Friday Reads: Asunder by Jodi Meadows!

Due to a lot of technical difficulties and my super busy schedule of this past weeks, I'm only gonna have one entry on the Friday Reads, but a very worthy one! Another second book in a trilogy that doesn't have a middle syndrome!


Asunder by Jodi Meadows

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, hats off to Jodi Meadows, if book 1 was great, Asunder has all the great and some more for good measure!

We are getting some answers finally, as Ana keeps going through her journey and more questions that only the inquisitiveness of the New Soul can raise. There are big issues dealt with in these books, the hate of those who are different, the dismissiveness of those who we consider inferior... all of that started in the first book, and it's taken into even higher stakes in here.

There's so much of Heart's story that we don't know about, and apparently not even their own inhabitants are aware of it! Anna discovers part of Janan's secrets, but still there's so much more to find out about, and the threat is bigger than ever!

And in the more personal level, Sam and Anna deal with more troubles in their relationship, dealing with their own issues and differences, and dealing with some external influences, all of it well wrapped in some amazing swooniness!

I just can't wait for book 3 and hopefully all the answers to the questions left and others that might come up in the last book itself!



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Waiting On Wednesday #5!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week I'm quite excited to finally get my hands on the sequel to The Hallowed Ones (see my review here), The Outside by Laura Bickle!

Goodreads summary:

"One girl. One road. One chance to save what remains…

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?"


Why am I eagerly awaiting The Outside? Well, I loved The Hallowed Ones, and found it a very unique and compelling story, with a different take on the postapocalyptic, with Amish and monsters! Loved Katie's attitude and I really want to know what happens next after that ending!


What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?

Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Kenobi by John Jackson Miller!

And for the last edition of this week's Mark This Book Monday, an ARC review!


Kenobi: Star Wars by John Jackson Miller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I got this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you DelRey/LucasBooks.

I have to start saying that I have been a huge Star Wars geek since I was 13 and since I'm turning 33 that means I've been a fan now for 20 years, and I've devoured the books in the Expanded Universe since I discovered them and started ordering them online. My love for the books and events going on got seriously dimished after reading The Dark Nest trilogy by Troy Denning, and I just couldn't get into The Legacy of the Force series or the Fate of the Jedi ones. I thought reading about events in between movies would help me get over that slump, so I very enthusiasticaly requested Kenobi.

It took me quite a while to get into the book but I don't really think it's the book's fault, it might just be me not being ready to go back into the Star Wars universe.

We get to see Obi-Wan getting settled into the new life he's going to try and carve in Tatooine, when his mission and his purpose is watching over Luke. We follow a few stories that are intertwined, both the settlers in Tatooine fighting the harsh Twin Suns and using any technology they can to get water and thrive, and the Tusken raiders/warriors that feel it's their sacred duty to fight the settlers and destroy their technology in any shape and form.

It's a frontier land look at it, and life is tough. The characters are rough but they are distinct enough and well fleshed out. We also get a deeper look to the Tuskens' way of life and a look at their way of thinking, since the story changes POV and some of those are Tusken warriors.

My favourite parts of the book were Obi-Wan trying to contact Qui-Gon's ghost, sort of like diary entries, reflecting on his responsabilies, actions and choices.

I had issues keeping my attention in the book for long, and I kept on taking breaks from it, but again, I don't think it's the author or the book's fault, the story in itself was good and it showed a different side of the Obi-Wan we all know and love, the one that becomes Ben, the old crazy wizard living on the Jutland Wastes.

This book could appeal even to not Star Wars fans, cause the story focus is not just on Ben, but on the life of the settlers and the story is a true survival tale in the frontier style, even a bit western-ish. I'm not even sure I just didn't feel like rooting for the characters as much.

Even if I'm a bit torn, I give it 3 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: Any Other Name by Emma Newman!!

For the next Mark This Book Monday entry, the sequel to Between Two Thorns that didn't disappoint!


Any Other Name by Emma Newman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Any Other Name is the second book on the Split Worlds series and it continues right from the point where Between Two Thorns left us.

I don't think I can avoid spoilers for book 1 since so many of the twists and revelations are rather important to continue the story, but I will try my best to avoid spoilers for this one.

This book doesn't have to do with any of the introduction to the world that the first one had, and that makes it even more dinamic and with an even more complex plot. I won't say the plot is fast, cause with the amount of politics and court intrigue and general social & family drama going on, it's not a run-for-your-life fast sort of a plot, but everything that goes on keeps on moving the plot forward and adding more levels of complexity to the master plan(s) that seem to be leading the two sides on the Nether.

Cathy and Will got married, Will is trying to make the best out of it and Cathy is still raging and refusing to even try to work at it. Max and the gargoyle are expanding their investigation of what happened at their chapter and the actual reach of it all and discovering even more connections. They still work with Cathy on occasion but the mistrust is still there which leads to missing links that could be crucial in unravelling some of the enigmas they face. The Sorcerer continues to show signs on inestability and is not exactly the mastermind the investigation would need, despite his reputation and connections in both the Nether and Exilium.

Sam is still trying to figure out what to do with his life after being dragged into all the drama, and how to try and fix his marriage. He's still looking out for Cathy and being used by the Fae.

Aside from the four points of view we had in book one, we have two more added here, the newly named White siblings, Amelia and Cornelius from the Rosa family. They're perspective does give us a lot more information on how twisted really are the plans of the Fae, and how little any of the families in Society really know.

There is quite a bit of character growth and progression, mostly in Cathy and Will, and there is also a very slow and very painful progression in their relationship.

