Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Title: Last Sacrifice
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 978-0-141-33188-1
Pages: 584
Series: Vampire Academy #6
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


The moroi Queen is dead, found murdered in her bed with Rose Hathaway's stake embedded in her chest. Caught in a desperate race to clear her name, Rose and her friends find themselves forced to play detective and solve the case for themselves. Political machinations and motives abound but can they find the killer before Rose loses her life? And what will her friends be forced to do in her defense?

This is the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy series (after Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise and Spirit Bound). This is a series you really need to read in order so I'd definitely recommend starting with book 1 (as well as not reading any further as I may spoil all the previous books).

This is a pretty awesome end to the series. The storyline is well plotted and action packed, leading the characters off on two interlinked quests - proving Rose's innocence and finding Lissa's sister - whilst some stay behind at court to buy them time. There are a lot of twists and turns, although I figured out some in advance, and lots of plot lines from earlier books are brought forward and concluded.

However some storylines were left unconcluded which I have mixed feelings over. On one hand Adrian, Sydney and Jill are all set to feature in the spin-off series which starts with Bloodlines so I'd expect their storylines to continue, but I've heard no mention of Eddie continuing. If he doesn't I'll be really disappointed as he gave up a lot to help Rose and there's not really been any mention of his future.

Rose has to fight to prove her innocence, whilst also being protected by her friends and family which she is resistant to as they are putting themselves at risk. It also forces her to work with Dimitri and leaves her battling her feelings for him while trying to honour her relationship with Adrian. She's grown a lot since the series started and I felt for her as she struggles to clear her name.

Lissa has also grown a lot since the beginning of the series and in order to buy Rose time she has entered the race to be named the new Moroi Queen. This not only gives a view into the monarchy tests which I found fascinating, but also brings the vampire politics storylines to the forefront and seeks conclusion to them. I loved how her relationship with Christian has helped bring out the best in her and their scenes together were incredibly sweet.

All in all this was a good end to a fun series and I'm looking forward to the spin-off.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 44/50

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Title: Spirit Bound
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-141-33187-4
Pages: 479
Series: Vampire Academy #5
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Rose has been outrunning death since she swore to protect her best friend Lissa and has now returned to St. Vladimir's after failing in her quest in Russia. Refocused on placing Lissa first no matter what, Rose is now distracted by taunts from her former love as he hunts her down. Dimitri wants Rose to join him or die, but when the possibility of a cure arises Rose is soon questioning what cost she is willing to pay.

This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series (after Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise) which is a series I really recommend reading in order. After the twist at the end of the previous book, I jumped straight into this to see what would happen next. The storyline is well written and cleverly plotted, building the tension to a dramatic ending although at times this did feel like it was setting up the finale of the series rather than being a story in it's own right. Several storylines are left unconcluded which is disappointing, particularly in Eddie's case.

The book starts off at St. Vladimir's as Rose completes her final trials in her guardianship training, and then moves to the Court which gives a nice change of pace. Vampire politics take an even larger role as defense tactics are argued, including moroi learning to fight and dhampir rights being questioned. I was unexpectedly fascinated by this, particularly when arguments were made to force all dhampirs to serve as guardians regardless of their choices and even their age.

Rose and Lissa have been reunited but their bond has been tested by their time apart, most easily shown by Lissa's new habit of keeping secrets from Rose which is a total reversal from their roles at the start of the series. Together they are trying to find a way to save Dimitri and Rose is soon put in the position of having to decide what she is willing to risk losing in order to save him.

This is lower on romance than the previous installments which is a shame given that Rose has agreed to give a relationship with Adrian a go. Adrian is one of my favourite characters and I was hoping for more scenes between them rather than their romance taking a backseat to Rose and Dimitri's past. Rose puts their budding romance at risk as she takes more and more extreme action in hopes of finding a cure.

All in all, this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to Last Sacrifice.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 43/50

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Title: Blood Promise
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-141-33186-7
Pages: 493
Series: Vampire Academy #4
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


St Vladimir's has been attacked and as a result Rose has lost everything she holds dear. She had to choose between Lissa and Dimitri and has now journeyed to Russia to fulfil a promise to Dimitri. As Rose travels she doesn't realise the horrors and revelations in store for her, nor does she realise just how much danger she has left Lissa in and it quickly becomes clear that the risks are greater than ever before.

This is the fourth book in the Vampire Academy series (after Vampire Academy, Frostbite and Shadow Kiss) and if you're new to the series I'd recommend going back and starting with the first book. This review is also likely to contain spoilers for the earlier books.

I was really looking forward to this installment after the dramatic end of the previous book, but I have to say I ended up a little disappointed. The book has a dark and at times dismal feel and is much heavier in subject matter than the previous installments. The storyline is divided between Rose's quest to find Dimitri in Russia and Lissa's school life at St. Vladimir's which means there are two entirely distinct plots at the same time. The plots are well written and both build to dramatic endings, although I felt Rose's dragged at times.

