Thursday 29 October 2015

Apollyon


Apollyon (Covenant, #4)

Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the fourth book of her Covenant series.

Fate isn't something to mess with...and now, neither is Alex.

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

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

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

The Breakdown:
1. This books picks up from after Elixir ends, with Alex's off the Elixir and back to being Seth's minion.  I like that this book shows how Alex finally breaks her connection with Seth, and proves that love is strong than Fate.  JLA definitely takes this book to interesting places, like the Underworld among other things.

2.  I think my favorite thing about this book is the relationship between Alex and Aiden.  They really learn to rely on each other, and would do anything to protect each other.  Both of them have their broody moments about things past and the way it affects their relationship, but the other is able to bring them around. I so want a happily ever after for them.

3. Although probably one of my favorite moment of this book was the conversation between Alex and Marcus after she breaks her connection with Seth.  Marcus lays out how much he cares about her, and tells her more of her parents.

4.  Oh, in this book, JLA reveals the god that has been working with Seth and Lucian.  While I was not completely surprised by it, I was surprised to find out the human form he had taken.  I cannot wait to see how JLA ends the series.  (Don't worry the book is already on reserve at the library.)

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Monday 26 October 2015

Creatures of the Night Book Tag

I am a big fan of That Artsy Reader Girl's blog, and she has posted a super fun book tag. It is especially great since Halloween is this week.  The idea is that come up with a book that matches the creature.

1. Vampire
After much internal debate I am going have to go with Adrian Ivashkov from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series.  He has some great character development in the books, and I just love him and Sydney together.

2. Werewolf
Derek Souza from Kelley Armstrong's The Darkest Powers trilogy.  He is smart and loyal, and all around pretty awesome.

3. Zombie
So I have not read in really traditional zombie books, but Amy Plum's Revenants are basically zombies without the eating of humans.  Therefore, I am picking Vincent from that series.  He is French and when he was alive, he was part of the French resistance during World War 2.  It does not get much cooler than that.

4. Ghost
Amelia from Tara Hudson's Hereafter series. She died at her own birthday party, but learns there are darker things than being a ghost.

5. Witch/Warlock/Spellcaster
No contest, Ron Weasley from the The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

6. Fairy/Fae
Prince Ash from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.  He is a son of Mab, a dark, ice prince, but the power he holds and gives up to be with the one he loves is amazing.

7. Demon
Roth from Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Dark Elements series.  He is the freaking crown prince of hell with a snake tattoo/familiar called Bambi, enough said.

8. Angel
It took me all of two seconds to pick Akiva from Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.  He has some serious hotness going on for him.

9. Alien
Hands down for me Daemon Black from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  He is sarcastic, hot, and protects those he loves.

10. Superpowered Human
This one may be a bit of a stretch since she is a Shadowhunter, but those are basically superpowered humans.  I am going with Clary Fray from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.  Clary lives a mudane life until her mother goes missing.  She adapts so well to her changes, and becomes quite the strong Shadowhunter.   

Saturday 24 October 2015

Dragonbane

Dragonbane (Dark Hunter #25)

Dragonbane is the latest book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series.

Out of all the mysterious boarders who call Sanctuary home, no one is more antisocial or withdrawn than Maxis Drago.  But then, it's hard to blend in with the modern world when you have a fifty foot wingspan.

Centuries ago, he was cursed by an enemy who swore to see him fall.  An enemy who took everything from him and left him forever secluded. 

But Fate is a bitch, with a wicked sense of humor.  And when she throws old enemies together and threatens the wife he thought has died centuries ago, he comes back with a vengeance.  Modern day New Orleans has become a battleground for the oldest of evils.  And two dragons will hold the line, or go down in flames.

The Breakdown:
1.  After the last book, Son of No One, I was worried that Kenyon had peaked with the series, but in this book she gets back to the heart of her stories.  I liked that this one tells the story of how the Were-hunters were created and why the Fates cursed them to hate each other.

