My...Historical Fiction after so long! Here it is Legacy by Cayla Kluver.
Here is the summary of the book:
I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp an...moreMy...Historical Fiction after so long! Here it is Legacy by Cayla Kluver.
Here is the summary of the book:
I noticed his eyes. They were blue, sharp and intense. Despite the youthful glows of his suntanned face, his eyes were cold and unfriendly, suggesting he had great experience in the world and was now expecting the worst. In her seventeenth year, Princess Alera of Hytanica faces one duty: to marry the man who will be king. But her father's choice of suitor fills her with despair. When the palace guard captures and intruder—a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy—Alera is alarmed…and intrigued. But she could not have guessed that their clandestine meetings would unveil the dark legacy shadowing both their lands. In this mystical world of court conspiracies and blood magic, loyalties will be tested. Courage won't be enough. And as the battle begins for everything Alera holds dear, love may be the downfall of a kingdom.
Historical Fiction may not necessarily be all things history but it is taking a small aspect of the past and developing your views based on the facts employed. Our main view point of the story is based in the land of Hytanica in the medieval era. A time of Kings and Queens, of Knights and of Earls and of all things circa 1700s and 1800s.
On one hand is the kingdom of Hytanica where women are submissive, it is the men who are the most important decision making powers and on the other hand it is the kingdom of Cokyri, where women hold the highest position in the social status. Both Hytanica and Cokyri are as different from one another as black is from white. From the comparison only it is easy enough to understand that Hytanica has a long and brutal past with the Kingdom of Cokyri, and while there was peace between the two lands for the past years 16 years, things are now starting to shake and storm cloud are looming the horizon again.
Legacy takes off with the oldest princess of Hytanica, Alera and her personal bodyguard, London (its a name not the actual place in U.K. mind you) as they go for her rendezvous with her suitor the Lord Steldor (son of the captain of the guard). Princess Alera is about to make the most important decision of her life, her 18th birthday is fast approaching and within this period she must choose a husband or the King, her father would have to for her. But she is in a fix while her only suitor may be well loved by both family and country alike but Alera doesn't think Steldor is the one for her.
Then, if luck would have it she meets the mysterious Narian, a boy her age with steel-blue eyes, hailing from her kingdom's greatest enemy. Alera finds herself strangely attracted to this mysterious stranger. This chance meeting with a complete stranger may have been the precursor of clandestiny of events leading to the unveiling of a dark Legacy surrounding both Hytanica and Cokyri. Courage may simply not be enough for loyalties matter above all else.
Legacy is Miss Kluver's debut novel and I have to say its good enough to be on my favourite list. And Oh My God! I simply love the cover....its Gorgeous. History by definition is well.....boring but thankfully that is not the case here. Miss Kluver should be applauded for not only Legacy being an easy read but it being also beautifully written. Every detail....every minutes facts exert to beauty the era; emotions and turn of events are as well clearly felt by us readers.
While I did not like how the ending turned out but Miss Kluver you are now on of my favourite authors and I am very much excited for the next installments, Allegiance and Sacrifice. (less)
You are looking to read a light paranormal psycho-thriller....read-on read-on.....and on that thought I present before you all my views of Unraveling...moreYou are looking to read a light paranormal psycho-thriller....read-on read-on.....and on that thought I present before you all my views of Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook.
Here is the summary of the book:
Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother. But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.
A great cover, a great and fitting synopsis that gripped me from the beginning, ghosts, haunted houses, peculiar murders and the best of all hunky step brother...ohhh tingling with excitement. The protagonist Isobel is like every other teenager today. She is also not without her problems, her dad has Schizophrenia, her mom married some guy she just met off the Internet, and she is forced to leave her only home and high school during her senior year. If you are thinking that is horrible...well rather on for what is worst. When she moves in with her step family (step-dad and that hunky step-brother) in a haunted house and starts seeing ghosts of a haunted looking girl she fears she has inherited Schizophrenia from her father. But what is worst.....she seems to have fallen for her hot and hunky step-brother Nathaniel aka Nate, who seems to want to do nothing about it at all. Can the situation get any worse?
