Cover Love: Remembrance

It's finally here! After all the waiting, the cover for Meg Cabot's new Mediator book, Remembrance, is officially out there!

What did you guys think?

Remembrance is scheduled for a 2016 release.

Stone Cold Touch

Title: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 5/10



"Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…"

Let me tell you what nearly happened because of this book: I nearly missed going to my uni's Hogwarts society (and not going to that is tantamount to standing the other one up with us haha). I sat down for dinner with it, and just kept reading. My friend had to text me to ask where the hell I was for me to surface. She gave me the stink-eye. I shrugged "the book has a tortured, heartbroken asshole". She sighed "fine. God knows we can't resist those".
Nope. No, we most definitely can't.
And Roth is Prince of them. Almost quite literally. He is a Prince. Just not of hot assholes ;)
There isn't much that I can say about this book without spoiling it, so I'll stick to what I can. Layla's flip-flopping between guys really got to me. It was okay in White Hot Kiss because it was mostly one guy, with the other as the brooding, unattainable guy. But taken away the unattainable from the equation, and boom: annoying indecision. Though to be fair to her, though she was sort of stringing them along two, so were they with her.
Zayne... he really disappointed me. I did not see the little bomb Roth dropped at the end coming, and it really ended ay affection I might have felt for Stony.
I will say, though: I totally called the cliffhanger!
Not that it made living with it any easier, mind...

White Hot Kiss

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 6/10

"One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world."

My friend had told me I'd like this, so when the moment presented itself, I decided to give it a go.
Two days later, with no reading for university done at all, I finished White Hot Kiss.
I slept, woke up and started on #2, but that's a story for another review ;)

I loved the world Armentrout has created here. I mean, I know in a way that it's all been seen before, but I like the fact that she doesn't stop with demons and what are, in essence, nephilim. She delves into a myriad of different kinds of demons, and doesn't flinch at making them weirder and weirder as they come along; it's great, and made for very entertaining reading!
Layla was, for the most part, a good narrator. Her character development is something to behold, and oooh, but that girl won the lottery when Roth fell into her lap!
There is a love triangle in this book (though, honestly, that's debatable - I have no doubts in my mind about who she'll end up with, so...), so do take that into consideration, if you're sick and tired of those!
Roth... Roth, Roth, Roth. More on him in my Stone Cold Touch review, but for now, let the record show that characters like Roth are what make books so awesome. Truly. He's hot, he's funny (though I think someone needs to warn Hagrid -- he's got competition for bizarre names for terrifying creatures. I mean, she - and her name - eventually grew on me, but Bambi? Really?) and he's a loveable asshole. My kinda guy ;)

The Retribution of Mara Dyer

Title: The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: YA Paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

For any of you unfortunate enough to follow me on twitter, you saw my progress through this book last night; it was riddled with expletives and lots of shouty capital letters. So I thought I'd give myself some to calm down (and sleep) before writing the review so it would be slightly more understandable than randomly interjected f-bombs everywhere.

