Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.
But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.
Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.
When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

Bravo! Bravo *claps* This novel delivered way more than I was expecting. I picked up the book expecting a Tamora Pierce novel (I hated those novels... I seem to be one of the very few that doesn't adore them to death.) Or, I expected a Throne of Glass novel (which I also hated, contrary to popular opinion.)  so I had braced myself for a lot of nonsense and boredom and irritation. (but I picked the novel up in the first place because I was holding out a hope from all hopes that I would get something satisfying, and boy did I!)

This novel just punches through the stories walls one by one. I love the fact that Kyra's love triangle so to speak, wasn't in the forefront of the story, and that she did absolutely nothing to engage or tease either party (that's my pet peeve in books.) Kyra thinks on her feet, and boy can her feet move.... It's definitely a plus that this is not a black and white novel, there is a lot of shifting, back and forth and the parties aren't quite concrete until the end.

When Kyra has to prove herself to the band of thieves, I love how, instead of beating them at their own game or trying to become one of them, she just blows them away with who she naturally is, and proves that there is sometimes more value to stealth than there is brute strength.

I identified with Kyra, and her homelessness, I identified with her desire to care for Idalee and Lettie.
Best of all,
I LOVED Tristam. That's what I call an A+ character. He's a dashing noble knight who eventually falls in love  with a member, of not just one, but TWO of his highest sworn enemies.

It's rather impressive how naturally the progression goes from aggressor, to passive, to lover.
he's my kind of book boyfriend.

Anyway, I better wrap this up.
Five stars, I will eagerly be awaiting book #2.
I thank Hyperion for the ARC and I must announce that in no way did it influence my opinion on this novel.
I HIGHLY recommend this novel. It's a dream of all medieval dreams, and is certainly going to be a hard book to follow.

About the Author

You can read Ten Facts About her HERE

Soujon's Journey by Marlee Morgan

Set in the mystical village of Sky Mountain and the city of Cyane, SOUJON'S JOURNEY is the tale of a young girl growing up and discovering life. Finding her gifts and the inner strength that allows her to stand up to adversity and overcome obstacles in her life.
In the mystical city there are four basic laws--(1) if harm it does none, do as you will, (2) be kind in spirit, (3) be in harmony with your surroundings, (4) be clean in body, mind and spirit.
Soujon embraces the new world around her and finds joy in life beyond her wildest dreams. This is a magical growing up, coming of age tale that will grab the reader from the very beginning.

     
 At first, I was wary, but then I realized exactly what I was reading. I was looking at it from entirely the wrong perspective. It’s listed as a fantasy/fairy tale so I read it from a fantasy angle. Then I noticed something different. How do I explain it? Around page 70 or so, I came to the realization that while this was a fairy tale, it is a specific kind. Here is how I noticed it:

Occasionally I would run across a passage that seemed out of place (at first.) The passages in question would shift almost to first person, without marking so. Then tell you in an almost narrative style about something in the particular characters past. I couldn't figure it out! At first I thought it might be a simple error, but around the third time it happened I realized this was no editorial error. These passages were clearly put there on purpose and for a specific reason. We were driving down the road and I was discussing the book with my mom (she’s a very good listener) when somehow the topic drifted to Disneyland and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then, it struck me. The book was written in a classic fairy tale fashion, just without old English words such as thy (etc..) In other words: A classic with out muddled meanings. Classic lovers, enjoy. Once I had pinned the style down, I enjoyed reading it!  I did feel as though the synopsis didn't do it justice. I couldn't find a better way to word it though.

Sidekick: The Misadventure's of the New Scarlet Knight

Bobby Baines is in high school, which is bad enough. When his hero, Scarlet Knight, dies, Bobby is forced to take up his mantel. Only Scarlet Knight never had to deal with eking out a passing grade in math, keeping his fellow sidekicks in check, or stopping a giant squid from bearing down on his school and crushing everyone inside. After all, Bobby Baines is no super hero, he’s a Sidekick!

I adore this novel! I love superheroes, and everything that it entails, so I was a little worried when I picked this up for the Month9Publications blog tour. I was worried that it wouldn’t stand up to my expectations, or that it would just let me down.

Pab, you’re awesome. I don’t know what caught me first, but I loved the humor, and I’ll admit it, I was pretty much sold after the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers reference. One thing that I liked about the book, was that it didn’t push the stereotypes away, but it didn’t exactly follow them either.
It’s kind of like how cartoons perpetually make Vikings wear horned hats, when they really didn’t do that it history.