Cathy is no longer just the rebel that wants to run away from Society, but she's beginning to see that there might be something more for her to do that what Society expects of her and that she might be able to start changing things from the inside. Will also grows in kindness and in understanding of Cathy and her ways, he still can't really understand what her problems are but is determined to make the best of the marriage, even though he surprises himself by how hard he works at it. He's too focused on what he's supposed to do to realize that maybe not all the advice he gets is genuine. Despite being a bit of an arse on occasion, he's really grown on me and I think he's quite a good guy.

Max and Sam don't have as much character growth as Cathy and Will, but they also take more initiative and action to get information and find out what's going on. Max & the gargoyle are a bit like a dinamic duo of superhero and sidekick!

There are more questions asked since the plot progresses than questions answered, and I'm really hoping we'll get more answers in the next book!

On a side note, I completely love the fact that this is British English book through and through with all the awesome idioms all over the place!

Very well deserved 4 stars for a great sequel that's better than the first book!



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Mark This Book Monday: Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman!

A very unexpected surprise in the shape of a Fae based book that I really enjoyed for the next Mark This Book Monday entry!


Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Between Two Thorns is the first book on the Split Worlds series. We are introduced to Cathy who has been living on the run in Mundanus Manchester, Max an Arbiter that polices the interactions between the Fae, their puppets and the humans, Sam a human that had a night drinking in the pub go terribly wrong when he gets mixed in the affairs of the Rosas and William, one of those touched by the Fae and at their service.

Since it's the first book there's a lot we need to learn about the Nether, Mundanus and Exilium, and the different races that inhabit them. We're taken through 4 different points of view in the story: Cathy, Max (and his gargoyle), Sam and Will. Every bit of narration seems to be a bit disconnected at first, but little by little it all adds up, and contributes to getting a bigger picture of this world.

Right from the start I felt so much for Cathy, she has made some very hard choices and has worked very hard to get away from her family and the Nether and it's outdated Victorian rules and restrictions. She's always wanted more and was never good at complying with what was expected of her. Once her protection is blown she's dragged back into her family and the restrictions and obligations of those tied to the Fae, expect that it seems that Cathy is the only one that thinks like that, while the rest of the society can't understand what her problems with their way of life are.

Max is a hard character to get to like, since he feels no emotions and only cares about doing his job, protecting the innocents and find out who destroy his chapter and all his fellow Arbiters in Bath. His character is complemented by the gargoyle that for a fortuite event got reanimated and had Max's emotions tranferred to him. We also got the Sorcerer who is Max's top boss and quite powerful but inept on human interactions.

Sam's your regular bloke, he likes going out for a beer to the pub with his best friend and is married to Leanna, a fierce ambitious woman working hours without end. He goes out one night and witnesses something he shouldn't have and from then on is dragged into the Split Worlds affairs.

William is once of the Fae touched, and his the perfect example of what an inhabitant of the Nether should be, charming, sociable and skilled at navigating all sort of intrigues and politic affairs.

All these characters are so distinctly written and despite my affections for them changing a bit on the course of the book they feel so very real! The plot is more complicated than you might think on the start of the book, because every time there's a discovery through one of the stories, it adds another layer of deceit and misdirection. It doesn't seem to escalate so far, and despite all of Max's detective work, what gripped me more was Cathy's plight once returned to the society she despises and how she doesn't give up on trying to find a way to escape it while trying to navigate intrigues worth of any old royal court!

I'm not usually a fan of stories about the Fae and their twisted politics, but the way Emma weaved this story and the focus on not only the Fae politics but a big femininistic outlook, I thouroughly enjoyed it and I'm very much looking forward to continue reading this series!

A very well deserved 3 and a half stars.





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Mark This Book Monday: Reaper's Rythm by Claire Davidson!

Welcome to yet another edition(s) of Mark This Book Monday!


Reaper's Rhythm by Clare Marie Davidson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Reaper's Rhythm had a premise intriguing enough with strong hints on the paranormal.

Kim finds her sister dead in their home and it seems that Charley took her own life. Kim doesn't have any memory of her finding Charley and she refuses to believe her older sister took her own life, so despite everything thinking she's just acting out of denial & grief, she starts trying to discover what really happened, and who killed her sister if she didn't commit suicide. Every time she gets closer to get new information, more people are in danger and the stakes get higher.

Reaper's Rhythm bigger strenght are the characters and how raw and believable the interactions, relationships and emotions are. Kim's reactions as well as her family's are so real, you so feel how utterly broken Cherley's suicide has left them.

The mystery bit of the plot, with Kim trying to figure out what really happened worked fairly well, and Claire managed to write a very well rounded and realistic 16-year-old.

The paranormal side of the plot seemed to be the one thing that didn't seem to work for me so well. The way the mystery around Matthew was built and how he kept on witholding information and help on the name of protecting Kim simply ended up annoying me. The revelations at the near end of the book had a few twists here and there and were done nicely, but the paranormal world building was pretty scarce, it might have been done like that since it can be developed more in future books, but it was a bit of a turn off for me.

All in all an entertaining read, but not a gripping one. Final rating 3 stars.





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Showcase Sunday #7!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Kindle App)

This week I had no preorders, and all the books were on recommendation, the Stacia Kane ones after reading a review of one of the books of that series from Maja from the Noctural Library. 

 Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Finding Magic by Stacia Kane

 

 And the next one came highly recommended from Stacee from Adventures of a Book Junkie and I will be reading it along next month with Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction!

