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Monday, March 31, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #147, March 31st

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #146
Teaser Tuesday #154
WWW Wednesday #154
WOW #151
Will the Time Come #147
Third Sentence Thursday #137
Random Reads #122
First Lines Friday #142
The Reward Challenge Round 94 Part 3
Follow Friday #125
LLFL Reading Challenge Update 42

Week 13 Reviews:
The Gathering
The Warlord Wants Forever
A Hunger Like No Other
Escaping Reality
Infinite Possibilities
The Girl With the Windup Heart
My Life From Hell
The Essence

Tours:
Summoned: Review

Random:
Just Finished a Full Week of Reviews!!!!
Sign Up for 2014 Reading Retelling Challenge!

OK, so I got 20 posts in 7 days, had a pretty nice week, and yeah, planning a pretty big one for next week! What about you guys? Happy reading!


So this week I want to read Through the Ever Night, Brooke, Into the Still Blue, Neverfall, EverboundEverture, Asunder, Phoenix Overture, Infinite, No Rest for the Wicked, Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Harvest Moon Anthology, Cast in Shadow, Mirror, Mirror Anthology, Concealed in Death, Torment, The Calling, To Tame a Highlander Warrior, A Highlander's Touch, Beauty Awakened, Whispered Lies, Street Game, The Offering, Rebel Spring, The Immortal Rules, Dreamfever, Shadowfever, Hunting Lila, In Seconds, Legend, and The Winner's Curse.
Set just before the events of Into the Still Blue, the conclusion to Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky trilogy, this breathtaking novella is a satisfying stand-alone for new readers as well as an exciting glimpse at favorite characters from the trilogy. Pulsing with romance and danger, Brooke will leave readers desperate for the conclusion to this epic and unforgettable saga.

The only fight she can't win is the one for Perry's heart. Following the stunning climax in Through the Ever Night, the Tides have been forced to seek shelter from the Aether storms in a dismal, secluded cave. But Brooke's memories of the cave go back much further, to when she and Perry used to come here together. That was before Perry fell in love with Aria and before Vale's dealings with the Dwellers altered the course of the Tides forever.

Now, with her sister back from a haunting year in captivity and Aria lying unconscious in the sick bay, Brooke struggles to put the pieces of her life back together. Without Perry, who is she? And what is her role in this frightening new world? As these questions swirl about her, an old threat to the Tides resurfaces, and Brooke is forced to put the lives of her people before her own. But in taking this step outside of herself, Brooke may finally discover what she truly wants.
The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do--and they are just as determined to stay together.

Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.
Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.
This breathtaking and lyrical novella captures a thrilling and momentous decision for a young man and the people he loves. Told from the perspective of Sam, the sensitive musician from Jodi Meadows’s Incarnate series, lifetimes before he meets Ana, Phoenix Overture is a story of love and loss, strength and courage, and facing the consequences of the hardest of decisions.

Phoenix Overture offers existing fans a deeper insight into a favorite character and the intriguing history of Heart, while new readers will find a stunning introduction to this rich world and the romantic, captivating fantasy of the Incarnate series.

In the wilds around the Community where Sam and his family have taken shelter, life is dangerous. Dragons, trolls, centaurs, and other monsters fill the world. The word comes from the council that everyone must leave and journey to rescue their leader, Janan, who has been abducted by a mysterious new enemy in the north. Faced with overwhelming threats that bring death and destruction, Sam and the others reach the northern Range and, reunited with Janan, are given an unimaginable opportunity. Although it would give them the privilege to live and learn and love without fear, the choice is not without its own dire consequences. And lives—though not theirs—are sure to be lost. Just how much are they willing to give up to save themselves?
DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.
In this next installment in the Immortals After Dark Series, USA Today Bestselling author Kresley Cole delivers a scorching tale about a forbidding vampire who lives in the shadows and the beautiful assassin who hunts him there.

A vampire soldier weary of life...

Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him...

When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.