Rose has travelled to Russia in search of Dimitri, essentially in order to kill him. Along the way she is introduced to Sidney and the existence of Alchemists who have existed for hundreds of years to protect humans from vampires (both moroi and strigoi) and their dhampir guardians. Syndey took a lot of getting used to as she is pretty bigoted against non-humans at the start, although I gradually warmed to her and ended up liking her a lot by the end of the book. Rose also meets Dimitri's family and experiences what life is like for dhampir's who choose not to become guardians.

Rose also learns more about spirit users and being shadow kissed and her reunion with Dimitri is dramatic. At times it felt like Rose stayed too long in certain situations and that is where the storyline felt dragged. One thing I loved that I didn't expect to was little flashbacks to Rose and Dimitri at happier times as these helped lighten the overall darkness of the storyline.

Meanwhile back at St. Vladimir's Lissa has befriended new girl Avery on the prompting of the Queen. It's interesting to see her reactions to political manipulation, and also how Lissa chooses to act when Rose isn't around. It quickly becomes clear that rather than being a bad influence, Rose was the only thing helping Lissa make good choices and before long her relationship with Christian is on the rocks and Lissa is putting herself in real danger.

All in all this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Spirit Bound.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50

Lover Unleashed by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Unleashed
Author: J.R. Ward

Publisher: Piatkus
ISBN: 978-0-7499-5565-6
Pages: 573
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #9
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, deadly cloth as her brother. After spending eons imprisoned by their mother, Payne escapes only to find her spine broken. To save her life and try to reverse the paralysis Vishous is forced to abduct human surgeon Manny Manello, the head of his field in neurosurgery. But when Payne and Manny meet sparks fly and it soon becomes clear that a romance is growing despite their different species.

This is the ninth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and one I approached with trepidation. I'd heard this was different to the previous books and having read it I agree with that assessment. In previous installments the focus has been primarily on the featured couple with other storylines kept firmly in the background, while this barely focuses on Payne and Manny and has a lot of distracting plotlines.

What there is of Payne and Manny's romance was incredibly sweet and well written. Payne's spinal injury at the start of the book is delicately handled and yet accurate in terms of her emotions (I showed certain scenes to my Mum who also has a spinal injury). Manny's medical training does show through and it was interesting to see how the previous memory wipes have affected him. The Brotherhood have really changed his life, and not in a good way.

The predominant storyline of the book though focuses on Vishous and his relationship with Jane. I expected V to play a key role here as Payne's twin but his storyline takes over the book and huge chunks are dedicated to his life. It is almost as if this book is Lover Unbound part two rather than focusing on a new couple. There are also tiny cameos from pretty much every other character from the books, although most are only mentioned and never given any purpose or dialogue.

There are also three other storylines, the first being a heartbreaking view of the Qhuinn/Blaylock story from Qhuinn's perspective revealing his true feelings for the first time (their book Lover at Last is out next year) which was kept mostly in the background. Then you have the introduction of Xcor and the Band of B*****ds, a rival group to the Black Dagger Brotherhood formerly led by the Bloodletter who, while relevant to the storyline, take over with some unnecessary scenes. The third storyline is a human murder case which I expected to tie everything together so was disappointed to find not only does it fail at this, it's actually tied into the author's other series.

All in all this was an okay read and I'll still pick up a copy of Lover Reborn.

Plot: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 40/50

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2866-3
Pages: 332
Series: Anna #2
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


It has been months since Anna Korlov opened a doorway to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it to save Cas Lowood's life. Despite being reminded by his friends of her sacrifice, Cas can't let Anna go and soon he is seing Anna everywhere. But this isn't the powerful Anna he remembers, this Anna is broken and tortured and Cas is desperate to find out what happened to her. His quest reveals secrets hidden in his past and leads him on a dangerous quest to save Anna from a fate far worse than death.

This is the final book of the Anna duology (after Anna Dressed in Blood) and honestly it was a little different to what I expected. I loved Anna Dressed in Blood and found it to be deliciously creepy and addictive, but something was missing for me in Girl of Nightmares.

I think part of it is Cas's desperate self-destructive quest to figure out what happened to Anna. As much as he loves her, he is completely unable to let her go and he quickly places himself at risk along with Thomas and Carmel, which is incredibly unfair to them. There is less ghost hunting and the action quickly moves away from Cas's mother and Morfran who were two stand out characters for me last time.

But enough about what I didn't like, here's what I did. The echoes of the events of the previous book are present in this showing that even ghost related things have real world ramifications. There are some creepy scenes but these are more towards the end of the book, particularly when Cas and his friends journey through the "suicide forest" which was disturbing to say the least. Once the action moves to the UK the action is compelling and I was glued to the page throughout.

The beginning is action packed and throws you straight back into Cas's life, while showing how Thomas and Carmel are still standing by his side. There were a few unexplored plot lines in Anna Dressed in Blood and this picks them all up and ties them together, deepening the world and managing to pull a bunch of surprises out of seemingly nowhere. This goes right back to the origins of the blade and how Cas's father became a ghost hunter revealing a whole new side to their world.

