I know exactly how she feels!
Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Publishers: HarperTeen
Published Date: April 23rd 2013
From: NET GALLEY
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
My review of The Selection by Keira Cass
Synopsis:
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
Review:
The much anticipated sequel to The Selection is almost upon us but is it as good as the first one I hear you ask? Well, it is and it isn't.
Firstly, the story continues pretty much where we left off. Six girls are now left in the competition except now the other girls actually mean to win Prince Maxon. This is no longer a test of the nice girls versus the nasty. It's each for themselves.
America begins still as Prince Maxon's favourite but now that ex-flame Aspen is on the scene whispering promises into her ear she's indecisive in what she actually wants. Maxon has blatantly told her he would call the competition off to announce their engagement, but America shies away. Aspen continues to fight for America in his own way and pretty soon America is all hither and dither about which way her heart lies. Maxons frustration becomes apparent when he chooses to spend more time with one of her competitors.
America could lose it all. The chance to be a Princess, the ability to give her family a better life, what must she do?
The rest of the behind the scenes parts of the story are good. The rebels try a few times to infiltrate the palace to capture the royal family, the King shows America exactly what he thinks of her, and she manages to find a backbone with an important project that goes out live on TV only to have the King almost expel her from the competition. And she discovers a shocking secret about Prince Maxon.
Its nice to continue with a story once you know who everyone is. That feeling when you're in a nice comfy sofa and you want the book to take you away and entertain you. To an extent The Elite did that, but not as much as I would have liked. America was annoying throughout a good part of the book. Her indecision leading to frequent tears didn't go down well with me, however Prince Maxon was the true hero of this book. He saved the day.
Knowing how this ended I have no doubt that the next one will be more in line with a stronger America. Now she knows who to fight for.
-CBx
You can reach Kiera Cass here:
Available from Amazon:
Review: Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Published Date: April 4th 2013
From: Bought
My rating: 5 out of 5
Synopsis:
Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.
Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.
The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.
Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.
Review:
So, on to Apollyon. This one really packs a punch. The adventure is really beginning and Alex, Aiden and their small band of refugees from Deity Island now have a huge task on their hands.
What I loved in this book first and foremost was how Alex changed. In the previous books she has acted like an immature madam sometimes but as she's growing up so is her attitude and this shows what a great author Armentrout is because young women do change when exceptional circumstances land on their shoulders. Now Alex has to step up to the plate. She is an Apollyon and a lots of people are relying on her. She's now proved that acting irrationally isn't always the answer, not unless you want to tick everyone off. Only one incident occurred when she went back to the old ways, the one where they are all training, but one rebuke from Aiden and she realises her error. She is still only human after all.
We journey from their hideout cabin to the Underworld to source out Solaris, and then on to the University where all the good guys are holding fort. The journey is an adventure in itself and all the while Alex is learning to get to grips with her new abilities. They don't always prove to be the best option as a key character falls right near the end in desperate circumstances.
Mostly this book cements the relationships occurring between the characters. Alex with Marcus, Deacon with Alex, Alex and Lea, even Alex and Laaden. And Alex and Aiden really prove that their love is of the purest kind. And no one can doubt that.
We don't get to see Seth in his true form in this book but he's ever present in Alex's mind thanks to their bond as Apollyons. Quite a few happenings occur where you think Seth has truly lost his mind but then right at the end...I'm not sure. I wonder what will happen in Sentinal because at one point Alex is heartbroken because of a death and I actually think this affects Seth also. With everyone talking about Seth being the God Killer I really believe that, after reading between the lines, he is worth saving and can be saved from wreaking absolute mayhem and chaos across the human world.
We have more interactions with the gods in this one too bringing in the Greek mythology nicely. But, as always, we reach another tragic point and the end and are left with a small cliffhanger of what happens next but its not so big that you're really hanging.
This is the best book yet in the Covenant series. Definitely worth picking this up if you get the chance!