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

For Review (via NetGalley)

Resist by Sarah Crossan

 

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike

For Review (via Edelweiss)

This past week I finally managed to get around to finally dedicating time to read Ink Scratchers's blog post about Edelweiss, so I've finally requested books there! So far I have to hear from 5 and already got a rejection, but also got my first ARC!

White Space by Ilsa J. Bick

Another nice week for me, and now I feel much better since I can request ARCs on Edelweiss too!

What all did you guys get this week? Hope you had a good week!

Friday Reads: Reboot by Amy Tintera!

For the final entry this week on Friday Reads another dystopian that manages to not be just another dystopian.


Reboot by Amy Tintera

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Reboot was one of those books I had on my TBR list for quite a while before I decided to read it. The premise seemed different enough to be an interesting read, and I love dystopian & postapocalyptic stories, but I was scared that there would be too much romance of the insta-love category and it'd end up dampening my book experience.

I'm glad that I decided to read it anyways, cause even if it didn't blow my mind, the book was very entertaining and I'm surely awaiting the sequel!

The premise for Reboot is that humany has been falling prey to this virus that kills but not permanently, at least in some cases, so after some time the person comes back to life, changed, stronger, self-healing and depending on the time it took them to come back, less human. At first humanity looked at it as boon, no more fear of death! but after seeing how different the Reboots could be after their change, there was a war: Reboor versus humans and the aftermath of said war is the world where the story takes place.

A Reboot does sound a bit like a zombie, since seems like they reanimate and are undead, only way to kill them is blowing their heads off... but Reboots are not exactly zombies, but much more. Adult Reboots are killed upon reanimation, but any under 20 is taken into special facilites to be trained and controlled and turned into efficient fighters and killing machines to do the dirty work of humans, the perfect special forces that don't question orders.

Wren 178 (number refers to the minues you've been dead before reanimating) is the most perfect of those special forces, she had been training and taking missions for a long time, and she's drilled herself to not feel and to just do her job. Along comes Callum, a mere 22 minutes that make him almost human, a new recruit that starts turning things upside down for Wren by not settling into the routines and challenging the status from small to big ways. Add an ugly situation with Ever, Wren's room mate and even when ever did not show it, her only friend and all hell breaks loose.

I was glad that the romance that started between Wren and Callum was not the only motivator for Wren's change, but also her relationship with Ever and what happens to her is what makes Wren realize she won't just take orders anymore.

For some reason I can't pinpoint exactly the later third of the book didn't kept me as engaged as the first half of it, so it lost a little of steam for me... maybe having them running wasn't as compelling as the build up for me, but the end of the book really was something! And will be the reason I will make sure I'm NOT missing out the sequel!

Still unsure if I'll give it 3 or 3 and a half stars, so I'll leave it as 3 and a quarter stars!



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Friday Reads: Earth Star by Janet Edwards!

Seems that all my Friday Reads so far are the second book in either a series or a trilogy! Luckily this one also did a good job on following up a great first book!


Earth Star by Janet  Edwards

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Earth Star is the sequel to Earth Girl and it starts right where Earth Girl left us: Jarra has received the Earth Star & the Artemis medals from the military, everyone knows she's a Handicapped (or an "ape" to use the pejorative term) and she has to face her classmates after lying to them. She's got Fian supporting her even without the approval of his family and she's got her love for History and archeology.

Once they're trying to get back to the routine of classes after moving to a different site dig called Eden in Africa, for Jarra with some unpleasant surprises in the shape of bullying from some of her classmates, there are some news that throw everything they think they know for a loop! Jarra and Fian are called up by the military under the utmost secrecy to be part of the Alien Contact program that has been activated.

What does that mean? Well, it's a military protocol established for the moment when humanity in their reach for the stars happen onto intelligent & civilized alien life... except that they haven't found it out there... alien civilization has come to Earth in the shape of an unmanned sphere!

This is at the same time thrilling and scary and Jarra once again finds herself in the thick of it! She's even made part of the military along with Fian and she finds herself providing key information and getting thrown into a command position in the madness of it all.

Jarra is still adjusting to being ok with who she is and appreciating the fact that she's good at what she does and that her being an "ape" still doesn't give others the right to judge her. She's gone from being angry at the world to not wanting to make a fuss about other people's disrespect and clear hatred of her just for having a different immune system.

Earth Star continues to show us how close minded humans can be and how easily we make divisions between the "us" and the "others" for the silliest of reasons. If you find it difficult to believe the fact that a deficient immune system would turn those humans into pariahs and having so many other consider them subhumans, just look back and look now and see how there are still people that think a different skin tone makes someone less than them. Now, take this one stage further and think, if we can do that to fellow humans with a difference, what would we not to do really different beings, like aliens?

I love how this book manages to present us with some serious issues and questions and at the same time add some realistic and well needed levity, like having your prudish Deltan lecturer be a rock'n'roll drum player!

Jarra is doing so much growing up in this book, on dealing with who she is, finding out more about her family, her relationship with Fian... She is still learning to trust Fian and to not expect him to run when things get complicated, and she's quite lucky to have such a stubborn and loyal guy that won't let her throw away their relationship for fear of making things difficult for him. Fian also has to deal with some issues himself, but he's an all around solid character.

The plot progresses without major twists but instead keeps on building up the the climax of a cliffhanger ending and leaves us hanging till the next book is released!

Earth Star doesn't suffer from the middle book syndrome, instead it gives the overall plot of the series a new twist and rises the stakes up a notch! Very well deserved 4 stars!



