effort to convey the feelings and experiences of Mac’s journey. 

Sometimes things that are said within the book are confusing, but that’s part of the charm. It leaves you wanting to know what was meant, to know all the secrets and find the hidden meanings. It gives you hints of information that you can use to formulate your own ideas. Ideas I’m never sure about because the books are in no way predictable. This book brings up a new question, what is Mac?

  

I hope I successfully conveyed how awesome I thought this book and this series was. Now the question is: how long should I wait until I read the series all over again?

5/5+

Awaken by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast, book 8

Book Description

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

Summary

The book starts of where it ended in the last book with Stark and Zoey on the Isle of Skye and the return of Kalona to Neferet. Zoey and Skye use their time on the Isle to recover from the Otherworld and explore their relationship but are soon called back to Tulsa after a tragedy.

Review

What can I say except I think this series is brilliant. Every book has new developments that are heart rendering and perfectly integrated so that I’m never disappointed in the way the story moves. All the characters engage my interest with character development and engaging personalities. The plot-lines are complex and multi-layered with seamless connections between books and complications, in one single long running story. The ability of P.C. and Kristin Cast to be able to do this for such a long running series shows, what I believe to be, an impressive display of writing skill. It’s hard to keep every reader satisfied, especially with longer running series, since people expect and enjoy different things from the books they read. They also become more invested in the storyline. However, I was surprised at the amount of lower rated reviews when I looked to see what the general reaction to the book was but I guess this had something to do with it. 

Awaken had a lot of new turning points in the storyline. Some were expected but well executed and others were a complete surprise to me (in particular the ending). I don’t think this book was as good as the last few and considering how emotional Burned was, I’m not surprised. I think almost anything would be diminished in comparison to the emotion stirred in the last one (if I remember correctly, I had the tissue box close by). However, Awaken showed that this series won’t slow down any time soon.

Stevie Rae had some major developments and I’m a lot less worried about her character now. The tempo of the book was a bit different from previous books. For example, there was less group co-operation between Zoey and her friends but it makes sense with the storyline progression. There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the book, except it seemed a little slower than previous books. I think this had something to do with the lack of action in this book. However, I definitely wouldn’t call the book ‘slow’. I loved seeing the new relationship developments after the ending of Burned for Zoey and Stark and I loved the developments with Stevie Rae. There were instances where the developments were not happy but I love how P.C. and Kirstin Cast are willing to have sadder endings for the characters. Her books show that life is not always completely happy but when one door closes another opens. It also shows that when certain things happen it doesn’t mean the end of all happiness. In general, I think the life lessons used in the books are really appropriate for teenagers.

For parents: There are a few references to sex and making love in this book but no graphic descriptions.

My rating out of 5:

4/5

Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover - The Black Sun's Daughter book 3

Book description

When you’re staring evil in the eye, don’t forget to watch your back . . .

For the first time in forever, Jayné Heller’s life is making sense. Even if she routinely risks her life to destroy demonic parasites that prey on mortals, she now has friends, colleagues, a trusted lover, and newfound confidence in the mission she inherited from her wealthy, mysterious uncle. Her next job might just rob her of all of them. At Grace Memorial Hospital in Chicago, something is stirring. Patients are going AWOL and research subjects share the same sinister dreams. Half a century ago, something was buried under Grace in a terrible ritual, and it’s straining to be free. Jayné is primed to take on whatever’s about to be let loose. Yet the greatest danger now may not be the huge, unseen force lurking below, but the evil that has been hiding in plain sight all along—taking her ever closer to losing her body, her mind, and her soul. . . .

Summary

After the unexpected death of her Uncle Eric, Jayne Heller found out she had inherited all of his vast estate and all of his paranormal legacy. This legacy included his work helping people affected by 'Riders'. Riders is the generic term for things that possess people, some examples are vampires, lycans, spirits, voodoo gods, and types of demons.

Jayne gathered a group of men that worked with her uncle Eric and hired them to be part of her circle, so they could guide her in how to deal with the Riders. In this latest installment, Vicious Grace, they've been summoned to Chicago, to a hospital that is experiencing some very disturbing problems. The person that called them to the hospital is Jayne's lover Aubrey's ex wife, Kim.When helping to rid the hospital of a rider and in the process save the world, Jayne and her compainions find out startling revelations about Eric.

Review

This is one of those series where you forget how good it is until you read the next book. Then, when you’re reading it, you are like ‘I LOVE this series’. I lost a lot of sleep because of this book. I could not put it down. It just got better and better and when I got to the end, I pondered what could be coming in the next book for awhile.

There are so many great things about this book and when combined they create an edge of your seat experience that is thrilling. Some of the things that helped to create the amazing read include:  Jayne’s jealously of Aubrey’s wife and in opposition to this the respect for her that she has and the friendship she has found with her, the tension between Aubrey and Ex, the mystery that links back and forward through the books, Jayne’s character development and her stagnation, the fascinating detailed world of riders and magic, the mystery of her uncle Eric and the secrets the characters are keeping, Chogyi Jake’s wisdom and Jayne’s determination to follow the legacy of her Uncle to the possible loss of her life even though she is out of her depth, and finally the revelations, their impacts…..and then the pain, the guilt and the realisations.