All these ghostly sightings has Isobel thinking that there must be something wrong with her step-dad Richard (whom she calls Dick) Wickham's family or himself because well he is a creeper but also due to all the strange deaths that surround the family and that haunted house were they live. Isobel is determined to figure it all out, because she knows something is going on in this house. It doesn't all add up. Isobel's new step-dad is catching on and starts telling her and her mother that she needs help. So Isobel does all she can to solve this mystery as fast as she can before it is too late.
Aptly named 'Unraveling Isobel' - the book does that in a great way by peeling away layer over layer about her character at each step without it all being a hassle. Isobel is a typical teenager and like every other teenager she goes through a phase where she questions herself, typically when she starts seeing those ghosts and tries to deny but she knows in her subconscious mind that denying wont do any good and that those really are ghosts. She is an amazing artists, and she is a fighter.
Her mother on the other hand is an idiot. She goes off and marries a guy she met on the internet after only three months, she moves to some place she doesn't know when she perfectly knows that Isobel is absolutely not willing to move where she is from. There should be some compromise, and it should be something that should be discussed. Then she starts believing her new husband whom she only met three months before over her own daughter who she knows much better than that Dick. Such hypocrisy. Then comes that new husband....what to say about him - he is a Dick, and he is creeper. Also he seems like he can manipulate people to his will (Isobel's mom to be exact) and is a attention seeker. He doesn't care for any other human being but himself and this house (haunted house).
Last but not the least is that hot and hunky step-brother Nate. He is sweet, caring and the perfect boyfriend material. He seems to be the perfect fit for Isobel. Although at first it seems like he hates her and Isobel also tries to deny her feeling for him but gradually they open up to one another and things start to head up between them but they are not blood related so its good enough(conditions and situations apply). Nate is also a good listener and later becomes Isobel's only confident in that haunted house.
As far as the writing is considered - that is very well done, the plot literally flows through the pages and not a break in any of it all. It starts out slow and gradually gains momentum and will make you want to read through till the end in one go. There is humor, reality, paranormality, seriousness, a murder mystery that needs to be solved, a burgeoning romance and an every day teenage high school life expertly woven through these pages. I am so getting a copy of it when it releases in January next year.
"Thrilling, creepy, sexy and a light read that will make you want to finish it all in one sitting"
An innovative idea, a great story line and an amazing book cover. I present my views of The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison.
Here is the summary of th...moreAn innovative idea, a great story line and an amazing book cover. I present my views of The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison.
Here is the summary of the book:
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home. But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind. As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.
They don't make it like this anymore. The Butterfly Clues is not your average young adult contemporary story but its new, its fresh and its different. You don't get the perfect characters, somewhere something is flawed, in a major way. Which not only adds a many layers to the character but also brings it close to reality.
We have a solid plot, a not so perfect heroine and a pretty much convoluted murder mystery. The protagonist Penelope 'Lo' Marine is a unique character. Afflicted with OCD and other problems that hindered her personally somewhat, but really added to her layers threefold to her character. She had to perform rituals that are usual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, like having to say names threefold or tapping her feet in a numerical order or repeat things over and over. Most of all she is not a goody two shoes - she lies, she steals....a lot but most of all what she represents is a flawed and a troubled character, which makes reading about her pretty refreshing. But then she dresses as a stripper, to uncover the mystery behind her brother Oren and this girl Sapphire's mysterious deaths (because she wants to right some wrongs of her life)....this part of the story is pretty difficult to explain without you all reading it and I don't want to spoil it for you all.
Anyways Lo is a lonely character, she steals because they provide her with some emotional connection to all that she lacks. On top of it all she doesn't have a good home environment, her mother is always sick and her father is never home. So it is somewhat understandable that Lo always looks to explore new places and try and steer clear of the place that somewhat suffocates her.
Flynt on the other other hand was her opposite, a very laid back guy, who seems to be the epitome of maturity with only Lo. The pair were a great match because of their character and the chemistry and romance they shared. Also Ms. Ellison did not put in the overly dramatic angst but instead had a very nice and organic, yet still angst-y romance and not some tacky love story.