He offered enough familiarity for newcomers to super-stuff, but diverged enough for people looking for something new. The ending was surprising (a nice bit of foreshadowing in the beginning!) and one of my favorite parts was when Bobby had a complete emotional breakdown. (That sounds totally sadistic, but let me explain!)

It was human. It wasn’t over-emotional like a lot of YA novels try to make boys…Bobby went through a lot, worked through it, and finally it just reached the breaking point of his self-control. He sought comfort in his fellow sidekick Sarah and last but not least, this book had a really satisfying ending. (Which I won’t tell you about. Because, who do you think I am anyway?)

The bottom line, is that I'm really excited about Pab coming on to the scene of YA. We have the same kind of mentality when it comes to societal expectations (I reject your reality and substitute my own. ;) I'll definitely be watching out for Pab in the future!

Secrets (The Hero Chronicles #1) by Tim Mettey

The Midwest lies in complete ruins after a catastrophic disaster kills tens of thousands and leaves hundreds of thousands injured. Nicholas Keller emerges out of the devastation as a shining light of hope for all. But his newfound fame comes with a price that his aunt will not let him pay. They flee into the shadows in order to protect his secret. However, as Nicholas begins his sophomore year at his fifth school in five years, strange and unexpected things begin to happen. He soon tumbles into a web of doomed love, extraordinary talents and a secret past, which threatens the lives of everyone he cares about. It’s up to Nicholas to confront the truth, even if it means his own death.

When I was first approached about the book, it sounded good, but I didn’t think it would be sensational. While I can’t put it on a pedestal with my utmost favorites, I did REALLY enjoy the book. I loved the style of writing.

When he introduced Nicholas, it was really intriguing. You know something happened, but you don’t know what. And every so often, Tim would dangle another reminder about this unknown thing infringing on Nicholas’s life. The true art in that, is that he made it curious, without annoying the heck out of me (Another book comes to mind, when the author attempted to do this, and just ended up aggravating me to boredom.) I really liked Elle in the story, and I felt like I could relate to her (yeah, I like to eat croutons, I wear glasses and I couldn’t give a hoot about fashion, makeup, or popularity.) I was shocked to read a few negative reviews on this book!

They brought up ‘Cheesy Romance’ and ‘Middle Grade’ appeal. Yeah, I’d hand it to a middle grader if I felt they could handle it. But I’m in college and I loved the heck out of his love for Elle. Part of what frustrates me about the modern industry, is that the consumers (teenagers) don’t understand love OR romance. Sure, a lot of relationships have sexual, more physical components. But romance, and sexuality AREN’T mutually exclusive. You don’t have to tear someone’s clothes off to prove love – EVEN in a fictitious relationship. The amount of love you have for someone, or the amount of love you perceive to have received from someone else, shouldn’t have to be measured by kisses and touches.

Take the lovely cover for example. After reading the book, I look at that cover and the word that comes to mind, is intimate. It speaks of an unrestrained love. A love that would willingly die, not just for one you love, but for anyone.
To me, sacrifice is the ultimate love.

I need to wrap this dissertation up!

This is the first review I have Facebook commenting on, so I’ll probably get a few “You don’t know what it’s like.” Comments. I’m okay with that.

I won’t respond to those individual comments, but this is generically what I would say: I reject your reality and substitute my own.

BOTTOM LINE: I adore this book, and would absolutely recommend it to everyone.  This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review

Circle of Lies (Red Ridge Pack #2) by Sara Dailey

  Aiden Wright is trying to figure out who he really is, but the truth could cost him his true mate—or his life.
Life has always been easy for Aiden Wright. He’s smart, athletic, funny, and the ladies adore him. But when tragedy strikes, Aiden discovers the truth about who he really is and his whole world comes crashing down around him. Aiden thought that being a teenage werewolf was going to be awesome, but it might just cost him the one girl who could make him whole.
Since her mother’s disappearance, Teagan Rhodes’s life has been littered with her father’s empty beer cans and his hollow promises to change. Convinced that others would only let her down, she keeps everyone at arm’s length—but resisting Aiden’s charm is proving to be more difficult than she thought. Throw in a psychotic werewolf hunter out to terminate the species and one wrong move, one wrong decision could destroy everything.