Competitors in a legendary hunt...

The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity—as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world—to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?
This seductive paranormal series continues with a brutal Highland werewolf and an exquisite young witch, adversaries with a blood vendetta between them.

Her breathless kiss haunts him...

Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed—until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

His slow, hot touch is irresistible...

Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.

No deed is too wicked for her seduction...

If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul—or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?
Once upon a time…...

...…in a world far removed from the days when fairy tales were new, five bestselling authors spin versions that take the classic stories into a new dimension. You’ll recognize Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and other enduring characters, but they’ll exist in realms beyond your imagination, where the familiar is transformed into the extraordinary and otherworldly.
The incomparable J. D. Robb presents the latest moving and suspenseful novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Eve Dallas series.

In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately—and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.

The place once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, back in the mid-2040s, and Eve tracks down the people who ran it. Between their recollections and the work of the force’s new forensic anthropologist, Eve begins to put names and faces to the remains. They are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.

Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary—and the evil concealed in one human heart.
True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.

Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.
Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series

Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world...

When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sign Up for 2014 Reading Retelling Challenge!

So I'm signing up for the 2014 Reading Retelling Challenge, hosted by The Nighttime Novelist, because there's a lot of retellings out there! Like look at this page, over 160 books! Here's most of the information:

Rules/Information

  • The challenge will run from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. I will post a wrap-up post at the end of each month with links to my retelling review(s) for that month.
  • Each retelling read MUST be reviewed in some way. In the comments section of my monthly wrap-up post, you can link up your own reviews as well.
  • Novel-length (150+ pages) fiction only
  • No more than 2 re-reads
  • All formats allowed
  • Anyone can join at any time in the year, although books read prior to joining do not count.
  • You don’t have to have a blog to join; reviewing on Goodreads or Amazon is fine as long as everybody can see it.
  • Books don’t have to be stated in advance; it’s up to you!
  • ARC’s are fine, but try to read some that aren’t new releases.
  • Retellings can be anything from a contemporary version of a Shakespeare play to an interpretation of Sleeping Beauty. As long as there is evidence it is a retelling of some kind, it will most likely count. But you can’t just start reading a random book and go, “Oh! This sort of reminds me of blankety-blank.” There must be some sort of statement that this is based on a prior work.
  • The retelling can have an oral origin. Not all legends/myths were traditionally written down, but if it’s a legitimate story, it works. For example, most Native American folklore was not written, but a retelling of some Iroquois tale is perfectly valid.

Levels
Easy: 1-5 books
Not So Easy: 6-12 books
I Like A Challenge: 13-19 books
I Eat Easy for Breakfast: 20+

I'm signing up for I Eat Easy for Breakfast, because, yeah, over 160 books! I read that in about 4 months, give or take, so I can definitely read 20 in a year! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Week 13 Review: The Essence

From Goodreads:
At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen's Essence is fused to Charlie's psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she's being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she's busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she's Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

My first review of The Essence
My Review:
Oh, I loved this book! So good, and while I didn't enjoy it as much as The Pledge (again) it was still a very excellent book! I mean, we find out more about Sabara, including her original name, Layla, and her first switching of bodies, with her sister, and the love of her life, Niko, who has a different brand of immortality than her.

We get a better look at the world, from the Scablands, to the other kingdoms, a bit, and the queens, and that was interesting, and how long that Ludania was cut off because of Sabara. But things were most hard for Charlie, because people protested the changes she was making, to the point of killing kids because they didn't deserve to go to school with them, to a another queen trying to murder her, to her losing control of Sabara and Sabara killing a queen.

The ending was chilling, a  bit, what with her using one of Sabara's powers to kill enemies all on her own without Sabara taking over. And having everybody find out that Sabara's still in Charlie. Yeah. Not the best start of the day events!

Brooklynn, and Aron, both friends of Charlie, form a new bond in this book, of romance, and yeah, it was really sweet to read about it, and I hope it gets to grow and evolve in the next book, and not die from one of them dying!!!