The story is pretty straight forward and paces very nicely. The writing is emotional and realistic and very strong and pretty serious. Ms. Ellison starts it all with an intriguing beginning, a powerful context and ends it pretty well with a satisfying conclusion which sneaks up over you and takes you in. While the context was pretty heavy, the book was an easy read and every other simple hints and clues that were rather very simple were incorporated and penned in such a way that they provided a level of mystery to the tale. Every page full of twists and turns, the author weaves a spellbinding tale of Penelope "Lo" Marin and the multiple mysteries surrounding her melancholy existence.
will add the review on the 27th....but let me tell u guys IT WAS MIND BLOWING
UPDATED ON 27th Jan, 2012 FULL REVIEW -
It is our choices that make us wh...morewill add the review on the 27th....but let me tell u guys IT WAS MIND BLOWING
UPDATED ON 27th Jan, 2012 FULL REVIEW -
It is our choices that make us what we are, whether made in a conscious or unconscious mind and likewise the consequences to be dealt with. So begins Everneath #1 Everneath by Brodi Ashton. That cover sure is amazing.
Here is the summary of the book:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...
Folklore and Mythology is one topic or subject that has too many opportunities that can be of use. Every civilization has its own treasures. Every folklore and every myths all round the world while they may just be stories, are based on some truths and this was how Everneath got its backdrop.
Nikki Beckett has forfeited her life. Too much pain and heartbreak makes a person want to take drastic measures to overcome this pain.....note I'm not talking from experience but I've heard from others. So Nikki has forfeited her life in exchange for forgetting that pain, a century has passed but that brown hair and the brown eyes and the way his eyes would captivate her and all of her problem would be gone....Nikki still can't forget this person, can't seem to forget her anchor to the surface world, can't forget Jack for that was his name.
Nikki returns home to the surface to say goodbye, a proper goodbye before the tunnels came for her. Getting accustomed to life again, school, family, friend and most importantly Jack. Nikki knows she has forfeited her life and chosen the easier way out but things never get easier the next time round. She gets attached again and doesn't want to say goodbye, not yet at least but can she and Jack do anything about it before Cole or even the tunnels come for her. Is there really a way out of it?
That's that and i'm not saying anything more about it at all, I've tried to keep it spoiler free and interesting for you guys to get the general summary of the story. Now its time to move to the technicalities of this book.
Nikki is a broken soul, there is not another word to describe her. Her home life isn't always good, she tries to go through school, well in the context of her returning to the surface rather painfully, trying to make amends, trying to find peace. But most of all she is human and not at all perfect. When in pain she chooses the human approach, the easy way out and in her case forfeiting her life. Jack Caputo is a jock, a typical high schooler but not just that, he also loves Nikki. Its not a phase for him it seems. He truly cares about Nikki and does all he can to keep her away from Cole and the tunnels. Such love is not always seen in reality but Nikki and Jack share such love. Every scene with them together was amazing, every feeling they share would leap up at you through the pages and make you feel the bitter-sweetness of it all. Cole is an everliving, he feeds on the emotions of the humans to sustain his life. But what is an everliving or for that matter the Everneath? Well myths and folk tales speak of Heaven and hell but Everneath is the in between, a place where those who have found the secret to immortality stay.
A promising start; strong characters as well as a strong, new and fresh story line and concept. Masterfully crafted situations enough to evoke strong waves of emotions inside of you. Nikki with her imperfections, Jack with his everlasting love for her and Cole for his incessant search for his Queen, this book is sure to surprise you in every way you can ever imagine. Kudos to the author for a great book effectively delivered upon its readers. So excited for the next book in the series and what its going to bring upon us.
"You can't always have what you want.....but can Nikki evade the tunnels, can she evade the debts but most of all can she spend the rest of her surface life reconnecting with Jack, when she knows that this won't last? - Find all these questions answered in the masterfully crafted Everneath by Brodi Ashton"
Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex - here
HAPPY RELEASE DAY.... A brilliant and creepy sequel and conclusion.... Presenting Masq...more
Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex - here
HAPPY RELEASE DAY.... A brilliant and creepy sequel and conclusion.... Presenting Masque of the Red Death #2 Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin.