I’m a hard sell when it comes to shifter novels. There’s a very, very fine line that authors have to cross in order to properly execute a plot with the ‘true mate’ trait.
These two authors did it pretty fine! To those new to shifter novels, I’ll just start off by saying that ‘true mate’ usually means that the two people’s souls become so….connected to each other that they physically can’t be parted (novels vary, but in this particular case, if separated, it manifests illness;) even if the two (or one of the) true mates doesn’t wish to be in the relationship.

Sometimes they can seem quite forced, and in some it seems like the reluctant party just caves in, instead of falling in love voluntarily. The book tour I’m participating in is for Book #2, but I would ABSOLUTELY recommend reading book #1 first.
Pack of Lies was good, I really liked the relationship between the two characters, but after I read Circle of Lies, I decided that it was my favorite. The ‘True Mate’ concept seemed to be better carried in Pack of Lies (book #1) but I realated with Teagan so much! We look very similar; have similar favorite foods, and even somewhate similar personalities.  Aiden was a real sweetheart too; he was very consistent throughout the novel. I love that the authors didn’t bring in the classic formula for YA romance, where both parties have their doubts. Aiden knew what he wanted, and he made it clear that he was there for Teagan to lean on in rough times.


I’ll admit, the one thing that really sold me on this series, was that I felt like it was such a strong study case in personality types. Even outside the pack usual (alpha, etcetera) it almost had an underlying psychology theme that I really enjoyed.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a paranormal romance, or looking for something with the non-average soul mate twist.  This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review: it's a part of IO Book Tours Circle of Lies book tour.

Pillage by Obert Skye

Upon his mother's death, fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips is sent to live with an eccentric uncle he had never met in a remote manor house, where he learns that his family suffers from a curse that allows him to make plants grow on command and dragon eggs hatch.

Ok, I will admit it. At first, I was just attracted to the cool looking, fire breathing dragon on the front cover. Yeah, that was a pretty superficial move for a person whose motto is ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ But hey! The cover was just doing its job: getting my attention.

When I first started reading Pillage I thought it was going to be another one of those ‘so-so’ books, you know, the ones that were ok, but just not Spectacular? Well, when I finished the book, I was dying for the second one. It is very difficult to write about the ending without giving it away, so I suppose here’s one way to put it; ‘Boringsville’ turns into……..well, ‘Notboringsville’. I cannot wait to read and review Choke ( the sequel) It should be fun, uncovering the new adventure and watching the bonds between Beck, Aeron, Kate and Wyatt grow. Total kudos to Obert Skye! He made Beck’s world ordinary, then, like an explosion, just peeled the shells off of everything, to reveal mind-blowing characters and a shocking plot.



   

Progeny (The Children of the White Lions #1) by R.T. Kaelin

Nikalys and his sister Kenders grew up living a peaceful life in the quiet farming village of Yellow Mud…until one blistering hot summer day when they went to the nearby lake for a swim. When they reached the lake, they saw and unknown mage conjure a massive water creature hundreds of feet tall. They watched in horror as the monstrous creation plunged toward their home, apparently drowning all in its path, including their parents and older brother, Jak. As the only survivors, brother and sister strike out on their own, hoping to discover the reason their home and family was destroyed. They must make their way through a countryside where magic is outlawed, punishable by imprisonment or even death, while struggling with the revelation that Kenders has magical abilities herself. Ancient, powerful forces seek them on their travels- some intending to eliminate the threat they pose, and some hoping to help them fulfill a destiny of which they are unaware. Myths and Legends come to life, whisking the pair along a journey they never could have imagined possible.

This book was the hardest book I have ever read. Not in the good way either. You may have read my review for ‘Allon’ by Shawn Lamb, I mentioned that it had a unique style that would be most appreciated by experienced readers. This is totally different. To be blunt, this was a major waste of my time. Tons of reviewers have given it good reviews (haven’t seen one below five stars yet.) I don’t see where they get ‘almost as good as the Chronicles of Narnia.’ I suppose it’s all up to opinion. The syntax was muddled, and the content was constantly redundant. I would sometimes have to re-read ENTIRE paragraphs to understand what was going on. Or, one of my favorite mishaps was learning that after four pages that the view had switched to a completely new character in a completely different place. I almost felt physically exhausted after reading it. I would stop after about twenty pages and do something else (within the course of one hundred pages, I read four other books), it was sucking the energy right out of me. I really do not like being a negative person, but I couldn’t find anything positive.I would definitely not recommend this book.

