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

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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

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 352 Pages
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Narration: First Person: Harper
Genre: Paranormal,
Contemporary Setting
Paranormal Type: Paladins/Witches/Seers

Rebel Belle Series
Book One: Rebel Belle
Book Two: Unknown
Book Three: Unknown

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

My Review:

Rebel Belle was like a refreshing glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day. 

There should definitely be more novels out there like this, both tone wise and content wise. Rebel Belle was light and fluffy, but it still retained that kick-ass, grittier edge that I'm always after. Content wise, I believe that this is the first novel I've ever read focused on paladins. What do I know, there might be millions of paladin books out there that I'm oblivious to, but through my experiences, I haven't seen many of them, besides maybe The Paladin Prophecy, which I have yet to read. 

Rebel Belle was pretty much an equal blend of anything you could ever want in a novel: strong characters, humor, action, romance, and a unique theme. Rachel also has a flowing, hilarious, image provoking writing style that draws you right in! I felt like I was actually in the novel experiencing the emotions that Harper felt. Especially so in the beginning, when David Stark pulled off that huge stunt, which I'm not going to give away for the sake of keeping this a spoiler free review. The aggravation and indignation I felt made me want to hit my head against a wall amongst other things harmful towards my outwardly appearance of sanity.

The romance between Harper and David was slowly and steadily developed as well. They didn't immediately fall in love after discovering how much their lives were really connected. On the contrary, they seemed to despise each other even more. It was the little things, the little gestures and conversations, that eventually led them to deeper, realistic (Key Word REALISTIC) feelings. However, I am a bit ticked off at how Harper treated Ryan whilst this was all going down. Actually, the way she treated all her friends irritated me endlessly. While I understand the choices she made, I really wish she would've stopped dragging a relationship that would never see the light of day again. Every time she ditched Ryan or forgot to call Bee made me want to cover my face in horror.

Other then that, I liked Harper. I have no doubt that some people are going to rip on her because they believe she accepted the supernatural events that occurred too quickly, but I still thought it was believable. People face traumatic and shocking situations in different ways, and Harper's way involved colliding head first with her issues, using sarcasm and wit as her main defenses. Kind of like Percy Jackson now that I think of it. It was her personality that inclined her to react the way she did, not desire to get the storyline moving on the author's part. While her life was crashing down around her, the life she had worked so hard for, she remained strong. I admit I was a bit skeptical of how her character would play out in the beginning. Bluntly stated, I thought she was snobby and superficial. But throughout trying times, she showed her true colors and redeemed herself completely by the end.

Heroine- 4/5
Romance- 5/5
Cute and adorable. Realistic in the fullest!
Action- 4.5/5
Badassery included.
Humor- 5/5
In a Rachel Hawkins book, your always gonna have some sort of humor.
Writing- 4.5/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Taliesin Ascendant by Megan Peterson

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Paperback: 370 Pages
Release Date: July 27, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Narration: Third Person: Ashe, Harris, Cole
Genre: Paranormal/Wizards
Challenge: Paranormal
Source: Author

The Children and the Blood Series:
Book One: The Children and the Blood
Book Two: Taliesin Ascendant
Book Three: Unknown

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The war isn't over.

And new enemies await. 

Life on the run hasn't been easy, but so far, Ashe has survived. But now Carter has ordered her to leave the Hunters and find her family's people – an order she can't refuse, no matter how much she wants to stay. 

Following his command will bring her into an unknown world, however – a world filled with new enemies and old prejudices that will demand more of her than she can imagine, at a cost higher than she'll ever be willing to pay.

My Review:  

Unfortunately, I haven't listened to my own advice of writing a review as soon as I finished reading a novel. Pro procrastinator, for the win. BUT! But! It's not entirely my fault, because I've been busy busy busy with the new school year and all, trying not to fall behind on my ever-growing pile of schoolwork. However, I can't blame my laziness completely on my homework, because a major portion of it is just my inability to think up a good review. For the most part, I just stare blankly at my screen, wondering what the hell I'm going to write next. To all my fellow book bloggers out there, have you ever experienced a similar problem?

