Review: Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Book 2) by Laini Taylor


Publishers: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published Date:  November 6th 2012
From: Bought
My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Review:

It took me a while to get back to this series. the first book 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' was stunning. The world building extraordinary from the start. The concept of the story, a girl who is somehow connected to demonic creatures and an angel, was crafted together so beautifully I was gripped. I loved the romance, I loved Karou and I wanted to read more. 

But then we have that dreaded interlude where we have to wait for book 2. You've been there, I'm sure. I didn't want to read book 2 until I could read book 3. So this was my dilemma. I waited.

But then my reading hiatus kicked in so here we are finally. 

Book 2 - Days of Blood and Starlight has a different feel to it than book one. so we know Karou has the soul of Madrigal. But Karou is still her own person. Still loves Zuzana and Mik but she's broken after hearing Akiva tell her he killed her family.

Instead of staying and moping, and let's face it, who wouldn't. she disappears from the world. It's only after a few chapters we find out she's actually in Morocco and she's encouraged the demons (good and bad) to settle there while they regroup. she's also taken up the task of creating more creatures but what I love about this part is her character. She decides she isn't going to just recreate all of Thiago's close colleagues. She's ruthless and sneaky enough to pick and chose who gets remade.

One of the characters I loved most was Madrigal's other Kirin friend - Ziri. He's a nice demon, young and bit in love with Madrigal/Karou. His story really becomes the main character arc of the book. What Ziri does has a lasting effect on the rest of the demons to come, and on Karou. 

Back to Akiva and what he's up to. With his two angel friends, they decide they're not going to openly kill the enemy anymore. To do so goes against everything Akiva was striving for when he dreamed the dream with Madrigal. He hasn't forgotten Karou, in fact, he mourns her, even if she isn't dead. 

The book finishes nicely, ready for book 3.

What I liked the most? The writing doesn't fail in the slightest. The story is still ongoing and you can feel the world's expand as you're reading it. Such an epic fantasy, I'm maybe a little sorry I waited too long read it.

-CB x

You can reach Laini Taylor here:
Web  Goodreads

Available from Amazon:

ARC Review: The Dark World (Dark World #1) by Cara Lynn Shultz

The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

~~

Synopsis:

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. 

Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home

~~

Review:

Paige sees ghosts. A side affect from a car accident three years ago. She is also the school Pariah and considered a loon and unstable by her school mates who often see her talking to herself. Her best friend is Dottie, a girl who died in the '50's and occupies the 3rd floor bathroom at school.

Logan is the school emo boy who keeps to himself. He only ever talks to Paige when he's asking to borrow a pen.

One day something drastic happens and their worlds collide.

This is a story about Demons and Warlocks.

There is a parallel universe with theirs called Dark World (theirs is Light World to the non-ordinary people)

This book is a character driven romance book which gets very deep and emotional at times, but action packed fighting scenes remind you of the bigger picture.

Pro's

Paige and Logan are young but their romance isn't forced or 'insta'. Their coming together happens naturally over time. Paige is an amazing character, full of quirks and flaws but a naturally honest person.

Paige has a great relationship with her overbearing parents. Even though they almost keep her swaddled in a safety blanket, Paige is very understanding why they do this.

Logan! Much of this book is dialogue between Logan and Paige. A lot of this book is about fighting demons which Logan does very well. He is a 'dreamboat! (a Dottie-ism)'.

Little twists and turns with the characters i.e. if Dottie isn't nearby Paige and Logan know a demon must be in the vicinity. Very clever author work.

Con's

While reading, it's very easy to make comparisons with other demon/warlock/paranormal books.

Parts of the book are slow although the action makes up for it.

Disappointed with the introduction of Ajax and Rego. I almost put the book down fearing a love triangle. Happily, it wasn't so. However, I was disappointed with the drabness of Rego. I was expecting a little more fire or oomph from him.

This isn't a book packed with descriptions. Sometimes the world building could have done with elaboration.