The ending was action packed and chock full of tension, going back and tying in tiny hints from both books to create a shockingly powerful conclusion. It's pretty much impossible to discuss the ending without spoilers so I will just say that the ending is unconventional but works perfectly within the world Kendare Blake created.

One last thing - if you haven't read Anna Dressed in Blood, don't read this! It is very closely tied to the first book and you'll have missed a huge amount.

All in all this was a good read and a great conclusion to the series.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 44/50

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Title: Angels' Blood
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-22692-6
Pages: 339
Series: Guild Hunter #1
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Elena Devereaux is the best vampire hunter in the world, but even she may not be good enough for her latest assignment. She has been hired by the dangerous, and beautiful, archangel of New York Raphael to track down an archangel gone bad. This job will place Elena at the centre of a killing spree unlike any other...and put her at risk of falling for her employer's charms, either of which could mean her death.

This is the first book in the Guild Hunter series and, as a big fan of the author's Psy-Changeling series, a book I expected great things from. I definitely wasn't disappointed as the world building is just as unique and complex as that of her other books, taking vampires and angels in innovative new directions. Angels are the creators of vampires and as such own them for the first hundred years of their existence. Elena's job is to retrieve those who attempt to break that contract.

The storyline is cleverly plotted and well paced, although at times the density of the world building made it difficult for me to stay caught in the storyline. Unlike the Psy-Changeling books, this series stays with Elena and Raphael for more than a single book so their backstory isn't covered fully leaving lots undiscovered. I was a little annoyed that only snippets of Elena's history are revealed which means that the storyline will continue in the future books, but ends up being frustratingly incomplete in this installment.

Elena is an interesting lead character. As I mentioned before her traumatic past isn't fully revealed which leaves the reader only able to partly understand her, although her relationships with her friends (good) and family (bad) do explain a lot about her motivations. Likewise Raphael is fascinating and it is great to see him both acting normally and within "the cold", a side effect to a method of angelic communication. The cold removes all traces of humanity from Raphael and leaves him as a very scary being.

There were a few background characters that managed to steal scenes throughout the book: Raphael's right hand vampire Dmitri whose seductive scent keeps Elena on her toes, and Elena's bad boy hunter friend Ransom who adds a cute sideline as he realises he's fallen in love with his latest fling. The other character I loved was Illium who is the most accessible angel introduced in the book.

The villain of the piece Uram is incredibly disturbing and leads to some particularly horrifying scenes that place this book a lot closer to a gritty urban fantasy than a romance. Some of the scenes are quite graphic which I wasn't expecting, although they do fit within the storyline and aren't excessive.

The ending is outstanding and entirely not what I was expecting at all. I can't wait to see where the storyline goes next!

All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Archangel's Kiss.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 44/50

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-407109-36-7
Pages: 472
Series: Hunger Games #2
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have survived the Hunger Games. Unfortunately for them, their survival comes at a cost as their actions in the Games have triggered a rebellion against the Capitol. Now Peeta and Katniss must play an even more deadly game as the nation watches on. With higher stakes than ever a single wrong move could lead to unimaginable consequences.

This is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy (after The Hunger Games) and one I approached with a little trepidation. While I liked the Hunger Games I did feel it had been overhyped so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this, but I actually enjoyed this a little more than the first. The rebellion and pressure from the Capitol create a sense of tension from the first page and I found myself drawn in to what would happen next.

The storyline is cleverly plotted, managing to show how a government can manipulate individuals by making broader changes that affect the people around her. President Snow is incredibly creepy (his breath smells like blood!) and yet he never acts against Katniss directly as it is easier to control the people around her. Some of the twists and turns were surprising, but one major twist was easy to predict from the political machinations at the start.

Katniss and Peeta are recovering from the Hunger Games, part of which entails moving into the luxury winners village on the edge of District 12. But their return shows them things didn't remain the same while they were away, and they are forced to continue their "relationship". Katniss's best friend Gale has become more than that to her and he has looked after her mother and Prim while she was away. I was impressed that Katniss's mother is finally acting like a parent upon her return.

This is the book where the love triangle of Katniss, Peeta and Gale really gets started and for me it is one of my least favourite parts of the book. While Katniss kicks butt and looks after her family, she struggles with any romantic connection and spends most of the book floundering around while Peeta and Gale try to support her. Love triangles are predominant in YA fiction these days and unfortunately this is one of the ones that detracts from the storyline.

The supporting characters have always shined brighter for me in this series than the leads, so I was glad to see the majority of them return. We get to see how Prim is doing, and the winners tour means that Cinna, Effie and Haymitch all have key roles to play. I was thrilled to see Cinna get more development and a storyline of his own as he has always been a stand out character to me.

All in all this was a good read and I'm looking forward to Mockingjay.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 44/50

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-1-407109-08-4
Pages: 454
Series: The Hunger Games #1
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


In a future where North America has been destroyed and replaced with a country called Panem, a yearly event called the Hunger Games takes place. A teenage pair of 'tributes', one male and one female, are selected from each of Panem's 12 disticts and placed in an arena with a single rule - kill or be killed. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place in the Games, she believes it is a death sentence. Only one competitor from District 12 has ever won, but there has never been a competitor who has had to fight for their survival like Katniss has in the past.