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Friday Reads: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas!!

For my next Friday Reads review a highly awaited sequel that didn't disappoint!


Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's not everyday that a sequel of a book you loved exceeds your expectations and blows you mind as thoroughly as Crown of Midnight did for me.

This is one be one hard review to write, and the reasons are manyfold. For starters this book was INTENSE and such a rollercoaster of all sort of feeling that even after 4 days I can't really put my opinions into very coherent words, the more I love a book, the more I babble! Let's not forget the fact that this a book that needs to be experienced as spoiler-free as possible and that means trying to convey how fantastic it was without giving any specifics... you get the picture.

Celaena is now the King' champion, but that doesn't mean that she's loyal to the crown. If you remember how scared she was of the king, you can only imagine what her deception must be costing her and to keep her charade realistic, she's keep it a secret even from those closest to her.

Celaena keeps being this amazing mix of girlie girl with deadly assassin, loyal to the core but not letting others come too close in fear of putting them at risk. She's full of secrets and we find out what some of those secrets are, and let me tell you, they are BIG ones!

Chaol and Dorian are also full of surprises for us, some more unexpected that others, and for Dorian specially, quite shocking ones! The not-exactly love triangle continues to be explored here, but I think it seems to stop being a love triangle and become more clearly solved, despite some more shocking and "what the...?" heartwrenching moments.

The plot? Well, let me tell you this plot is a maze of twists and turns and shocking revelations one after the other! It seemed to be a case of turning page after page and getting your expectations and theories blown to the wind! I was kept on my toes all through the book, and kept avidly awaiting more pieces to add to solving the multilevel puzzle that Crown of Midnight was.

In short, characters grown, there are swoony moments and some truly happy ones, some terribly heartwrenching ones, many shocks and surprises, many twists and one hell of a "you've got to be kidding me, you can't end the book like this and leaving me hanging for a year!!" kind of ending.

I'm just gonna leave you with one spoiler, rest assured FleetFoot IS well and safe.

A wonderful whirlwind of emotions and a severe case of book hangover makes Crown of Midnight a 5 stars read!



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Friday Reads: ARC Review of Deception by C.J. Redwine!!

I've decided I need more days to review books here in the blog, so let me introduce you to Friday Reads!

For the first entry I'm having a review of an ARC of one of my most anticipated books of the year, and one of those reads that give you a "book hangover".


Deception by C.J. Redwine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ever since I finished Defiance last year I had been eagerly awaiting the continuation of Logan & Rachel's story, so when I had the chance to win an ARC of Deception on a giveaway I jumped at it. It was a strike of luck that I won and couldn't be happier that I got to read this book in advance.

Deception starts where Defiance left us, so this review might have a few spoilers for the first book but I promise to do my best to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. Logan and Rachel are trying to organize the survivors of Baalboden after the Cursed One attack and the Commander's flight and they both are trying to deal with the aftermath of everything that happened.

Rachel is still our fierce warrior, but she's also trying to deal with how broken she feels and how she doesn't think she can stop and deal with all the hurt inside cause there are a more important things to deal with, like leaving ravaged Baalboden and travel the Wastelands in search of assylum in another state-city.

Logan has been chosen leader of the survivors and he continues to be his logical self, planning and plotting and doubting he can be up to task of getting the survivors to a safe haven.

There is not a dull moment in Deception, right from the start there is dissension between the survivors since not everyone agrees with Logan's leadership. Then they get attacked before they are completely ready to leave Baalboden, so they have to make a more hurried departure under Carrington's army attack. Once they travel along the Wastelands they discover the bigger threat might not just be the Commander with the army coming after them, but also a potential traitor on their midst that starts by trying to sabotage Logan's inventions and quickly escalates the actions ending up in murder.

Rachel and Logan continue to try and make their relationship work even with the numbness and guilt that Rachel can't seem to deal with and she gets no respite, cause it seems that whoever is after them will make sure to add to the torture of losing people they care for.

There is a little bit of everything in Deception, romance with some tiny swoon moments where Logan proves he's not just a "best case, worst case scenario" kinda guy, quite a few heartwrenching moments with Rachel trying to deal with all her loses and her guilt, a murder mystery feel to the whole "enemy mole in our midst" and all the tensions any group of human beings would have to deal with under pressure: mistrust, panic, solidarity and even xenophobia. I kept on having to take little breathers now and then cause I was fearing turning the page wondering what new hardship the would have to face! We also get a broader look at the world they leave and even more information on the past and present, and a few quite unexpected revelations!

The ending was just one of those "WHAT THE HELL, YOU CANNOT END IT LIKE THAT?!" sort of cliffhangers... There is quite a lot of hope in it too, and I'm very happy about how Rachel grows as a character, but in the name of everything that has ever been holy... I need book 3 now!

A great sequel, I'd even say better than Defiance, very well deserved 4 and a half stars.



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Thankful Thursday: The perks of being a book blogger!

For this week's Thankful Thursday I want to say thank you for all the things that as a book lover and huge bookworm I'm really excited about since I started being a bit dedicated to book blogging!

Everything started with Goodreads, that website might have pros and cons as everything does, but being able to keep track of what I read and even more important, being able to keep a list of books I want to read and knowing when they come out, that's priceless for me!

Then, I have to mention Twitter... who would have thought authors would be so willing and nice to interact with readers in such a great way! Also, meeting and chatting with other book bloggers, getting recommendations and tips... Twitter is a goldmine!