Note: There is a cliffhanger for the next book.


View all my Goodread reviews

CB Note to readers: This is a new type of review I'm starting aimed to get to the point and exclude waffle. Points are easier to read. If you prefer this than the usual review please let me know!

Available from Amazon

Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Publishers: Hyperion
Published Date: March 13th 2012
From: Bought
My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review:
After loving the previous books, Hex Hall and Demonglass, Spell Bound was one of those books that had been on my TBR pile forever so I HAD to buy as soon as it was published. Sophie is such a great character and Archer was everything I wanted him to be. Cal was an interesting addition. As betrothed to Sophie I was extremely curious to see how this love triangle would pan out. But the essential part of this story is that Sophie was a witch, now a demon, and now she was up against the world. Everyone who she thought was on her side is now the enemy. But what is the real enemy going to do next to ruin Sophie's world.

I won't deny that I found this book difficult to get into. By chapter 7 I was even a little bored and started reading other books. But I came back and stuck with it to the end. Sophie began to annoy me with her snarky comments when a very serious situation was going on. The split between her feelings for Archer and Cal even made me think she would finally stick with Cal. 

But when all the classmates returned to Hex Hall the danger was real. Now Sophie had to take things seriously and work out how to deal with the evil. What happens? She ends up making out with Archer in the cellar. Really? Someones already died from trying to get out through the fog surrounding the school and she's making out?  


I realise that the atmosphere of the books is supposed to be light hearted and enjoyable but I just didn't feel it worked in this book. Maybe if there had been a fourth book then Sophie might have grown as a character but this one felt like there was so much story trying to be crammed into such a short book.


In the end I was glad I read it and had closure from all the characters but it wasn't my favourite ending to a series.

You can reach Rachel Hawkins here:

Blog  Email  Facebook  Goodreads

Review: Moon Rise (Unbidden Magic #2) by Marilee Brothers

My Rating: 4 out of 5
THANK YOU TO NET GALLEY AND BELL BRIDGE BOOKS  FOR ALLOWING ME TO REVIEW THIS BOOK AND GIVE MY HONEST OPINION

Synopsis:
Her mom's still dating losers. Her boyfriend's gone back to Mexico. Dad still hasn't told his wife and kids that she exists. At school, the drama queens and bullies still rule. But worst of all for Allie Emerson--aka the Star Seeker of an old Gypsy prophecy--is that her powers have taken a hike. She can't read minds anymore. She can't move stuff just by looking at it. The other Star Seekers are counting on her psychic gifts more than ever, and the evil Tri-marks are closing in, eager to snatch her magic moonstone necklace while she's helpless. The hot new guy at school is ready and willing to fight her battles, but he comes with some wicked baggage. Dear Diary: I'm a little worried. My new BF is a demon. Welcome again to Allie Emerson's funny, scary, amazing, and always unpredictable life, as the girl voted least likely to save the world from evil.

Review:
I had so much fun reading Moonstone that I had to follow straight on to Moon Rise. Again this book is quirky, funny with great humour moments but Moon Rise brings a darker side to Allie's life. The Trimarks are proper evil, no doubt about that, and her biggest danger is not only the lose of her powers but also who to trust.

With her boyfriend Junior making a quick exit prior to the start of this sequel, we feel Allie's pain as she's let down again by someone close to her. Her mother still drags home the obnoxious loser boyfriend and disregards her feelings on the matter, and her father still holds her at arms length. But things turn out more terrible when Allie finds out that the only person who can help regain her powers is the hot new guy at school with his own secrets and a weird stare. He's half-demon with a twin sister who looks at Allie like she's puddle mud.

The secrets come out and Allie begins to experience new adventures, especially when she's near Beck Bradford. His psychic healing involves a lot of touching, not something she's comfortable with. He can daze people with his amber eyes and draw in their emotions, turn them around and project a sense of calm. But does he only affect Allie this way because she's the bearer of the Moonstone. He says not but she's unsure.

