Release Day Review: Gabriel by Nikki Kelly!!

Hello guys!

Things continue to be a bit hectic here now and then with still more things to sort around the new apartment, trying to have some sort of social life, work and added to that a course I'm taking at work... But no matter how busy I am, I always find time to read, because reading is my refuge... what I don't always find time for is blogging and writing reviews, but I have decided to do the best I can and not let blogging stress me (much!).

Today is Tuesday and as such is release day for a lot of awesome books because this October has been terrible on my TBR pile and my wallet both! But I want to celebrate specially the release of Gabriel by Nikki Kelly and share my ARC Review for it!



Gabriel by Nikki Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gabriel was a perfect game changer of a sequel and it does all things that a good sequel ought to do: add a new layer to both our character, see how their relationships change and are challenged and peel away new layers in the world building and the plot, leaving us with a bit of whiplash after some reveals that do turn our world upside down!

I will try by best to keep things as spoiler free for book one as possible but to be safe just run along and read Lailah right now! Done? Well, Gabriel picks up right where Lailah left us and that was a doozy! So much has changed for Lailah and Gabriel and Jonah! All three of them have quite a bit of character development to go through because things have changed so very drastically!

I really like Lailah's growth and how she found the strenght in herself to finally acccept who she is, but the road there was NOT easy at all, and at times I was feeling a bit likely to shake her for being so stubborn and taking so many riks!

Gabriel and Jonah both pissed me equally on the first half of the book or so! So protective, to treating Lailah like a fragile being and keeping secrets for "her own good"... I really felt like slapping them both! And even if I didn't agree with Lailah taking the riks she did, I understand that she was not happy to be told that she was superpowerful but it'd be better is she stayed home like a good girl!

I did warn you about plot twist and unexpected revelations and I should also warn you about a massively evil cliffhanger (I had been warned, and it helped, but not that much!!) and also... *whispers*thelovetrianglegetsresolved*whispers* but I won't say ANY more since you really need to read it to see how it all makes sense!

Now I'm dying to get my hands on book three!! DAMNED AWFUL CLIFFHANGER!! *shakes fist at Nikki*



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Tell Me Tuesdays #31!!

Tell Me Tuesdays is a meme/feature created by the awesome La La In The Library, where we can share how we choose the book we are currently reading from our TBR pile!

I'm always curious about that, cause as much as I tend to make myself a rough schedule for books to read and the like, I'm quite a mood reader and sometimes I just HAVE to ignore my schedule and read something else!

 Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.

 Gabriel by Nikki Kelly

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.


I started Gabriel Sunday night at work, then paused to finish Truthwitch that I was reading at home, and then paused again to start reading Sweet Temptation (as soon as it downloaded to my Kindle), and now I'm switching between those two and probably will finish them both today or tomorrow at the latest!

So what are you all guys reading and how and why did you decide to pick up that book? Shiny new ARC? Comfort read? Scheduled for review? Must have new release? Tell me!!

Mark This Book Monday: Burn and The Wrath & The Dawn!!!

Hello there guys!!

I hope all you US peeps had a brilliant weekend with the 4th of July and the Women's World Cup win, and I hope that my fellow Europeans are surviving the bloody awful heat wave!

Today for Mark This Book Monday I have two mini reviews for two books that have been part of a very good reading binge, until I ended up with a massive book hangover last weekend. Both count towards my 105 Challenge, one as a 2015 Release and the other as Fantasy book! And since one of them is also a debut, it counts towards my 2015 Debut Author Challenge!

Burn by Paula Weston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is what a final book in a beloved series needs to be! And this is the perfect finale for this series, with the good and the bad and the fights and everything! 5 stars doesn't start to describe it properly!

Writing a proper review of this one is gonna be rather difficult, given how easily I might end up spoiling either this book or any of the previous 3, but given how the summary tells you the big ending of the previous book... Just trust me, start reading this series now!

Gaby has to be quite one of my favourite female characters with her flaws, her loyalty and her way of fighting what doesn't make sense and accepting things once they are proven. And I love that despite getting all the missing pieces, she still made herself anew!

We get quite a few twists and surprises when it comes to getting all the pending information, and trust me, we do get it in spades! Some of the twists are quite game changers for all the characters. Some unexpected alliances happen, and some moments of hilarity also unexpectedly happen!