Anyways, now that I've spent a whole paragraph rambling as I always do, let's get onto the story, shall we? Prior to reading the sequel, I enjoyed, but admittedly did not fall in love with, The Children and the Blood. Magic has always intrigued me endlessly, which is one of the main reasons why I agreed to review these novels and what originally dragged me into the storyline to begin with. After all the books I've feverishly read, which is quite a bit, I still have never encountered a story focused specifically on Merlin mythology, until now. Of course, you have your traditional wizard and witch novels where the protagonist is distantly related to the Merlin bloodline in some fashion, but those novels never go in depth into the actual tales and myths. They toss out the name as a passing comment and never develop it any farther then that. That's one of the aspects that stood out to me so much in Megan's works. And if you were still disappointed by the lack of history and world-building in The Children and The Blood, then you will definitely enjoy Taliesin Ascendant a whole lot more.

This story was still told in multiple POVs, but Ashe's voice quickly became the most prominent. It's become abundantly clear, that although this story has it's important supporting roles, it is still very much focused on her and her struggle to discover who she really is. Ashe both inexplicably annoyed me, yet earned my respect. I'm really having some mixed feelings about her. At times, I wondered how she could be so selfish and inconsiderate, yet at others, I could see the potential and markings of a truly extraordinary leader. There's a bit more character growth, but she still has a looong way to go before she comes anywhere near the exceptional queen she's meant to be. Countless moments, I wanted to tell her to build up a better argument in convincing the counsel that the Blood exist, other then saying, "I know what I saw," repetitively. You already know the counsel is horrifically prejudice and have a outdated method of thinking, so please use your common sense and find a better way of showing them. However, out of all the feelings I felt for her, pity would probably be the most frequent one. It seems like every time something starts to go her way, something horrible happens just to spite her. Luck, is definitely not on her side.

The officer, Harris. Gah. I got so angry with him every time the POV was switched to him, because of the huge web of lies he's tangled up in. And every stinking day, it just keeps on getting worse! Obviously, it's not his fault for unknowingly running in the wrong circles, but it still infuriates me every time he badmouthes Ashe in some way. I have literally lost count of all the times I had to set down the book, bury my head in my pillow, and yell "NOOOOOOOO! DON'T BELIEVE THEM, I BEG OF YOU." Of course, since he is a fictional character, he didn't have the ability to hear my desperate, fervent pleas. 

*SPOILER ALERT* When Ash had captured him, I really really really wished that she cleared the air between them. (Wanted it so badly that I had to use not one, but three reallys to express my point.) In fact, I was 100% sure that it was going to happen and that everything would be rainbows and unicorns, but IT DIDN'T! I was pretty much set on giving up on life right then and there. The agony. *SPOILER END*

The writing style was wonderful, and if I daresay, improved. The passages flowed imperceptibly smoother, and I never had to pause awkwardly at the end of a sentence. Fluid, continuous sentences are something I very much admire about this author in particular, because it's so rare to find that trait in a writer, even less in a self-published one. However, I was disappointed that she still resorted to using the same phrases over and over again. By the time I finished this book, I had the suspicion that there was something very wrong with the eyebrows of every character in this book. Because literally, every page, at least someone "furrowed their eyebrows in confusion." I have no problem with an author peppering a similar phrase throughout the novel, but when it's used too often, it gets really aggravating.

The action was pretty well done, and I found myself pacing back and forth from excitement more than once. The fighting scenes were engaging, and I could actually picture everything that was enfolding within my own mind. Some plot twists were seen a mile away, while others....took me completely by surprise.

Overall, this wasn't a bad read. I enjoyed it quite thoroughly and loved learning more about the interesting world these wizards reside in. Although I probably won't be rereading this novel in the nearby future, I will most certainly pick up a copy of the last installment in this series!