Yep, this was a great book, and I want to read the Offering really, really soon!

Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Essence #2
First Read: March 24th 2013
Read: March 28th, 2014
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading, and it's a  2014 Dystopia Book, and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book!
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Published: January 1st 2013
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: My Life From Hell

From Goodreads:
To say that Sophie Bloom is at the top of her game with one only week until spring equinox and the final showdown with Zeus and Hades would be, well, lying. The Goddess of Spring feels more like the Goddess of Bzz Thanks For Playing than the savior of humanity. And could her relationships be any more messed up?

Good times.

Sophie is convinced that things can't get any worse than crawling back to her mother Demeter and begging for help. But she's about to find out how very wrong she is.

It's a race against time for Sophie to implement the big battle strategy in the YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology finale My Life From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book three of this teen fantasy romance series. Save herself; save the world. Humanity may be screwed.

My Review:
Oh, my, I absolutely loved this book! Almost the same humour from the first 2.5 books, because the big event is coming up, so yeah, change, and the same great characters, and quickly rising stakes, this was an amazing book!

From the club, to the Underworld, and learning a bit more about her mom, to the visions she started having, well this book went places very quickly, and enjoyable. The whole curse that was put on them, it was hilarious for us, and hard on Sophie, having to live out/change by being Sophie instead of Persephone of the events of 17 years ago, when Persephone was killed, because of betrayal of Demeter, deserved or not. And yeah, it was freaking good, and we got to meet a new character, and explore new depths of the original cast. Oh, and we get to see Theo as Prometheus, and yeah, there was swooning over his six pack. Which I don't understand, as it is muscles in the between ribs and waist of the body. But that's because I'm weird.

For example, Kai and Fee have a past together, one that causes a few blow ups, which is doubly hard for Fee, because he also fights with Theo, because well, they're facing 2 head gods, Zeus and Hades, and it means that Theo has to do something that Fee doesn't like. So yeah, things weren't so good with him.

And the ending? Another review mentioned that it's like Frozen, taking the traditional love, and making it about another, Frozen doing sisterly, well, this book did self love, which is something that not enough people have. I know I'm one of them. And yeah, combined with the visions Sophie had of event, well, yeah, we knew how part of it was going to be, and how it turned out? Just loved it!!!

The ending, while sad, was really good. There was hardly any Hannah in this book, which was sad, but the good guys won, and she gets to go back to school! It total wraps up in an excellent way, and it was just a delight to read!!!!

Author: Tellulah Darling
Series: Blooming Goddess Trilogy #3
Read: March 27th, 2014
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Loved the first 2 books and novella, and yeah, it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book and End of Series 2014 Book!
Publisher: Te Da Media
Published: March 20th 2014
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: The Girl With the Windup Heart

From Goodreads:
In 1897 London, a final showdown is about to begin.

London's underworld is no place for a young woman, even one who is strong, smart and part-automaton like Mila. But when master criminal Jack Dandy inadvertently breaks her heart, she takes off, determined to find an independent life, one entirely her own. Her search takes her to the spangled shadows of the West End's most dazzling circus.

Meanwhile, taken captive in the Aether, Griffin King is trapped in an inescapable prison, and at the mercy of his archenemy, The Machinist. If he breaks under the hellish torment, The Machinist will claim his powers and control of the Aether itself, and no one in either world will be safe-especially not Finley Jayne and her misfit band of friends.

Finley plunges headlong into the Aether the only way she knows how, by temporarily dying. But she cannot parry The Machinist's maneuvers for long. To defeat him for good, Griffin will have to confront his greatest fear and finally come face-to-face with the destructive power he wields.

My Review:
I loved this book. It's a great series, and it just has so much, and it far surpasses its potential, I mean, a crime-solving/save the world team made of members with special talents a century ago, when class was much more ridged and formal? Yeah, and kick-ass females weren't appreciated, and thought lesser, or that there was something wrong with them.