I'd heard good things about this trilogy so picked up the first book out of a love of distopian novels. Initially, I was pretty disappointed as the book is slow to start and the plot is pretty derivative. Although the author interview at the end of the book claims the idea came from channel surfing between the news and reality TV this is incredibly similar to Battle Royale. I also prefer the kind of distopian novels that start out with a world that doesn't seem that bad, whereas here Panem seems pretty awful from the start.

However, as the Games begin (no pun intended) the plot picks up pace and we soon get to see Katniss in a new light. At the beginning of the book she is pretty irritating to read, whereas I liked Peeta (the male District 12 tribute) from the start. Katniss grows up a lot as she takes part in the Games, but by the end of the book it's clear she still has a lot of growing up to do. I also liked a lot of the supporting characters, especially Katniss's stylist Cinna.

I did like how the spectacle of the Hunger Games was handled, and it is one of the things that stood out from the book. While the Games were invented to remind Panem's citizens that the Capitol reigns supreme after a failed revolution, it has become a media circus. Given the current media attention given to reality TV it isn't too far-fetched to believe a show like this would garner that level of attention, if not more. The way in which the tributes are treated before the Games begin reminded me a little of beauty pagents - costumes, grand entrances, talent testing and interviews.

The way the book ended means that this part of Katniss's story is complete, but still leaves it open for the other two books in the trilogy. I really liked the ending, and it definitely made me look back on the book in a different light.

All in all this was a good read, and I will eventually get round to reading the rest of the trilogy (Catching Fire and Mockingjay).

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Title: Drink Deep
Author: Chloe Neill

Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 978-0-575-11340-4
Pages: 321
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #5
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


A storm is brewing over Chicago and with the city in turmoil and threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, Cadogan House is in a precarious position. All Merit wants to do is lay low for a while and lick her wounds but it seems fate has other plans for her when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black. It's clear the darkest magic is at work and Merit must act as Sentinel and turn to friends, and enemies, new and old to find out who is behind this and stop them before it is too late...

This is the fifth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series (after Some Girls Bite, Friday Night Bites, Twice Bitten and Hard Bitten) and I jumped straight into this after the OMG ending to Hard Bitten. I am so glad I had this on hand and I'd recommend anyone new to the series start at the beginning, but make sure you have this on hand when you start Hard Bitten because the ending is a killer.

There is a ton of world building in this installment as the weird events in Chicago force Merit to contact all sorts of supernatural races, both those we've met before and those we haven't. Every race gets more development from the nymphs to the fey and river trolls to sirens. It all works well and develops naturally within the storyline without any info dumping.

The book also features a heavy political aspect as the Greenwich Presidium have sent a representative to Cadogan House and he quickly pulls a Dolores Umbridge and starts taking over and insisting on bizarre unnecessary rules. The Cadogan vampires are somewhat struggling under the new management and this leads to a fair amount of friction. The Red Guard are also still courting Merit in hopes that she will join their numbers against the GP.

The book did feature a huge dent to my enjoyment in that I figured out what the cause of the bizarre events was within the first few chapters. This meant I spent most of the book knowing Merit was looking in all the wrong places and by the time she figured it out I was becoming frustrated with how she could keep missing all the clues. Other than that the storyline is well written on the whole and I enjoyed exploring more of Merit's world with her.

Merit is dealing with a lot in this installment after her loss at the end of the previous book. Mallory has tried to help her through but she is caught up with her magic training. Merit's way of dealing is to throw herself into her role as Sentinel and to support her friends Lindsey and Luc who have finally gotten together. Given Merit's state of mind a lot of the humour and snark of the earlier books is missing and I'm really hoping they return in the next installment.

All in all this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to Biting Cold.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50

Murder Takes Time by Giacomo Giammatteo

Title: Murder Takes Time
Author: Giacomo Giammatteo

Publisher: Inferno Publishing Company
ISBN: 978-0-9850302-0-9
Pages: 421
Series: Friendship and Honor #1
Type: Adult Crime
Source: Received for Review
Goodreads


Twenty five years ago Tony 'the brain' Sannullo, Frankie 'Bugs' Donovan, Paulie 'the Suit' Perlano and Nicky 'the Rat' Fusco made an oath for Friendship and Honor. Now grown up the four boys have taken different paths and are living very different lives. Frankie is now a hardened Brooklyn cop facing a series of brutal murders that all have a bizarre combination of DNA planted at the scene. Struggling with the case he has no choice but to contact his old friends, even if the old oath could compromise the oath he swore as a cop.

I wasn't sure what I would think of this as it is outside my normal comfort zone so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is really readable and kept me glued to the page. You can really tell that the author is writing about the time and area in which he grew up and his passion really shines through the narrative. There are even photos of some of the locations in the back of the book. I'd been warned in advance about the rough language but it fits with the characters and their background and never comes across as excessive.