*Huge thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for a honest and thoughtful review.*

Cover- 2.5/5
The fire is relevant to the story, but it's a bit bland.
Heroine - 3.5/5
Has a lot of potential
but still needs work.
Romance- None
Surprisingly no romance, but it isn't needed. This story is great on its own.
Action- 4/5
Writing- 4/5
Smooth, Fluid.
Overall- 3.5/5

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 336 Pages
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Narration: First Person: Sophie
Genre: Paranormal/Witches

Hex Hall Series:
Book One: Hex Hall
Book Two: Demonglass
Book Three: Spell Bound

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend
is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Review:

Since I was being annoyingly persnickety on figuring out which book to read next, I decided to pick something randomly and hope for the best. Hex Hall was the prestigious winner! I loved the unique cover design which almost gave off a sort of Alice In Wonderland vibe. And since I'm absolutely dying to read Splintered right now (AKA a retelling of Alice In Wonderland), I thought Hex Hall would be an excellent way to curb my panicking until January 1st. However, as I'm studying the cover in the present, I'm still a bit perplexed as to why the publishing company decided to place a black cat on each of the covers when it doesn't correspond with the story.....

The premise of a school/camp of supernatural beings isn't an original idea, but at the same time, isn't overused to the point of exhaustion just yet. Hex Hall was fast paced and almost always had me at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. In fact, I was so entranced by this book that I ended up reading the whole series within the span of a day and a half! Hex Hall being my favorite among them all.

Sophie Mercer was just like any other average sixteen year old girl, except for the fact that she's a witch of course. For three years she was able to keep her supernatural powers under wraps with the help of her mundane mother. But after a love spell gone awry, she had no choice but to leave her old friends behind and start attending Hex Hall, a reformatory school for fairies, witches, and shapeshifters who have similar problems controlling their powers. While in orientation, the new students find out that their two biggest enemies have converged in the hopes of destroying the Prodigium once and for all, and their biggest target? Her. By the end of Sophie's first day, she's managed to become the victim of a werewolf attack, befriend a vampire outcast, and piss off three of the most powerful dark witches on campus. And if that isn't bad enough, she also finds out who her real father is, and discovers that her magic might be far more darker and sinister than she ever realized....

The protagonist, Sophie, was my favorite character out of the whole book! Although she was gullible and naive at times, she learned from her mistakes and came out stronger, braver, and fiercely loyal to her friends. But even though she was confident, she wasn't perfect. She had her vulnerable moments when all she needed was a shoulder to cry on, and that helped me connect to her character better, because we all have those moments. The best part? Her inner dialogue and God given talent of sarcasm! This has got to be the funniest book I have ever read so far! Even beating out Puck from The Iron Fey series, which is seriously saying something, because he's freaking hilarious! Sophie's humor was NEVER corny or over the top, at least to me, and the jokes she cracked actually made sense! She's one of those characters who scoff in the face of danger as if to say, "Me? Scared? Ha!" Her jokes had me laughing so hard, to the point where I was on the verge of crying. My parents were giving me wide eyed looks throughout the whole book and probably considered committing me to a mental institution for a few moments there. xD

The friendship that Sophie and her vampire friend, Jenna, created was easy and natural. Yeah yeah at first Sophie was a little skeptical as to whether or not Jenna would try to suck her blood while she was sleeping, but she didn't let that get in the way! They both had the same sense of humor and always had each other's backs. And that one scene with all the dresses? For some reason, I thought that was brilliant and laughed until I could barely breathe!

Archer Cross. Don't you just love the sound of that name? It rolls right off the tongue! Archer Cross *Swoon*! He was the only love interest for this novel. Thank God! Suffice to say, that even I'm starting to get annoyed at those petty little love triangles. I used to look forward to them in every novel, but I have turned my life around and finally seen the light! I guess I don't mind them TOO much in debut novels, but 95% of the time, I hate the way they turn out. There so predictable. Either the unlucky guy gets stuck with another girl and they end up falling deeply in love, or he dies a bloody and heroic death protecting the love of his life. Well anyways, off of my rant. The romance from Hex Hall felt real! There was no Insta-Love connection. It was a crush feeling at first, which is totally understandable considering the hotness that is Archer Cross. Then they built a friendship that was made up of snide comments, playfully flung insults, and the rare, once in a while, heart to heart conversations. And Finally, that friendship blossomed into something a little more. I loved watching their relationship grow!

Overall, Hex Hall is a great novel for anyone looking for a good laugh. The humor made sense, and I understood most of the pop culture references. They talked like actual teenagers instead of using the annoying slang some authors think we use in real life. Hex Hall was a fast paced read, had a snarky, slow building romance, and a great story line!