Here is the summary of the book:
Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.
In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.
Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.
With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.
GOD let me just fawn over that perfect cover... Seriously it is SO GORGEOUS.... no seriously just look at the cover of the first book and now look at this.... These dreamtastic and gorgeous covers sure score pretty high on the eyes even before we begin to read it.... I'm still starry-eyed at these and the marvelous stories they give wings to.
Onto my thoughts about this book.... Well as to being a sequel it is brilliantly done. Red Death lay waste upon the land. Dead bodies pilling up and blocking the roads in a dreadful disarray. People falling to their death everywhere. The lucky ones, well with their own brand of lucky are running to Prospero's castle for protection. A refuge subjected to the whims of the sadistic Prince. Reverend Malcontent is another character who alongwith his minions seek to take over by means more vile than imaginable.
Araby, Elliot, Will and the crew had fled the city at the end of the first book, they are trying to gather as much force as they can and somehow find the cure. As we are all aware there is a bit of a triangle here. Araby, Elliot and Will...... me I'm Team Elliot and I definitely love them together even if there is no genuine love between them.... but the chemistry there is sure palpable. There is a sense of duty that bands them together and sue me but i like them with all that.
Araby as the protagonist has grown exponentially, while she struggles to choose between the two men in her life, there is one point she is certain about and that is save her friend April, who had been her support in her darkest days. The cure must be found and not just for April but for the world to be saved and men like Prospero and Malcontent to be kept at bay. Prospero definitely made for a great villain. Cruel, Malicious and a sadist with that little bit of psycho in there.
Griffin puts in some much appreciated creppyness to the mix. It is graphic enough to send shivers down my(and our) spine. This is an ending we have been waiting for and while I did not like a few things (not elaborating sorry since it will spoil it... nothing major though) but this is an end we were waiting for.
"Dance of the Red Death.... be enamored by the dark and gothic extravaganza"
Its new and old. Its exciting and its lovely......and its the promises of all the lovely things yet to come. Jordan Dane's Indigo Awakening, is a world in itself. And since this is my first Jordan Dane book......so i'd say this is truly amazing. Very much like X-men except Ms. Dane gives it a good fresh outlook and there you go a beauty comes out in the name of the hunted series.
Indigo Kids, that's what they are called. Advanced and improved DNA. Alongwith some cool powers and we have the lead character Lucas Darby, his sister Rayne Darby, Gabriel Stewart and the group leader to a bunch of Indigo children, Kendra Walker. They have been trying to evade the believers and maintain an identity for themselves, something they totally deserve.....evading eviction from the church and all those powerful people to just make room for themselves in the world food chart. And I bring word of power play....lots and lots of power plays and epic fight involving the kids abilities.
Now.....spoiler free review thats more like it. In this way you guys might (and should) and should read it to find out what's in store for you all. Dane's world is imaginative, new and in the color of Indigo. There is still love in the air, among opposites and between family but their is still fight for evolution to be sustained as well. This is a solid introduction to what is coming along in the series and has me very tingly over want for the next book.
"Its New, Its Exciting and Its Fresh and Indigo its a race to evolution...survival of the fittest........ exhilarating don't you think"
That cover is sure beautiful..gives a twilight-ish and paranormal-ish impression ...WAIT THATS WHERE YOU ARE WRONG .... came as a wonderful surprise a...moreThat cover is sure beautiful..gives a twilight-ish and paranormal-ish impression ...WAIT THATS WHERE YOU ARE WRONG .... came as a wonderful surprise and a marvelous read. I present before you all League of Strays by L.B. Schulman.
Here is the summary of the book:
This suspenseful debut follows a group of teenage misfits in their delicious quest for revenge on those who have wronged them at their high school. When a mysterious note appears in Charlotte’s mailbox inviting her to join the League of Strays, she’s hopeful it will lead to making friends. What she discovers is a motley crew of loners and an alluring, manipulative ringleader named Kade. Kade convinces the group that they need one another both for friendship and to get back at the classmates and teachers who have betrayed them. But Kade has a bigger agenda. In addition to vandalizing their school and causing fights between other students, Kade’s real intention is a dangerous plot that will threaten lives and force Charlotte to choose between her loyalty to the League and her own conscience.
