Book/Galley Review: Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Crimson Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #4

Publisher: Kensington

How obtained: Netgalley

Publication Date: Dec 24th, 2012

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…

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(Cover lust!) <3 So first off, I was practically jumping up and down in joy when my netgalley request got approved. Of course, I was looking forward to Crimson Frost anyway, so I would have waited like a good girl for the publication. This was my first request and approval so it's like a huge thing for me and my blog. I could not wait to dig into this book and it did not disappoint me.

This is my favorite of the four books. It wasn't that the other two weren't good, I loved reading them too but this is one took the proverbial cake. Gwen becomes a front and center main character who is showing her true confidence and strength. There were so many surprising twists and turns in Crimson Frost that will keep you from page one until the end.

The book starts with Gwen and Logan at a coffee shop finally on their adorable first date when she gets arrested. (Its not giving anything away because its in the blurb :]). Suddenly Gwen, who was already scarred from the ending of the previous book, is the object of hate at Mythos and the everyone is shouting for her blood. This ordeal definitely tests Gwen's limits and shows how true her friends are. I'm so glad that Gwen has friends that will always believe in her and have her back. She needs them because the reapers are suddenly trying to do something very terrible and plotting to take Gwen's life one way or another. Vivian Holler, Loki's champion just can't cut Gwen a break.

Gwen takes on the reapers along with the her friends who are amazingly well written supporting characters. I love Daphne and Carson's romance. I love how Logan supports her and shows that he really, truly cares for her. And even our Oliver might find someone special. (wink wink).

Crimson Frost reveals more about artifacts, and shows that Gwen makes a very capable detective and shows that she really understands what being a champion really means. Call me extremely sentimental but I teared at the end of the book. The ending was expected but also unexpected at the same time(don't skip the ending bonus!).

I give Crimson Frost a 9/10. It was my favorite of the three so far and I'm already looking forward to the next book. If you haven't already joined Gwen, you should pick up Touch of Frost and if you already had, definitely look forward to this fourth installment, fifth if you include the First Frost novella.

Read up a storm! :]

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Shadows in the Silence
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire #3
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Date of Publication: January 29th 2013

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . . Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will. The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity. As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself. Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

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I'm absolutely in love with the Angelfire series. Been a fan of this series since Ellie's debut in the first book, and I would love to see how it all ends even though it is always sad to reach the end of a series.

What do you guys think? And what are you waiting for?

Book Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily

Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines #2

Publisher: Razorbill

How obtained: ebook

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

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I had always liked Sydney even in the original Vampire Academy series. She always had that sort of cold, all business and no nonsense exterior but inside you knew she really did have a heart and a special love for cars. It was just the way she was brought up that made her like who she was. It was also nice to see the world of moroi and dhampirs from the eyes of a human, albeit a very special one. I know, I know Bloodlines is the first book in this series and I'm planning to write a review for that one as soon as I re-read it. The Golden Lily is much more fresh in my mind.

As we dive back into this book, we learn that Sydney saves Keith from another round of re-education courtesy of the Alchemists. We also learn that Adrian is really trying to be productive and trying to pretend like our badass, hot Dimitri isn't there. You didn't need to be a genius to know that seeing Dimitri was like throwing a punch in Adrian's gut but Sydney tries her best to get his mind off of this. Keith was not the last of their troubles though, apparently the claim of there being "vampire hunters" isn't as far off as it seemed (and that is where I stop. Got to read to find out! :]). Richelle really put the relationship between Sydney and  Adrian to a shimmer and then plays around with the heat setting a few times.

I love Sydney because she's so real. She worries about her weight all the time even though she's probably skinny and beautiful by human standards. In The Golden Lily she really starts to find the confidence within herself and trusts her own decisions. She starts to question her beliefs of whether or not Moroi and Dhampirs are really the evil creatures of the nights but she has to be careful because the Alchemists are still keeping an eye on her.

It broke my heart because we see Adrian pull himself together and face his father but watch as his father hurts him. I'm so glad Sydney is there to rescue him with a sugary icy drink!!

Remember what I mentioned about heat settings? Richelle throws in Brayden who seems like the perfect match for Sydney but honestly we all know who that is right?? ;] I think this side relationship helps Sydney realize even further what real feelings for another feel like.

THE ENDING

Oh my god. I felt like this was a serious roller coaster at the end. In no way it lacked for action. Richelle  Mead just has that special power to draw you into her world and completely captivate you from beginning to end. All I just have to say is that its heart wrenching and that you'll love Sydney and Adrian even more.