I found myself connecting with some characters more than others. Frankie is really struggling both with the case and with the conflict between his past and career. I sympathized with Nicky who has definitely had the most difficult life, and quickly became resentful of the circumstances that led him down an entirely different path to the one he wanted. I loved Mama Rosa and she really brought the boys childhoods to life. You could almost taste the sauce she was constantly nursing in the kitchen.

The plot is cleverly written and the motivations and identity of the killer are gradually revealed alongside the past of the boys and how they ended up becoming the men they are today. I was disappointed by the ending though as it feels like justice was abandoned in favour of leaving the storyline open for the sequel promised at the end of the book.

There were several things I didn't like: the violence is very graphic at times and could have been lessened without negatively impacting the storyline. Also while I knew there would be sexual content in advance I was unaware that a fair amount of those scenes are nonconsensual and pretty disturbing. I also struggled at times with the large cast, especially in the past scenes where lists of names are reeled off, and found it difficult to tell when certain scenes were taking place as while they are marked as '19 years ago' some cover years at a time.

All in all, this was a good read and I'd consider picking up Murder has Consequences when it is released.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 7/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 37/50

 

The author is even giving you the opportunity to try the ebook edition risk free during the book's tour (November 4 - 10). The details are below:

 

For anyone who buys a digital book during this tour and mentions the tour, I will offer a money-back guarantee, with these conditions:

1. Understand that this book contains several chapters with graphic violence.

2. Understand that it contains rough, street language

3. Understand that there are two chapters with sexual scenes

4. Understand that the story is told in multiple Point of Views.

If for any reason, other than those stated above, you do not like the book or aren't happy with it, just write me an email and tell me why. Email me a proof of purchase receipt, and I'll refund your money. This applies only to the digital books. I can't do it with print editions.

Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Living with the Dead
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-396-1
Pages: 440
Series: Otherworld #9
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Robyn Peltier is a completely normal person trying to recover from the loss of her husband. When her new boss is murdered and she finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation, Robyn is way out of her depth and turns to her best friend Hope Adams for help. But Robyn doesn't know she's accidentally stumbled into a supernatural turf war, or that Hope is a half-demon and her boyfriend Karl is a werewolf. Now Robyn is forced to accept a whole new reality to save her life.

This is the ninth book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and sees a change in style. Previously the books had featured one or two narrators, while this one features five giving the story a somewhat disjointed feel. It also continues on from Hope's story in Personal Demon and this means that although this is supposed to be Robyn's book, it never really feels truly hers while the massive cast makes it hard to connect with the new characters.

The plot is cleverly written and well plotted with plenty of twists and turns, and the idea of a human being sucked in to the Otherworld is interesting. The storyline feels darker than the other books, featuring several abusive situations and unsympathetic characters. Even one character who I started the book feeling sorry for ended up being someone I despised by the end of the book. There is also pretty much no romance in the book, except in those scenes featuring Hope and Karl who are toning down their relationship so as not to upset Robyn.

The world building focuses mainly on clairvoyants who haven't received a massive amount of attention in previous installments due to their rarity. It is interesting to see how a group of supernaturals have separated themselves from others in order to protect themselves. It has been made clear in the past that the Cabals are desperate for clairvoyants so to see that relationship from the clairvoyants perspective adds a new dimension.

It does feel that this is setting up the end-game of the series (which will play out in the final three books Waking The Witch, Spell Bound and 13), especially when the book ends with Hope considering all of the unusual events from Broken (book 6) onwards. It does bring these events to the front of the readers mind, but it is another feature that makes this book feel less like Robyn's and more like a gap filler in the series.

All in all, this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Frostbitten.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 39/50

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Personal Demon
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-397-8
Pages: 476
Series: Otherworld #8
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Gift
Goodreads


Hope Adams owes Benicio Cortez a favour, and when he calls it in her hunger for chaos leads her to accept and travel to Miami. Benicio needs her to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals who are causing problems for the Cabal, but Hope becomes intoxicated by the danger and soon finds herself in over her head. When Karl Marsten discovers the shared debt is being fulfilled by Hope alone, he tries to rescue her only for them to discover that the conflict between the gang and the Cabal is deeper and more dangerous than anyone could have predicted.

This is the eighth book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and sees half-demon Hope Adams take the narration role along with Lucas Cortez. I wasn't sure what to think of the joint narration at first as this is the first time a main book in the series has been written like this, but it soon becomes clear that the complexity of the case needs two viewpoints to explore. There are certain things Lucas can't show as he isn't part of the gang and others that Hope can't show as she is external to the Cabal.

Hope was first introduced in the novella 'Chaotic' featured in Dates from Hell and then appeared in the previous book (No Humans Involved) so her backstory has been partly covered before, although this installment gives more depth and shows things from her perspective. Hope's power is an attraction to chaos, which has the side benefit of allowing her to act as a chaos detector. I really liked how Hope identifies supernaturals by using visions (a storm means a Tempestras demon while running through woodland identifies a werewolf) but I had a hard time identifying with her at times.

I loved that Karl Marsten took a big role in this book as I've wanted to learn more about him since his introduction in Bitten. His backstory is explored a lot more, as are his motivations and choices which gives the romance a different quality. Karl however is not alone in his affection for Hope and she finds herself in a love triangle with gang member Jaz. I'm not a big fan of love triangles and this one did detract from the storyline a bit.