Beautiful cover....gorgeous cover models. A very inviting cover this is too. This book is one of the cases where I look at the cover, be at awe at the excellence of it all and without finding out what the synopsis says get it....at the start have the feeling that I shouldn't have gotten but as soon as I go to the middle I become speechless at the sheer magnificence of the book. Oh! I so loves it.
This is one story a lot of us can relate to. We have all gone through that, the time of life where you just want to fit in somewhere. And there are some who gravitate towards dangerous things just to make a mark and fit in. This is the idea that bases the book. Taken in by the mysterious, charming and the gorgeous looks of one Kade Harlin, four innocent students, form the League of Strays. A group designed to look out for its own. A group that dances to the tune of Harlin. But commenceth the acts of revenge......it is upto the other inmates to learn to say 'NO'.
Kade, Charlotte, Richie, Zoe & Nora form the league of strays. While the five member team has some good scenes it is evident enough that Kade and Charlotte form the protagonist quota of the book. Kade Harlin, gorgeous, charming, mysterious, dangerous and manipulative.....oh there is so much more I want to name for him but it would give up the story. He is the leader...definitely a manipulative leader. He sure knows how to play up on the emotions of others, twist them to suit his own purpose. Do anything for his need for revenge. Then there is Charlotte, naive and rather too meek. I definitely hated her at first, because she was out to do everything Kade asked her to do, a girl with issues regarded mixing up with others, the perpetual wallflower. But as the story progresses she grows to be more confident and much more independent and I liked that.
Alongwith these two, the other three felt somewhat well rounded and very natural. Also a little slow at first, the book does pick up speed as it picks up speed and I very much liked that Schulman maintained the suspense tone till everything began to unravel. The book could have been a bit better but it was a very good read. Good work by the author L.B. Schulman. It was a sure thrilling ride.
"Dark, twisted, manipulative and suspenseful, Schulman's work takes us through the halls of high school to the hearts of those lonely and looking to do anything to change that"
An unhappy marriage and an impending doom, presenting the next book Legacy #2 Allegiance by Cayla Kluver. This book slightly changed my perspective a...moreAn unhappy marriage and an impending doom, presenting the next book Legacy #2 Allegiance by Cayla Kluver. This book slightly changed my perspective about a few characters.
Here is the summary of the book:
Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive. An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return... Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....
Historical romances always have a way of reminding us of times past, of the age of courting, of the age of gowns and corsets, of knights and the monarchy. It is this age where our story is set. Two warring factions, Hytanica and Cokyri. At war because of a stupid and vain mistake on the former's part.
Allegiance begins shortly after the first book Legacy ended. Alera is now in a marriage which she never desires with Steldor about to be crowned king and queen of Hytanica. For her heart is with Narian. In a land where men reign supreme, it is but expected to that Alera was not able to intervene or buy sometime to think things through. When your heart is with another it is impossible to stay in a marriage where there is no love.
Cokyri now has Narian and are pulling all the stops to take over Hytanica and avenge the decades old insult. In all this Alera still has eyes for only Narian(rather unfair to her husband) knows who he really is. Only she knows where his true loyalties lie but what will she do when she realizes that Narian is the enemy this time and her people must come first and not a love that was never meant to be.
Allegiance really turned the table on Steldor for me. Steldor in the first book appeared to be rude and disrespectful and rather snobbish but here we see him in an unhappy and a one sided marriage. By social hierarchy Steldor has the right to lord over his wife, would be rather petulant when his goals are not reached. While he may love her, Alera doesn't. A loosing battle in the end for the young king.
Alera for her part can't seem to connect to the idea of being the queen and having Steldor as a husband. The tension between them added flavor to the story. She clearly doesn't want Steldor but also can't seem to evade his charm...a rather very difficult situation. It can clearly be seen that Steldor was trying to be very patient with Alera and trying to wait for her to come around with her shunning him. But the one thing that felt irritating was that in dangerous situations (not going to name them as they will spoil the story) all Alera does is think if Narian loves her or not. Well why not, two hot guys want her - Steldor and Narian, it is within her right to be a little irritating. Narian on the other while not physically present all the time throughout the book has his presence felt.
