Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Dark Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep
Release Date: 29th May 2012
Publisher: Kensington 
ISBN: 0758266960
Source: Netgalley
Target Audience: YA

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s great to start a book and be completely taken in from the first page. That’s what happened with Dark Frost. It starts off almost straight away into an exciting action scene.

Once again, Gwen finds herself fighting for her life against Reapers, alongside Logan. This time accompanied by Daphne and her boyfriend Carson. They, along with a lot of other students from Mythos, are at the Crious Coliseum, studying the artefacts for a quiz in myth history, when the museum is attacked by Reapers. Some of the students are killed and a lot are injured.

The Reapers are looking for the Helheim dagger, which was hidden years ago by Gwen’s mother Grace, when she was a Champion of Nike. They don’t find it, but they seem to have an idea where it is. Gwen must find it before the Reapers do as it can be used to free Loki from the prison realm he is trapped in and start another Chaos War.

After the kiss between Logan and Gwen in Kiss of Frost, Logan has cooled off again. She knows he cares for her, but he is still letting his secret stand between them. I was just rooting for them to hurry up and get together already.

This did feel kind of predictable at times though and Gwen was giving hints to the reader but yet didn’t seem to be copping onto them herself which was a bit annoying at times.

Overall though, I was completely entertained. The reading flowed really well and I enjoyed the stories and the great characters that are a part of this series. I am looking forward to the next instalment, Crimson Frost. Having read the first chapter, I think it is going to be a good one. 

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Spotlight on Julie Kagawa

Today, I am doing a spotlight on the amazing author, Julie Kagawa, the author of the fantastic Iron Fey series and the amazing The Immortal Rules, the first book in the Blood of Eden series.

Julie kindly answered a few questions for us so without further ado, let's get started.

From a faery world to a vampire world. What challenges, if any, did you face while writing The Immortal Rules?
I loved every minute of writing The Iron Fey series, but after four books and two novellas, I was ready to move on to something different. I'd been wondering if I could write something a little darker, and The Immortal Rules was the perfect opportunity for that. It’s always fun to explore new and unfamiliar characters and learn who they are as you write them, and I enjoy building new worlds and filling them with stories. At the same time, the characters of the Iron Fey series are like old friends, and going back and writing more on them and their world is like putting on an old, comfortable hoodie.

Allie hates the vampires, and yet when faced with death, she chooses to become one. What choice would you have made in this situation?
Me personally? No, I'm like Zeke in the belief that there is something better beyond this life, and that I just have to wait and do my best until it's time for me to go. Besides, as a vampire I'd have to give up pizza and Mt. Dew; I don't think I could survive. ;)

Can you give any hints as to what we can expect from book 2.I'm in the middle of writing the sequel now, and all I can say is that Allie will meet new and old faces, fight her Hunger, and discover a monstrous enemy who has dark plans for her and the entire world.

Quick-fire round
Tea or Coffee: Neither (Mountain Dew)
Favourite Book: Pass. Too many to count.
Favourite Author: Neil Gaiman
Favourite song: It changes daily. Right now it’s Awake and Alive by Skillet
Favourite colour: Black
Sweet or savoury: Sweet
Summer or Winter: Winter
Vampires or faeries: Faeries (but the old fey, not the Tinkerbelle versions)

About Julie

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn't getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy. (Taken from Julie's website  http://www.juliekagawa.com)

You can read my review of the Immortal Rules here and my reviews of The Iron Fey series here.


Find Julie on Facebook, Twitter or on her blog.

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Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep
Date Published: November 29th 2011
By Kensington Books
ASIN: B005HJQI0K
Target Audience: Young Adult
Source: Purchased 


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Spoilers for the first instalment in the series, Touch of Frost.


This is the second instalment in the Mythos Academy series. After being almost killed by Jasmine Ashton in the Library of Antiquities and becoming Nike’s champion, Gwen is now taking early morning weapons training with Logan, who she has a massive crush on, but who is dating another girl, Savannah.


Gwen is now a target for the Reapers after killing Jasmine, whose whole family are Reapers, and apparently, they never back down until they have accomplished their task. After being almost run over by an SUV and then having an arrow shot at her while at work in the library, Gwen is starting to get seriously worried.