And since this series has so many, with different strengths of kick-ass, from Finley, Emily, Mila, and Wildcat? Because the characters are really great, and if they came off the page, alive, I wouldn't even think they were once fictional, because they were so good!

Romances! All the girls in the series that we know beyond a few mentions or a few appearances, and that aren't dead like Mei, now have significant others, partnerships that are so adorable, and are just right for all of them!

Finley got to meet her dad, and we finally find out who killed the lord, the one that Finley could have been accused of murdering, and she also faces his ghost, and yeah, it was great to have that chapter closed and sealed! Also, Griffin grows completely in his powers, which was pretty spectacular-what a light show! So excellent!

Freaking amazing book! I loved it, and I really hope there's a 5th book, because I really want Finley and Griffin show off their romance to his peers, just because! I'm petty like that. And if they get married, would the girl from the 1st novella, be invited to the wedding? Hmm...

Author: Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #4
Read: March 26th, 2014
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book and a Historical Fiction 2014 Book!
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication: May 27th 2014
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Reviews: Escaping Reality, Infinite Possibilities


From Goodreads:
Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn't trust him. I shouldnt tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she's finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take "no" as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

From Goodreads:
Secrets and lies. They are everywhere: haunting her, tormenting her. In the midst of it all, he’d been her escape, her passion. The only person she'd trusted in six years. And then he'd made her doubt that trust, cutting her deeply. But as she'd once told him, she was damaged, not broken. She is ready to fight and not just for survival. She is fighting for the truth and she won't stop until she has it, not even for…him.


My Review:
These were 2 pretty great books, and while I didn't take to Escaping Reality as much as Infinite Possibilities, but mostly that was the start of the series, and the introduction of the couple, and they grated on my nerves at the beginning, that kind of over-the-top romance that is scoffed off as being too unreal to actually be true. True, it changed and grew, which is why I liked it, because change is good!

The one aspect that I enjoyed from word 1 was the mystery. The mystery of her past that she sees sometimes that causes medical trouble, to who her "handler" is, to who her mysterious boss that she never meets.

Then there's her neighbour Jared, who felt familiar, and I think the events of Infinite explained it, if not directly (at least for me) and Meg, the employee of the lawyer's office, and proves to be much more than that in Infinite, too.

And the ending of both books! Escaping's had me needing to read Infinite, and Infinite, we got a lot of questions answered, and things were happy. For most of them. Because then there's going to be the 3rd book, from her brother's POV, which is important to the story, and yeah, I can't wait to read that!!!

Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Series: The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1, 2
Read: March 26th, 26th, 2014
Source: Tuebl/NetGalley, Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good! And they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Books!
Publisher: Julia Patra Publishing, Lisa R Jones
Published: July 22nd 2013, November 11th 2013

Escaping Reality:
5/5 Hearts
3/5 Books
2/5 Stars








Infinite Possibilities:
5/5 Hearts
3/5 Books
2.5/5 Stars

Week 13 Reviews: The Warlord Wants Forever, A Hunger Like No Other


From Goodreads:
Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn't enjoy a heartbeat or breathing and is consequently weaker than fully blooded vampires. He wants his bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.

She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience firsthand the agonizing, unending lust she'd purposely subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come.

From Goodreads:
A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her...

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy...

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents—until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae—and their notorious dark desires—ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire...

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

My Review:
Oh, my, these were freaking great books! I don't know why I didn't make time to read them before now, because I just lovedlovedloved them! Great characters, great world, and such snarky, sarcastic comments and mixed with pop culture! So good!!!

Romance. Since I'd classify their genre as paranormal romance, it is to be expected. But these books had excellent romance just bursting to the seems, and yet, not enough, because there could never be enough, yet a perfect amount. These 2 pairs, they had to happen. The world would've been poorer for it if they hadn't happened. So go, world, for having them!!!