On the whole plot and scenario are well written. The characters while a little confused are pretty strong and very much more linked with the plot points. A lot of questions that rose in the first book Legacy are also answered in this book. This book improved on the first one greatly. Allegiance had a fairly darker feel than the first book and with so much going on, the drama, politics, kingdom bench marking, violence and such you can definitely not evade the attraction towards this book but now that I have read this book I seriously want to read the next one in the trilogy "Sacrifice". I'll let you in on a secret there is also the prologue of the third book provided at the end of the book that definitely sets you up for what is to come.
"Dark and engrossing - Hytanica faces its ultimate enemy in battle head held high but can they survive!"
I'm such a sucker for a good mythology and this one definitely tips the balance. Meet my new book love Stracrossed #2 Dreamless by Josephine Angelini...moreI'm such a sucker for a good mythology and this one definitely tips the balance. Meet my new book love Stracrossed #2 Dreamless by Josephine Angelini.
Here is the summary of the book:
Can true love be forgotten? As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on. Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder. As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos. Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.
Still reeling from the awesome that Starcrossed, I eagerly skimmed through the next one, Dreamless...and have to say though Ms. Angelini doesn't disappoint. Dreamless is if i do say so myslef even better than Starcrossed. This is how this begins. So Helen and Lucas now know that they are family and they can't be together, an excruciatingly painful realization (please say it ain't so!) and Helen's mother Daphne suggests an impossible task upon Helen, she being the only scion who can descend into Hades at will. So it is now up to her to find a way to end this vicious circle of endless hate that had been the curse of all the family for eons. But there is a problem, due to the uncontrolled visits to the underworld when she goes off to sleep regularly, she is not able to overcome the fatigue that follows as she mind is not able to rest in this ordeal.
Lucas, the Delos family and her friends are at a loss of what to do and it is in these trying times that a light shows through the darkness...in the form of the funny and brave scion, Orion.This mysterious scion is the only thing that protects her in Hades but there is a ruthless plot is up and about them ... something of a higher order is coming and the furies are getting more vicious than ever. Soon enough her peaceful life in Nantucket is in Chaos ... maybe forgetting is the key but can she forget the love of Lucas Delos .... True love as it is is very hard to come by.
My word what to do....what to do...while Starcrossed proved to be the base of the case...Dreamless is the icing people. Josephine Angelini's work is really commendable. Helen was the main focus this time with the others playing big supporting roles. She is the only one who can descend into Hades and she is the only one who can do...so this responsibility proves to be a great burden for Helen. Which she takes in strides. We feel a big connection to her this time around. We feel everything that she feel and its not always happy. Lucas the hunky scion takes a back seat in here and he is more than vulnerable. He is forced to be bad to the one girl that he loves and he can see what that is doing to her everyday.
Orion is definitely the comic relief in here being all funny and brave and out emerges a love triangle, well it didn't really look like a love triangle to me because Helen still seems to be pro Lucas and the things only get hot and heavy when Orion powers up (thats a spoiler...sorry couldn't resist) so it can be very well said that it is just lust and not love like she feels for Luke. Last but not the least, the mythology. It clearly played a great part in here what with Helen and Luke in the underworld and battling creepy Gods...well suffice to say there is action everywhere, be it in the underworld or be it above ground. Suffice to say i'm definitely hoping that the last book is going to be the cherry at the top of the cake.
"While Starcrossed proved to be the base of the case...Dreamless is the icing of the structure - Ms. Angelini sure did not disappoint"
This is the real deal people. This is where it ends. Presenting Goddess Test #3 The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter.
Here is the summary of the bo...moreThis is the real deal people. This is where it ends. Presenting Goddess Test #3 The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter.
Here is the summary of the book:
Love or life. Henry or their child. The end of her family or the end of the world. Kate must choose. During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal. In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead. With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything. Even if it costs her eternity.