I give The Golden Lily a 9.5/10. One of my favorite paranormal YA fiction books/series by far. You have to pick this up if you haven't already and you should definitely look forward to The Indigo Spell. I have a feeling things are going to be A LOT more interesting and complicated. :]

Read up a storm :]

Book Review: Zombie Attack!: Rise of the Horde

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Book Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Knight

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Iron Fey #4

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

How obtained: ebook

"My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn' darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl..."To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase--a half human, half fey slip of a girl--smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end--a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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I was so completely and utterly siked for this book. The end of the Iron Queen had me pretty much crying. I was like, no, no, no, Julie Kagawa could not let them part like this. That is why I was soooo happy when I finally got the ebook. So this book is all about Ash, Puck and Grimalkin. Meghan sits back a little as she gets used to ruling over her iron kingdom and we got taken deeper into the Nevernever and find out exactly how a fae can obtain a soul.

I never doubted Ash's resolve. And we've followed Puck enough that he can never pass up a good adventure or make sure his princess is happy. He knows that if he helps Ash, he will be helping to make Meghan happy.

The Iron Knight in no way lacks for action, suspense and danger. It was really dangerous when an old friend popped into the story. I had no idea that this person would be coming back, and this person's love could of really been a catalyst for many things. I'm glad that our ice prince didn't lost sight of his goal but this book was in many ways heartbreaking and tear jerking.

Through the trials, we learned what kind of person Ash was in the past, something that always was hinted at. The tests were brutal on the psyche. But it didn't surprise me that he made it through everything and still chose what he did. Love is a power that transcends many things.

The last scene had me jumping up and down. I could not believe it. I was so soooo excited and happy.

I give The Iron Knight 9/10. I was so sad that I finished the book. And those are the kinds of books that are worth reading. If you followed the Iron Fey series until now, this will not disappoint you. You'll love it!

Read up a storm! :]

Book Review: Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens

Title: Shadow Sight

Author: E.J. Stevens

Series: Ivy Granger #1

Publisher: Sacred Oaks Press

How obtained: Ebook

Welcome to Harborsmouth, where monsters walk the streets unseen by humans…except those with second sight, like Ivy Granger.

Some things are best left unseen...

Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.

Demons are never a good sign...

A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.

There's blood in the water...

Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, Kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.

The lesser of two evils...

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Book Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Touch of Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #1

Publisher: K-Teen

How obtained: Ebook

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why; especially since I should have been the one who died...

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Loving all things paranormal when I found out that there was a book about gods and goddesses mixed together, I set out to read Touch of Frost.

Gwen, our main character is introvert and would rather keep to herself. I don't blame her especially when her magic is so personal even if she doesn't want it to be. Going to a new school is definitely tough, going to a school where everyone's powers seem cooler, more useful is even tougher. Psychometry is touch magic, in which Gwen gets the psychological impressions on. Then she gets thrown into more isolation when she was the girl that survived in an attack that killed popular chick, Jasmine.

But I feel that Gwen is a character that can find her worth. Originally reading on Gwen, you would feel like she might be a character that would fade into the background but she definitely gets stronger, her powers get explained more and of course getting the attention of the school hottie is a plus. Logan Quinn is definitely hot, throw in his reputation and his spartan genes of being able to pick up anything and use it as a weapon, he's pretty manly. 

Daphne definitely was a surprise. Valkyrie (super strength/warrior chick) with the brain of a computer nerd. And Carson, the band geek. Oh my gosh, it was going to be the cutest side romance.

Gwen needed a powerful, smart, girly friend like Daphne to give her some courage to be strong. 

Touch of Frost really opens up the story and allows for us to learn about the truth of so many things. Some that you would not of guessed so that makes me want to stay tune for Kiss of Frost. :]

I give Touch of Frost an 7.5/10. Its a good read and a book worth picking up if you are interested in mythical beings. Jennifer Estep takes us into the world of gypsies, spartan, valkyries, amazons and vikings. 

Read up a storm! :P

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Blood of Eden #1

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

How obtained: Ebook

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.

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I had read got a hold of this book when it was first released and I know I'm late with my review but I feel like I needed to write one. I had written a really detailed one on Goodreads but the page failed to load and all was gone :[. 

Okay, first things is first, when I think about Julie Kagawa, my mind goes to the Iron Fey series and all its excellent glory. She did the most wonderful job with the fey and I will forever love, Meghan, Ash and Puck. When I first heard that she was writing a vampire story, I was excited. I know the vampire world has been greatly expanded on and there are many, many good books out there. I wanted to see with Julie Kagawa could do with them and she did not disappoint me.

I could not put this book down for multiple reasons, my top three if I had to pick would be:

1) Badass asian main character who can use a katana

2)A love story but not a love story

3)I just love it! (haha)

I don't know if you've watched the show The Walking Dead before or the movies of Resident Evil, but its like Julie Kagawa picked out the the best of both and merged them together. I was in love with this story. 