The romance in this series is the most awesome mix of attraction/slow burn/complicated relationship that you can find, and even if we find out what happened in the past between Rafa and Gaby... it made me root for them both even more!! *happy sigh*

Another thing that I loved about this book is how important the relationship between siblings is, because Jude and Gaby and their relationship really is pivotal on everything that happens, the good and the bad. Splitting apart and getting back in touch... and you gotta love how even when choosing different sides, it is a great depiction of a familiar love!

And I don't want to fail to mention how much I loved that friendships are also very much important in this book. Between Rafa and Jude, Gaby and Maggie, and how those friends stand various tests, one of the biggest the revelation of not being human and fighting demons!

If you are a fan of angel books, you NEED to read this series. If, like me, you really aren't too keen on books about angels... you NEED to give this one a try, as I did!! Aussie angels are different mate! ;)





The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! THE NEXT BOOK!!! I NEEEEEED IT!!!!!

*takes a deep breath*

Okay, now I feel like I can attempt to write a somewhat coherent review, now that a pair of days have passed and I still feel very strongly about the book but not as lost for words!

First of all, I haven't read 1001 Nights properly, but I do own a gorgeous edition of the books, and I've read quite a few of the stories as children's stories and know a bit about the general plot of the book.

That might have been for the best given how this one is a loose retelling, and although we get some stories told at night here too and those I was quite familiar with, we get more of the day to day of Shazi and Khalid and how their relationship changes in unexpected ways for them both.

The writing and descriptions are fantastic, lush and visual and I was completely immersed in the book! So much that I completely devoured it in a day! The clothes, the architecture... the FOOD!! I'm still craving Indian and Persian food after reading this book because so much amazing food!!

I loved Shazi as a character, she's loyal, she's fierce and her internal monologues where always very sincere. I love that she can be trying to achieve her goal and protect her family, but she finds herself learning more and her feelings change and she never really lies to herself.

Khalid is a more difficult character to relate at first, because we know so little about him, but we also know there's so much more about him, about the deaths and about his fight for his kingdom, and as Shazi discovers it, so do we. I feel like I fell for Khalid right beside Shazi!

Political intrigue, magic and love, this book has them in spades! Add to that a completely heartbreaking ending and you find yourself as I did, screaming for a sequel! A fantastic debut very much worthy of 5 stars!



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Gabriel (The Styclar Saga #2) by Nikki Kelly Blizt!!

Gabriel by Nikki Kelly

Series: The Styclar Saga #2
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: October 27th 2015
Pages: 352

Synopsis:

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

 Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.

Interview

Will we get a peek at Styclar Plena in the current action of the book or are we doomed to just hear about from Gabriel's memories only?

Lol doomed you say?! I can tell you exclusively, here in this interview, that in Book3 we get to go to to third dimension, and the first dimension (Styclar-Plena) in the current action of the book ;) 


 I need a sneak peak! What's going to happen with Jonah? *waves #TeamJonah flag*

...Now that would be telling ;) You can, however, get a sneak peek through the Gabriel cover reveal blog tour, where I shared 6 excerpts form Book2: http://www.thestyclarsaga.com/blog-tour/


Can you describe this second book in a tweet? (140 characters)

Just when you think you know... you have no idea ;) #TheStyclarSaga #GABRIEL #NoMercy


Best gif that describes Jonah and another for Gabriel?

How much of Jonah will we see in Gabriel?

Plenty, I promise! ;) The second book may be titled GABRIEL, but it is told from Lailah's POV. The reason the book is called GABRIEL is because there is a focus on what becomes of Gabriel's 'soul' if you will. Take my word for it though, Jonah gets plenty of 'screen time' ;)

If you were FORCED (hahahahha) to help Gabriel or Jonah train to be lifeguards, who would you choose?? Obviously they will only be wearing red speedos. ;)

Sadly, I wouldn't be able to help either train to be a lifeguard as my ability in water is non-existant... That said... *has idea!* I could quite easily throw myself in and begin to drown (because that would require no acting on my part what so ever) and then they would have to jump in and save me... In fact, I think that's exactly what we should do, that way we also get to see both of the boys in red speedos.. because #HellsYes !


In 10 words or less, what can we expect from Gabriel?

A definite need to *fist pump and plenty of *face palming!
(Okay, I know that was 11, but it was close!)

What's the ONE thing about the series that you'd like readers to know that they don't know already? : )

There are elements of my own life weaved through the story telling of the entire series. When I say I gave a part of myself to these novels, I wasn't joking!