Then on the Winter Carnival weekend, things take a turn for the worst.


Again Jennifer sucked me into the world of Mythos Academy and Gwen Frost. Gwen is still getting over the incident in the library with Jasmine along with the fact that she asked out Logan and he refused her. You can’t help but feel for her as she watches him with Savannah. She is still the amazing character that endeared me to her in Touch of Frost and I again enjoyed being in her head throughout this book. I love her smart, snarky attitude and yet she is so caring and vulnerable under it all.


I love the way Jennifer has written the romance in this series. It is exactly as I love a romance to be. No insta love in sight. There is a lot of interaction with Gwen and Logan, he is still rushing to save her life and leaving her confused as to his feelings and I just feel it plays out really well.  Again, this book had an amazing host of characters who are all totally relatable. We learn more about the mythological history and monsters, which are especially relevant in this one.


I did have one small fault with this book. There was a lot of repetition and refreshing of the first book, Touch of Frost, which, if I had been waiting months between each book I would have been really glad of it, but because I had only read it a few weeks ago, then, not so much. So for the first 20% or so, I did a lot of skimming. But then, it took off and we were back in the action and suspense that is Gwen’s life since she started at Mythos. She takes on the reaper who’s been trying to kill her and finds out what really happened to her mother.


I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Dark Frost. Go check them out!

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Waiting on Wednesday #13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 



The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe
Publication Date: 21st August 2012
By Random House Publishing




“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”

Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads

I wouldn't be a big fan of historical fiction, but I like the sound of this one. What do you think?

What are you waiting on this Wednesday. Leave me a comment so I can check it out.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You know the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page and share a two sentence teaser with us (no spoilers!). Be sure to tell us about the book, so we can add it to our TBR list!




My Teaser this week comes from Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep. Only a short one, but I like it.


"Because everyone knows how crazy Logan is about you, Gwen. Why, it's almost the stuff of legend at Mythos. How the gypsy girl tamed the wild, bad-boy Spartan."

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6 Month Blogoversary Giveaway

Okay guys, today is my 6 month blogoversary so I am going to do a little giveaway. It's international as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. I can't believe it has been 6 months already but I have enjoyed every minute of it.


There are some books coming out this month that I really can't wait for and I am going to give a choice of one of these books to the winner.


Here are the books

     

So just enter in the Rafflecopter below

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Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews



Hi guys, I hope everyone has a really good week. I only have a couple of books to show you this week. You can click on the book title for more information.

 

Eden's Root by Rachel Fisher - I received this book from Rachel for review.

Breathless by Scott Prussing - This was free on Goodreads.

So, that's it for this week. Leave a link in a comment so I can check out the books you received this week.

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Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
Release Date: 22nd May 2012 
By Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 0373210477
Target Audience: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book started off very slow for me, although I can't really say it ever took off. I wouldn't say I was enjoying it and I felt like giving up on it but there was something about it that just kept me reading on, needing to see where the story went.


I wasn't overfond of the protag, Samantha, and at times, I thought she was an idiot. I didn't connect with her at all. I did however like Bishop and Kraven, an angel and demon, in that order. There were also another couple of angels and a demon on the rescue mission to save the world but they weren't fleshed out at all. We learned very little about them. They were like characters on a side line who just threw in the odd sentence here and there. I couldn't even really keep track of their names even though there was only 3 of them. They were just bland.


And Carly, Samantha's best friend. She also gets kissed so plays a significant part in this story and yet she has no depth either. We know nothing about her except that she drives a red volkswagen.


There is a kind of insta lovey romance between Samantha and Bishop but its really not that interesting and I don't know if its even that believable.


The best thing about this book is Kraven. He is a smart mouthed demon who seems to hate Samantha and is really only interested in what he is going to achieve, but then there were times when you weren't sure, and felt there could be more to him. Only for Kraven, this book would have fallen completely flat.


The fact that I felt the need to continue with this story obviously means that there must have been something interesting about it. And I probably would read the next in the series if it landed in my lap. Its not one that I'd buy or recommend anyone to buy. If you use the library, give it a go, maybe you'll get more from it than I did.

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Make Me (Demon Underground #4) by Parker Blue

Make Me by Parker Blue
Published 15th April 2012
by Bell Bridge Books
ASIN: B007K199ZY


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Spoilers for previous books.