Part of me didn't want to even start Retribution, because it's Mara's last book, and - insane and whacky as she is - I've come to be very emotionally attached to her. A much bigger part of me was so desperate to know that Noah was, in fact, still alive, that I couldn't wait the extra two days for it to be out in the UK, and bought it off US Amazon; it was my self-given present for finishing a piece of coursework.
Very much in the style of the previous books, Mara is awesomely creepy. I'm not sure what it says about me that I wasn't scandalised at most of the things she did, but I've accepted the slightly scary side of me a long time ago, and it was wonderful to see Mara learn to do the same. I wanted to cheer when she says she doesn't want to be cured; she does need to learn impulse control so she doesn't go around killing people for cutting in front of her in traffic, but her power is sort of awesome in a way that we truly appreciate in this book. There's this very specific scene I have in mind when I say this, but I don't want to spoil anything - I think it's pretty self-evident when you read the book, though, so you'll know what I mean.
I absolutely loved Jamie. He's the best friend to Mara, because he doesn't care; and because, deep down, a part of him kind of envies her ability, I think. Really deep down, so it doesn't affect his love for her, but does let him see past her ability to who she is - an assassin kitten, to quote the man himself.
There's a point, toward the end of the book, where the POV changes, and I shit you not, I was on the verge of tears. Much as I respect and admire Roth for the ending of Allegiant, it doesn't mean I wasn't instantly on the alert with that stuff. Which is stupid, because we all know Mara survives (I'm not counting this as a spoiler; we've all read the first book, we all know how it starts... It's just common sense) since she's telling the story in past tense. Still. Those were a tense couple of chapters, not gonna lie.
I also want to put it on the record that chapter 73 is forever my favourite of its' kind in YA literature, trumping even Jeri Smith-Ready's that she got a bag of cookies for two years ago. It was beautifully written, and I applaud Hodkin for it. Truly, truly, well done.

Some of you may be madly skimming this review for news of Noah. I'm not squeaking. I'm aware of the damage done on twitter, spoiler-wise, but I won't say anything here. Just go read it and find out for yourselves! ;)

All in all, I loved how the ending came full circle, ending with the beginning. It was neat and well orchestrated. Definitely worth the extra money paid in the pounds-to-dollars conversion!

Finished the book? Want some more Mara? You can find a link to the GIF Review of the book here!

Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

Five stars aren't quite enough to describe this book. Even Adam's bitchiness was perfect. My one issue with it is this: it's YA! Oh the potential for smut! With my two beautiful babies, too. My heart still cries over what could have been.
But in a way like this fit them perfectly too. I didn't mind so much not getting to see that softer, more intimate side of them together because Mafi wrote it in a way that it didn't need to go into explicit details to show that softer side. And it was utterly, entirely, completely beautiful. 
And now I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I'm just sitting here in stunned silence, thinking maybe I need to go back and read chapter 55, cause chapter 62 doesn't hold a candle to it. And I want more. I want to see them grow old together, bickering the entire way just because he loves to see her when he's mad at him. I want to see his relationship with James grow. Hell, I even want to see him and Adam grow closer.
I want it so much and it hurts so damn much because I know there isn't more.
Juliette was perfect in this book. The darkness I always knew was there finally broke through, and boy did I enjoy her putting Adam in his place. Jealousy because your ex is moving on is fine, but it turned into something much, much uglier, and if she'd given into her, she would have become just another victim of male oppression, always trying to be someone she's not because otherwise her boyfriend would go ballistic on her. No. And Warner, he brings out her strength. He pushes her to be only herself, to not be ashamed of who she is; and in turn, she makes him a better man. Not because she doesn't accept him the way he is and wants to change him, but because her love gives him the strength to do the right thing. And watching them bring out the best in each other out was mesmerising. Though the two stubborn mules were frustrating at times, his love for her shone through every single action of his, and that's why the ending was perfect...
... and yet not nearly enough.
But for this one, I clap and I bow to you, Tahereh. Perfect ending to a beautifully crafted series.

The Fiery Heart

Title: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 7/10

This is a spoiler-free review. I'd like to thank Penguin UK for providing me with an ARC for review.

So much to say, and so little ways to say it without being murdered at the pike for spoiling the book!

I will endeavour to do my best, though.

Let’s just say that, on the worst-case scenario, you will at least be happy with all the lovin’ going on in this book. Seriously, there is stuff for everyone. Sydrian fans especially, obviously, will have the time of their lives, and should listen to Loving You before reading the book, to set the mood. But there’s stuff for us starved Romitri loons, there’s so Angeline action, some Eddie action, some Jill action, and even some Dragozera action. Hell, Richelle even added a British lad to spice things up even more. Trust me, the title of the book is definitely fitting for the goings-on. I honestly think the only one who didn’t get some lovin’ was Zoe – even Mrs Terwilliger did!