One of the most anticipated books of the year. The Goddess Inheritance marks a bittersweet end of this long standing extravagant piece of literature that portrays the Greek myths exactly as the semantics state. Carter's epic conclusion will leave you extremely jovial but notwithstanding some big bad news along the way.
It takes strong characters, strong plot and an ability to think outside of the box to present a known idea into something new. That was what Carter did, she took a known and over used topic, Greek Mythology and presented am epic tale never before heard of or even thought about and made us readers feel every bit of what these characters are going through.
Kate really came out as the strong heroine, Ms. Carter made her to be. Her love for Henry is as strong as Henry's is for her but those take a back seat since she is a mother now and stands to loose it all if she doesn't choose it right. Calliope and Cronus true to their myth and vindictive as ever stoop to all the low levels they have to get what they want. The Gods......they just infuriated with their drive to endanger a child's life and that of their loved ones to be one step away from the enemy....that's just disgusting don't you think....
The twists and turns and the unravelings added endeavors to supply us with the action-packed conclusion that we need because the end in nothing but the start of something new.
"Breadth-taking and an action-packed conclusion. A true test of courage for Kate and Henry and Carter's penmanship is enough to envoke all the right feelings at all the right places"
Oh! We can't get get enough of the Nevernever .... now can we. Presenting The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1 The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa.
Here...moreOh! We can't get get enough of the Nevernever .... now can we. Presenting The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1 The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa.
Here is the summary of the book:
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for. Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
There are very few authors out there, whose any genre of work i'll happily devour. Julie Kagawa is one of them. I have read all of her books - the Iron Fey, the Blood of Eden and now this new series joins the ranks, set in the wondrous Nevernever, Call of the forgotten is the story of Meghan, the Iron Queen's younger brother, Ethan Chase.
You guys who have read the Iron Fey series .... remember Meghan had a younger half brother Ethan who was kidnapped by Machina's minions and brought to the Nevernever and Meghan had rushed to save him? Well he's all grown up now and has the sight....yup he can see them loud and clear and even they can't resist showing off, pestering him and ultimately getting him in trouble. He is all grown up now and in the rebellious phase of his teenage years....and is more or less a handsome stud, who can be a jerk big time....but we can definitely sympathize with him after all went through as a child ..... but what will he do when a chance friend, a half-fey gets kidnapped by these nameless fey entities. Will he bottle up his rage and rush to save his friend? Because time is slipping away and there might not be a friend left to save if he is too late.
OH MY GOD! This book was amazing. Ms. Kagawa's captivating penmanship is as stunning as ever. A mark of a great author for her to formulate new and engaging stories from an already well fleshed out world. So, the major plus point of this book is definitely the plot. Stunning, engaging and fantastical, the plot is totally at par with that of her Iron Fey books. The characters form a great part of the story, responsible for moving it forward. We get to meet both new and old characters....Ethan, Kenzie, Keirran, Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grim....
Ethan, the gorgeous one (from the gorgeous cover) ....who is filled to the brim with rage against all things fey and is a kali expert. Erecting this huge wall around himself, keeps him hidden and only Kali keeps him grounded. Kenzie, the girl from his new school is for the lack of better word annoying but she turns out to be the one person who breaks down Ethan's walls and makes him feel again openly. There is Keirran...if you all have read the Iron Knight then you know how I'm talking about .... we finally get to meet him for real. To tell the truth I didn't really care about Ethan, Kenzie or Keirran...but rather wanted to see more of Meghan, Ash and Puck.....sue me I like them more.
But at the end I must tell you all that Julie Kagawa has done it again. Even if Ethan is the one true star of the book (you'll need to read to know the meaning behind the title). The story is thoroughly enjoyable and as I said before magical and captivating till the end. This is a new direction to the Iron Fey series and I'm very happy to tell you marvelous......Marking the days till the next book I am.
