Review: Undeadly by Michelle Vail

Undeadly by Michelle Vail

Paperback, 272 pages

Published November 20th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she's shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite boarding school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath.

Life at Nekyia has its plusses. Molly has her own personal ghoul, for one. Rick follows her there out of the blue, for another...except, there's something a little off about him. When students at the academy start to die and Rath disappears, Molly starts to wonder if anything is as it seems. Only one thing is certain—-Molly's got an undeadly knack for finding trouble....

 The concept won me over with this book, but the story itself could have benefited from a stronger heroine. 

Molly is a horrible accident waiting to happen. This girl has the luck of a bad penny, but she always seems to just scathe by trouble. In many ways she is a typical teenager trying to make it through a regular school day. However, supernatural incidents keep reminding her that she is not quite normal. Just how not normal she is actually completely unknown to her until she gets to Nekyia. Here events open up a can of worms and Molly has no choice but to fall in line...  Poor Rick. He gets drug along for the horrible ride, but is really a gem in the story. Rath. I adore him for some odd reason. He is a great character and compliment to Molly's naive personality. 

Together, this set of characters will give you a chance to involve yourself in the story along with them. It does start off slow, but Molly's blunders quickly get it rolling. Whining and teenage angst slow it down in several spots as well. If that had deterred from the story, this would have been an easy 5 sticky book. Unfortunately, it made me flip through a few parts to hurry the story along.

Review: Sacrifice by Cayla Kluver

Sacrifice by Cayla Kluver

Paperback, 438 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

This is not the time for the fight to end. Now is when the fight will begin. This is the time to regain what has been lost.

Alera

Queen of a fallen kingdom, secretly in love with the enemy.

Shaselle

Daughter of a murdered father, rebel with a cause.

One lives behind the former Hytanican palace walls and walks the razor's edge to keep the fragile peace in her beloved homeland. The other slips through the war-torn streets, seeking retribution for her family's tragedy, following whispers of insurgency.

Both face choices that will separate them from those they cannot help but love. As their stories intertwine, a conspiracy ignites that may end in slavery or death—or lead to freedom anew, if only each can face what must be sacrificed.

A phenomenal ending to a brilliant series. Period. 

I had questioned myself on whether I wanted to continue with the series after reading Legacy. I thought it was a good story, but took too long to get to where it was going. Thankfully I did carry on and this book was definitely worth the wait. 

The two POV's in this book was iffy to me and I did not think that it would work well. It ended up being a great compliment to the story, especially being able to see the conflicts from both sides. I loved the pacing and placement of action in this installment. It was right where it needed to be and always held my attention to keep flipping pages. The plot didn't necessarily go the way I thought it would, or should really, but I understand the concessions Kluver made and the results of them. The culminating events that decide Hytanica's fate will leave you breathless!

The characters are fully matured now and the reader gets to enjoy the effects of their full circle. Alera and Narian are the essential "life-bloods" of the story. Everything that is to be decided is determined by their actions and influence. It was wonderful to see Alera step-up from childhood and truly embrace being decisive and tactical ruler. She finally learned how to put her foot down and inspires her country to do so as well. Narian takes an interesting journey this time around. We get to learn so much more about him and this information ends up being a significant player in the game. I wasn't convinced until this book that he would be a suitable leader or counterpart to Alera. Shaselle offers a great alternate POV to the events. I believe she is the girl that Alera would have been had she not been born into higher level royalty. She is very perceptive, but there were many times I wondered what in the world she was thinking. That was always with a decision that I knew would bring her grief and ultimately did in the end. The other characters pretty much played out the story as I thought they would. We find out a little more information here and there, but you will probably find the background on London and someone else really interesting. 

Overall, this was my favorite book in the series. The characters and plot were right where they should be and Kluver's writing improved leaps and bounds. It is definitely worth the wait, but reading the previous books are a must. There is no starting in the middle of this series, you'd be completely lost. A highly recommended set of books by all means!

Waiting on Wednesday - February 20, 2013

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To join in, share the book or books that you are currently drooling over as you await their release and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. The gorgeous badge above is brought to us by Lindsay at The Violet Hour!

I have followed this series since the beginning and cannot wait to see what happens next. The Goddess Legacy was a great addition to the series and I believe it'll really help clarify many of the choices and attitudes of the characters in this installment. It'll be interesting to see how it is wrapped up!

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: February 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

From Goodreads:

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 392 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Harlequin Teen 

Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 An absolutely amazing book. Do not let my 3 stickies fool you into thinking otherwise. While it is not something that I would normally read or purchase for my own, the book has wonderful characters and deals with so many teen social issues. The writing is so well done the story and characters flow fluidly right through to the end. There is a whole roller coaster of emotions in this one. You'll cover extreme anger to gut-wrenching sadness within a few pages. This is one that will awe you over and over again.