It was a seemingly, well researched book, with the description of hospital functions being accurate and well integrated, real history components used for explanations about the Riders.

I think this is the best book in the series so far. So if you have already read and liked the first two books, I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you are a first time reader I would recommend going back and reading the first two before you read this one as the content of other books will help you appreciate this book more. Despite the recap at the beginning, I wouldn’t suggest you read this as a stand-alone book. 

 My Rating out of 5:

5/5

Richelle Mead - Last Sacrifice - Vampire Academy Book 6

 

Book Description

Rose is on trial for high treason and the death of Queen Tatiana. Someone is trying to frame her and it looks like even Dimitri might not be able to save her now.

Review

*May contain spoilers*

Out of the whole series I think this book was the one I least enjoyed. That being said it was still fabulous. Richelle Mead is one of my absolute favorite authors. I've never read a book of hers that I haven't really enjoyed and most likely gushed over. So when I say I think this book could have been better it is based on really high standards. 

First for a last book there were quite a few loose ends. Richelle has mentioned there will be a spin off series so I’m assuming these issues will be resolved in those books, since they don't directly relate to Rose. There were lots of little things but one issue that was not completely concluded was the servitude of the Dhampirs to the Moroi. I was really hoping there would be some change here. There was some indication by Lissa that there would be change concerning it in the future, but that was it. The same thing can be said for the Moroi fighting.

Second it felt a bit rushed in some aspects and drawn out in others. The romance between Rose and Dimitri had a sudden turn-around from Dimitri saying he couldn’t love anyone anymore, too I love you, and I want to be with you. In contrast the search for Lissa’s sister was longer than I thought it needed to be. I thought this could have been completed quicker and enabled Rose to return to court to flesh out the situation between Rose, Adrian and Dimitri and embellish on the conclusion and some of the loose ends. I think this would have been a better solution than cheating on Adrian. By the end of the book I felt really bad for Adrian.

A lot of time in the book was spent in Lissa’s perspective at court. I found a lot of this pointless. Usually I enjoy reading the bits where this happens but there was too much of it in this book. I would estimate 50% with Rose and 50% with Lissa. Most of this time with Lissa was searching for the queen’s killer and court duties which could be a bit boring at times. Other things that got concluded too quickly was the insanity Rose was gaining from Lissa, her relationship with her parents and her response to how she caused potential problems for other characters that helped her such as Jill.

My rating out of 5

4/5

Review: Shannon Delany - 13 to life - book 1

Shannon Delany - 13 to life - book 1

Book Description

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

Summary

When a new student comes to Junction High, the mysterious Russian-American turns Jessica's world completely around. At first Jessica can’t stand Pietr, but as she gets to know him she can’t deny the attraction between them. Soon she is drawn into his world and her belief that she has been through the worst she could imagine, when her mother died is tested.

Review

Jessica Gillmansen is now one of my favourite protagonists. She is fun loving, caring, funny, altruistic, brave, hardworking and smart. Her only downfall from being a great role model is her propensity to lie a lot, even though she usually means well. I also loved how Jessica didn't instantly fall for the love interest Pietr. She only started to when she found out more about him. This was a refreshing change from some of the books I've been reading lately. 

The story was fascinating. The twists and turns were making me dizzy but it was so interesting I couldn’t stop for a rest. As we progress through we find out more and more about the characters as they reveal their secrets and history. Some revelations are easy to anticipate while others left me gob smacked. The only negative aspect I can comment on is the relatively slow way the plot progresses.

One other aspect I didn’t particularly like was the two guys (Derek and Pietr) that Jess liked. Both had (in my opinion) annoying traits that stopped me from getting attached to them. Derek was a classic ‘jock’ character who, after saying he liked Jess, quickly moved onto kissing and dating another girl (for Jessica's sake, of course). Pietr was not as bad but he was very self pitying and after being (fairly easily) pushed into a relationship with Jess’s best friend (by Jess...long story), he later seemed to be quite happy to keep dating her (and later kissing her), while maintaining that Jess was the one he wanted. 

There were quite a few questions that were left unanswered at the end of the book but there was no real cliff-hanger instead it just ended quite suddenly. However, once I reached the ending I didn’t feel really anxious to read the next book as I suspected I would be. I will be reading it when it comes out though.

My rating out of 5

4/5

Review: Cassandra Clare- City of Bones

 Cassandra Clare- City of Bones - book 1

Book Description 

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review

This was a book that I’d heard about for a while but had never gotten around to reading. What finally got me to read City of Bones was all the hype around Cassandra Clare’s latest book Clockwork Angel. Now I can say that it was good and I understand why I’d heard so many great things.