And for what I am the most grateful and still quite startruck is about the possibility of getting Advanced copies of books, the ARCs, something that a pair of years back I had no idea it existed! I'm so honoured every time I get approved for one on NetGalley and even more when an author sends me one!

Once again, THANK YOU!

Waiting On Wednesday #4!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

Today I'm gonna spotlight just one of the many books I'm eargerly awaiting that will release next week, on August 27th! Really, is a bit overwhelming the amount of books I'm dying to read that come out on the same day!

My choice is Pretty When She Destroys by Rhiannon Frater!

Goodreads summary:

"Amaliya Vezorak always believed she was destined to live a failed life in obscurity until she was brutally murdered by an ancient vampire named The Summoner and reborn as a powerful vampire necromancer. Now it is up to her to save the world…"


Why am I eagerly awaiting Pretty When She Destroys?

Well, it's the final book in the Pretty When She Dies trilogy, and in the last book the stakes were very high and things were looking pretty bleak, so even if I'm sure I'm gonna cry and be upset when characters I love die, I can't wait to read this final installment! Rhiannon Frater writes the very gritty, monster-like vampires, but also writes great human characters, no matter if they're human or monsters!

Mark This Book Monday: Biting Bad by Chloe Neill!

And for the final Mark This Book Monday of the week, the next instalment on a series I'm still happily enjoying!

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sometimes a favourite series seems to be losing steam as the books keep on coming and I end up losing interest, but I'm very happy to say that so far it isn't happening with the Chicagoland Vampires series. Biting Bad is the 8th book in the series and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Because it is the 8th book it's gonna be quite impossible for me to not post spoilers, and probably unwittingly big ones for the previous books, but I will try my best to not have any for Biting Bad itself.

Merit is trying to patch up her friendship with Mallory and they decide to go have some time for themselves and have some amazing pizza, but their plans go totally awry when a riot breaks out in Chicago against vampires, targeting the biggest supplier of blood for vampires in the city, Blood4You. They try to avoid the violence but end up having to do some fighting to get away from the riots and not just Merit is the one fighting, Mallory ends up using some her magic, which ends up with them discussing her progress on controlling her abilities and what will she be doing with her magic from now on.

That riot is just the start and Merit and the Cadogan vampires along with Jonah her RG partner have to try and figure out who's behind the riots and what's their real intent before Chicago turns against vampires as a whole again. Stakes get even higher when the GP decides to put an even bigger strain on the Cadogan vampires and the rioters end up targeting Merit's family.

This book has the right mix of action, mystery, politics and romance to keep me entertained, ponder on who the bad guy it is, laugh at Merit and Ethan's puns and swoon on occasion due to Ethan's Ethan-ness!

Then ending was quite a "oh no, you don't!" kind of an ending that has me now quite excited about the next book!

This series continues to be one of my solid favourites and Biting Bad is a solid 4 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater!

Another book that quite surprised me and totally blew away my expectations in a good way for the next Mark This Book Monday entry.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Sometimes, upon reading the synopsis of a book you make up your mind on what you think it'd typically happen, and despite by best efforts to not do that, it had happen with The Raven Boys... I was expecting insta-love and maybe some typical cliches on rich school boys with a paranormal touch and I am so happy to say that Raven Boys was nothing like I was expecting and in the best ways possible.

Blue Sargent is the only one in her house that is not a clairvoyant or has any sort of physic powers, unlike her mother and her friends, but every year for St Mark's Day she has sat with her mother in a remote abandoned church to watch for the sould of those that would die during the year and she's never seen them. But this year, she doesn't go with her mother, she goes with Neeve, her mother's cousin/half-sister/relativ and she sees a boy, a boy named Gansey and she's told that he's either her true love or she's gonna kill him. Pair that with how she's always been told that if she kisses her true love she'll kill him, and Blue is sure that she wants to avoid love but intrigued enough to want to find more about that boy.

As it happens, Gansey attends a very exclusive school on Blue's town, the Aglionby Academy for boys, known as The Raven Boys. They meet by chance (or maybe fate) at the diner where Blue works and though they don't hit it up or fall in love, everything is set in motion from then on. Having a reading at Blue's house by her mum and friends for Gansey and the rest of his small group of unlikely friends is just the final push for the rock to roll.

This book is carried in the shoulders of its characters and they are such a complex mix that is a joy to read about them and try to discover more about each of them.

The fours boys, Gansey, Adam, Ronan and Noah are such an unlikely mix and so different from the very cliched stereotypes of the rich privileged boys that would attend an elite school, and their interactions and their relationship is one that makes you think of the "your friends are the family you choose" saying.

Blue and her family are such a ragtag of quirky and different personalities and as full of secrets as the boys. Whatever you see in the surface for them, is quite like an iceberg, there's even more unseen.

The plot moves at a slow but steady pace, building up on the mystery and the search of Gansey's own grial quest: finding the tomb of an old Welsh king. It is unclear if Gansey is sure of what he'll do when he finds it, cause even if it's said that you can ask a boon from the king if you find him, it seems that is the search what Gansey is using to find who he is separate from his family and his money, a quest to define himself. All the boys seem to be more or less involved on Gansey's search, some more out of loyalty, some cause they do want something out of the king. And Blue, Blue just can't help being drawn into the quest because she becomes part of the Raven Boys, she finds a different purpose and she just feels she needs to be there.

There's plenty of paranormal elements, but quite in a different and unique way, and it has plenty of gritty tough real world happenings to balance it, there's enough darkness and intrigue to keep you turning the pages and while the ending is quite final, it also leaves plenty of open doors and questions unanswered to be quite eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!