What inspired you to mix vampires and angels together?

I wanted to tell a story about light and dark, good and evil if you will, and how things are never quite what they seem....To do this for the saga, I borrowed a little here and there from my own belief system, and I was able to create new worlds and beings, but utilize existing belief or myth on which to base them. For example, the two worlds the beings emerged from were based on the concept of Heaven and Hell. I then spun that into something else entirely. I took the myths about vampires and angels etc. and tried to demonstrate how, through storytelling and game of telephone, the idea of what they are has become quite different from the truth – the truth of course being the reality of things in my books! If you want to tell a story about light and dark, preconceived notions and perception, what two better candidates than Gabriel and Jonah, an Angel and a Vampire in which to explore those very themes!


What was the most challenging part of writing Gabriel?

Lailah picks her ship! That was not an easy thing to pen! **eep**


Lailah was such a successful start to this series, people seemed to really love it! Did that make you feel additional pressure to ensure the sequel was just as good?

When people express their love for your story it always adds to the pressure of making sure you get it right, not just for your characters, not just for you, but for the reader. But there will always be instances where the reader doesn't agree with something that happens as the journey progresses, for example which ship makes it out the port! ;) I always keep the readers in mind, but ultimately I have to be true and honest to the characters and their story, even if it means that sometimes people want to throw things at you! So yes, I guess the prospect of twitter bombs being slung my way adds to the pressure!

If you had a chance to re-live your life, what would you have done differently?

Not a single thing. Every shelf I ever stacked, every customer I ever served, every diary I ever organised... in fact, every minute of every day, all the laughs and all the tears led me tohere—and here is the most wonderful place. There is a very fine balance between having ambition and gumption to go out and make your dreams a reality, trying to find the 'good times' if you like, and being able to see and know exactly when you are in them! I'm in them now.


If a celebrity was going to play Gabriel, who would it be and why?

Alex Pettyfer for sure because he's a very talented English actor... yada, yada, yada... Okay people, lets keep it real #LeSwoon .. #NuffSaid


If you had to pick ONE song that either represents you or your books, what song would you pick? (You can totally pick one for you and one for your books if you want!)

For Styclar— Imagine Dragons:Demons For me—Boyzone:Words


Where did Gabriel and Jonah come from? Any real life influences?

Gabriel and Jonah both possess qualities form my own beau :) He was a little more like Jonah when I met him (I was 16) and he's a little more like Gabriel now, but when I ask nicely he will still, from time to time, point his collar up ;)


ALSO, What do you love most about Jonah?

He's a bit rough around the edges, but give him a polish and he shines likes a diamond :)



And in case you haven't read Lailah yet. . . .

Lailah by Nikki Kelly 
Series: The Styclar Saga #1
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis:

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NIKKI KELLY was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. Lailah was first launched to Wattpad, an online readers and writers community. Within six months, the novel had over one million reads. Lailah is Nikki’s debut novel, and the first book in The Styclar Saga. She lives in London with her husband and their dogs, Alfie (a pug) and Goose (a Chihuahua).

LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.

Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.

These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads | Wattpad | Youtube

Lailah by Nikki Kelly: An International Giveaway!!

Hello guys!!

I still haven't started baking properly to bring back my Ink & Batter posts for Thursdays, but I'm hoping to do so soon. In the mean time, today I have a giveaway!

And what do I have for you guys today? Well, I got an extra copy of Lailah by Nikki Kelly, cause I preordered it but it didn't arrive before my trip to the US, so I bought another copy at the Fierce Reads event to get it signed. That means my unsigned preordered copy is looking for a loving house cause I really do not have the space for two copies of the same book!

So, to make it a lil more interesting, I'm also throwing in some awesome Styclar swag, since Nikki was amazing enough to give me loads of it at the event, she's an absolute sweetheart and I'm so very happy to be part of the Styclar Street Team!

If you are wondering if Lailah will be your thing, you can check my review HERE!

The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL, just remember that cheaters never prosper and I will check all entries!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday Pages: Shimmer by Paula Weston!!!

Hello there!! Welcome to a new edition of Saturday Pages!!

By the time this post will be up, I'm gonna be at my parents' cottage, relaxing, enjoying that it's cooler there, playing with the pups, sleeping and reading! Just taking a few days to recharge and find some sort of inner peace!