BOOK HAS SINCE BEEN EDITED AND REPUBLISHED.

Masters & Slayers (Tales of Starlight #1) by Bryan Davis

Adrian Masters was taught by his father to always respect women and never raise his sword against them. Marcelle fights with a sword better than most men and she fights with vengeance. The fighting matches are good, and yes, entertaining, especially when she can embarrass her old friend Adrian about his father's way of thinking. Chivalry is dead and she didn't care if it was. If chivalry existed her mother would still be alive.
Adrian  would be the best swordsman if it weren'’t for Marcelle (..er..swordmaiden). True to his honor and upbringing, he always forfeits against her. It never bothered him too much though. These matches were just practice. What he really wanted to do was go out and find the missing. People had been going missing for years, disappearing without a trace. There was one theory: That they had been enslaved on another world called starlight. Starlight is rumored to be the most dangerous place in any realm, it’'s ruled by ruthless dragons who will do anything to reap profits. Adrian'’s dream comes true when he is allowed to go to starlight, the only problem is his partner, Marcelle. While they both have amazing skills with a sword, Adrian would prefer a stealthy, strategic approach, while hot-headed, impulsive Marcelle would rather just go on the attack. Adrian must get to Starlight, keep the two of them out of danger,  and save the slaves. With his fierce devotion, Adrian will do anything to get Marcelle and the children off Starlight. Even if he dies trying.

I love this book. First of all, I just love Bryan Davis. All his books are fantastic for a lot of reasons. I could blab on and on about them but one of the biggest factors is that his plots are complex and interesting. You have to own a brain to truly get the real message. His books always whisper to me ‘can you handle it?’ I love the challenge and I love his bighearted heroes. Not to mention, I love pretty much any book with a sword in it (one of my more shallow reasons.) It’s not for the weak reader, but I enjoy them immensely. I definitely recommend this book.

Insight (Insight #1) by Jamie Magee

Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift 

I love this book; I have never read anything like it. Chara is such a well put together world. It flowed seamlessly. Every nook and cranny was thought about and developed to extent. The culture, the people, the environment, the physics (in other words, everything made sense, it wasn’t floppy) even their select supernatural abilities fell into place perfectly. There is romance, but nothing graphic. I had to be really hard on this book to find a negative. You ready to hear what I found? One cuss word, two misplaced commas and an improper verb. That’s all I got. I would definitely recommend this book. It is one of the few books that I regularly re-read.

Griffin's Castle by Jenny Nimmo

Lonely and friendless from constantly moving, Dinah finds herself wishing the animal statues protecting a nearby Welsh castle would keep her company. Suddenly, to Dinah's delight, the stone animals start to magically spring from the walls and follow her home. But when the animals refuse to let Dinah leave her house, she quickly realizes that these mysterious creatures aren't rescuing her, they're imprisoning her. 

I found Griffin’s Castle (by Jenny Nimmo) disappointing. The main character Dinah was just frustrating to read about. I kept waiting for the sentence that would grab my attention. It never came. Chapter after monotonous chapter, all the words were just Dinah’s depressing thoughts. The story lacked structure. The plot was obscure and thin as tissue paper. Dinah exhibits extreme introversion, at first I thought that Berry and Jacob would bring her out of her shell by befriending her. I was wrong; she took their attempts at friendship as a nuisance. At the moment Dinah lived at Griffin’s Castle (which is actually just a large house). She longed to save the dilapidated house, I was severely disappointed when she dropped the dream and walked away from it with ease. Her mother thinks that Dinah just gets in the way of happiness; her stepfather lashes out with physical violence in the bat of an eye, and none of them learned their wrongs. Dinah just ends up moving to a relative’s house. It had so many (too many) loose ends. It was like you had fifty puzzle pieces to put together and there was a flaw, all the pieces were from different puzzles. Yet all those pieces were crammed in a box for you to ‘solve’. In my opinion it was just incomplete.

The book just ended that way. No lesson learned, no enemy overcome, no wrongs are righted, and no friends are gained. The story had potential (a lot of it!) I had high hopes; but one by one they were dashed. It was like an airplane that revved its engines and raced down the tar mac, but it just did not have the strength to fly. The only reason for reading this book is if you are running a review website and want to warn readers. Griffin’s Castle was totally pointless.