Absolutely amazing. I am in love with this series. I think they are getting better every book.


Gwen and Micah get kidnapped by a mage demon. And the ransom he requires, is the Encyclopedia Magicka. A book that is kind of like a witches book of shadows but this one is written by witches and is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands, mainly, the hands of a mage demon. So Val needs to find a way to free Gwen and Micah without handing over the books.


On top of this, Val also has to help the vampires find the chupacabras (goat suckers) who are killing animals all over the city of Austin before the vampires of the New Blood Movement can make themselves known to the public and Val can be released from her contract with them.


And to top it all, she had to leave her boyfriend Shade in the hands of another succubus, Dina, the leader of the Demon Underground in Austin, who wants him, a lot.


Again, this was a fantastic story filled with action and suspense. It is fast paced and flows along really well. Another one that I just couldn't put out of my hands for very long without the lure of it calling me back.


Val is her usual awesome self, but this time she's accompanied by Austin, a sexy cowboy vampire, who helps to protect her since she's lost her kick ass powers by cashing in her "v" card. Jack, the previous keeper of the Encyclopedia Magicka is along for the ride too to try to help her, as the new keeper, to use the books and get her powers back from them. Dan also returns to the fray in this book to help rescue his sister, Gwen. We also meet a couple of new characters who help out along the way, David, another incubus and Pia, a siren.


Again, I cannot recommend this series enough. If it sounds like something you think you might be interested in, you need to read it now and wallow in the awesomeness that is the Demon Underground series.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Bite Me, Try Me, Fang Me by Parker Blue

  

Bite Me, Try Me, Fang Me by Parker Blue
Published from September 2008 to March 2011
By Bell Bridge Books


Overall rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


I received this series as a three book package deal from Netgalley, so I'm going to review it as such. Surprisingly, I had never heard of this series but I was drawn to it because it is about vampires and I rarely turn down a book that is about vampires or werewolves. I am so glad that I requested this as I absolutely loved it. It's not just about vampires, but demons too. One of those demons is our fabulous protag, Val Shapiro, otherwise known as The Slayer, who is 1/8 succubus.


At the start, we meet Val, out doing her thing and hunting vampires. We learn exactly what she can do, or as much as she knows she can do at this time, straight away. Unfortunately, her mother and stepfather have never been happy with what she is and feel she is a bad influence on her younger sister, and on Val's 18th birthday, they tell her to leave their house, and her job at their bookstore.


Val manages to get a job working with the San Antonio PD, Special Crimes Unit, thanks to Dan, who becomes her partner. He also finds her a place to live as his sister, Gwen, is looking for a room mate. All very convenient I know, but it works. And these books kept me so entertained that I could overlook small things like this.


She also finds a dog, who happens to be part hellhound. He can hear her thoughts and talk to her in her head. He tells her his name is Fang and they are soon best friends with him being a valuable asset to her on the hunt.


There are many different types of demon in this book. Shade, a shadow demon, Tessa is a soothsayer, who predicts the future, a fire demon, a water demon and so many more.


The vampires, Alejandro and his vein of vampires are trying to start up the New Blood Movement. An organisation that will run bloodbanks where humans can go to donate blood. They do not want to drink from humans without their consent. All vampires are being encouraged to join this movement, and if they don't and continue to kill humans, the penalty will be death.


This is an amazing series. I can't believe it isn't more popular and that I haven't heard of it before. I was just reeled in and I couldn't put these out of my hands. I found them to be extremely imaginative and unpredictable. Some aspects change completely from one book to the next. Like the love interest. But there's not triangle which I am happy about. And there's the interesting consequence of what will happen to Val when she loses her virginity.


This book kind of sits on the line between YA and adult. Val is 18 but everyone around her are adults. As Val is a succubus, these books do have their fair share of sexual references and so I would think are definitely more suited to the older end of the YA spectre.


Val herself, I love her. She is a fantastic character. She is tough and brave and can be a smart mouth but when she tries to come back after a snide comment directed at her she finds herself at a loss of a good comeback. She will help anyone who she feels to be decent and will not kill indiscriminately. This is how she comes to find herself working for the vampires in the New Blood Movement. She is definitely on my list of favourite female protags.