The story itself is cleverly plotted and deceptive in its depth. Changes take place that will echo throughout the future books of the series and the Cabal world-building gets a boost as the intricacies of the Cortez family are explored. Karl's backstory also adds a view of life as a mutt (non-Pack werewolf) which contrasts with the Pack's opinions. There are lots of twists and turns and the ending caught me by surprise, although at times the pacing felt like it was dragging.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Living With the Dead.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Allison & Busby
ISBN: 978-0-7490-1185-7
Pages: 380
Series: The Pledge #1
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


In the distant future, seventeen-year-old Charlaina lives in a world divided by words. Each class has their own native language and it is a crime to even acknowledge someone from a higher class while they are speaking it. Charlie is hiding a gift...she can understand all of the languages so when she meets the mysterious Max who speaks in a tongue she's never heard before she is intrigued. Max believes Charlie is the key to releasing the kingdom from the control of an aged and ruthless queen, but can Charlie truly trust him?

This is the second book I've read by Kimberly Derting and as I wasn't blown away by The Body Finder, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but the intriguing storyline caught my attention. The idea of a world completely divided by something as fundamental as language is fascinating and I was really looking forward to seeing how it played out. The setting is unique as this is a dystopian set several hundred years into the future which means it lacks many of the similarities often found in dystopians with a shorter time jump.

Charlie was a great lead character in that it was easy to see things from her perspective. She's been hiding her gift for her entire life but it seems that she isn't very good at it as she keeps making basic mistakes. Strangely her equally gifted little sister seems to cope better with the necessary secrecy. Max was an intriguing guy who was hiding many more secrets than Charlie herself, but with all the deception I found myself rooting for Charlie to fall for her best friend Aron who is a far simpler, more caring guy.

Queen Sabara was probably my favourite character in the whole book. She manages to be ruthless and evil without coming across like a cartoon villain, and her royal machinations spread a layer of tension throughout the book. It is completely understandable why people are rebelling against her, especially the rebellion's current leader Xander, but somehow also clear why the general population don't want a war on their doorstep and as such resist the rebellion.

My problem with the book is that I never really got caught up in the storyline. I wasn't invested in Charlie's future and I figured out several of the plot twists quite early on which was disappointing. I initially thought this book was supposed to be a stand alone especially as the only clue to a lingering storyline is found in the epilogue. It now looks as if there will in fact be at least two more in the series, starting with The Essence, although I'm not sure if I'll be reading them.

All in all this was an interesting read.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 40/50

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-00-744292-8
Pages: 525
Series: Divergent #2
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Tris has survived a horrifying attack against all the odds but her survival has come with a heavy cost. Racked with grief for her losses and guilt for her actions, Tris is desperate to find a peaceful escape. But the factions are failing and society is crumbling and it is not only the truth of the night of the Dauntless initiation that must be revealed. Other secrets, deeper than imagining, have haunted the factions for generations. Is Tris brave enough to reveal the hidden truth?

This is the second book in the Divergent trilogy (after Divergent) and after being disappointed by Divergent I approached Insurgent with trepidation. There is definitely more tension in this installment as the faction system, and by extension the society, is beginning to crumble. Massive betrayals have been made and the shockwaves are rocking the city, both on a large scale and an individual level. The pacing is better in this book, but I figured out a major plot twist very early on which was a huge disappointment.

Tris has been left questioning the cause of the chaos and her role in it so she is now carrying a lot of emotional baggage as the events of the previous book have left her scarred. This means that Insurgent has a much more introspective feel with a lot of actions being preceeded by Tris's internal debate. I liked this aspect, although it did create a lot more difficulties for Tris and Four. Four is his usual strong-yet-caring self but this reveals more about his past and miscommunication abounds.

This installment gives a look into the world of the Factionless which was an element briefly touched on in the previous book that I wanted to know more about. These are individuals who have chosen to leave their faction or who failed initiation and end up being a cross between lower class workers (cleaners, bus drivers etc) and homeless. Now we get to see that just because the factions rejected them, doesn't mean they necessarily reject each other.

The reader also gets to see more about the different factions, especially Amity whose focus on peace becomes a much needed commodity. The other factor I really enjoyed was that the possibility of simulations means that everyone's loyalty is questionable at all times and trust has become a huge risk for anyone.

All in all this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to the final book.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 41/50

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-00-742041-4
Pages: 487
Series: Divergent #1
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


In futuristic Chicago society is divided into five factions: Erudite (the intelligent), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest) and Amity (the peaceful). Upon their sixteenth birthday everyone must choose a faction, either staying in the faction they were born into or breaking from their family and leaving for another. But when Tris makes her choice she cannot begin to fathom the ramifications or how drastically her life or the world around her is about to change.