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

Just when you thought it was safe....the 25 top-selling titles in the series that revolutionized horror for kids are back w/ a fresh new look. The updated design will make you scream. The original artwork will give you nightmares. And the classic bone-chilling stories from the master of horror will just kill you. This spine-tingling series sparked a licensing phenomenon & made R.L. the #1 author in the U.S.--and it's STILL the "must have" collection for true horror fans. Now a whole new generation will discover the thrill of reading ...and they'll never be the same again.

When I saw it in the bookstore, I couldn’'t resist. These are classics for this time of year. Ironically, the most traumatic (that’s right, TRAUmatic, not DRAmatic) teacher of my middleschool introduced my class to these books. It was either read one of those books, or do '‘fun'’ math with our free time. What kind of joke is that? Homework, for fun? Entering her class was like a psychological war-zone. In retrospect, it was a total plot (of evil) to get us to read, or do math practice. We were so scared of the books (…a book on her shelf? There is no way it could be a good one!) Not a lot of us touched those shelves….we'’d rather suffer math. It stayed that way until the series was banned from the school (I heard this secondhand, they were banned a year after I left) for some reason while standing in the bookstore, I had a little flashback. You know, one of those really bad days in school, and remember about 30 or so spines staring down as I left the classroom with my class bucket and backpack full of books. All of them were Goosebumps. Now, seven years later, I couldn'’t resist. I hated books back then and now I love them. I was intrigued to say the least. They are just classics. Nothing bad to say about them! I hear he has a teen series now…, I'’ll definitely be looking into those! I think it would creep out the 4th grade to 6th grade the most… although I’'m not entirely sure, depends on the maturity etc. I recommend the series.

Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz

"Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

       Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken  
          has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs      
        from the hammer loop of his overalls.The last gift he received from his grandfather,
  the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen.
       According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past."One word: Awesome. It’s like an Indiana Jones adventure right here in America. I love how chess and Durriken’s culture is woven seamlessly into the story, it just makes all the strategies so much more interesting. It does take a little bit for the action to start. It’s not ‘slow’ per say, it just starts handing you puzzle pieces, and you just have to wait for that moment that they all start clicking together. Negative: cussing. A few might also find it a turn off because it does incorporate Spanish (or at least that’s what I think it is…I suppose on the off chance it could be Italian because the languages are similar.)  Living where I do, the bilingual moments didn't faze me. The sequel may just put this series on the shelf of fame.

Elfin (The Elfin #1) by Quinn Loftis

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves.
He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves.
Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen.
Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be.
The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?

This book was just ok. I enjoyed the biblical analogies, and I really do love books with elves; But, there were a few things in this novel that kept me from really digging in to the novel. The love between Trik and Cassie really didn’t sink in for me, it was annoying at times. It was fast, and reasonless for the most part. It was one of those ‘instant’ romances. (and you know how I don’t get along with those.)

I did really enjoy those analogies though. I can’t really say yay or nay to this book. It seemed like it needed a better content editor, or beta reader. The last few chapters of the book may have redeemed themselves. I love Cassie’s best friend Elora! She has a riot of a personality, and I personally can’t wait to hear her story. The book seesawed between my favorite things, and my least favorite things.

Overall, I think I’ll say it was a good book! I’m just really not the instant romance type. Nontheless, I think Quinn’s writing will improve, and her rough plot lines may smooth out as a result. Especially since she established her new world in Elfin. I look forward to the sequel.
This book was provided to me by the author through Reading Away the Days book tours, in exchange for an honest review.

13 Treasures (13 Treasures #1) by Ethan Dempsey

High school senior Evan Snowden loves his eccentric grandfather more than anything. Grandpa Kent is an adventurer, a man who seeks to answer history's greatest mysteries. To Evan his a man of wonderful stories. And it's these stories that have enthralled and captivated Evan for years. 
But a vicious attack on his grandfather plunges Evan and his best friend, Charlie, into a world of intrigue, danger, and discovery. A world that Evan has only known in the words of his grandfather's stories.