These books do have romance running through them but it is far from the main event of the story. These are extremely fast paced with lots of action. The characters are all well written, there is a lot of them, and I enjoyed them all.


I cannot recommend these books enough. I am delighted to have the 4th book in the series, Make Me to hand and I cant wait to start it. I was ecstatically happy to discover that Parker has been contracted for two more books in this series and a short story. I don't want this series to end.

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Waiting on Wednesday #12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 



Dark Horizons (The Red Sector Chronicles #2) by Krystle Jones
Release Date: Summer 2012
By Pesante Press
Target Audience: Young Adult

She will risk everything to save his life.

When seventeen-year-old vampire hunter Sloane McAllister went into the Red Sector to look for her brother, she never expected to meet vampire commander Aden Knight. She definitely never meant to fall in love with him. And she never thought she’d call the vampires her friends, or that to save them she would defy the one person she swore to always protect: her maniacal twin brother, Orion.

After thwarting her brother’s plan to wipe out all vampires with a super virus, she thinks she may at last catch a break – until Aden grows ill, and she’s thrown into prison for treason. But a jail cell can’t compare to the thought of losing Aden forever. The brilliant vampire doctor Paris De Lange thinks she can manufacture a cure, but she’ll need Orion’s blood to do so. There’s just one problem – Orion has escaped.

Now, if Sloane has any hope of saving Aden’s life, she must travel to the surface and bring her brother to justice. But the White Sectors are far from safe. Revolution is brewing, and the control of the White Sector governments grows unstable as the Black Cross Guild creates anarchy in the streets, clashing with the Scarlet Guard and making them increasingly more aggressive. They do have one thing in common – they both want Sloane, dead or alive.

With the world rising up against her, Sloane must rely on old enemies that become new allies, uncover the mysteries surrounding her heritage, and conquer her inner demons before the virus has time to claim the man who’s stolen her heart.

* To be notified of this book's release, please consider signing up for my email newsletter. To find out how, please visit www.kdjonesbooks.com.

Add this to your TBR on Goodreads

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Scarlett Dagger and I'm looking forward to this one.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday. Leave me a comment and let me know what your waiting on. 

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You know the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page and share a two sentence teaser with us (no spoilers!). Be sure to tell us about the book, so we can add it to our TBR list!


This week my teaser comes from Make Me (Demon Underground #4) by Parker Blue. I've just finished reading this and I absolutely love it. Its an amazing series.



"Do it," Austin said and wrapped his arms around me. He was inside my personal energy field and there was nothing I could do to fend him off. Suddenly, I no longer wanted to. Lola took over, enveloping Austin in need and want. My arms crept around his neck and my lips lifted to his as her energy tendrils sank into him, permeating his entire body, making him quiver with longing for everything Lola had to give. 
I wasn't able to maintain any sort of detachment at all, and I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist. We merged into one being......something. Something I didn't want to name. Not with Austin.

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COVER REVEAL: Reaper by L.S. Murphy

Reaper by L.S. Murphy
Release Date: January 7, 2013
Target Reader: Young Adult
Keywords: Urban Fantasy

Blurb:
There's no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.

She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.

It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.

Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.

Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.

Maybe ... just maybe ... that’s okay.

It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.

What do you think?

Add to your TBR on Goodreads

Goodreads/Website/Twitter

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Stacking the Shelves #1

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews

I can't believe another week is over already. Where does the time go. Here is what I received this week. I'm really excited by Burn Mark, I can't wait to read it. 

You can click on the book title for more details.

For review

 

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Viscious (Vivid #2) by Andrea Murray (No cover or blurb yet)

Amazon freebies

 

Captivated by Deb Apodaca

Sleepers by Megg Jensen

So, what goodies did you have in your mailbox this week. Leave me your link in a comment and I'll check it out.

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Untouched (Denazen #1.5) by Jus Accardo

Untouched by Jus Accardo
Published 28th March 2012 by Entangled Publishing
Target Audience: Young Adult




My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Kale and Dez are travelling around the country, trying to contact other sixes and take them back to safety. After they visit the next six, they are heading to an amusement park so that Dez can get some "Kale time" as she calls it. She doesn't really trust them and tags along to the amusement park. Where they are attacked by one of Denazen's best, Samsen. A nightmare from Kale's past. He can control Kale just by using his voice.