Aside from that, the biggest concern here is the ending. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to connect to Syd so well as a narrator as well as I did with Rose, but the ending didn’t hurt as much as expected. It got to a point where frankly, it became glaringly obvious something was going to go to s***. And so when it did, it was kind of expected. As usual though, props to Mrs Mead for suspense. The woman sure knows what she’s doing.

Bottom line, little dhampirs, is: take a deep breath, relax, grab that kleenex box and dive in. You can blame me later on if you need therapy.

Gameboard of the Gods

Title: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: adult
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 8/10 (not sure what/how it links to the story, but the swirls are pretty)


I know I shouldn't; I mean, you'd think that after ten adult books and nine young adult books, I'd be used to it. An yet, this woman's ability to captivate me with her stories never ceases to amaze me. And honestly? I'm hoping it never, ever does. Because, boy do I love the crazy rides her increasingly crazy main girls take me on.

To those of you familiar with Richelle's other works, the only way I can describe Mae (and I won't even try to spell her surname. I'm still trying to tackle Danila's. One crazy name at a time, please) is like, quite literally, a grown up version of Rose if Dimitri had stayed Strigoi, and Rose hadn't broken up with Adrian. Now, that was never a future that appealed to me, because in Rose's case, Dimitri was in the picture, and really, there's just no question when it comes to those two. But with Mae, I was happily surprised.  The similarities between Jason and Adrian can be quite astonishing for those who know what to look for, but at the same time, they're intrinsically different. Still, it was quite a shock to find myself yelling in my mind for them to just get it on already. Of all the books to make me reconsider my feelings on indulging, vice-imbibing, asshole-inclined, superior-minded, arrogant pricks, this was not the one I expected. But it did. And god help me, I fell head over heels in love with Jason. The jury's still out for Adrian, though.
Even more interestingly, is Tessa. The best way I can describe her, if we're still going with the Richelle Mead book examples, is as a bizarre cross between Sydney and a pinch of Rose. And yet something else too, because she's endearing - and while I love both leading ladies mentioned above, neither can be called endearing.
So what's the book about, and what makes it so amazing, you may ask? Join those three characters above, add in some crazy magic/god action, sexual tension thick enough to give even Georgina and Seth a run for their money, politics that are actually, bizarrely, quite intriguing, a dystopian-like country, and top it off with the trademark Mead snark and fabulous dialogue, and you have your answer. And if that doesn't sell you on reading this, then you should just read it because it's a Richelle Mead book, and I've come to learn that that basically means it'll blow your mind.
One thing that was, at first, a bit of the shock, is the third person narration that I wasn't used to with Mead's stories. However, once the book gets going (around page 2, as usual), it only ever stood out again whenever I had to stop reading, and then got back to it. Otherwise, in the flow of the narrative, the story lends itself quite well to third person, and it actually helps to keep the tension up, and kept me curious about the backgrounds of Mae and Jason, making me want to read on even more.
Also, to any budding YA readers out there who want to read more RM stuff, but are weary of the adult content, this is a pretty safe place to start. Leave Dark Swan and especially leave the Georgina Kincaid books alone until you can deal with explicit scenes; Gameboard of the Gods is really quite tame considering the usual amount of debauchery I've come to associate with adult books, although I suspect that might change in the next book. No swearing either, so safe enough.
Otherwise, definitely worth a read to any lovers of Richelle Mead, and/or good supernatural books. With a hint of dystopia to boot ;)

