Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Appropriate For: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 320 Pages
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Narration: First Person: Ari
Genre: Paranormal/
Dystopian Setting
Paranormal Type: Vampires/Mythology/Witches

Gods & Monsters Series
Book One: Darkness Becomes Her
Book Two: A Beautiful Evil
Book Three: The Wicked Within

Order On Amazon: Hardcover
                               Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Hardcover and Nook

Author's
Goodreads  Website  Twitter

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. 

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it's impossible to protect herself when she doesn't know what she's running from or why she is being pursued. 

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her. 

Ari won't stop until she knows why. 

But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Review:

Wow, I'm slow. Even from all the distinctive covers and the emphasis on snakes, I was still surprised when Ari figured out what she was. I haven't read about Greek Mythology for quite awhile, so this storyline was enjoyable and intriguing. In this book, Kelly didn't delve very deep into the history of all the gods and how everything came to be, but I'm guessing things will be better explained further along in the trilogy.

Ari was a great character who had strengths as well as weaknesses. She had a snarky, comedic inner voice that made me laugh, and it didn't hurt that she could kick some major ass. However, despite her martial art skills, she's insecure. Growing up in her environment, tossed from family to family, knowing she was different, feeling isolated with her Targaryen colored hair and teal eyes...it's got to mess with someone's self-confidence. She tried to hide everything that made her different and blend in with normal society, but to no avail. Unfortunately, even in a sea full of paranormals, she was the odd one out. I'm hoping that throughout the next two novels, she'll gain confidence in herself and be proud of who she is. Seeing the scene in the end when Violet told her she was beautiful despite the changes to her person made me tear up a bit. As for weaknesses, Ari is a bit prone to not thinking things through and running away from situations she doesn't want to face. However, even if she does find herself in a pickle, she takes it into her own hands to save herself. No need for a knight in shining armor to save the day.

The romance was a bit.....ehm..shall we say sudden? Even she admitted it to herself that she barely knew the guy before she was quote "sucking on his face." There wasn't any slow build-up of feelings whatsoever. It was: You're cute. I feel this intense neediness when I'm around you. Broody? Even better. Let's make out?

Darkness Becomes Her was short and action packed, so the time flew by fairly quickly. The writing style was pretty good: things made sense and sentences flowed smoothly. I will be looking forward to the next two in this trilogy!

Heroine- 3.5/5
Strong character, but her sudden attraction to the love interest irked me.
Romance- 2.5/5
Don't get me started.
Action- 4.5/5
World-Building- 3/5
Wasn't phenomenal, but that's ok considering it's the first book in a series. Would take this over an info-dump any day.
Writing-4/5
Humor- 4/5
Oodles of sarcasm.
Overall- 3.5/5

Slumber by Samantha Young (M)

Reading Level: Ages 17 and up
Paperback: 350 Pages
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Publisher: Self Published
Narration: First Person: Rogan
Genre: Fantasy/New Adult
Source: Bought

Order On Amazon: Paperback
                                Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Nook

The Fade Series
Book One: Slumber
Book Two: Sneak Thievery
Book Three: Untitled


Author's
( Goodreads ! Website ! Twitter ! Facebook )

Goodreads Synopsis:

Slumber - A Romance

Molded by a tragic childhood, nineteen-year-old Rogan finds it extremely difficult to trust people. Now Haydyn, her best friend and the one person she does trust, is dying and only Rogan can save her.

Setting off on a journey to retrieve the plant that will cure Haydyn and subsequently the ills that will befall them all if she dies, Rogan is stuck in close quarters with a protector she distrusts above all others.

Wolfe Stovia.

The son of the man who destroyed Rogan’s family.

At a constant battle of wills with the handsome Captain of the Guard, Rogan just knows this adventure together will be fraught with tension. She never imagined, however, that the quest would be so dangerous… not least of all when she finds herself falling for a man she could have sworn was her no.1 enemy…

My Mini Review:

Although it was a little challenging to remember all of the peculiar city names and the names of the characters right off the bat, I soon fell in love with the magnificent world Samantha built from scratch! Once again, I am shocked by her simple yet intriguing writing style and the thought provoking ideas Slumber caused. The only minor problem I had was with the main character, Rogan. Although I did understand her reasons for keeping the seductive and witty Wolfe at a distance, it got old and repetitive after a while. Still, a great read for any long time fans of Samantha Young, fantasies, and tantalizing romances. Wolfe? Ooh *Fans Self* His hotness factor even rivals that of Daemon Black from the Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout. Which is saying something, since Daemon pretty much broke that scale!