This short story is told from Kale's POV. It is quite amusing being in Kale's head. He doesn't really understand sarcasm, wit or slang. He is such an innocent, it is really cute. When they go to the amusement park, he is amazed at all the rides, and slightly fearful of the clown. He can't really figure how the amusement park is fun.


Once they are attacked by Samsen, we see a much different Kale. He is very protective of Dez, he is strong, brave and well trained. It kind of felt like the man taking over from the little boy when danger appeared. He is such a likeable character. I am looking forward to Toxic now.

Buy the Book: Amazon/Barnes & Noble

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COVER REVEAL: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz

Title: Breaking Glass
Author: Lisa Amowitz
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.SpencerHillPress.com)
ISBN: 978-1-937053-38-3
Release Date: July 9, 2013
Formats: Paper, e-book
Genre: Young Adult paranormal mystery

Blurb
On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.


Book Trailer

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads

I love this cover. The hand on the broken glass makes me feel like there's someone trapped behind it. And the winter scenery makes it look so desolate. I'm intrigued by the way the title is written too. Doesn't this sound like a great read, full of mystery and suspense. Unfortunately we have a long wait for it, but I think this could be one worth waiting for.

What do you think. Leave me a comment and let me know your opinion.

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Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

     

UK Cover                   US Cover

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Published: MacMillan Children's Books UK, Harper Teen US
Publication Date: 31st May 2011
Target Audience: YA


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a re-read, but as I didn't write a review the first time around, I decided I would write one now.


I needed to re-read this to refresh my memory for reading Dreamless and I was really surprised by how much I had forgotten. But I do remember that I loved it the first time around and I loved it just as much this time.


Helen lives on the small island of Nantucket with her dad. Her mother deserted them when she was a baby. Helen finds the island boring and longs for college when she can get away to the mainland.


All that changes when the Delos family move from Spain to Nantucket. It is all the people on the island can talk about but Helen has no interest whatsoever and is getting fed up listening to people going on about them.


But the first time Helen sets eyes on Lucas Delos, the hottest of all the Delos guys, in the corridor at school, she feels so much hate and anger towards him that she attacks him, wanting to kill him.


But sometimes, love is stronger than hate.........


This book is based around Greek mythology. I remember being slightly confused at times the first time I read this but this time, already having some idea as to what was going on, I think I picked up things that I missed first time around.


I was totally captivated by this book again. I didn't want to put it down. It has a great cast of characters who are all extremely well written and relateable. I was wary of the Delos family at the beginning but I quickly warmed to them. Except for Hector, but by the end, he was one of my favourites.


Claire and Matt were great as the best friends. Always looking out for Claire and there when she needed them. And Zach, he is kind of like the "bitchy girl" of the story. Helen thinks he is trying to blackmail her at one point. I am interested to see his part in the next book, Dreamless.


And Daphne, I really didn't take to her. I did not trust her one bit. And poor Jerry. I felt really bad for him most of the time. He is a great dad to Helen and they have a great relationship. I just didn't understand why she would tell her friends her secret and not tell her dad.


Helen herself is a really likeable character and she grows a lot in this book. With the introduction of the Delos family, her life is changed forever. But she deals with it really well, until Daphne arrives with information that changes things for Helen and Lucas. I really liked Lucas. He is incredibly hot but he is crazy about Helen. I enjoyed their relationship and how they went from hating each other to loving each other and trying to deal with the fact that they could never be together.


I cannot wait to read Dreamless and I am extremely lucky to have a copy on hand that I received from Pan Macmillan for review. Keep an eye out for my review around the UK release date of the 5th July 2012.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Waiting on Wednesday #11

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Publication Date: 8th May 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Add this to your TBR on Goodreads

I can't wait for this one. I am a really big werewolf fan. And thankfully, I don't have to wait too long.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me a comment with the link to your post so I can check it out.

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Blog Tour - Release Day Review

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa
Published by Harlequin Teen
Pub Date: 24th April 2012
ISBN: 0373210515
Target Audience: Young Adult

5 of 5 stars

Julie Kagawa is amazing. She reeled me in with her Iron Fey series, even though I wouldn’t have been a great fan of faery books. I read great reviews for that series and I had to give it a shot, and I love it. It has become one of my favourite series. And I now have a new favourite to add to my list, The Blood of Eden series. When I heard that Julie was writing a vampire series, I was excited to see her take on vampires. And I wasn’t disappointed, she did an amazing job.