The characters in the book had strong personalities that were engaging. My favorite character was Simon. His strong loyalty to Clary was really sweet and his bravery when dealing in a world where he was significantly out matched (since he was just a human) was admirable. There were also some really great characters set as villains. They were horrible but it was possible to relate to them and understand how they got that way. This made the story believable and layered and I loved that.

 The world building was engaging with good details that were nicely spaced and the story was action packed and I never got bored. For example, Cassandra channeled some of the creative genius of J.K.Rowling and introduced the concept of a flying vampire motorcycle. Since the book was YA, I also loved how the author inter-weaved a negative slant on discrimination into the story.

The book was written using 3^rd person. Those who have read my other reviews will probably remember that I don’t enjoy 3^rd person narrative styles as much as 1^st. Well for this book it didn’t bother me. The main reason I don’t like this type of narrative style as much is because I find it harder to connect with the book. In this case the characters were so engaging and well developed that I had no trouble connecting to them and in particular the protagonist, which can be an area were 3^rd person struggles.

There were a few aspects of the book I didn’t like. The biggest was the ending. Now obviously I can’t explain this in much detail without giving away major spoilers but what I can say is that it made me uncomfortable. I have great confidence that Cassandra will fix what made me uncomfortable in the next two books, but I still wish she hadn’t done that particular plot twist at all. Frankly, it put me off the next book because I don’t want to wade through where she goes from there to get to the resolution.

The next thing I didn’t like was Jace and Clary’s ability to annoy me. I’m sorry to all the fans that really like these characters but I don’t really get the appeal. Jace was portrayed as strong and brave but to me he seemed reckless, inconsiderate and self-absorbed. I found Clary annoying for similar reasons. For example, I found Clary’s friendly neglect of Simon baffling. I felt that she should have been more protective of him since he was human and I didn’t understand how she could go long periods without thinking about him, and then feel annoyed when he was with Isabelle. I also didn’t like her handling of Alec and his crush on Jace. The last and final clincher in my feelings towards these characters was their romance. I didn’t really feel it, even though it seemed like Clary will end up with Jace. I’m thinking Cassandra was going with subtlety (which I normally love) but missed the mark.

I think this book could have been so much better with only a few differences, which is disappointing. It was Cassandra’s debut so maybe that has something to do with it.   

My rating out of 5

3/5

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Jennifer Rardin - Bitten in Two - Jaz Parks book 7

*Jennifer Rardin R.I.P*

Book Description

Jaz Parks here. I. Am. Pissed. Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman's name. And it's not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I'm forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.

So it's time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack. What follows is a hair-raising, breath-taking bullet train ride to the finish as the crew battles on multiple fronts. I now know what I have to do - I must return to hell one last time.


Review

This book left me feeling conflicted with a love-hate relationship towards it. I liked it. In some cases I really liked it but in others I found it hard to read and it left me wanting to put it down. The first part of the story was intriguing with Vayl thinking he was living in the past but it was not well introduced into the story. The reader joined the plot-line after it had already been happening for three days. This felt like I was missing something and I had to catch up. It also felt like a pointless distraction from the main plot-line (which was searching for the Rocenz). I would have enjoyed it more if the two story lines had crossed over to a larger extent.

The story had memorable moments between Vayl and Jazz, edge of your seat tension and funny interludes. What I found difficult to stomach was the relationship between Cole and Kyphas, the demon. Cole has always been a favorite of mine and every time there was a scene where it seemed like he could really care for her made me cringe. In addition, the hints placed in the storyline suggesting that someone will come along for Cole romantically in the future, combined with the ending, made the next book a little predictable for my liking.

All in all, I think I can safely say that many fans of the Jaz Parks series will not be disappointed in this recent addition. The story was well written and designed to captivate many a reader. A lot of my dislike towards the book was unfairly based around my personal soft spot for Cole and my disappointment in his attraction to Kyphas. The concept that there was something good in her was a little weak; as if that should be enough to allow for a connection with a demon that had tried to kill a friend.

My rating out of 5
 
3/5

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Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Book Description

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Review

I loved this book! I finished Nightshade in a single sitting despite the large 528 pages. Once you read the first chapter you will be hooked.

Young Adult books in this genre are becoming increasingly common but this is a truly standout addition. The NIGHTSHADE world is unique and detailed, with a cast of characters that bounce off the page. I'm a big fan of love triangles and the love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren is brilliantly done with the author giving us different things to love about both Shay and Ren. I had a hard time choosing which character I want Calla to end up with and this made the story that much more engrossing. NIGHTSHADE has more sexually detailed themes than most young adult series but it's interwoven into the storyline so that it makes sense. In saying this, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 16 years old.

Andrea Cremer has excelled at writing a detailed history of the NIGHTSHADE world without giving it to the reader in large doses. The progressively given information is used to support the mysterious storyline as well as explaining aspects of Calla's connections to the other characters.

The story itself will have you guessing right up to the last page and desperately waiting for the next installment after reading the cliffhanger ending. You can't tell that this is Cremer's debut. It's better written than many successful authors. I can't recommend this book enough.

My rating out or 5

5/5

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