Heroine- 4/5
Great, strong character with a few flaws who sometimes has childish reactions.
Love Interest- 6/5 Why can't Wolfe exist in real life?! *Pouts*
Romance- 4.5/5 Would've given it a five if Rogan hadn't dragged it out for so long.
Action- 5/5 Kept me hooked!
Comedy- 4/5 Loved the comedic conversations between Rogan and Wolfe.
Overall- 4.5/5

*Contains some mature content and strong language.

Haven by A.R. Ivanovich

Paperback: 393 Pages
File Size: 508 KB
Release Date: May 26, 2011
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Steampunk

War of The Princes Series
Book One: Haven

Order On Amazon: Paperback
                                Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Paperback

Author's
( Goodreads ! Website ! Twitter ! Facebook )


Amazon Summary:

From missing socks to missing people, nothing could remain hidden from seventeen year-old Katelyn Kestrel for long, but after locating a forbidden passage out of her isolated country, Haven, she discovers for the first time that there are some things that should never be found.

Outside the safety of her homeland’s borders, Katelyn meets Rune, a young soldier who will die without her immediate aid. She never considered that helping him would lead to her capture. While being held prisoner by the handsome Lord Dylan Axton, she learns that the outside world is rife with war and controlled by people with extraordinary powers. It becomes clear that there was a very good reason the founders of Haven locked their people away from the rest of the world. The depth of her peril reaches a fever pitch when a ruthless Commander wants Katelyn dead. Her only hope is to return to Haven, but can she survive long enough to find her home?

HAVEN is an exciting young adult fantasy novel, set in a unique, rural steampunk world, by debut author A. R. Ivanovich.

My Review:

So so so much potential! I loved the idea of Dragoons, Margraves, Commanders, and Princes. People who have magical powers ranging from levitating items to controlling the elements. Yes please! It was a concept that I'd never seen portrayed this way before, and one I was so excited to learn about! However, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I hoped I would.

Basically, Haven tells the story of Katelyn Kestrel, a seventeen year old girl, who's curious by nature and has a knack for finding whatever it is she's looking for. Katelyn has always wanted to see the Outside World, because she's sick and tired of the same old routine every single day. So when Katelyn learns more about the Outside World in class, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she becomes determined to find a way out of Haven. Using her talent of finding things, she happens to come across a hidden exit. She then ventures out into the unknown, in order to discover the secrets and wonders of a mystical world filled with power and abilities. Little did she know, that some things are kept secret for a reason.

Katelyn was not likable at all. Characters are one thing that I am extremely picky about. If the protagonist is weak or whiny throughout the whole book, I usually end up banging my head against a wall and throwing my book clear across the room. It's a miracle that I even finished this book at all. Katelyn thought of herself as a strong and confident individual. She stated several times throughout the book, "I never cry," or something close to that. However, it just so happens that whenever something bad occurred or something didn't go her way, she ends up sobbing her eyes out. Then when she's being taken away or captured, she immediately yells "Save me, Save me," even though it's pretty obvious that no one will come to her aid. My last complaint, is that she was super self absorbed and never thought about anyone but herself. I really would like to explain how I came to that conclusion, but if I did, I would be giving away a bazillion spoilers, so I guess I'll just have to keep my mouth shut. The only time that I even remotely liked her, was around the end when she FINALLY stood up for self instead of being a damsel in distress.

There were two love interests in this book, Rune and Dylan. I disliked Dylan, didn't hate him, but I was never near loving him either. He was cocky, arrogant, and always got what he wanted. He used clothes and jewelry in hopes that he would bribe Katelyn to love him, and that was a huge turnoff for me. There were some times that I liked the actions that he took, but he was still a coward in the end. A person who always took the easy way out. Rune, I liked better then Dylan but I still was nowhere close to loving his character either. He was a lot smarter then the other characters, and actually planned ahead instead of taking actions impulsively (Most of the time). Buuutt.....he still fell flat for me. The instant love connection between him and Katelyn was unrealistic and I actually facepalmed when it happened. One second he was all, broody and ignoring her and then the next second he was all, "I love you. I would do anything to protect you. I was so jealous of seeing you and Dylan together." I mean, really? *Sigh* My favorite character out of this whole novel was probably the little salamander shadow who was in the book for all of two pages. Now that's saying something.