Allie (Allison) is an unregistered. She is unknown to the vampires who run the city and treat humans like blood cattle. Because she’s not on the system, she doesn’t have to attend the blook bank to give regular donations but that also means that she doesn’t get any food stamps. She lives in the Fringe where she has to scavenge for food.

When she is attacked by the rabids, and on the brink of death, she is given a choice by a vampire, Kanin. He can let her die from her attack, and maybe turn into a rabid, or he can change her into a vampire. Ultimately, still killing her. She chooses to live after death and become a vampire, one of the monsters she detests so much, because when it comes to it, she doesn’t want to die.

Kanin teachers her the vampire history and how to fight and live as a vampire. When they find themselves being chased down by vampires from the city, she must separate from Kanin and make her way on her own. This is how she meets a group of humans who are searching for a better place, called Eden. They believe her to be human and invite her to join their group. She travels with them, and vows to protect them. To hold onto her humanity and not become the monster she is destined to be.

Allie is an amazing character, a hero I would say. She cares so much and wants to help even those who hate her for what she is. Even as a human, she looked after the weaker in her group.  She will risk her own life for others. Her strength of character is clear as we see her fight her inner monster throughout the book.

I really took to Kanin. He was a dark, brooding vampire with a heart. I am hoping he is making a comeback in the second book.

The love interest, Zeke, is such a sweetie. And yet, he is tough and brave when the need arises. He is second in command to the group, under his stepfather Jeb. He has a fantastic manner for dealing with the group and has all their best interests at heart.

The romance was written really well. No love triangle…..but as I loved Kanin so much I had a bit of one going on in my head because Zeke was so lovable too lol.

Julie once again does a fantastic job of the world building. Her descriptions are so good, you can literally visualise yourself there.  I would give this book a 5+ star rating as I couldn’t fault anything about it. I absolutely loved the story line and I can’t wait for the next instalment in this series. 


Book Trailer

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Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Pub Date: 1st August 2011
ISBN: 0758266928
Target Audience: Young Adult


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Touch of Frost is a book that encompasses a lot of Greek mythology. Gwen Frost attends Mythos Academy, a school for ancient warriors who are there to train and become the best warrior they can.


Gwen attended a normal school until her mother died and her grandmother sent her to Mythos. She's not like the other kids there and feels completely isolated and is treated like she doesn't exist.


When Jasmine Ashton is murdered in the library while Gwen is working there, nobody seems to care. But Gwen just can't seem to stop thinking about it. She has a gut feeling that something is wrong, while also feeling that maybe it should have been her.


I have not read many books with Greek mythology previously so I couldn't say I'm a big fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Jennifer tells this story impeccably with a lot of detail so the reader is totally clued in and understands everything. She played her cards close to her chest and didn't give up all her secrets at the start. By the end, I felt like all my questions had been answered and I was really happy with how it finished.


This school has the usual cliques of mean girls, hot guys and geeks except that here, they all carry weapons and are trained to kill. I really enjoyed the world that Jennifer creates  inside the school walls and her descriptions and character definitions are faultless.


I really liked Gwen and completely felt for her at the beginning of the book when she is feeling lost and alone at a school that she doesn't feel she belongs to. She is not like the other students there. Yes, she has powers, but they are completely different to everyone else there. She is also mourning the loss of her mother, who was killed by a drunk driver six months previously. I liked the fact that Gwen mentions her mother a lot throughout the book. Sometimes I find when a character dies in a book, they can just seem to be forgotten about as the story goes on.


As the book continues, Gwen finds a friend in the most unconventional girl, Daphne, and attracts the flirtatious attention of the most unconventional guy. The hottest and strongest guy in the school, Logan Quinn.


I really liked how this book played out and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre.


“What did you expect? That he'd send you flowers and write you bad poetry? That dead Nemean prowler is pretty much as close to a stuffed animal as you're ever going to get from a Spartan like Logan Quinn.”


Another cover version, I much prefer this one.

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