Bone Dry

Title: Bone Dry (Soul Shamans #1)
Author: Cady Vance
Genre: YA
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 7/10

I was given a copy of this book by the author. This in no way influences my views and opinions on the book.

Sometimes it isn’t as easy as choosing right or wrong.
Sixteen-year-old Holly Bennett is a comic book nerd, a con artist, and a shaman. Most days Holly wishes she could trade in her power of spirit communication for something more useful--like fireballs or Wolverine claws. She knows spirits aren't exactly Casper the Friendly Ghosts. They're dangerous beings from Lower World who snack on human life, and messing with the magic from their world is an express ticket to big trouble. But when a shaman sticks her mom's mind between their world and ours, Holly becomes the unexpected breadwinner in the family. She uses her burgeoning shaman powers to set up fake hauntings and "banish" the so-called ghosts from her wealthy classmates' bedrooms. For a fee, of course.
When actual spirits start manifesting, Holly discovers that other shamans have come to town, summoning life-sucking spirits for their own ends. And the newcomers may just hold the clue Holly's been looking for--the one that can release her mom's mind from its Lower World prison. With the help of both a cute web comic artist and her partner-in-con, Holly plots to take them down, throwing her into a whirlwind of speedboat getaways, breaking and entering, and astral projections into the spirit world. And as her mom's mind slips further away, Holly has to fight to save her, and the rest of the town, before they get sucked into Lower World permanently.

Holly's story was one that interested me from the get-go. Vance tells the story beautifully, and - dare I say it? - with heaps of originality and humour. Here is a girl who, yes, is attracted to a hot guy (and who can blame her? Nathan is hot and nerdy; what's not to love?), and who -literally - fainted after one of her first encounters with him. But the romance isn't central to the plot, there isn't even the hint of a love triangle, and Nathan's hotness doesn't distract Holly from doing what needs to be done.
Oh, for more heroines like Holly Bennett.

Plus, the plot is good, fast-paced and interesting. The baddies are seriously creep-tastic (both the human ones and the supernatural ones), and there's the underlying arc of Holly's mother that sort of wraps the whole novel together, running beneath every other, smaller arc, and keeping things neat.

The one issue I had with Bone Dry, was that some characters (mostly the secondary characters, ie Laura and the other people from school) all sort of blurred together for me after a while, and I would have liked to get to know them a little better. Laura got a little more of fleshing out, but she was a fab character, and I hope to see more of her in the future!

Arcana

Title: Arcana
Author: Jessica Leake
Genre: YA/New Adult historical
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 9/10

I received an e-galley from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to say about 'Arcana'. In truth, the story and the characters (*sighs*, Colin Thornewood, you gorgeous specimen you!) were extremely likeable and compelling, but I felt like sometimes the author was trying maybe a little too hard. Although Wren was a delight as a narrator, there were instances of telling, not showing, that jarred from the rest of the story, stopping the flow of the narrative.
Most specifically, I felt like the matter of her mother could have been handled differently to make it more mysterious and less... well, cringe-worthy really.
But other than that, the plot was well-thought out and developed, so much so that I find myself wondering if there will be a second book. Even if it was about Lucy (and James...), with Wren and Colin only coming in as secondaries, or even just exploring more about the Order - either way, I would be very excited for a continuation, especially as I haven't had anywhere near my fill of Thornewood men.

A definite must-read for all lovers of magic/historical romances!

Fair warning to those of you considering getting this: I marked it as YA/New Adult (I hate that label, to me it's either YA or adult, but oh well) because it gets to the steamier side of YA, though it is in no way explicit, and there is no swearing. Just be warned, in case you plan on letting a 9 year-old read it ;)

Publication is due for November 4th, so keep your eyes open for this beauty!

The Immortal Crown

Title: The Immortal Crown (Age of X #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: adult (language), dystopia
Rating: 10/10
Cover: 5/5


Warning: this post contains spoilers. Proceed with caution.

JADFJEBCKJNFKJGHVIUSDHVBFD THAT ENDING! WHAT! *bangs head on desk* dammit, Richelle, you've done it AGAIN.