Raven Boys does deserve 4 and a half stars.




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Mark This Book Monday: Mind Games by Kiersten White!

For yet another Mark This Book Monday entry, this book was different than I was expecting, but as it happened, in a good way.

Mind Games by Kiersten White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Writing a review for Mind Games and keep it spoiler free is not gonna be easy, but I'm gonna try my best.

For starters is quite a different kind of book from what I've read recently, and very different in style and theme from the author's previous series, Paranormalcy. It's more raw and with two not-very-reliable narrators.

Fia and Anna are two sisters who lose their parents in a tragic accident and get a chance to join a school for girls with extraordinary gifts. Fia has flawless insticts and Anna's sight is not outwards but inwards, she's blind and she can see the future.

Fia's instincts tell her that there's something very wrong with the school, but both girls are very young when they join and Anna thinks that it'd be the best chance for both of them. But Fia is never wrong and there's something very wrong at that school, and soon neither of the girls is sure who is the one kept as hostage and who is the one they actually value the most. Both girls are highly protective of each other and love each other fiercely and that is used to keep them in line.

The story is told from the perspective of both Fia and Anna, and keeps on moving from the past to the present, and even if it's a slow way of trying to put all the pieces together and figure out what's going on from two very different perspectives, since none of the sisters can see the full picture despite their gifts, it managed to keep me pondering and turning pages trying to figure out what would happen next!

There's a bit of romance in the book, but I'm not sure if I like Fia's choices or what exactly those choices are, cause she seems to be going against her instincts but not really? James and Adam play a small but big part on how events play out, or even better, not big actions but big reactions to the part they play.

The ending was quite a shock and left me awaiting eagerly, and quite puzzled, the sequel. I really have no idea where the story is gonna go from here and I can't wait to find out!

A very solid 4 stars for this one.



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Mark This Book Monday: Elegy by Tara Hudson!

Monday is here and with it a new edition of Mark This Book(s) Monday!

Let's get this started, right?

Elegy by Tara Hudson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Elegy is the final book in the Hereafter trilogy and with it Amelia's struggle with her after life, her relationship with Joshua and the fight with the forces of Darkness all clashes into a final battle.

I can't really talk about Elegy and keep it spoiler free for the previous books, but as always I will try my best to keep it spoiler-free for the book itself.

Elegy starts pretty much where Arise left us, with a Risen and very shaken Amelia, trying to figure out how she can defeat the forces of darkness and try to keep all her loved ones safe. She's already had to face the fact that keeping secrets from her loved ones and Joshua is not the solution, and that she can't face the demons from the brigde on her own. After getting an ultimatum to give herself in or what those around her die, she decides to take action and bring the fight to the demons.

Joshua and Amelia keep on facing dificulties on their relationship, because even if now that she's Risen Amelia can be seen and can interact more normally with Joshua's family, they lost the intimacy of touch, and all the "fight the demons or they'll kill everyone you care for" is putting a lot of strain to their relationship, but they do manage to get through all the highs and lows with working on their issues and talking about them, and that's a lesson we should all take to heart: talk about your issues with your partner, don't expect others to guess and magically fix things!

Amelia has to make some slightly unexpected alliances and not all plans go as planned, but they're ready to give a fight to the devils on the bridge, and quite unexpectedly when things go awry, Amelia gets contacted and gets some explanation from the side of Light about what's going on, and she gets offered a way out. But that is not good enough for Amelia, since she needs to do what she feels is right and she has to fight the demons and save those inprisoned there, and she's not getting any help from the Light side in there, and I found that very disappointing, it seems that in the world Tara created the evil guys are more proactive than the good ones, and neither of both sides care enough about errant ghosts.

The ending was quite action packed, a little bit unexpected and quite heartbreaking even if there's also a note of hope.

There's a definitive character growth and progression in Amelia and Joshua, and also in Jillian, cause she was quite irritating in Arise, but she's much more than an angsty brat in Elegy, she turns out to be quite of a hero in the end.

I was a bit scared to start the book, cause I feared how it would end, but it was a fast read, with a tight plot, many questions answered and what might not be a very cheerful ending but one that does make sense for the story and is true to the characters.

I give Elegy 3 and a half stars.





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Showcase Sunday #6!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Mass

Won in a Giveaway (thank you so much C.J. Redwine!)

This was my first ever signed ARC and I was stalking my poor postman hoping for it to arrive! It is also my second ever physical ARC, after the Alienated one!

Deception by C.J. Redwine

For Review (via NetGalley)

After three weeks of rejection after rejection on NetGalley this was the week I was approved for every single ARC I requested, I'm nearly overwhelmed now!

Parasite by Mira Grant

All Is Fair by Emma Newman

Tainted by A.E. Rought

A Covenant With Hell by Priscilla Royal

The Mephisto Mark by Trinity Faegen

The Pentrals by Crystal Mack

The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little

This week the reading muses have been extremely kind to me, to the point that all my reading schedule has been thrown out for a loop, but I'm so grateful!

What did you lot get this week? Hope you were as lucky as me!

Thankful Thursday: The kindness of others.

Hello everyone!

Thankful Thursday is that little space I like spending each week thinking of something I'm grateful for.
Sometimes is easier to complain about the bad than to be thankful about the good, but I think it's even more important to look for the good and acknowlegde it.