"A new captivating and adventurous direction to the Iron Fey - this is Ethan's rebellious sojourn into the Nevernever - A race against time"
Day by Day Harlequin Teen's books are getting even harder to review with their increasing standard of goodness.......but i'm not complaining. Presenti...moreDay by Day Harlequin Teen's books are getting even harder to review with their increasing standard of goodness.......but i'm not complaining. Presenting Nightwatchers #2 Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen.
Here is the summary of the book:
MY KISS CAN KILL. I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself. Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....NIGHTWATCHERS. When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...
Truly when Angels and Demons start working together, then its a far greater evil that we are dealing with here. Balance is important, it is very important....and when it gets threatened then things get out of order. And this is what Bishop and the motley group of Angels and Demons need to control alongwith the much appreciated support of Samantha.
There is nosy, there is broody, there is hateful, there is sincere, there is vengeful and there is suspicious. Every flavor is here. Every mood is here that describes this rather unusual congregation perfectly. But Sam, Bishop and Kraven have their hands full into trouble. And the problem is way bigger than before......time is a must....in the limited time period they need to fix all the grays, find a way to save Sam and try to fix almost everything that could go wrong.
The writing, the prose.....its impeccable as ever. This is now a time bound affair and that makes it all the more interesting than ever. And out leads fulfill every criteria we have for them to make this a journey like no other. The dynamics between these three really came at a head here. Sam is a full blown gray but is also a nexus and the hunger to kiss Bishop is too much.....hard to control when that victim is so way good looking than should be allowed..... Bishop is also not fairing well. He is a fallen angel now and slowing he is loosing his mind trying to keep it together.....thinking about it all...all that passion and that everbound love makes the hair stand on its edge......so HOT!!!!!
The epic fight at the end really took the topping here. And the subtle and sublime manner of Ms. Rowen weaving the characters and making us sit tight and see is to the end.....commendable.......well done I say. Ms. Rowen you have put up a story and such rich characters......Kudos to a job well done......
And since is the final book in this series, so i'd like to say that u an keeping my fingers crossed and that this is not hopefully the last time we see these characters and hopefully you will revisit them in the future again.
"Dark and Exhilarating. This is a tug-of-war to achieve the much needed balance but for Sam, Bishop and the group this is a time sensitive mission and it sis running out even as they speak. An epic conclusion that serves to take your heart away......"
Julie Kagawa......Ann Aguirre......Karen Duvall.....nice combo. Presenting 'Till the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, Karen Duvall.
Here is th...moreJulie Kagawa......Ann Aguirre......Karen Duvall.....nice combo. Presenting 'Till the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, Karen Duvall.
Here is the summary of the book:
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems....
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside-in the Red Zone-is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they'll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside...for good.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms-in the cosmos and beyond. And she's not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She'll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.
Without going into specifics, this is an anthology of three novellas by renouned authors Julie Kagawa (Dawn of Eden), Ann Aguirre (Thistle & Thorn) and Karen Duvall (Sun Storm). One is a prequel to Kagawa's new series Blood of Eden, Ann Aguirre's is like a side story to her Razorland series and Duvall's is an independent tale. Each had its own plot, each had its own quirks and the twists and turns oh my God were brilliant.
Truth be told I only read this because I was interested in reading Dawn of Eden and it was truly brilliant, I definitely liked Ben Archer and Kylie. Julie Kagawa ....truly brilliant, she gives hope to the true vampires and not the trash sparkly ones out there (don't flame me I used to like them in my teen year because well RPatz is quite good looking......but no more)....and the mysterious 'K'....oh I think I know who he is (not telling though!!).
"Thistle & Thorn" & "Sun Storm" while pretty interesting reads, didn't really interest me much but quite good reads they were. Of Ann Aguirre and Karen Duvall I have only read Enclave(Aguirre) and none for Duvall. Thistle & Thorn delves into the scene that leads to the setting of Enclave and might I say, pretty nicely explained. But I was kinda disappointed with Sun Storm,....... while pretty interesting with the paranormal and sci-fi quota (I liked it) but still not on par with the first two novellas.
"Myriad, paranormal and a dystopic future brought by three great authors....Kagawa, Aguirre and Duvall, 'Till the World Ends will transport you to the end of the world as seen by these brilliant minds"
Aparajitabasu
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