I'm actually glad I read it on my kindle, because it meant I could go easily check that name, and oh my god. To those of you who didn't have that ease, Porfirio was Mae's ex, the one who tried to rape her when she broke up with up him. I mean, honestly, no pun intended, but OH MY GOD.
She should ship him off to Arcadia and drop a nuclear bomb on all those misogynist pigs. Aimed directly at his head. I mean. OH MY GOD.
But also... Loki! Now I'll forever picture her god as Tom Hiddleston, and I'm not even sorry.
I just... so many motions about this book. I'd forgotten how good a Mead book could be, because the Bloodlines books don't really hold up to the same standard, but ooooh my. I kind of need book 3 right now, but at the same time, I know, I just know that it's gonna hurt. Damn the woman and her #3s.

But, ahem, right. The review.

Astounding, as per usual. Even though you will want to rush ahead and skip Tessa's chapters, stick with the girl, because it all ties together at the end. Plus, Ms Mead is an excellent storyteller, and the slower chapters away from Justin and Mae just help to amp up the excitement and anxiety about what they're doing even more.
As for those two themselves, what can I say? Richelle has a way with characters, making them so fully dimensional, it feels like they're in the room with you. And this is no different, even with the impediment of third person. It was fascinating to see Mae's journey and her development from a stone-faced praetorian to a woman who not only opened up her heart (finally), but also actually showed a deep, caring side of her with the children that I honestly didn't expect from Mae.
Justin... what can I say? He reminds me of Dorian, damnit. Always quick to protect the woman he loves, acting first and asking later, he's another one of her male leads that stole a piece of my heart. At this rate, I'd better hope she doesn't write any new series, or there'll be nothing left, what with all of her characters already vying for attention.
But, arguably the best part of the book was the open damnation of Arcadia. I know the element presented in the book is 100x worse than what we live with every day, but still so much of that is relevant to society today, with women being blamed for "enticing" men to rape them. I felt like the stand was clearly towards a more positive, equal society, where, as someone puts in the book, people realise that the problem isn't with the girls, but with the men who are brought up with a sense of entitlement that they think gives them the right to do as they please with no consequences. Oh, I so wanted Mae to smack some of those assholes around a little.

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.

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...

Book Review: Fated

Title: Fated
Author: Sarah Alderson
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 8/10

Remember Hunting Lila? Yeah, well, it made such a good impression on me, I decided I'd go out and read whatever else Sarah Alderson had written, because honestly, I love it when I find an author who I can read anything and everything of theirs without being afraid of disappointment.

Fated, while drastically different from Hunting Lila, was equally as engrossing. I found myself smirking at Evie's blunders, and her quirky behavior. I love her; she reminded me of myself, in many ways, and that of course made the book very easy to identify to, nevermind all the crazy supernatural things going on.
And when I say 'crazy supernatural things', I mean exactly that, emphasis on the crazy part. I loved the supernatural salad here; while we've all heard of werewolves and vampires (these days, who hasn't?), the Shadow-Warriors and Mixens... well, I've never read book with them in it.

Now that I've successfully gone quite some way without gushing, the gushing shall commence. I'm sorry, but why is it that fictional men are always hotter than the guys I know? That's hardly fair. And Fated didn't disappoint there. Even thinking about Lucas right now, weeks after I read the book, I still get the tingles. He and Evie have that whole starcrossed lovers thing going on, and I guess that helps his image, since you can't help but think of him as a bad boy on a certain level. And then Alderson tops it off with a kiss scene (not saying who with, though!) so hot, I almost had to go take a cold shower afterwards. And I read adult about as much as I read YA; I'm used to steamy. I wasn't expecting that scene though, and to have that dumoed on me like that...

Anyway *cough* yes, great read. Like I said in the Hunting Lila review, I do believe I have found my new favorite author - and I have no doubts I'll be running to the bookstore for the continuation of Fated. Especially since I got a hint from Sarah on her twitter that there would be more sexy times in book #2!