The bad guys, Ivo, and the big head of the Horde, D (something, I forget his name) are defeated by the end, with lots of twists and turns, and while just the start of the series, they provide quite an in-depth look, because we have born-humans-turned-vampires group represented by Nikolai, born vampires kinda represented by Emmaline, the Valkyrie by Myst, and all the others, like Nix! And then finally, the lykae by Lachlain. So all in all, a very great start to the series!

I especially loved the one scene in Hunger, where the Valkyries attack the Lykae fortress, and then leave, it was just hilarious, and awesome, and just proves that Valkyries are the best!!!

These were excellent books, and I need to read more of the series, like, now!!!

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #1, 2
Read: March 25th, 25th, 2014
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Books and Historical Fiction 2014 Books! And A Hunger Like No Other is a LLFL Book!
Publisher: Pocket Books, Pocket Star
Published: November 26th 2006, April 1st 2006

The Warlord Wants Forever:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars









A Hunger Like No Other:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: The Gathering

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet. 


My first review of The Gathering
My Review:
Oh, this is such a great book! I loved reading about these characters, more of this world, where none of the characters really know about the supernatural world, unlike the previous trilogy, where Derek and Simon did. Well, besides Rafe, but he takes his pretty time telling her about them.

Oh, and this book did have uniqueness, the Skin Walkers, the original owners of the name (I know nothing about them beyond this series) are a definite unique factor, and what I know of the series, yeah, lots of new-but-old-cuz-they-went-extinct/no-power beings. Yeah.

I enjoyed this group of kids, together ostensibly because their parents work for the same company, but that there was a hidden secret there in the fact that all of them are those supernatural creatures. They were different people, and it was really interesting and awesome to read about them!

Maya, and Rafe, they were a cute couple, so I enjoyed reading about them while it lasted, was nice. And her and Daniel had an awesome friendship, and what happens later on, I'm happy about, because it's so sweet and nice!!!

Yeah, this was a freaking great book, and the ending, quite good, if with a good amount of questions left over. But those can wait a bit to wait to read The Calling since I don't have time this week. Yep.

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkness Rising #1
First Read: October 23rd, 2011
Read: March 25th, 2014
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: April 5th 2011
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, March 28, 2014

Summoned: Review and Giveaway

From Goodreads:
Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker.

Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets.

Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.

A dark twist on the genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him.

My Review:
I loved this book! So good, and unique, and wonderful! I mean, Dimitri was pretty tormented, to the point that he was making up stories to justify, or to feel less guilt, over killing people, kidnapping them, because he was ordered to. Because he wouldn't kill or kidnap if not for the wishes his master made.

And his master, Karl, was an insane, evil dude. With family problems. Some that we saw throughout the novel, in that his daughter was raring up to killing him. To the end, and the reason why Dimitri was sent on so many missions throughout this book. Which I thought was fantastic, it right closed the book up, sewed all the bits together, and I know someone who likes to solve puzzles before the author intends could've figured it out, I didn't, and yeah, it was just so great to read it!!!

Him and Syd, they were a pretty fantastic couple. And connected in ways that they didn't know, yeah, it was so good, and the Aphrodite/Dionysus/golden apple thing, a cute, sweet thing, that came up 3 times, first mentioned, lack of, and presenting of. So yeah, sweet!

I loved this book, and the way that it ended, and I can't wait for ht second book, because I have no idea how the story could go from there, it seemed pretty wrapped up, but yeah, I want more!!!

Author: Rainy Kaye
Series: Summoned #1
Read: March 27th, 2014
Source: For review for the tour!
Reason Why: Sounded good! And it's a DAC Book!
Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing
Published: March 28th 2014
5/5 Hearts
4/5 Books
4.5/5 Stars









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Bio:
Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark.com and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. When not plotting world domination, she enjoys getting lost around the globe, studying music so she can sing along with symphonic metal bands, and becoming distracted by Twitter (@rainyofthedark). She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.

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