But since I've been a bit better with my juggling of work and blogging, I have a review ready to share with you guys, and this one is yet another 5 stars for an angel book! Who would've thought, huh? Not me if I had read and paid any attention to the Goodreads blurb! Hush, Hush?? Nope, this is WAAAY BETTER!!
Thankfully I just listened to the very amazing Sam from Realm of Fiction and boy was she right!!




Shimmer by Paula Weston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well, this was one of those highly awaited sequels and I was lucky enough to be able to start right after finishing the killer ending/cliffhanger of Haze!

As expected there could be some spoilers for the previous two books in the series but I'll try my best to avoid them!

Shimmer starts right where Haze left us, and includes a who's who and a prologue that will help with bridging the gap between one book and the other so you can be reminded of what's happened (always helpful if a year has passed between books) and that even if I had just finished one and started the other, didn't feel repetitive or superfluous.

When things seemed to be going better on Haze, despite the dangers and the enemies and the unknowns, we got that horrible ending and Gaby and the rest of the Rephaim got quite the awful shock. And now they must regroup and react. Seems like this could be a chance for both sides of the Rephaim to work together, but it seems like that won't be something easily accomplished.

I'm extremely happy about how the author seem to manage to make every book more, without faltering on the pacing, the revelations and the world building. How we keep on getting more clues and little things here and there, and how she keeps us wondering about what will be relevant later on and what won't.

I loved how Gaby continued to grow and despite her acting a bit rashly due to very emotional and understandable reasons, I never really felt like she was being stupidly headstrong. I tended to agree with her questioning the authority and motivations behind the leadership of the Rephaim, and what their real mission was. It was great to see questions thrown into the Rephaim and see how each of them reacted, and how some changed sides and opinions. So much had been kept from them all and so much seems to still be discovered (or re-discovered in case Jude and Gaby had discovered it before the memory loss happened).

I was beyond happy about the romance in this one, and I haven't really been in the right place for loads of romance as of late. This has been the slow burn type of romance and it takes extreme events to push it farther, but once it does, it happens with a vengeance!

This book managed to up the ante a bit more after what Haze did, and that is saying quite something! Seems like all the players are now alligned for a final showdown and the ending despite being a cliffhanger, it's not the kind of horrible killer of a cliffhanger than Haze had, it's more of the "I want to know now!!" kind of cliffhanger, cause we're thrown quite the game changer at the end of this one!

Once again, a very well deserved 5 stars for this book and a series that has managed to wow me with every book so far! Keeping my fingers crossed for Burn, the last book that will be releasing next year!! If you haven't started this series yet, DO IT NOW!



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Friday Reads: Haze by Paula Weston!!!

Hey guys! For the second entry on this week's Friday Reads I have one of those sequels that somehow manage to get everything that was good on the first book, build on it and make it even better!

A word of warning, this book was released last year in the UK and Australia but it won't be published in US till September this year, so my dear US friends either curb your impatience, or order the UK/AUS versions from The Book Depository!



Haze by Paula Weston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Haze is one of those sequels that are absolutely amazing, that moves the plot along and is full of revelations and add more layers to the already complex world building! Since this is the review of the sequel, there might be some spoilers for book one, Shadows, but I'll try keep those to a minimum.

Haze starts pretty much where Shadows left us, with Gaby still reeling with all the revelations and happenings since Rafa appeared at a bar in Pan Beach, and the search for answers about what happened to Jude and her, what did they find out? Why the memory loss?

We do get more questions than answers, but at least Gaby gets a bit of a break in the shape of some good news! She finds that she isn't alone in her corner, cause neither of the guys one both sides of the Rephaim seemed to trust her in Shadows, except from Rafa, and that came with reservations. Now, she finds herself asserting who she is as Gaby and accepting those parts of Gabe that come to her, like muscle memory and learning to fight properly, again.

I loved how Gaby kept trying to find her place within the Rephaim now, being Gaby and not Gabe, dealing with all the memories everyone has of her, and that she doesn't. It was great to see her character grow and intereact with all the others Rephaim, even those that weren't fans of her at all.

And what I loved the most was how the relationship with Rafa moved, it had quite a few hot & cold moments, but given the story between them that Gaby can't remember at all (and so we don't know about) it kind of makes sense that Rafa isn't entirely ready to act on his attraction (and probably much more) to Gaby. Their relationship is fantastic, since Rafa tries to treat her as who she is right now but at the same time is mindful of who she was. The chemistry between them is amazing as is the way they work as a team.