It was amazing! I loved it, it was fun, sort of short, but full of action and adventure. At one point, it almost made me cry. A little cussing, but well worth the fun adventure. Kind of reminded me of a teenage National Treasure… that could be just me though, I love movies.. anyway, it was really good! I recommend it, especially if your looking for a quick, but fantastic read. I loved Evan’s thoughts, not many novels are from a guys perspective and if they are, they don’t usually have their thoughts. I loved that it proves that boys have emotions (a lot of novels really ignore that side of them.) I definitely recommend this series. Ethan has lowered the kindle price just for you guys! It won’t last forever though, so I suggest you get it soon!

Defy (Firstborn Trilogy #1) by Raine Thomas

Seventeen-year-old Tate is about to make her parents’ dreams come true. Unfortunately for her, their dreams foretell her death.
Eager to explore more of the Estilorian plane and prove her abilities, Tate goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the area of protection surrounding her home. Her choice puts her on a deadly path…one that leaves her alone, severely injured and battling for her life.
Her possible savior arrives in the form of Zachariah, a male who has removed himself from Estilorian society for more than fifty years. Fighting an unexpected connection to Tate, he must decide whether saving her life is worth destroying his.
As Tate struggles to find a way home, she ends up drawn into a dark Mercesti plot involving multiple murders and a powerful ancient artifact. With the unpredictable Zachariah as her only source for aid, she’ll soon find out if her abilities are strong enough to help her defy her Fate.

Wow! I was really impressed. While I’m an optimist, I really wasn’t expecting to love the book as much as I did. I’d just read a really fantastic book and sometimes it throws me off my funk and I have to wait a few days to read another book. That didn’t happen when I picked up Defy. Although, I do feel like if I had read the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy I would have understood things better. It was still vastly entertaining, with varying points of view and numerous things going on, It reminded me a little (style wise) of Beckoning Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy (a book series I also enjoy.) It takes wits to read this book. I recommend it for mature readers (there is some abuse and implications of rape-type things going on.) Otherwise, it was a perfectly entertaining read. I’m eager to see what happens next!

Dazzle (Delaney's Gift #1) by Amber Garza

Sixteen-year-old Delaney Scott possesses a special gift. Ever since she was a child she has known about her calling and the duty she’s expected to fulfill.
However, all Delaney wants is to be normal. That’s why she is drawn to Sam. He can offer her the life she’s always desired. Only Sam has secrets of his own.
Secrets that are deadly. Secrets that can change everything.
Wow! What a ride! This book made a powerful statement by breaking all the rules in the book. (I have a thing for rule-breaking authors….if they do it well.) First, It did a multiple perspective first person style. I’ve only found a few other authors who favor this point of view and writing style, and at that, most can’t pull it off. (INSERT AUTHOR NAME HERE) definitely pulled it off. Second, she took the physical stereotypes and threw them through the window. In fiction (let alone young adult) you very rarely see….well, you very rarely see the rare! Dreadlocks? Check. Tattoos? Check. Red hair? Check. Butt long hair? Check. That made the characters come alive, AUTHORS NAME made them different than your average Joe, and farther, her characters didn’t pretend they were average Joes. It was very refreshing. The third thing she did that isn’t seen as ‘done’ in the YA literature world; CLIFF HANGERS! Yeah, there was a peppering of them last year…but you just don’t see quality cliffhangers anymore. This one definitely caught me! The fourth thing she did (and the last thing I’ll point out) is that she presented a really interesting love triangle (er…zig zag.) and you genuinely can’t tell what’s going to happen. I know what I want to happen, but I can’t tell what to make of all these 100% human feels! Among other things she wove in an almost seamless analogy (I’m not tellin!) and did I mention Micah is my superhero? Because he is! I love male POV and I’m glad that’s starting to trend. He also expressed a very accurate friendship/loyalty/love emotional confusion. Bottom line, I ADORED this book, and I can’t wait to read book #2! I was seriously impressed.
I’m going to try to get an author interview! Stay tuned!
(This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, this review is a part of the Reading Away the Days Blog tour.)

The Collector (Dante Walker #1) by Victoria Scott

He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:
Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.
Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

I get giddy when I look at this book. I even made the rare decision to buy an actual copy for myself! This book had a CRUISE LINER’S worth of hype around it, and that something that I was nervous about. Until recently, I have avoided directly requesting such high profile books. But, something about the book really called out to me. (Not going to argue, it could have been the cover. I love when covers DON’T show the protagonist (erm…antagonists?) face.) I clicked the request button and waited nervously. SO many reviewers were requesting it! I got the email later that said I hadn’t been approved for the early round, but that my name had been added in a sort of luck-of-the-draw deal.