What I am thankful for this week? I'm thankful for all the people that are kind and nice to me one way or the other. Doesn't matter if it's a stranger, a friend, a co-worker... If we stop and think about it, there's always someone that can be there when we need a lil push, a kind word or a nice gesture, and we need to focus more on that and on spreading it than on complaining about the not-so-nice one that cut us on the exit for the highway!

Be kind.

And have a cupcake!

Waiting On Wednesday #3!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!


So what am I eagerly awaiting this week? The newly cover-revealed Ultraviolet Catastrophe by Jamie Grey!

Goodreads summary:

 "Quantum Electrodynamics. String Theory. Schrödinger's cat. For sixteen-year-old Lexie Kepler, they’re just confusing terms in her science textbooks, until she finds out that her parents have been drugging her to suppress her outrageous IQ. Now Branston Academy, a school run by the world’s most powerful scientists, has tracked her down and is dying for her to attend - as a research subject.

She takes refuge at Quantum Technologies, a secret scientific community where her father works as a top-notch scientist, and begins her new life as girl genius at Quantum High. But the assignments at her new school make the Manhattan Project look like preschool - and Lexie barely survived freshman algebra.

Her first big assignment – creating an Einstein-Rosen bridge – is also her first chance to prove she can hold her own with the rest of QT's prodigies. But while working with the infuriatingly hot Asher Rosen, QT’s teen wonder, Lexie uncovers a mistake in their master equation. Instead of a wormhole, the machine they’re building would produce deadly ultraviolet rays that could destroy the world. Now Lexie and Asher have to use their combined brainpower to uncover the truth behind the device. Before everyone at Quantum Technologies is caught in the ultraviolet catastrophe."


Why am I eagerly awaiting Ultraviolet Catastrophe? Well, I found the first chapter at the end of One by LeighAnn Kopans and it intrigued me so much! It's gonna be a mix of science fiction and contemporary with loads of science and geeky references, and I just can't wait to read it! Also... look at that absolutely amazing cover!! Ain't it gorgeous?? September 24th is still too far away!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?

Mark This Book Monday: Infinityglass by Myra McEntire!!

And for the last Mark This Book Monday entry of the week, the final book of the Hourglass trilogy!



Infinityglass by Myra McEntire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fantastic ending to this great trilogy! I will try my best to keep the review as spoiler free as possible, but in all probability there will be spoilers for the previous two books.

Infinityglass starts with a look back at the past, and we do so with a new POV, Hallie, and who is Hallie, you might ask? Hallie is the daughter of Paul Girard, the main guy behind Chronos, who used to be business partner and so much more with Teagan. Hallie has been raised overly protected and sheltered by her dad, but probably quite unexpectedly she's bold, sarcastic and has a lot of spunk! She's always been rash and brave, and that paired with her time gene given ability makes her quite a character! But little she knows that she's more than she could even imagine.

The second POV is Dune, the official Hourglass expert in the Infinityglass, that goes to New Orleands to try and help solve the mystery of the Infinityglass and if possible heal the time continuum that is good and well messed up. He meets Hallie, and she's quite a handful to deal with, and Dune not only has to help keep her safe, but help find out the answers in the Infinityglass lore to see what it really means for a person and not an object to be the Infinityglass.

After reading the book it's quite clear that the story had to be told by Hallie and Dune, since they are the ones in the thick of it, and any other POVs would have been telling their story for them. Hallie and Dune get through a initial deception to working together, to falling in love, and they become each other's strenght. Lily and Kaleb, Em and Michael, they do come into the story, but they are there to complete their journey and to support Hallie and Dune on their, but this is the Infinityglass show, and so they're just supporting characters.

The time continuum continues to get more and more messed up (or should I say wibbly wobbly) and the past is threating to invade the present and take over, and the stakes get even higher when Teagan and Jack come into the scene, always with an ace under their sleeve.

With a fast moving pace but allowing time to develop the new characters while moving the story along, and plenty of geeky references (including quite a few Doctor Who ones) this book hooked me from the start, surprised me with a few twists I wasn't really expecting and managed to wrap things up quite neatly in the end, with a bit of shocker in the resolution!

All in all, 4 and a half stars for this book, and probably for the whole trilogy as well! Thank you Myra McEntire for this fantastic and fun ride!





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Mark This Book Monday: Frigid by J Lynn!

For the next Mark This Book Monday entry a slightly unsual read for me. I'm not really much of a fan of contemporaries, but since this one was written by Jennifer L Armentrout under her other pen name, and I really love all of her other books, I knew I had to give this one a chance, and glad I did!


Frigid by J. Lynn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Frigid is full of what Jennifer L Armentrout does best, and as J Lynn, she can push the limits a bit more. What does that mean? That means we get the same humour, the same witty banter and even more steamy & swoony scenes!

Kyler and Sydney have been friends since kindergarten, always being there for each other through thick and thin. Once puberty hit the friendship continued but at some point both fell in love with each other, Sydney accepted it, Kyler didn't think he was good enough for Syd so he hid it in denial and a lot of casual dating and sex.

Now, they're in college and continue being best of friends, Kyler taking care of Syd and finding fault in any guy that shows an interest on her with a "no guy is good enough for me, least of all me" mentality, and Syd is trying to continue being a friend to Kyler despite the continue hurting that his men-whore ways bring to her.

Everything is bound to change when they get stuck in a big snow storm during their usual winter break retreat in the mountains, isolated and just the two of them. That means loads of tension, Syd taking a "to hell with it" attitude and Kyler having to face what he has been denying for a loong time! It is not an easy road for them, and since both of them have a lot of baggage to deal with: Syd mostly insecurities and Kyler mostly mistakes, they're gonna have a lot to deal with!