The action takes us to so many new places in this one! Not only in Gaby's not real memories (that I keep thinking must be very important and relevant but still don't know how) but in the journey for answers the characters are. Gaby keeps returning to Pan Beach so it has to have some more significance that we know yet, and then she travels with other Rephaim to LA and Dubai... and every place feels so real and so vivid.

What we thought we knew is challenged when we meet some new characters, and we're entirely unsure if they're friends or foes. I found very refreshing that there are revelations that are new for all the Rephaim, so it's not just Gaby the one that is in the dark, although it is quite worrisome too. What else is there that the Rephaim don't know about, and maybe they should? Why are they being kept in the dark? Is that why Jude and Rafe and their rebels left? Does it have something to do with why Gaby stayed and then left with Jude??

I feel like there are clues left for us everywhere along the books and we don't realize they're clues, except when something will be revealed and then we'll go "AHA!" and that's a feeling I love in a book! But for now it's the feeling of "maybe this is relevant for later on or maybe I'm just getting paraoid?".

If you can, I'd suggest reading this one with the next book reading to be open either right next to you or in your eReader, cause the cliffhanger is one of the specially horrible and cruel ones!! I'm beyond happy I waited to read all three books in a row and didn't start the series last year, cause the wait would have been painful!!

All in all, this is a brilliant sequel and very much deserving of 5 stars!!



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Mark This Book Monday: Shadows by Paula Weston!!!

Hello guys!! Welcome to a new week, new Monday and as such a new edition of Mark This Book Monday!

This week I'm gonna be reviewing the three books that are out so far (in Australia and the UK) from The Rephaim series. One of those very few series about angels and demons that I have actually enjoyed and adored! Which ones are the others you may ask? Sweet Evil trilogy by Wendy Higgins and Penryn and the End of Days by Susan Ee.

I want to thank Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction and Sam from Realm of Fiction for putting this series on my radar, you ladies are two of my most trusted canaries!



Shadows by Paula Weston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have never really been a fan of books about angels and demons but I had two of my blogging friends, Sam and Kristen, highly recommend I started this series last year but somehow I completely forgot about it. Fast forward to last week when the third book in the series came out, Sam was again raving about it and I decided to get the three books for my Kindle app... and the rest is history as they say, I totally binge read the three books in two days!

Shadows is the first book and the one that keeps us confused for the first half of it, as confused as Gaby herself is. She moved to Pandanus Beach trying to recover from the horrific accident where her twin bother Jude died, and now a year later, she seems to be able to start living and not just surviving. But then a mysterious stranger called Rafa arrives, calling her Gabe and claiming to be Jude's best friend. And that's just the beginning of what could be defined as "all hell breaks loose!".

Gaby is told that she's not 19, she's not human, she was presumed dead too and her being alive makes her a suspect of treason to her own people. There are two sides that are telling her to choose, not really believing her when she says that she has no idea what's going on and she's being pushed in every direction to remember the past and defend herself.

I loved Gaby from the start, she was trying to heal, trying to find a new life for herself and then she's thrown THE curve ball and she doesn't know what to do or what (or who) to believe. Rafa proves to her that he was her brother's best friend and that they had known each other before, but he's quite stingy with the information he provides. Gaby has to relearn a LOT of things, starting with who to trust, how to fight and what she is not willing to compromise. She might have been someone different once, but she is now Gaby and she won't forget about her friend Maggie and her other regular human friends.

Rafa was a very interesting character, even if his tendency to expect Gaby to remember things or to be stingy with the information he provided really got on my nerves on occasion. Given that the rest of the Rephaim aren't any better with their information sharing, I quickly forgave him for it. He might have not been 100% sincere from the start, but he always gave Gaby more credit and treated her more like an equal than the ones that were supposed to be on Gaby's side.

Daniel I quite dislike on principle and never really warmed towards him, he was too much of the politician and didn't care enough to bother giving Gaby a chance to explain herself or really believed her when she said she didn't remember. So for me, the possible love triangle really wasn't such, as I'm pretty sure it wasn't for Gaby!

Maggie and Jason were also interesting secondary characters, and with very interesting twists hidden too!

One of the best things on this book is how well balanced the action and the world building were. We don't really get any info dumping, we're getting explanations but at the same time we're moving the plot along. There were plenty of twists, unexpected reveals and surprises along the way and the take on fallen angels never felt overly done at all.