The Indigo Spell

Title: The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5/5
Cover: 6/10


It gets old when I keep on yammering about how I'm surprised with Adrian in the Bloodlines books. But, well, I am. The Ivashkov we get to meet in these books is miles away from the womanising, drunk bum that we met in Vampire Academy; a bum who had no qualms on hitting on a taken girl. No, this Ivashkov is pretty much perfect. He's sincere, romantic, sweet, thoughtful and just all around a great guy. But you know, the best traits of the old Adrian are also still there: his sass and sarcasm.
I do like Sydney. I do. Really. But... she's not Rose. Again, I feel like I'm hitting on the same spots in any and every review of this spin-off. However, I do want to say that Angeline surprised me. I never expected that from her. Then again, I didn't expect it from Trey either. But I just feel very sad, because Eddie and Angeline were like Romitri 2.0, so I had pretty big expectations for them. Still, I guess it sort of makes sense, though it bothers me that Eddie just bounced right back from Angeline to Jill. Eager much?
As for Romitri themselves (come on, it's a VA-world book, we gotta talk about them!), my only happiness is that Richelle has promised that Rose will be showing up much more in the next 3 books, because their scene here was waaay to short. I was all hyped up for the wedding, ready for loads of Romitri goodness, and have to make-do with that? Very sad indeed. Also, why no Christian? He's the one Ozera I like, and I miss his snark.
As for the whole witch thing... I like it. I still don't trust Trey's reasons for dating Angeline, but I get it that Richelle wanted to steer the plot a little further from vampires because of Sydney being human. The big bad witch didn't really scare me, though, despite her killing all those girls. Not sure why, but the Strigoi put the fear of god in me. Witches? Not so much (except maybe Voldemort. But that's beside the point). I did like Syd's choice at the end, though. I love seeing her break free and start making her own decisions. The ending, though? Honestly, book #1 had a more riveting ending (I'm a Dimitri girl, as I'm sure you all know by now) than that, which is bad, cause I was mentally prepared for a classic Richelle Mead book 3 ending. Now I'm told it's going to happen in book 4. So, here I go preparing myself again...

Cover Contest

So you like reading (and if you don't, then I have no earthly idea what you're doing here...). And let's face it: who wouldn't kill - or die - to have their name in their favourite book? Say, if you were a character in Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings. Well, sadly both of those series are over, so that won't be happening any time in the foreseeable future, especially not with the latter, seeing as Tolkien isn't among us anymore; maybe you can convince Rowling to edit the books and add you in, I mean hey, you never know.
But while that doesn't happen, I know how you can get the next best option: your name in print in the same book as sexy-as-all-get-out Kaidan, the son of the demon of lust. If you need a reminder of just how sexy he is (it's in his very genes to be sexy, after all! The guy can hardly help it, poor thing... *ahem*), you can find my review of Sweet Evil here.

As I was saying before Kaidan distracted me, you have the chance to be a character in the next book of the trilogy. Just head on over to Bewitched Bookworms and read up on their rules and regulations, get out your artistic little fingers, and get to work on those covers, girls! Plus, even if you don't get to be a character in Sweet Hope, you might still win some signed swag!

Sweet Evil

Title: Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

There are books, there are good books and then there are those books that get stuck in your mind, and you catch yourself thinking about them in the most random moments. Sweet Evil was the latter for me.
Breathtaking cover notwithstanding, the story of Sweet Evil is sweetly compelling with a most decidedly evil ending. Pun very much intended.

Be ready for the ride of your life. Anna Whitt is a good girl. She doesn't steal, she doesn't drink, and she most definitely does not do drugs. But Anna isn't normal. She remembers her entire life - right down to her own birth. Her mother died in labour, and her father was arrested soon after she was born. She has been living with her aunt ever since.
When Anna turns sixteen, very little of normal remains in her life. She can see people's auras, and now there are white things following everyone around, in addition to the auras. That is also when Anna meets Kaiden, who, instead of an aura, has no colour around him, and a most decided absence of the white figure - instead, he has a black shadow around him. It doesn't take Anna long to figure out that Kaiden is a lot like her, and to ask for answers, which is how she discovers that they are both fallen angels, sons of the great demons of sin. Kaiden is the demon of lust's son, so obviously the guy is smokin'. Anna, on the other hand, is the daughter of addiction. And she is expected to corrupt humans, following in her jailbait father's footsteps.
Anna and Kaiden are that kind of couple. You know the kind. The one that, when they kiss, it's not sparks flying; it's more like a nuclear bomb went off. Which is complicated, because Anna isn't a normal fallen angel; she's the daughter of a demon with an angel. With both good and bad in her, fighting for dominance, which side will win?