2. I really liked Maxis character.  He is super protective of those he cares about.  Even when the one he loved the most hurt him, he took care of her. Plus the way he took care of his brothers made him super hot.

3. Sera was interesting character.  I like that she learned from her mistakes.  While she was not kind to Max when they first met, she realized what she lost and did her best to make amends.

4. It was interesting to see old enemies come back.  I am curiously to see where Kenyon takes the next book with the story she has set out with Max's brothers.  Plus, I would definitely love to see more of Max's brothers.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read if you are a fan of the series.

Thursday 22 October 2015

Six of Crows

Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in the series of the same name.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price- and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker.  Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.  But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts.  One impossible heist.  Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction- if they don't kill each other first.

The Breakdown:
1. Bardugo returns to the universe that The Grisha trilogy was set in, but it is very different from the Grisha books.  This one takes place in a whole new setting, and she shows more of the world outside of Ravka, and takes place after the event of the Grisha books.  It has the feel of Ocean's 11 with a bit of magic thrown in, so of course I loved it.

2. Bardugo did a fantastic job of writing the book from different perspectives.  She gave each character a unique voice and incorporating their back story into the story line.  I loved how the characters interacted with each other, how different the places they come from are, and how they learned to depend on and trust each other.

3. As amazing as the characters are, and they are pretty awesome, it is the story that really made it hard for me to put this book down.  There are many twist and turns in the story.  The plan for the heist seems to be constantly unfolding and changing making me wonder how they will pull it all off, or will they end up in prison or dead.  Then there is the ending, and holy cliffhanger batman.  It has me dying to know what Kaz's next plan will be and how he will have them pull it off.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Monday 19 October 2015

Queen of Shadows

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)

Sarah J. Maas's Queen of Shadows is the latest novel in the Throne of Glass series.

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her.  But she's at last returned to the empire- for vengeance, to rescue her once- glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past...

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galthynius, Queen of Terrasen.  But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin,a warrior prepared to die for her.  She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison.  And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

The Breakdown:
1.  I am absolutely in love with this series.  In each book, Maas does a fantastic job of weaving an intriguing story that I can hardly put down. This book had such amazing plots and Maas starts to weave to together the storylines from Heir of Fire with the characters and having them intersect in this book.

2. I love that Celaena/Aelin has really come into herself in this book.  Maas is really what kind of queen she will be in her character development in this book.  She is strong and fiercely protective of those she loves.  The things she does not only to save Aedion, but Lysandra are amazing.  I love that Aelin is such a complex character with secrets and a hard a soft side to her.

3.  Super excited to get to see more of Aedion in this book.  I love how easy that he and Aelin fall back into the closeness they shared as children.  Also, loving Manon's character.  She is dealing with some tough realizations in this book, and I cannot wait to see what choices she makes and the path she takes.  Plus, I absolutely loved her meeting with Dorian and her meeting with Aelin and outcomes.

4.  I have to say my one compliant for this book is that Aelin and Choal spent too much time angry at each other.  I get why they are each angry, but it does sadden me.  I am a little sadden that Maas makes is very apparent early in the story that their romance is at an end, but I am happy with where she is taking each of the characters romantic lives.

5. And the revelations that Maas presents in this book blow my mind on more than one occasions.  From what the plan is with the Ironteeth witches and what Aelin has planned for Arobynn to why the King of Adarlan has done everything he has done.  I can hardly contain my need for the next book.

To Read or Not to Read:
Must Read because Sarah J. Maas is a genius!

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Life After Theft

Life After Theft

Life After Theft is by Aprilynne Pike

Moving to a new high school sucks.  Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms.  But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee excpet Jeff, so-- in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history-- he agrees to help her "unfinished business."  But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

The Breakdown:
1. So when you look at the cover, you think it is about a girl, right, but you would be wrong.  The book is entirely written from Jeff's perspective.  It threw me off a little at first.  One of the taglines held as a modern day retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I did not get that feel from the story at all.