This is the first book in the Divergent trilogy and is probably one of the most-hyped books I've read in a while. Having now read it, I'd actually say that it is overhyped to the point that I was left feeling let down by the storyline. The sheer level of "oh my gosh this is like the most amazing book ever!" meant that while I enjoyed the book, I was expecting something incredible and this isn't quite at that level. There is a lot of missed potential, particularly in the world building, and the book is overly long for the amount of storyline covered.

It is clear that this is set in a future Chicago which has been devastated but there is no explanation. Each faction has it's own areas of the city, but again these aren't really described. There are a lot of hints to the factions and their purpose but things are kept very vague, most likely to be revealed in future books (which is a plot device I dislike immensely). Even the conflict between the factions of Abnegation and Erudite is kept off the page which means that it only ever seems incidental. The other thing that bothered me was that the pace started off pretty quick and then slowed.

The entire book is basically set around Tris selecting and then joining a faction. While I liked Tris and the way she thought things through, she could be really immature and stupid at times which didn't fit well with the times when she was smarter or braver. As the book went on Tris became more confident and coherent within herself. Four is one of my favourite parts of the book. He challenges Tris, forcing her to become a better person while also being incredibly sweet and supportive.

I liked how the other initiates were shown as joining a faction includes some pretty serious hazing. There was a great spectrum from the horrible Peter to Tris's awesome new best Christina. As Tris is kept with the other faction transfers this does explain a bit more about each faction without info-dumping, and it also means that the concept of bullying can be handled in an innovative way.

All in all, this was a fun read and I'm looking forward to Insurgent.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 43/50

Burning for Revenge by John Marsden

Title: Burning for Revenge

Author: John Marsden
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 978-0-439-85803-8
Pages: 260
Series: Tomorrow #5
Type: Young Adult Action/Adventure
Source: Gift
Goodreads


Ellie and her friends decide to leave the safety of Hell to journey to the nearby town of Stratton. It's a perilous journey not least of all because the enemy's headquarters are somewhere along the way. A careless mistake leads the group into the most dangerous situation yet and presents them with their greatest opportunity when they find themselves within the enemy's heavily fortified airbase. But how much are the teens willing to risk, and when it comes to revenge or escape what will they choose?

This is the fifth book in the Tomorrow series (after Tomorrow When the War Began, The Dead of Night, The Third Day, the Frost and Darkness Be My Friend) and continues the story of the teens fighting a guerilla war against invaders. The pace of the book is pretty up and down and it did mean at times I found my interest waning. Parts of the book are action packed and fast paced, but the start and middle are more introspective and far slower in pace.

One thing I did notice with this book was that at times I found it hard to keep reading, partly due to the pacing issues and also partly due to Kevin. He becomes very withdrawn in this book which is understandable, he's been a captive and his girlfriend died at the hands of the invaders, but it does make the book quite depressing at times. After the epic failure of everything the teens tried to do in the previous book, this one sees them be more successful in their fight but lacks the emotional high.

All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to The Night Is for Hunting.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 7/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 40/50

Darkness, be my Friend by John Marsden

Title: Darkness, be my Friend

Author: John Marsden
Publisher: Pan
ISBN: 978-0-330-36005-0
Pages: 274
Series: Tomorrow #4
Type: Young Adult Action/Adventure
Source: Gift
Goodreads


Five months after their rescue, Ellie and her friends have been recuperating in New Zealand and trying to deal with the loss of their friend Robyn. Now their rescuers need their help - the New Zealand troops want to go behind enemy lines...and they need local guides. Soon the teenagers are back in Hell, but when something goes wrong the mission becomes fraught with tension and the inevitable question - will they ever escape Wirrawee again.

This is the fourth book in the Tomorrow series (after Tomorrow When the War Began, The Dead of Night and The Third Day, the Frost) and has a different tone to the previous books in the series. The previous book saw some massive twists and turns, not least of all the death of Robyn and this book mostly deals with the psychological consequences.

The book begins in New Zealand, but the narrative feels forced and lacks the spark of the previous books. Once the group returns to Wirrawee the low-key tone flows easier and makes more sense. After all the characters were rescued and given the opportunity for normal lives, but chose to return to their home and start their fight again. This time they are out of practice, and the drama comes not from the risks they take but from the mistakes they make.

The level of introspection also means that at times news important to characters other than Ellie gets covered very quickly without the detail previously seen. It is interesting to see how Ellie deals with her choices, but I wish the other characters had gotten a bit more attention.

All in all this was a good read and I'm looking forward to Burning for Revenge.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 42/50

Murder on the Eightfold Path by Diana Killian

Title: Murder on the Eightfold Path

Author: Diana Killian
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
ISBN: 978-0-425-23391-7
Pages: 300
Series: Mantra for Murder Mystery #3
Type: Adult Cozy Mystery
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


AJ Alexander inherited her aunt's yoga studio, moved to small town New Jersey and started a relatively quiet life...with the exception of reluctantly solving a few murders. But when AJ literally trips over the body of her mother's current beau Dicky right outside Elysia's house, AJ finds herself drawn into her most important case yet. This time AJ is fighting to prove her mother's innocence but with business and relationship problems as well as a back injury, AJ could be biting off more than she can chew.