The main characters, Echo and Noah, have both been traumatic experiences in their life. Echo's has left her scarred mentally and physically to the point that her mind has blocked the event out entirely. Noah has the opposite issue of dealing with his problems on a daily basis. Together they face their demons and come to an absolution. The journey to that point is both beautiful and tragic, but readers will enjoy watching them grow and mature along the way. They were, however, very melodramatic and a little too full of angst for my taste. 

Issues such as depression and other mental illnesses, drugs, sex, and peer pressure are covered thoroughly throughout the book. Fortunately, the book is also written well enough that it does not feel like you're reading a pamphlet that would be usually found in the counselor's office. This makes the book drag in spots though and it could have been a lightened a little bit. If you deal with any extreme emotions about these topics, consult a friend before reading this book. 

For the Love of Swoon Giveaway Hop!

The Book Hookup and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer have joined forces to bring you a completely swoon-worthy event. The blogs involved in this giveaway hop are offering up some of their favorite books that have just that "one thing" that makes their heart flutter. Well friends, this was an easy choice for me and  I came up with some options for you!

Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite authors. Period. There are always so many aspects of her books that inspire my imagination and fill my dreams with wonder. Where's the swoon-worthiness? It is in her magnificent characters. Ash from the Iron Fey series is my top "swoon-worthy" character. He has the  personality and protection of a true knight and has taken my breath away more than once. Yes, our Puck is adorable with his sarcasm and wit, but he just doesn't have the edge that Ash does. A couple of very close runner ups and heroes in their own rights are Megan's brother Ethan from the Call of the Forgotten series and the charm of Zeke from the Immortal Rules series. None of these will leave you short-handed in the swoon department!

So, to share the swoon love this Valentine's Day, I am offering up one (1) of the books by Julie Kagawa to be shipped to you via Amazon. If you've already started on a series, awesome. This will help you get the next installment or finale of that series. If not, prepare yourself for the ride that awaits you from the very first book!

 The Iron Fey

 The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten

The Immortal Rules

Releases April, 2013

 For budget reasons, this one will have to be US ONLY.

Fill in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday - January 30, 2013

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To join in, share the book or books that you are currently drooling over as you await their release and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. The gorgeous badge above is brought to us by Lindsay at The Violet Hour!

Love, LOVE this series and author! I really wish Harlequin Teen hadn't started changing the covers, but I can understand their reasons. Check Julie's and Harlequin's Twitter feeds for some more exciting news about the author!

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 by Harlequin Teen

From Goodreads:

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Review: The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

Paperback, 304 pages

Published August 28th 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Source: Own

Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Enter the world of the internationally bestselling Iron Fey series. Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa's unforgettable world of Faery.

Winter's Passage

Never make a promise to a faery. They always come to collect. Now Meghan Chase must fulfill her promise to Prince Ash of the Winter Court and embark upon a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory—while being pursued by a relentless new foe and guarding her own foolish heart.

Summer's Crossing

What can turn enemies into reluctant allies? A call from the Exile Queen, Leanansidhe, ties legendary prankster Puck to his archenemy, Prince Ash, on a journey that may end in betrayal and will set them both on an irreversible path.

Iron's Prophecy

Before she ever knew what she might become, Iron Queen Meghan Chase was warned by the oracle that her firstborn child would bring nothing but grief. And even as Meghan and Ash celebrate their long-awaited union, the prophecy stirs.…

Three Iron Fey novellas for the first time in print!

Oh, how do I love this series! The book includes two previously released, free novellas from Kagawa that connected Meghan's series and also the new novella that connects Meghan's to Ethan's new series, The Lost Prince: The Call of the Forgotten. As a true Iron Fey fan, I just had to have them all in print and settled on the bookshelf with its family. Not to mention that Iron's Prophecy is another continuation on Meghan and Ash's story. I'll read anything with Ash in it and it is no secret that this novella is where the couple learns to live life as a true couple and, um, expand upon things. I love "connecting" books like this that allow me to see how the characters grow even further and how their story affected their lives. It's been such a long time since I have read Winter's Passage and Summer's Crossing that I will not review them here. Winter's Passage is Ash's novella story that connects the first two books and Summer's Crossing is Puck's Story that connects the third and fourth books. My pick is Ash's story, but Puck's is hilarious due to his POV and sense of humor. I'll let you decide between the two, just be sure to read them! :)

As previously mentioned, Iron's Prophecy connects The Iron King series to the Call of the Forgotten series, falling in right after The Iron Knight. Here we learn of what life is like post "Ash's Crusade"/marriage to Meghan and find out about a new web that is weaving in the Iron Fey world. The synopsis basically gives away all of it to be honest. However, what you don't see is the maturity and regal persona that Meghan excretes as an experienced Iron Queen. In response to this new level of enlightenment, you also receive a deep relationship between Ash and Meghan as they solidify their life and family together. It truly is a great way to leave their story behind and allows readers to make the transition to Meghan's child and brother Ethan's story...with Puck tucked in for the ride!