The ending, though. What is it with these stories with heartbreaking endings? As far as I'm concerned, this matter is not over, and they'd better sort it out in #2, or I will not be amused.

Soulbound

Title: Soulbound (Legend of Tril #1)
Author: Heather Brewer
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10


Oh there's so much goodness about Soulbound, I hardly know where to start. It's just so great when a book we've been waiting for with so much patience turns out to be everything we'd hoped it would be!
If you liked Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy, be sure you'll like Soulbound. I felt like Kaya was a crazy mash between Mia, Lissa and Rose. So yeah, she's definitely a very interesting person lol

Kaya is a Healer. She knows that her life dances on the edge of danger. Her parents, two Barrons, broke the law of the Zettai Council to get married, and if anyone were to find out where they are, Kaya would be shipped off to school, to learn how to fight in a war she has no interest in fighting in, and her parents... they would be killed. So when Kaya's best friend is murdered by a nightmare-inducing beast called Graplar, and Kaya's father kills it, the family knows it's only a matter of time before the Council finds them... and sure enough, a letter from Shadow Academy soon comes along to Kaya, requesting her presence immediately. And if she refuses, her parents will pay the price.
Told by the headmaster of Shadow Academy that her Soulbound Barron died, and forced into a fight she doesn't support, she is Bound to Trayton, a Barron who, despite being gorgeous and incredibly kind, doesn't understand Kaya's need for freedom, or her hatred of the law that says that all Healers must be submissive to their Barrons. While trying to adapt to life in the Academy, Kaya can't stop wondering what got up even more gorgeous (and King of Secrecy), fight instructor Darius's backside, who seems to hate Kaya, and finds excuses to punish her for anything and everything.
As the danger from the Graplars only grows, intrigue inside the school grows too, and Kaya is left wondering just who she can trust enough to want her alive.
But Shadow Academy has even more secrets lurking behind its' walls than Kaya could ever guess, and one of them might just change her entire life... again.

Cold Magic

Title: Cold Magic (Spiritwalker #1)
Author: Kate Elliott
Genre: YA, sci-fy
Rating 4.5/5
Cover: 8/10

Cold Magic tells the story of young Catherine Hassi Barahal, who, shortly before he twentieth birthday, is married to an arrogant cold mage, the haughty Andevai Diarisso Haranwy, who seems to regard her with as much happiness as one would a cockroach under one's shoe.
But then, why is it that, when Andevai's superiors find out that he married the wrong Hassi Barahal girl, and order him to kill her, does he refuse? Without answers, and faced with the question of who her real father is, since it would seem she has been lied to her entire life, Cat knows only this: she needs to warn her maybe-cousin, Bee, that the mage House who wants her killed is now after her cousin, to try to marry Bee off to Andevai in Cat's place.
But above all, Cat is faced with the question of whether or not she can trust her somewhat unwilling husband.
What follows is a race that will leave you biting your nails in nerves, cursing and laughing right along with Cat, Vai, Bee and Rory. Kate Elliott's world building is something to watch, it's so intricate and detailed, and, while that makes for an incredibly intricate and rich story, I found that the repetitive accounts about the story of how their world came to be the way it is tiring and unnecessary. It made the book, which is really absolutely great, drag, when it could have flowed so seamlessly, it would have been too good to express in words. On the other hand, the dialogue is so visceral, the characters so divertingly flawed, and the action scenes so good, I almost gave Cold Magic a 5/5. I can't pretend it didn't have this rather big fault, though, so 4.5/5 it is.
Cat's story is sure to ensnare you, and Cold Magic has it all: pig-headed heroins, haughty and seemingly indifferent heroes who turn out to be far too amazing for their own (and my sanity's) good, secondary characters with a depth that is quite remarkable, humour in just the right amount, family intrigue, lots of betrayals, and a romantic entanglement that makes me wish this wasn't a YA book... ;)
I other words, most highly recommended!