This is the third book in the Mantra for Murder Mysteries (after Corpse Pose and Dial Om for Murder) and deals with the death of Dicky who was briefly introduced in the last book. The plot is cleverly written and packed with false leads but for some reason I found it really hard to keep my interest on the book and so I kept picking it up and putting it down. I think my attention kept getting distracted as there is so much storyline aside from the murder.

AJ spends a lot of time away from Sacred Balance and can't do yoga because of a back injury, so it's a little ironic that this book contains quite a lot about both yoga and the studio. Since the beginning of the series Sacred Balance has played a key role and in this installment the friction between AJ and her co-manager Lily finally comes to a head with some dramatic scenes. AJ's relationship with Jake Oberlin is also on rocky ground with a new character stirring up trouble and AJ doubting whether the relationship has a future.

Elysia's life and her old friends also get a lot of page time as this time the case is all about Elysia. It's been great watching her and AJ grow closer over the previous books, and this continues that helping AJ see that her mother is no longer the drunk from her childhood. There is also some resolution to the bitter relationship between Elysia and AJ's neighbour Stella. This also means that a lot of the supporting cast are older which adds a different dimension to the book.

At the end there is a guide to two back-strengthening yoga exercises (Happy Baby Pose and Cat Stretch) and two recipes for Barley Soup with Porcini Mushrooms and Chicken Walnut Salad.

All in all this was a fair read and I'm looking forward to Death in a Difficult Position.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 41/50

Origins by Cate Tiernan

Title: Origins
Author: Cate Tiernan
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 0-141-31552-0
Pages: 184
Series: Wicca/Sweep #11
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


In 1682 Rose MacEwan lived in dangerous times, more so because she was a witch. The daughter of her coven's High Priestess, Rose always felt that she was being held back from her magick by her mother. So when Rose meets the mischevious Diarmuid in the woods, she seizes the opportunity to work greater more powerful magick. But Rose's choices have consequences even she could never have predicted.

This is the eleventh book in the Wicca series (which began with Book of Shadows) and again is from a perspective other than Morgan's. In this installment, Morgan's ancestor Rose narrates the tale of the creation of the dark wave. Morgan and Hunter appear briefly in the prologue and epilogue but otherwise the entire book is given over to Rose's story.

The movement of the story to seventeenth century Scotland is an interesting choice. I enjoyed the opportunity to discover how and why the dark wave was created, and the circumstances fit well with the morality issues raised in previous installments. However, I didn't really warm to Rose as a character and the pace of the book is quite a lot slower than before. To this point the rest of the series is set over around four months, whilst this book is set over the course of almost a year. This means that a lot of the tension depends on the witch hysteria rather than Rose herself.

The romance angle between Rose and Diarmuid was also a little disappointing as she uses magick to capture his attention which always makes the relationship seem unbalanced. Rose's determination to maintain their connection is understandable but I have to say I wasn't really surprised when Diarmuid's true intentions are revealed.

All in all this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Eclipse.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 42/50

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Darkfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Publisher:
ISBN: 0-385-33915-1
Pages: 304
Series: Fever #1
Type: Paranormal Romance
Source: Library
Goodreads


MacKayla Lane is perfectly happy with her life. She tends bar, lives in small town Georgia and her car only occasionally breaks down. But all that falls apart when her sister Alina is brutally murdered in Dublin and when Mac receives a mysterious phone message, she heads to Dublin only to discover Alina had stumbled into a deadly world. With her own life now in jeapordy Mac must turn to the mysterious Jericho Barrons to learn more about the Fae before her untapped skills cost her her life.

This is the first book in the much lauded Fever series and for me a hard book to review. While I loved parts of it, other parts annoyed me. Darkfever is written as a first-person flashback and I found it hard to adjust to the style of writing, especially with Mac coming out with things like "I didn't know it then" or "it's one more thing I was wrong about". It didn't really add anything to the book and just distracted me from the main storyline.

The other real annoyance for me was that the Irish accents were just plain bad and didn't come off as Irish at all, but thankfully this pretty much stops by the end of the third chapter. The Dublin setting did however make the book stand out from other paranormal romance series and I enjoyed seeing Mac's southern belle dealing with a European city.

Mac was an interesting narrator, despite her obsession with describing peoples outfits and her nail varnish (right down to talking about the colour and shade name). Mac begins the book as a dumb blonde but, once she starts to learn more about the Fae world that her sister had stumbled into, gradually grows into a more well-rounded character. The mysterious Barrons helps her in her quest, but so little about him is revealed that I wish he'd been more upfront. By the end of the book, not much more is known about him than at the beginning.

The mythology of the world-building is where the book really caught me, and as more and more was revealed about the Fae I found myself glued to the page. Deliciously complex and fascinating I really enjoyed learning more of the Fae. Characters like V'lane are introduced and the author manages to show that while the Unseelie Fae are horrifying to see, the Seelie Fae can be just as dangerous. Mac's powers are well written and cleverly developed and I'm looking forward to seeing how they progress.

All in all, this was an interesting read and I'm hoping to pick up a copy of Bloodfever soon.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 40/50