I loved reading this book, and not even the wrong assumptions and confusions took me from enjoying Syd & Kyler, with their banter, the steamy chemistry and most of all, their insane loyalty to each other and their friendship.

A 4 star read and the perfect summer book!



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Mark This Book Monday: Earth Girl by Janet Edwards!

Well, Monday is here again and with it a new edition of Mark This Book(s) Monday!

I'm gonna start this week's review with a very nice surprise and discovery, even more since the sequel for this one comes out this Thursday!



Earth Girl by Janet  Edwards

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After reading the synopsis, I wasn't completely sure I was gonna love the book, but it sounded intriguing enough: humans have colonized the stars and can go anywhere instantly via portals, but some are born Handicapped and can't survive anywhere but old mother Earth. Something in their immune system reacts to other planets and they get severe anaphilactic shock, so babies have to be portaled to Earth right after birth to be able to survive. They are called "apes" and are considered inferior, and parents usually abandon them to the care of Hospital Earth, funded by all the colonies. The kids are raised in communal classes till they are 18, getting a ProMum and ProDad who look out for them but don't actually do any parental caring. There's an enormous stigma associated with having an "ape" baby, and couples usually blame each other's genes for it and divorce.

Jarra is an Earth Girl, she's Handicapped, an ape, and she's got a lot of anger and resentment about the ways most "normal" people, the ones born away from Earth, the ones that can portal from place to place. She wants to prove to the "exos"("ape" is considered a bad word, a demeaning word, "exo" is the equivalent to it used by the Handicapped to refer pejoratively to the normals that can portal) how an ape girl can be as good as any of them, and she wants to prove it going undercover, so to speak.

Jarra's biggest love is history, more precisely pre-history the period of human history before the invention of the portals and the massive Exodus of humankind to the stars. She wants to study History and pre-history and she wants to do it hiding the fact she's an "ape". All universities first courses for History have to take place in Earth, since the first year always focus on pre-history and that means Earth. She'll join an outer planet university and show all the exos that she can be as good as them.

Jarra's journey in this book is one from anger and resentment to acceptance and growin up. She does a lot of growing up in the book, because the exos are not the only ones with prejudices, Jarra is ready to hate everyone in her class just cause she thinks they'd hate her and belittle her for being an "ape". It really is a coming of age tale. Discovering who she is and dealing with it, dealing with the losses and the victories she's given, and learning to trust others and to actually see herself not for what she fears others will see, but for who she really is, not what.

There romance in the book does have a bit of an odd progression, slowly building in a way, but with some sudden stop/starts all intermingled with the plot, and since I want to keep this spoiler-free I don't want to dwell much on that. Fian is a sweet character and adds a lot to the way Jarra learns to deal with things and despite his less out there attitude, he does a great job at keeping Jarra grounded when she needs it the most.

There's a big focus on history and archeology in this book, and the love of Jarra for both subjects is contagious, even if I'm also a big lover of both subjects myself. Add the science fiction setting of it all, and this book had the right recipe for me to love it.

The story's ending is complete and even though I'm quite eager to continue reading about Jarra's story, it didn't end with a cliffhanger!

Very well deserved 4 stars!



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Showcase Sunday #5!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (phyisical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Kindle app)

 Infinityglass by Myra McEntire

Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

What did you guys get this week?

Thankful Thursday: A place to find peace: the cottage!

Hello everyone!

Today I'm gonna be away from the laptop, a proper internet connection, work and the heat by the time you get to read this entry. And I thought that it was just fitting that I'd be making this week's Thankful Thursday about a place that's my safe place and has been since I can remember!

My parents bought a plot of land on the outs of this tiny village (when I say tiny, I mean it, it has like 3 families living all year round) about 60 something kilometres from where we live and they built a house there (and I mean they did the actual building, my mum, dad and my bro! I came into the family with all the work done!). It's a wonderful place, so quiet, much cooler during the summers, with a lot of nature around and with the most amazing sky at night you can imagine! Let's not forget the doggies my dad has, and you can imagine why going there is the perfect recipe to relax, recharge and renew yourself! I'm so thankful I have such an amazing place so close by where I can just feel better as soon as I step out of the car!

What are you thankful for today?

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Vitamina Eu!!

Being the handmade lover that I am, as well as the bookworm, I'm gonna continue mixing both books and handmade items entries in the blog, so Wearing Handmade Wednesday entries will continue to pop up now and then, and this one it's even book related!

You guys might remember an Etsy shop called Vitamina Eu where I got an awesome mug from my twin friend Deb. I fell in love with the "bookworm mug" as I called it, so when she had a 10% discount code for Xmas in July, I decided to indulge myself and get it!

When it arrived home it didn't come alone, Eu ,the super sweet lady behind the shop, had also painted the same design in a bookmark! Aren't they the cutest thing ever?



Also, in case you're wondering, the book used as a prop to show off the mug & bookworm is my ARC copy of Alienated by Melissa Landers!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get books we're so eagerly awaiting!

My choice this week is The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson, the final book in the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy!

Goodreads summary:

"The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most."


Why am I biting my nails waiting for The Bitter Kingdom?

Well, are you kidding me? If you've read the previous two books you'd know this is a great fantasy series, with a very unique setting and that Crown of Embers ended in the kind of cliffhanger that makes you want to grab a TARDIS and go to the future! August 27th can't get here fast enough!

What are you impatiently waiting to read?