Under the Never Sky

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Genre: Dystopia
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

Frankly, I have no idea what took me so long to pick this book up. I really don't. The cover is lovely, the title is intriguing... And while I am now glad that it took me longer to read it, because I have to wait less for the next one, it is also sad that I went on for all that time, not knowing what an awesome book it was.

*ahem* Yes. Under the Never Sky is the story of Aria. In Aria's post-apocalyptic world, society was forced into pods to escape the Aether storms - imagine super-frying lighting storms - which almost decimated the population years ago. Inside the pods, everyone lives through a computer mechanism, the Smarteye, which simulates being in different places, while your real body isn't actually doing any of those things. When Aria's mom, who is working in another pod, stops contacting her for a week, Aria gets desperate. She misjudges people's agenda... She gets kicked out of the pod.
Left to starve, die of dehydration, to be eaten by a wild animal, or worse of all, to be killed in an Aether storm, Aria is sure she won't survive to see her next day rise.

Can I just take a moment here to appreciate how amazingly this story was written? It's in two different POVs, so you get a very, very profound understanding of both Perry's - the outsider, tough, and somewhat mean guy who will fight till his last breath for those he loves - and Aria's - the insider, scared and sometimes whiny (though admittedly, she has her reasons) girl who finds herself alone in a place which, according to everything she's been told all her life, means certain death for her - backgrounds.
And it is true beauty to see both of them get over their prejudices, and their previous concepts of each other's worlds.
Plus, Under the Never Sky has it all. You want to see something heartbreaking? Check. You want to read action scenes? Check. You want romance? Check. Sexual tension? Double check. Character development? Triple check. Plot twists? Check again. Paranormal side? Check. Family intrigue? Check that one ten times, and then some. Whatever you're looking for in a book, Under the Never Sky has it, plus a few things you didn't even know you were looking for, but that complement the story flawlessly.

If you haven't yet, go read it. I promise you, it will not disappoint.

Book Review: Underworld

Title: Underworld (Abandon #2)
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA, supernatural
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 7/10

In the sequel to Abandon, we continue following Pierce Oliviera's struggle to accept the truth about the nature of the boy she loves.

I'll be honest: Abandon didn't impress me all too much. In fact, the one scene in Abandon that I did enjoy, and felt it was more in tone with the theme of the book, was so close to the end, I'd almost given up hope of finding it by then. But Underworld surprised me nicely; not only did John, the present-day personification of Hades, act more like what I'd expect from a Death Deity, but there was hardly one slow moment in the entire book, and that always makes for a gripping read.
All that said, I've read every single book Meg Cabot has eve written, including the ones that are all but impossible to find these days (my school library was too good for words), and I just know she can write better than this. Which is why Underworld got a 4/5.

Underworld has a light feeling to it, that might not be the best image for a book that is, in its' core, a retelling of Persephone's myth, but while Pierce is in love with Death, she isn't Death; in fact, she's somewhat his opposite, caring so much for any living being, and doing everything in her power to help those who need it. Of course, opposites attract, but they also clash. A lot. Which makes for an interesting relationship, that's for sure.
But I saw a great deal of much-needed character development in Underworld. John was acting more like Death, but at the same time, as a man very much in love; it's a delicate balance to tread, but Meg pulled it off pretty well. As for Pierce, she really came into her own strength in this this book. It's like someone reached down into the book and slapped her a good one for her to wake up. I really enjoyed seeing her and John butt heads, two stubborn mules that they are.
And I loved meeting John's shipmates. I adored little Henry, and wanted to hug him every time he showed up.
All in all, a fun read, but nothing too desperate. And beware: it does end in a cliffhanger.