There was nothing wrong with the pacing of the novel. Once in a while I would get bored and start skimming, but it wasn't too often, so I didn't mind. The worldbuilding was probably my favorite part out of the whole novel. I loved learning about the Outside World and the creatures that lived in it.

In conclusion, the worldbuilding was great and I loved the unique theme for the book. However, the characters and the actions they took, annoyed me so much that it ruined the story for me. While many readers will enjoy what Haven has to offer, I'm sorry to say that I just wasn't one of them.

Heroine- 1/5
Romance- 2/5
Comedy- 1/5
Action- 3.5/5
Overall- 2/5

Guest Post: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Well since I was too busy to write a review on The Son of Neptune, I decided to ask my friend, Marc, to write it for me. I also thought that it would be interesting to see what a guy's point of view on a book would be, since not many boys these days enjoy the awesomeness of reading and as we all know have a totally different thought process then girls do. Enjoy!

Reading Level: Ages 10 and up
Hardcover: 544 pages
Release Date: October 4, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Genre: Mythology

Heroes of Olympus

Book One: The Lost Hero
Book Two: The Son of Neptune
Book Three: The Mark of Athena
Book Four: House of Hades (2013)
Book Five: Unknown (2014)

Order On Amazon: Hardcover
                                Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble:
Hardcover and Nook

Author's
( Goodreads ! Website ! Twitter ! Facebook )

Goodreads Summary:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Marc's Review:

Ahhh a new Percy Jackson book. Well as you can tell I’m not the usual reviewer on this blog, but she felt it was time to share the workload and here I am. First off I’m a guy so you can expect a different view than from Daphne.

The reason I heard about the Percy Jackson is because I’ve always loved Greek mythology. Even when I was a little kid I would watch Greek mythology specials on the history channel. I’d love the story of the battles the Greek heroes would face, and the story of their adventures. My favorite story would have to be The Odyssey. I just loved the part with the man eating Cyclops. Well anyway, seeing as I loved Greek mythology I quickly heard about Percy Jackson and began to read the series. And I’ve been reading it ever since. When I heard about the second part of the series that would mix in Greek and Roman mythology, I was really excited.  And it was justified. First off this book has a good amount of story in it. It’s long and almost never gets boring. There are a few parts where I wished that the story would pick up the pace, but these were short and not very often. The story also pushes along the story of the prophecy of the seven very nicely, bringing into light just exactly who the seven are.

Now because I know that Daphne just loves the love sub plot I will briefly mention it in this review. Yes there is a long love story going on between the characters Hazel and Frank. I thought that this is one of those occasions where the author successfully shows a romance without shoving it in your face. I hate it when I’m being drowned in the romance stuff in a book, but this book had a small enough amount that it was good. As for the characters themselves, Percy is back and better than ever. I won’t spoil anything but let’s just say he will be in actual danger throughout the book. Hazel is a pretty cool character although I felt that it too long to tell us her story, not that it isn’t awesome. Lastly there is Frank, a demigod that somehow has a bloodline that runs from china, to Rome, to Greece. He is an awesome character that seems to kind of tie all of the characters together, having a relation to all of them. He also has one awesome ability, that might even rival Percy`s water ability. Now for the actual story. I felt that overall it was fantastic. Lots of action, comedy, and suspense. Yet I did feel like Percy`s problems were resolved really quickly, almost like the author couldn’t think of what to do and just said, Forget it I’m the author and I’ll do what I want, and then threw some crap together about why he was being healed. Aside from that however the book is fantastic.

Story: 4.5 out of 5

Romance: 5 out of 5(as in It didn’t ruin the book for me)

Comedy: 3 out of 5

Adventure: 6 out of 5(YA it’s that good)

Mythology: 5 out of 5

Overall: 5 out of 5 would read. Bonus points for you if you get the hidden joke.

 

-Marc

The Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Reading Level: Ages 15 and up
Hardcover: 432 pages
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Book One: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Book Two: Days of Blood and Starlight (11/6/12)

Order on Amazon: Hardcover
                            Kindle
Order on Barnes and Noble.com:
Hardcover and Nook

Amazon Summary:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Review:

I......am flabbergasted. Love that word! Doesn't it just make you want to laugh? Anyways, back to the subject in hand. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a stunning and riveting novel with a intricate and distinctive theme. I've put off reading this book for a while now, because the title made absolutely no sense to me and the summary kind of creeped me out. But after reading this novel, I totally got it! The title the author used tied the whole story together and I loved it!