An old enemy comes back to school which turns everything on its head in a bad way. Can anyone rescue her in time?

Again Brothers pulls it out of the bag. The romance and the boys are hotter, the emotions are more acute and Allie still treats us to her quirky life full of twists and turns. I loved this one a little more than Moonstone and will continue with Moon Spun to discover whats next in Allie's quest for the Moonstone secrets. Will she fulfill the prophecy? I can't wait to find out!

You can reach Marilee Brothers here: 

Web  Twitter  Blog   Facebook  Goodreads

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Review:
This is a great story if you like sword-wielding, all fighting women. Personally I loved it!
Once Ellie reaches seventeen, everything in her life seems to shift focus. Will introduces himself to her and from that introduction nothing is the same ever again.

From the power of her dreams Ellie begins to realise that she has powers, dark powers which include the instinctive appearance of swords from nowhere, and the ability to heal. Will tells her that he's her Guardian and her duty -as Preliator (warrior) - is to fight the Reapers who come in many guises. Some are human looking, while others are bears or wolf-like. And they are everywhere. Either way whenever Ellie meets them they always seem to have a story to tell of her life. The life before this incarnation. The life of over 5000 years spent fighting evil.

The problem is Ellie doesn't remember much. Only what Will tells her or snippets of dreams. It gets even more frustrating when her social life begins to suffer because of her hunting. One event, her own birthday party, had her flying through a window while fighting a reaper. Much to the surprise and horror of her party guests.

Soon they have to find the Enshi (a sort of - harbinger of doom) and once found they must hide it where none can ever find it again. Its contents are pure evil. And this particular evil wants nothing more than to eat Ellie's soul, literally!

This is a great adventure story, filled with LOL moments and a lot of romance. The fast paced impact will not stop until the last page is turned.

Don't miss Wings of the Wicked (book 2) out February 1st 2012.

You can reach Courtney Allison Moulton here:

Web

Twitter
Blog

 Facebook: Profile

Goodreads

Here's the Book Trailer! Enjoy!

View all my reviews

Review: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis:
The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Review:
Wow! Wow! Wow! This one took me down me down a road I didn't think I'd travel on! From the first book I've been rooting for Nash. Even when he showed signs that he'd do anything for Kaylee to make up for the wrongs that he'd done. But I always knew that would take a miraculous event for her to finally forgive him.

And when she finds out that she has six days to live there is no way on earth that a make up is possible. And finally she realises that if its not possible to fix, then leave it alone for someone else to.

In this whole book, Kaylee acts selflessly trying to fix all of the problems including the new teacher preying on young girls.

Ultimately the more you try to fix things the worse the problems actually become, and for Kaylee the clock keeps ticking.

I've never been a Tod fan. I've always found him too annoying and interfering to be good for Kaylee. But in this story he's the only one she can turn to who isn't more screwed up than her.

As her family and friends try to find a way for her NOT to die, it all comes down to her own testiment of determination and past actions to prove to the makers that her being on the planet is better for everyone...although it might not be exactly how she planned.

With the title of the book being different from the other ones in this series this is definitely a curve in the whole dramatic storyline that is Soul Screamers.

I can't wait for the next one to find out what happens now....

CB

X
Here's the Book trailer! Enjoy!
X

X

You can reach Rachel Vincent here:

Web

Twitter

Facebook: Profile

Facebook Page: Soul Screamers

Blog

Formspring

Youtube 
Goodreads

Harlequin Teen Bookstore

View all my reviews

Review: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else…

Review:
This is one of the saddest books I've read in ages. The third installment of Vincent's Soul Screamers series is certainly not to be missed.

Kaylee is fantastic, she shows her true colours and doesn't back down from making the hardest decisions she had to make. Even when it comes to Nash.