Book Review: City of Lost Souls

Title: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 9.5/10

I understand I'd be killed if any spoilers left my fingers right now since so many people are still reading it, so rest assured this is a non-spoilery review.

First of all, I want to say that, out of Cassie Clare's books, my favourite series of hers isn't The Mortal Instruments, but Infernal Devices. I still rushed out to buy City of Lost Souls though, and was done with in under six hours. That has many reasons - and yes, one of them is because the story is great - and the main one is... William Herondale.
Don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy just yet. I know that Will, my dear, beloved Will, belongs to Infernal Devices. But you'll notice Jace is a Herondale, and so the legacy lives on. But that's off the point; the reason I devoured City of Lost Souls so fast was that is was absolutely FASCINATING to see so many parallels between Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments. It just makes me want to read all the other The Mortal Instruments books again to see what other little tidbits of Infernal Devices characters I can find, and that, when I first read them, meant nothing to me.

There is a particular scene that had me shaking and sobbing like a baby. Suffice it to say that Herondale perfection is perfect. And I wish people would call Jace by his real surname. It's just that, while I get and appreciate the sentiment of calling him a Lightwood, it's not who he really is. And knowing the legacy that comes with the name Herondale, I'd really love to see it in print as often as at all possible.
Another reason I enjoyed City of Lost Souls was the character development. Or rather, Clary's character development, I mean. The others were way behind on that aspect, but it was beautiful to see the little girl we met in City of Bones turn into the fierce woman she is in City of Lost Souls. And, wrong as it, perverted, maniac, demonic, hurtful, bizarre, scary and just plain evil as Sebastian (Jonathan ?) is, I can't help but love his character. He's a very complex half-demon, and I really enjoyed getting to know and see more of him.
Alec and Izzy are just great. I can't bring myself to care overmuch about their personal affairs of the heart, but I love them to bits. I was extremely surprised (nicely so) by Brother Zacharias, lost count of the number of times I threatened to kill Jocelyn if she kept on blowing holes in my Jace/Clary ship, and spent each and every page in the expectation of catching another glimpse of Tessa. Not telling you if I did, either.
Long story short: read it. And if you've read Infernal Devices, keep a lookout for all the little things you'll recognise from there; I swear it's half the fun! ;)

Book Review: Shine

Title: Shine (Shade #3)
Author: Jerri Smith-Ready
Genre: YA paranormal
Rating: 5/5
Cover 8/10


Shine... The end to one of the best love triangles I've read in a long time. Mind you, in all honesty, the triangle ended in Shift, I guess. But that's beside the point. 

Shine starts exactly where Shift left off: Aura is in the cemetery, by Logan's grave, waiting for Zachary's flight - the one that will take him back to Scotland, and away from her - to take off. When news that the flight exploded mid-air a half hour after it left the US, Aura gets lost in a spiral of despair, until a text message from Zach tells her that he is alive... but for how much longer? 

With the DMP and the MI-X breathing down her neck, and Zach kept in custody for suspected involvement in the bombing, everything goes to hell when a fan of Logan's who was on the plane comes back as a ghost, and reports having seen Zachary and Logan talking, right before the flight was supposed to take off. Zach, a pre-Shifter, who shouldn't be able to see ghosts. With ghostly involvement suspected behind the planting of the bomb, US police release Zach... and hand him over to the DMP. Now desperate, Aura will do anything to make sure her new boyfriend doesn't end up like her ex: dead.

But what will be the price to save Zach? Is she willing to spy on her own country to save his sanity, and most likely, his life?

I have to comment on this one scene of the book, and I warn you now: there are spoilers you probably don't want to know below this, so if you haven't read the book, go take a breather, grab something to eat and finish (or start, I guess) Shine. You've been warned.