The book also includes a Guide to the Iron Fey. I thought it was an awesome addition and would actually highly recommend this concept to other authors. It can help understand the story better and in this case provide some hilarious aspects of the world that you may have not realized otherwise.

Review: Covet by Melissa Darnell

Covet by Melissa Darnell

Ebook, 304 pages

Published October 1st 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.
Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.
Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.
A reckoning is coming...and not everyone will survive. 

 The Clann series keeps getting better and better! Crave was a great introduction to Savannah's world, but Covet gives it that "oomph" that the plot desperately needed. 

We pick up exactly where Crave left off and the book begins the first of many star-crossed lover's scenarios between Sav and Tristan. This would be one of the few complaints I have about the book. I know there needs to be some angst in it, but it could be dropped down a notch or so. It becomes very predictable and at times incredibly annoying. The characters are what made me get attached to the series, but this grinds on that to a degree. 

On the positive side of the spectrum, the plot got the guts it needed from the beginning. Once it starts to roll, it doesn't really slow down until the end of the book. This is definite improvement over the first book. It felt more in-depth and connected with the characters and really sucked me into what they were feeling and experiencing. The culminating events really threw me for a loop because of this and it was amazing. I laughed, and cried especially, along with Sav and the gang. I still feel that Sav needs to be able to catch a break a little more often, but her luck makes for a great ride for the reader. I loved that I got to learn a lot more history and background information on the organizations and Sav's family. Although, sometimes it hurt to know the back story and then experience the events Sav goes through. It is one of the many great aspects of the book. I can't wait to see where Darnell runs with this after Covet's ending... :)

Review: The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Ebook, 275 pages

Published July 31, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the Book:  Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before....

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope...

     The Goddess series has been one of my favorites from the get-go. I love the author's perspective on the mythology and this installment took it a whole new level. It is a wonderful experience to see how the characters are developed in the series, let alone this opportunity to peer into the back story.

     The reader gets to know the ENTIRE set of events that eventually lead up to the first book in the series. There is so much information in each story that it is both a blessing and hindrance. It is an amazing ride learning all the little details in the gods and goddesses lives that have made them as they are to us today. The reader gets to experience the highs and lows, especially the betrayals, and gain a full perspective on the characters. A couple I could even say it changed my views on them because I understood why they have the personality that they do. However, it can be an overload of info at times and I did end up flipping through a few pages to get to the next section or story. Other than that, this is an excellent addition the series and should definitely be on your shelves!

Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Paperback, 379 pages

Published: October 23rd 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Buy the Book: Amazon : B&N : Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Kagawa is more than a writer to me. She is an artist that can vividly depict situations and characters to the point it feels as if I am there with them. The Lost Prince is no exception to this. We dive back into the Iron Fey world, but from the perspective of Meghan's younger brother, Ethan. I was curious to see how he would be woven into the storyline from the previous series. I have to say, I really love the direction the world is taking now. However, this book contains enormous spoilers for Meghan's series, so I would highly recommend reading those before beginning this one. This is one that is going on my "highly recommend" shelf for everyone!

Ethan is an interesting character to get to know. A first glance I thought he was going to be a horribly broody character that would be difficult to read. Well, I was wrong, at least about him being difficult to read. He is broody, but he definitely has his reasons. The world that his sister lives in has haunted and tormented him since he was child and the effects of that are ever present. While he considers this to be an annoyance, it actually works out in his favor when he is thrown into the mix of the Fey world. Along the way we get to meet some old friends, Meghan and Ash, and Ethan's perspective gives them a whole new maturity and meaning to me. It actually helped me understand and know them better, for the good and the bad of them. There is a whole new slew of new friends that we meet, including a particularly interesting Fey, Keirran. I am afraid to reveal too much, but I will say you would find the prequel novella, Iron Prophecy, highly entertaining in relevance to him. Love the character though, his history truly shows in his actions and personality. I can't wait to see more of him. It feels as if we barely got to know Kenzie St. James, even though we see her quite a bit, but I have a feeling we're going to get a lot closer to her as the story progresses. She has the perfect attitude and openness that Ethan needs in his life right now for stability and in a confidant. I believe she will continue to chip away those thick walls Ethan erected to protect his most precious asset, his heart.  

Oh, how I love the storyline in this series. It has a wonderful mixture of mystery, romance, and thrills that kept the pages turning. All of this with the addition of the awesome details Kagawa adds to make it truly her own. An example of this is with the Kali descriptions as Ethan is practicing and performing. Absolutely beautiful. There is also a well balanced amount of time spent on action and down-time. It keeps you heart in a constant push and shove and the pacing steady and exhilarating. The transition from the first series' plot to  this one is smooth and incorporates the previous concepts to the new seamlessly. I am very curious to see how the Forgotten play out and how Ethan, Kenzie, and Kierran determine the end game with them. They are a very intriguing antagonist. I have a feeling there is a whole other side of them that we haven't seen yet and it may not turn out the way it is originally implied. Everyone needs a champion for them, right? ;)