Early on in the book we began to see changes in their love life, and a few little new quirks of Nash's that were just annoying, and a little upsetting. How he tries to manipulate Kaylee, how he's a little more forceful with her, he questions her more than ever, and puts her down emotionally. But she still stands by his side because she knows that underneath all of that, they need each other because of their Banshee heritage.

The new drug on the street is the shocking Demon's Breath that Kaylee and Nash encountered in the second book, and its starting to reach the kids from school so Kaylee and Nash start to find out who the supplier is and figure out how to cut off the supply, for good.

The side characters all play a major part in this one. Emma is brilliant and Tod comes into his own. But Kaylee and Nash have an enormous problem and by the end Kaylee knows underneath that her small mishap when they were in the Netherworld (in Book 2)is the reason why everything is falling apart.

I literally couldn't put this one down, and a tide of different emotions swept through me as I read this, and the end is so sad (sorry for the spoiler!)

I'm giving this one 5 stars because the story is epic, and the message is brave, intelligent and heart-warming.

Here's the book trailer! Enjoy!

You can reach Rachel Vincent here:

Web

Twitter

Facebook: Profile

Facebook Page: Soul Screamers

Blog

Formspring

Youtube
Goodreads

Harlequin Teen Bookstore

View all my reviews

So many books for 2012...

2012 is going to be sooo exciting! With so many books coming out this year plus new and exciting author debuts, we've updated our Most Wanted books page and added more.

Check it to see if we've missed any...!!

What is your 'Most Wanted' book of 2012? We'd loved to know!

Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A very interesting read though not quite as good as Paranormalcy...but I'll explain after this...

Synopsis:
Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Review:

The story is quite annoying in the beginning as it centres around Evie at High School doing high school things and everything that we read about in most other YA american based books. So, tedious, yes. We don't want to read about Evie at school, we want to hear about her high adventures!

Thankfully, we're saved early on as Evie finds her Normal life incredible dull and boring. So, yes, she joins IPCA again on a part time basis and this is where the fun starts.

Lend is back, albeit in small doses and he really grows as a character in this book. Gone are the early nerves of teen dating. Now Evie and Lend are in lurve! Big time.

When Jack enters the scene I shrank at the love triangle occuring. It's an overused tome and really uncreative in a story such as this. But Jack does make for an interesting character who fools around and laughs his way through the story. He reminded me of Puck from the Iron Fey series, so in the end I liked him, though I didn't love him as much as Lend.

Evie is still brilliant in her wit, and determination. Although this time she does crank up a little on the annoyance scale when she starts doing dumb things like lie to her boyfriend (and everyone else who have supported her since leaving IPCA), and randomly going off with Jack when she knows full well that he can't be trusted.

On the whole I enjoyed the story, I'm still rating it as a 4 for pure genius on White's part for creating such a readable, unique storyline. But I did feel that the story punch line was more of a 'tell' thanks to Jack in his final moments, and then a quick 'rectify-the-situation-quickly' on Evie's part. So, to summarize, lots of story and filler to get the end which wasn't as terrifying and world-ending as the first book.

Still a great read though!

View all my reviews

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis:
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punish...more.
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary.
But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

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



Review:
For those of you that have severe Harry Potter withdrawal then this book is for you. Sophie joins Hex Hall having little know-how of her powers (which keep doing everything but what she wants) nor any real knowledge of her father.

But things get a whole lot stranger when she's made to join a coven, and her major crush turns about to be her enemy's boyfriend. Plus her new room-mate is a vampire who allegedly killed the previous occupant of her bed.

This book is wonderfully written, almost whimsical at times. The flow and pace keep you wanting more, and the story doesn't disappoint. I thought when I started that I would hate it but I ended up loving the characters, the setting and even the magical talk which is kept to a nice minimum.

My only wish was that there would be more interaction with Sophie and Archer, and maybe a little more emotion. What we had was nice but it was quite tame considering many YA books these days have more sexual tension than some adult books.

A wonderful and, I'm sure, a great start to a new series.

View all my reviews