If I ever meet Ms. Smith-Ready, I'd like to give her a huge congratulations and maybe even some cookies. Like I stated up at the top, this book is YA. Like we all know, young adults have sex. Heavy make-out sessions are common in YA; we even expect it most of the time. But I just loved the way Ms. Smith-Ready wrote down the actual sex. In most YA books, you have the generic movie setting: making out, heading towards the bed, then only return after the deed. Not here. Oh, but it was so skilfully done. You have none of the details you'd get in an adult book, but enough to make sure you know what's happening, and enough to show the enormous bond between the two. If she'd just skipped over the sex, it probably would feel like something was missing in the book. This way, she managed to put it in there, subtly, but there enough that none of the emotions were missed, and subtle enough to make sure that the book never, not even for one second, veered from the YA range. I honestly hope more YA authors take this example; maybe we'll see more heartwarming moments without all the explicitness of an adult book. Virtual cookies to Ms. Smith-Ready for that one.

Book Review: Kiss of Snow

Title: Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Adult, Paranormal
Rating: 4.5/5
Cover: 3/10 - I'm sorry, but no. I'm guessing the cover is supposed to be Hawke. He is a husky-like wolf, not black, and the ripped guy image just misleads as to the content. I mean, sure, there's sex, but not as much, and not as detailed as that cover suggests.

I'm a little unsure about how to rate this book. Sienna and Hawke had me hooked from page one, but all the side stories were a bit tiring, to be quite honest - though I'd definitely have found them more interesting, if I hadn't been so curious to know what was happening with Sienna and Hawke.
Granted, this could very well be my own fault for having started the "series" (it's more, so far as I could gather, like stand-alones, with the same characters, but with different MCs in each book) by book 10. Maybe, if I'd started back with book 1, as I should have, I'd be more interested in the secondary characters here.
Also, there were some parts in the book where I was extremely confused, and had to keep going back to check if I'd missed some part of dialogue, since the scene seemed to jump randomly. I hadn't, and I still can't figure out if I was just too slow, or what.
Regardless, I'm giving Kiss of Snow (and fair warning: you only get to truly understand the title in the last sentence of the book. It made me giggle.) a solid 4.5/5 simply because I adored Sienna. And her being the MC, that is a very important detail :P her strength, independence, passion and desire to love, even after everything she'd been through, made me wish I were more like her, while her silly stunts and stubbornness reminded me that, no matter how mature what she was forced her to be, she was still only 19. Also, her fights with Hawke were the best, and always had me smiling like a dork.
I recommend the book to anyone needing a good paranormal adult read, but I also recommend them to start with book 1. It's probably for the best ;)

Book Review: Hunting Lila

Title: Hunting Lila (Lila #1)
Author: Sarah Alderson
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10


First of all, let's take a moment to appreciate this cover. My first thought was "I want those shoes!". I still maintain it ;)

Hunting Lila was quite a ride, and I loved every second of it. There were some moments there when Lila's love for Alex bordered a little on almost-creepy obsession, but for the most part, it was ridiculously cute, and definitely created some very great scenes.
I can see that this review won't be as good as it should be because, well... it's just hard to pinpoint what, exactly, was so great about this book. It just sucked me up, and refused to spit me out until I had finished it. I loved the diversity of the characters, and how even the secondary - and sometimes not even that - characters had all this backstory, and were all so wonderfully developed. Almost the entire time Lila was in California, I kept getting frustrated because for me, as a reader, it was obvious that whatever big secret her borther and Alex were trying (not too successfully, I might add) to hide, it had something to do with people like her.
It's always great when you're so focused on the book, that your emotions run away with you, and, even though, if you were being objective and looking at the book from an outsider's view, you'd probable be able to figure out what the best move would be, because you're so immersed in the story, you're about as lost as the characters about what to do. I love that. And Hunting Lila gave me all that, packed it up in this beautiful packaged of a cover and ended it with a powerful cliffhanger.

I think I just found my new favorite author.