.-CB x
Available from Amazon:
Review: Elixir (Covenant #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Elixir (Covenant #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Published Date: November 27th 2012
From: Downloaded
My rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
Aiden St. Delphi will do anything to save Alex.
Even if it means doing the one thing he will never forgive himself for.
Even if it means making war against the gods.
Review:
Finally we get a chance to see what exactly is going on in Aiden St Delphi's head. And...it's all good!
But Elixir is a tough read and an absolute MUST if you follow the series. You MUST read Deity beforehand and you MUST read Apollyon after. Sometimes I'm curious as to why authors do the middle novellas but in this case it's definitely an essential part of the Covenant series.
No one knows how to handle Alex now she's turned Apollyon. She has that bond with Seth and he's taking over her mind and her mouth. Everything she says is cruel and painful to Aiden. She mocks him, his love for her, and still he has faith in what he's doing...but even that can only last for so long. Eventually he has to do the unthinkable. He has to put Alex on the Elixir to eek her away from everything she is right now.
Reading from Aiden's point of view was everything I wished for. We've only really seen him from Alex's viewpoint but he has a lot of secrets behind those silver eyes and we get to learn about how he ticks inside.
His love for Alex is all-powerful, his adoration of his brother is wonderful. And he's respected by the other's in the house:- Marcus, Solos, Luke, Laaden, Lea, Olivia and Deacon. They all trust in his instinct when it comes to overcoming the bond, and while it all seems like a mutual lovefest Elixir proves that its anything but.
Alex also really stepped up in this one. Through Aiden's eyes she showed real character without the long drawn out explanations.
If it doesn't convince you of anything else Elixir shows what a great, admirable and loveable person Aiden St Delphi really is. Enough said!
-CBx
You can reach Jennifer L Armentrout here:
Available from Amazon:
Review: Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Published Date: November 6th 2012
From: Bought
My rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "
Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.
If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.
But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.
Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate..
Review:
Well, this just goes to show I am no judge of character. My last words on the Pure review were "I love Seth". Shameful!
This is going to be a back-to-back review with Elixir and Apollyon, but if you do a search you can read reviews for the first three Covenant Series books also.
So, Deity! This one took me by surprise and was a step up from the first books. After Pure I did begin to feel that the storyline was waning a little i.e. where do we go from here, however Deity really did pick up pace after about half way through.
Alex still has her love triangle thing going on. Seth, the one who she's meant to be with, and Aiden, the one she loves and can't have. During the story even I had to admit that Seth starts getting a bit creepy with his happy hands. And the gliphs that appear on Alex because of this really give you a clue as to his intentions. And then there's the whole incident where he's meeting 'boobs' while he's away--does he really think Alex is worthy after acting like that? He did show a redeeming quality with the Jackson incident, no doubt in my mind who was responsible for that. Personally I think he really does like her but as everything comes easy to him he's getting his way with whatever he can first.
And Aiden, well, he does act a bit of a jerk in the beginning but hell, the boy can't help himself when it comes to Alex. Now he does show signs of true love.
For me the whole book tilted in a better light after the stabbing. That was really when you had a clue as to who was who (and I mean Leon) and who was on what side. Without this I think they'd still all be going about their day trying to hide their feelings and intentions. We learn a top secret about Leon, and Marcus sheds his nasty cloak.
Aiden and Alex at last get some quality time together hiding away but the bittersweet moment is brought to a head when Seth returns and Lucian kidnaps Alex. Now we learn what the truth is behind all the devillry these two men have been conjuring. Sides are drawn up, the line on the ground gets chalked. Epic disaster meets our team but only some survive.
This for me was the book in the series that said "Stand up, things are going to change. Now I'm serious." Overall I thought the characters were as exemplary as ever. There were only a few times when Alex's snark became annoying, a sure sign of her immaturity.
Now I'm going to review Elixir!