Unlike the last few novels I've stumbled across, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone has a protagonist who is both badass physically and mentally. Instead of being a damsel in distress and forgiving her ex-boyfriend for doing the unforgivable, she stayed strong and got revenge! What she used as her revenge was hilarious (you'll see what I mean when you read the book xD)! Zuzana, the protagonist's best friend, was amusing as well and I laughed out loud at some of her witty remarks, which was both good and bad, because I was reading this in public and some people looked at me like I was a nut job.

The love interest, Akiva was swoon worthy as well!

"What people saw was a tall young man, beautiful-truly, breathstealingly beautiful, in a way one rarely beholds in real life- who moved among them with predatory grace, seeming no more mindful of them than if they were statuary in a garden of gods."

annnnd

"His dark hair was cropped close to his skull, with a hairline that dipped into a widow's peak. His golden skin was bronzed darker across the planes of his face- high ridges of cheekbones, brow, bridge of the nose- as if he lived his life in drenching rich honey light."

*Gasps* The one thing I had trouble believing was how they fell in love with each other and trusted each other so soon. I mean if some guy comes up to me and tries to kill me, then comes the next day and says he means me no harm, I would be a little bit more skeptical and cautious then she was. It kind of made sense in the end but I was still a little iffy on it.

Overall, this book had a unique and a never before seen storyline. The world building in this novel was very hard to do but Laini managed to do it perfectly! The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was also perfectly paced, so that when I was just about to get bored, something new and exciting came up. I will be eagerly anticipating the sequel, The Days of Blood and Starlight, coming out November 6, 2012!

Heroine- 5/5
Romance- 4.5/5
Action- 4.5/5
Comedy-5/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Click to Watch Book Trailer

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Reading Level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 336 pages
Release Date: December 8, 2011
Publisher: Philomel
Genre: Paranormal/Souls

Book One: Shattered Souls
Book Two: Scheduled for release for early 2014

Author's Website

Order On Amazon: Hardcover
                             Kindle
Order On Barnes and Noble.com:
Hardcover and Nook

Amazon Summary:

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

My Review:

17 year old Lenzi Anderson isn't your typical teenage girl. Why? Because she can communicate to the Hindered, lost souls who require her services to move onto the afterlife. In the beginning of the novel, Lenzi has no idea who or what she really is and what she's destined to do. She is perfectly human, until her seventeenth birthday that is. That's when the voices start. At first she thinks she's going mad just like her father did, but soon finds out that all of this is normal when she meets her Protector, Alden. Alden explains to her that she has been reincarnated for generations and is famous among their people as the most talented Speaker there is. The problem is, is that instead of getting her memory back bit by bit, she has no memory of her past lives at all.

Let me start off by saying that this is the first ghost/soul based book I've read. I haven't read them before because ghosts and spirits usually creep me out and have a tendency to curve into the horror zone of YA novels. There are many things that I both like and dislike about Lenzi. Dislikes: I can't get to in depth about it without giving away spoilers, but I didn't like how she handled her romantic problems. Likes: Lenzi had a very believable voice. Instead of just believing right away that she was a Speaker and that it was meant to be, she had doubts just like any other person would. She asked the same questions that I would ask if I was put in her position. In fact, the reactions of all the characters were rational and not hastily thrown together in order to let the novel move along faster. Another thing I liked is that she was a fighter. Maybe not in the physical sense that I usually read about but she was a fighter in the mental sense which I appreciated as well.

Lenzi has two love interests and this makes the well known love triangle romance. Zak, her current boyfriend is likeable and sweet in the beggining, but soon turns territorial and possesive as the story progresses. You can tell that Zak really does care for Lenzi, but even though he does, he can't help her with who and what she is like Alden can. Alden is honarable, trustworthy, and always puts Lenzi's needs before his own. They have a unbreakable connection from the time they meet even though Lenzi has no memory of her past lives.

The storyline of Shattered Souls is not one I see alot in YA Paranormal. It was fresh, unusual, and one that I enjoyed alot. There are still some creepy aspects of this book like the exorcisms and possessions, but other then that it was amazing! I will be definitely reading the sequel to this riveting debut!

Heroine- 4/5
Romance- 4/5
Action- 4/5
Comedy- 3/5
Overall- 4/5