Favorite Quotes:

“Let's just say you may regret that second piece of cake.'
Oh my God. Regret cake? Whatever was about to happen must be truly evil.”  

-Rachel Hawkins, Hex Hall

 

“I was literally seeing stars, and every ragged breath I took felt like I was trying to breathe through broken glass.

On the upside, my crush on Archer was totally gone. Over. Once a boy has slammed his kneecap into your rib cage, I think any romantic feeling should naturally go the way of the ghost.” 

-Rachel Hawkins, Hex Hall

Heroine- 4.5/5
Romance- 4.5/5
Comedy- 6/5
Action- 4.5/5
Overall- 4.5/5

Entangled by Nikki Jefford

Reading Level: Ages 15 and up
Paperback: 281 Pages
File Size: 370 KB
Release Date: February 20, 2012
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Fantasy/Witches
Source: Netgalley

Spellbound Series
Book One: Entangled
Book Two: Duplicity
Book Three: Enchantment

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Author's
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Amazon Summary:

Two months after dying, seventeen-year-old witch Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. Until Gray finds a way back inside her own body, she’s stuck being Charlene every twenty-hour hours. Her sister has left precise instructions on how Gray should dress and behave. Looking like a prep isn’t half as bad as hanging out with Charlene’s snotty friends and gropey boyfriend.

The “normals” of McKinley High might be quick to write her behavior off as post-traumatic stress, but warlock Raj McKenna is the only person who suspects Gray has returned from the dead.

Now Gray has to solve the mystery of her death while working out a way to disentangle herself from Charlene’s body before she disappears for good.

My Review:

While I was scrolling through Netgalley, I discovered that Entangled didn't have to be approved by a publisher, so I jumped at the opportunity to download it! I don't usually read witch books for some odd reason, but I decided to take a chance since the cover was just so gorgeous! The cover model, a girl with ice blue eyes and snow white hair, kind of reminded me of some kind of Ice Princess, which only furthered my intrigue.

Entangled was yet another book with a great theme, but terribly written characters. I was in such a happy reading phase after reading flawlessly written books like Deity and Days of Blood and Starlight. But after these amazing books, Entangled couldn't even come close to my awesomeness scale. I loved the idea of two souls in one body and there being a switch every day. Kind of reminded me of a movie I watched when I was like ten, Freaky Friday I think it was called?

I liked Graylee's character in the beginning. I thought that she was a pretty good sister to her conceited twin, Charlene, even though Charlene was nothing but a pain in the ass. She stood up for herself when someone threatened her and did a fine good job at it! However, after Graylee wakes up in her sister's body, she turns into a absolute bitch. First of all, when she realizes that she died, there's no reaction at all. No screaming or Oh My Gosh my body's rotting in a cemetery! If I found out that I died, I would be freaking out...alot. And when she realizes that she is indeed in her sister's body, she doesn't even question about Charlene's whereabouts.  I mean, yeah I know that they hate each other's guts but there still family no matter what happens. In my opinion, Graylee loses herself while inhabiting Charlene's body and becomes just as much as a brat as her sister was.

The romance was ridiculous as well. Graylee and Raj only even start to notice each other and want each other, after they threaten to kill one another. Yeah, cause I think it's incredibly sexy for a guy to threaten to kill me if I don't give him what he wants. Greatt. And after they get together, Graylee treats Raj horribly! All she thinks about is herself, and not how much Raj is risking in order to help her.

Entangled was pretty well paced. I read it in two sittings and enjoyed the events that took place throughout the book. I would've absolutely loved it if the characters were written better or had realistic reactions to bad situations. Wasn't to crazy about the writing though. The sentences were a little choppy for my taste and the switch in POVs was often confusing and headache inducing. POVs switched in the middle of a paragraph and I had to reread whole pages just to realize that it was from someone else's point of view. For people who are picky about grammar in self published books, this one wasn't too bad. There were a couple problems with spacing between words but that was pretty much it.

Entangled in a nutshell: Great Idea. Unrelatable and Unrealistic Characters. Will I be reading the sequel? Probably not, but I might just have to look it up to so I can stare at the gorgeous cover!

Heroine- 2/5
Romance- 1/5
Comedy- 2.5/5
Action- 3.5/5
Overall- 2/5

*A ebook was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.*