-CBx
You can reach Jennifer L Armentrout here:
Available from Amazon:
ARC Review: The Morning Star (Katerina #3) by Robin Bridges
The Morning Star (Katerina #3) by Robin Bridges
Publishers: Random House
Published Date: August 27th 2013
From: Publisher
My rating: 5 out of 5
A huge thank you to Nicole of Random House for
letting me review this book to give my honest opinion.
Synopsis:
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890
Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors.
Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina's focus remains on the sword. Russia's fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow.
Previous Reviews of The Katerina Trilogy
Review:
It's such a happy and sad moment when you reach the end of such an exciting series. The Katerina Trilogy is one of my all time favourite reads and I've read the first two books many times in eagerness, quietly waiting for the third and last book. I had so many expectations of what would happen. Would George be cured of his mystery illness? Would Katiya and George finally be able to marry? What would happen with the Lich Tsar and would they be able to finally get rid of his evilness from the face of the earth to let everyone live in peace at last? And what of Danilo, evil Crown Prince that he is. His plans may have been scuppered for now but he was surely going to make a return to finish off Grand Duke George for good. Now that Katiya's secret is out what would happen when the rest of her close family knew of her secret, being a necromancer would never be a story for the relations to discuss over afternoon tea.
What I truly loved about this series was the extensive research that Robin Bridges must be commended for. Anything to do with the Imperial family of Russia intrigues me, and Robin has had me researching the true stories of the family for my own personal pleasure. It was clear from the outset after reading The Gathering Storm that this series would be exquisitely represented as the characters deserved--in their true proper, elegant, and magnificent manner.
So, if you enjoy tales of intrigue wrapped around evenings of dinners, dances, with a bit of paranormal romance and mystery, then I must urge you to pick up this series.
In the final chapter of the Trilogy we are brought into a scene with Katiya doing what she wants to do most, and that is to study medicine to become a Doctor. I really loved her ambitiousness even when faced with such close relatives who would try and talk her out of it. At one point she even contemplated breaking off her arrangement with George to further her studies and her heart broke as did mine. They're meant to be together after all!
But even in the face of danger, Katiya and George decide to forego all the family's wishes to get married in secret. Once they're married then no one can interfere with their livelihoods any longer. George agrees that he might be struck off by his father, Tsar Alexander III, but he's willing to move to Zurich to enable Katiya to study at the University.
However, the past never stays away for long and disaster happens shortly after they leave. The evil Lich Tsar is looking for the one true Morning Star which will enable him to take control of the Grigori and using the Talisman of Isis (which is permanently around Katiya's neck) he can have what he believes is rightfully his--the throne of Russia.
Once again the story becomes a battle of Light against the Dark. The two Russian courts are involved, the Order of Lazarus (the revenants), Princess Alix and her werewolves, the Montenegran Vampires, Katiya's own Mother (who is now the Striga) and the Bogatyr. If ever there was a story that included all these magical creatures to their fullest it was this one! The only thing missing was unicorns!
We're taken on a thrilling journey of capture and conquest through Ancient Egypt and meet up with new and old friends. With magic now such a huge part of George's life I was never in any doubt that he would find Katiya eventually.
The final chapter was a heart in mouth moment. And a surprising gesture saved the day. I loved how it ended with all loose ends nicely tied up, and once finished I had to read the whole book again just to enjoy it one more time.
I really hope the author can bring us more from her wonderful world she's created using the historical people and sumptuous scenery. I feel like I'm waving goodbye as I finish this review but I'm so glad I read this series. And I can't not mention the wonderful Family Tree of all the characters on Robin Bridges website!
If you like historical books especially ones to do with royalty mixed with the paranormal and things that go bump in the night then this series is a must.
-CB x
Book Trailer Reveal for The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
The trailer for THE ETERNITY CURE
by Julie Kagawa has been revealed!
What do you think? Excited?
~~
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa
Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.
Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.
Expected publication:
April 30th 2013
by Harlequin Teen
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