One heck of a first book and one that I flew by and as soon as I was finished needed to start book two! Well deserved 4.5 to 5 stars! Even if angel books are not your thing, trust me, this one might just be!



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Friday Reads: Review of World After by Susan Ee!!

This week's Friday Reads start with a very much awaited sequel and one book that I started reading as soon as it downloaded to my Kindle app and that kept me up till I finished it, at almost 5 am!


World After by Susan Ee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


World After has been one of those very much awaited sequels of the year, and even if I was lucky enough to read AngelFall earlier this year so the wait was not as long... well, it still was a nail-biting-kind-of-wait!

Angelfall was my favourite angel book ever and a book I have to push the bf to read and World After is the kind of sequel that makes you happy, avoiding any of the falls that sequels might have and living up to the quite high expectations I had for it! I will try my best to keep my review spoiler free, but there might be some spoilers for Angelfall.

World After starts exactly where Angelfall leaves us, and so we have Penryn and Raffe apart and dealing with different sets of problems. Penryn now is reunited with her mother and Paige and they have been rescued by the Resistance. We meet again with some of the characters that Raffe and Penryn encountered, like Dee and Dum and it seems like being with them is the best option for Penryn and her family.

Penryn is the focus of most of the action for a big part of the book but that doesn't mean Raffe is completely absent, since we get some flashbacks/memories from Raffe's POV that are an absolute treat.

This book is full of action and full of very tough emotional moments, with once again a big look at the best and worst of human nature. We also get to learn a bit more about the politics of what's going on with the angels, and none of the information we learn is pretty or good news. Penryn goes through a lot of tough choices and she has to learn some really hard lessons, not only about the world she now lives in, but also about her own reactions and choices.

The moment she and Raffe are reunited we get back their banter and Raffe's sense of humour and we also get plenty of adorable swoony moments even through some life and death situations. Romance here is not your typical YA one, there are loads of small moments but they are not what moves the plot along at all. Penryn and Raffe are not yet a couple but they make one hell of an awesome team.

There are plenty of creepy moments, some supplied by Penryn's mom herself. She is such a complex character, always changing and always making you wonder how crazy she really is? And how come she get those moments of clarity? And what if she really has some knowledge and her talking of the devil is more than just her madness at play? Paige is also quite a mystery and a very complex character, and I'm quite intrigued as to what her role will be in the upcoming books.

World After was a brilliant mix of action, humour and plot progression sprinkled with a little understated romance for good measure. A fantastic sequel that earns a very well deserved 4.5 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: Angelfall by Susan Ee!!!

And for the final entry of this week's Mark This Book Monday a review that was a long time coming, and that was an absolute surprise for me!


Angelfall by Susan Ee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Angelfall wouldn't have been a typical read for me since I'm not too big a fan of angel themed books, but with the more than enthusiastic recommendation of two of my fellow bloggers Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction and Sam from Realm of Fiction I decided to give it a shot and oh boy, am I glad that I did!

Angelfall is quite a different take on angels, with a very unique perspective. The world we find is a postapocalyptic one and the ones responsible for  the apocalypsis are the angels themselves. They let loose on humanity and have destroyed civilization as we know it and the survivors try to survive the gangs and the angels by hiding as best they can.

Penryn is a teenager that is doing her best to survive with her unstable mother and her disabled little sister, hiding from gangs and angels alike. They've survived for six weeks but an attack from angels separate them, Penryn's mum runs away, her sister is taken by one of the angels and Penryn is left with an injured angel as her only clue on how to get her sister back.

Penryn is such a strong but realistic character, she's dealing with the end of the world as we know it, but her life was never really easy before, so she's more prepared than most to survive in the aftermath of the Angel Apocalypse.

Raffe is an angel, a being of strength and air that finds himself captive of a regular human, a rather pathetic looking girl at that!

Both characters change so much from uneasy alliance to a more cooperative truce to working together towards a common goal, since Raffe agrees to take Penryn to where angels are since that's where her sister will be if she's still alive, and during the journey to San Francisco we discover so much about the new world that they have to face, and how much things have changed.

This story has such a fantastic study on human nature and how extreme situations can bring the best and worst on us and how even unhuman beings as angels can change for better or worse by being in contact with humanity.

The plot has so many unexpected revelations and twists, it's one hell of a rollercoaster, full of action and full of emotions! The sequel will be released this November and I just can't wait!

A fantastic book very much deserving of 4 and a half stars!



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