I love dystopian societies and for this dystopian society to be set in the future of North America is even better. Allie is a survivor, there is no doubt about that. She picked a fate she didn't originally agree with so she could live. Some might call that hypocritical but I didn't see it that way. She wanted to live because she wanted to do more with her life. Kanin gave her that chance and I was sad that the time they had together was so short. He was her teacher, creator and I wished they could of had more time but already Julie's next book promises that their paths will cross again.

I love how Allie is smart, she uses her brains and steels her heart instead of becoming a bag of emotions. Yes, she experiences what all people feel despite being changed into a different species and I can understand the difficulty of transition but props to her for not wanting to just a mindless monster. She finds it hard to control her hunger and the vampires are by no means invincible. A few blows that draw blood and that could send them over the edge of bloodlust. The dark element of the species itself is definitely there and Allie fights it to keep shreds of her humanity while not completely denying what she had become.

There is by no means a lack of action and standoffs. There will definitely be blood drawn and not just by our main character. 

What I meant by a love story that isn't really a love story can be summarized in one word: Zeke.

He really made me think that he was kind of an angel. He still held a very pure heart even though the world fell apart into this unequal balance and even with the constant threat of rabids and vampires, he sees the good in people. That is probably his best trait and worst. Cliche, I know.

Allie and Zeke definitely had moments but the The Immortal Rules was just made better by this element of romance. The book would not of lacked if romance wasn't there because the world that was created was just that powerful. 

I give The Immortal Rules a solid 9/10. I love it! Please read it, if you can get your hands on it. You'll fall in love with it too. Trust me on this, the book will get you hooked so leave time aside so you can just senselessly read because you won't want to put it down :]

Read up a storm! :P

Book Review: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Title: Before I Wake

Author: Rachel Vincent

Series: Soul Screamers #6

Publisher: Harlequin

How obtained: Bought Ebook

I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it.

The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life….
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I've been totally meaning to write a review for this book for a while, and now since I'm getting back to my poor neglected blog, I want to start with a review of one of the books from an author that I always enjoy.

Up until this point, I actually would have never believed the turn of events and I don't want to specify completely, in case someone who hasn't read the previous books is reading my particular review. (There will be mild spoilers so please read at your own caution! :])

Kaylee has grown strong but at the same time, I can't help thinking she is a bit weak in the beginning of If I Die. It isn't easy for her to face the things she has done but I think she lacks some of the strength that I felt she had in the earlier books. I love the fact that she finally found the boy...um excuse me, man she's been searching for. They really do complete each other and the more I read about them both, the more I feel like Rachel Vincent made a good choice. Todd is definitely hot and even though I used to love Nash, I think Nash really did mess up. He needs to fix his mistakes and realize that there are wounds that can never be healed. Nash can be angry but that doesn't give him an excuse to do the certain things that he did.

SO ON TO THE NEXT PART!

Kaylee's new job is cool to say the least. She reclaims lost souls using the bean sidhe powers that she had when she was living. At first I didn't get how her powers stayed with her even after death but I realized that her body and soul being intact, it wasn't completely that much different from her being alive, save for the breathing and reaper abilities.

Avari makes me mad (he should just stay on his side of the netherworld) but he's definitely the villain that has been created and set up to be the main antagonist to Kaylee's protagonist. Because Rachel Vincent writes so uniquely about banshees, she can twist the magical properties and abilities and let me tell you, the whole using the souls of the revived is ingenious. 

This book will have you smiling, frowning, feeling sad and most of all eager for the next installment.

When book series get long, they lose some of their luster and even though The Soul Screamers have went on for a while, I feel like we just get to know about the characters more in depth. Of course the main characters are all well established, but that is when we realize, we have more to learn and experience with them. 

OMG THE ENDING!!!!!

When I said making you eager to read, I'm not kidding. We got an angry Kaylee on our hands and she is ready to fight back, I could practically feel the fire to fight within her re-spark and that was really something I was looking forward to. Now with her friends by her side, we got an angry bean sidhe girl that wants payback. So reading the next book With All My Soul is a MUST!

I give If I Die an 8/10. I loved it, like I love all Rachel Vincent books but I think that If I Die really just set up for the next book. It was suspenseful and an awesome read so readers should not miss it! 

Read up a storm guys ;] PEACE 

Going back to my blog

Hello everyone!

I know I've neglected my blog for a very long time but I really want to find time and if not, make time for it again. I forget the the feeling of enjoying a book and then reviewing it and I want that feeling back. I'm not well established or anything but I appreciate having followers and thank you for following and continue to follow.

I'm going to be putting up several reviews for books that I have finished reading so please look out for them!

I can't wait to get cracking :]