2.  For me, Pike's characters fell a little flat.  Many of them felt very one dimensional, especially Sera and Khail.  I thought she could have done so much more of them as characters.  It was also weird for me that Jeff had multiple interactions with separately, but never together even though they are sibling and close to each other.

3. This story had the potential to be interesting, and funny, but it just did not work out that way.  There were characters who's story was left a little unresolved.  The ending felt very rushed.

To Read or Not to Read:
Skip this one

Sunday 4 October 2015

Magic Shifts

Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels, #8)

Magic Shifts is the latest book in Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series.

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate- former Beast Lord Curran Lennart- are adjusting to a very different pace.  While they're thrilled to escape all the infighting, Kate and Curran know that separating from the Pack completely is a process that will take time.

But when they learn that their friend Eduardo has gone missing.  Kate and Curran shift their focus to investigate his disappearance.  Eduardo was a fellow member of the Mercenary Guild, so Kate knows the best place to start looking is at his most recent jobs.  As Kate and Curran dig further into the merc's business, they discover that the Guild has gone to hell and that Eduardo's assignments are connected in the most sinister way...

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it- before it takes their city apart piece by piece.

The Breakdown:
1. I really enjoy this series.  Andrews has the right combination of action, humor and romance in this series.  I love the strong characters and the relationships between them.  Plus, I really love the universe they have created in this series where magic and technology are constantly battling for supremacy in the world.  The waves that shift the world from magic ruled to tech ruled make for some interesting situations and complications.

2.  I love that this series takes place in my home town of Atlanta.  I like knowing exactly where things are that Andrews goes to in the books.  I enjoy the imaginary created with the changes caused by magic, and picturing how different things look in this version of Atlanta.

3.  Probably my favorite thing about this book is Kate and Curran's relationship.  I love that they were not a couple that had love at first site, in fact, it took several books for them to get together.  They continue to evolve as a couple, and are equals in the relationship.  They rely on each other both in battle physically and in life emotionally.

4. This book definitely has some pretty great moments, but my favorite was probably when many of the shapeshifters are gathered at Kate and Curran's and their enemy attacks them.  Curran gets to shock his normal people neighbors, Kate yells at Andrea for eating mystery meet, and Mahon and George have a shouting match.  It reminds me why I love Andrews characters so much.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Thursday 1 October 2015

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl is by debut author Paige McKenzie, and is based off her YouTube series and the first book of the series.

In that place where you're more asleep than awake any more, I hear something else.  A phrase uttered in a child's voice, no more than a whisper: Night Night.

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house... there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs.  But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mum believes her.  Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort...

If there is something, or someone, haunter her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

The Breakdown:
1. I have to be honest, I have never seen the YouTube series or even heard of it until I picked up the book.  I mainly picked up this book because around this time of year, I like to read a horror book or two.  It gets me in the mood for Halloween, although I do not watch many horror movies. I did really like the creepiness of the book, and the characters that McKenzie creates.  She did a wonderful job of picking the perfect setting to compliment the mood of the story.  Washington with its wet and cold climate just made the story better.

2. I loved Sunshine's character.  Her quirkiness and  love for her mother were enduring to me.  I thought that McKenize did a wonderful job of making me empathize with her struggle to understand what is going on around her and accepting what she is, despite never having been close to being in those situations. Plus, I liked that Sunshine has no desire to change how she dresses or what she loves just to fit in better at school.

3.  Nolan was adorably nerdy, which I love.  I like the connection that he and Sunshine have, and how well they work together.  I am interested to see how his role will evolve in the next book.

4. McKenzie had an excellent creepy factor in this book. At times, I could almost feel the chill that she describe when the ghost were present.  Although, I am not sure what was more scary, the changes in Sunshine's mother, or the way her mentor set up the test and manipulated Sunshine's world.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read