Later, one of the tour groups I’m a part of was given the book, so I thought “why not?” They approved 79 other bloggers, but I was not one of them. Yeah, I was mad at that point… but I calmed down and BOOM, three weeks later, the lovely publicist gave me an ecopy in the 8th round of blogger calls.

YAY! I was ultra-excited for two hours (complete with jumping around the house.) then I sat down and thought “WHAT HAVE I DONE?!” I’ve gone to such lengths to get this novel….what if I hate it? Then I thought, what the heck am I doing? Why am I so worried, I’m never this way over novels!

So I sat down.

And surprised myself…because I LOVED IT! Ha! This book is so clearly written. I say it that way because it’s not over decorative in its descriptions, it’s witty, it’s sarcastic…and at other moments, deeply tender.

Victoria captures a pretty good window through the male mind (I can’t say for sure of course, I’m not a guy) but this book doesn’t try to gussy up guy thoughts. Moreover, the transition Dante goes through resonates. People rarely choose to change...and if they do, they have already changed on the inside. Dante is influenced by Charlie before he’s even aware of what he’s doing.

When he finally does notice, he takes a step back, juggles his options, and has to decide which side of the fence he wants to fall on. (and change the fate of the world in the process) through a surprising ending.  Further, there are subtle allegories with deeply moral backgrounds woven through a story of sin better than any other (technically secular) novel that I’ve ever seen (and does it ball parks better than any religious author.) I can’t recommend this book enough. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. (and watching Victoria’s works to boot.)  Scroll down for commenting and click the red Chuck on the shelf to enter a GIVEAWAY!

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Warnings for this novel includes cursing, underage drinking, and a few sexual scenes.

The Claiming Words (The Claiming Words) by Tricia Drammeh

The Alexanders have always kept their secrets hidden…
When sixteen-year-old Jace Alexander moves to the small town of Oaktree, Georgia, he attracts the attention of every girl in school. Shy, introverted Alisa Cole immediately casts Jace in the leading role of her latest fantasy, but she assumes he’ll never return her interest. After she saves Jace from a Hunter, everything changes. Her accidental discovery of Jace’s secret propels her into a world of magic and danger. Alisa’s newfound courage is put to the test when Jace introduces her to his intimidating older brother, Bryce, and she decides she would rather battle a Hunter than endure another moment under Bryce’s intense scrutiny.
Jace and Bryce aren’t the only ones with secrets…
Rachel Stevens is the girl who has it all. She’s beautiful, popular, and in possession of an ancient power which endangers not only her, but those sent to protect her. Jace is drawn to Rachel—and he isn’t the only one. The Demon Re’Vel will do anything to claim her—even if it means waging a war with the entire Alexander family. As layers of secrets are peeled away, revealing the truth of her heritage and her family’s betrayal, Rachel struggles to resist an immortal suitor who stalks her in her dreams. With the Alexanders fighting to protect her, can Rachel escape the power of the Demon and his Claiming Words?

I’ll admit it, I was really nervous to read this book. About a month ago (for future readers, that would be February of 2013) I joined Reading Away the Days tours. I’m picky about the tours I participate in, but every single one I’ve decided to join at that tour group has been awesome. Every time I’m sent a book I think that it’s got to be the one that ends the good streak.
This week alone, I’ve read 5 mind blowing books in a row! How does that even happen?!? I don’t know.. but the point is, I really enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn’t sure about it because it seemed very sudden in it’s plotline take-off.

But you eventually learn that there’s a reasoning behind that sudden take-off and for the awkward beginnings. Another thing is, Tricia hit my Achilles heel. Turds turned to Treasures. I love love/hate relatioships.

I did see it coming, but I didn’t care that I knew what was happening. It tickled me pink. I loved how there were similarities between the brothers  Jace and Bryce, while at the same time, they handled the same situation with intense difference (towards grief and relationships in particular.)

I also really liked how there was a real rivalry between the girls at the beginning (the object being Jace.) You don’t usually see that represented in YA novels. It spoke the truth that sometimes girls know that they don’t need (insert person of interest) but that girls want said person anyway!
There are a lot of things I admire about this book, including the diversity of each ADversity.

I can’t wait to read the next installment ( I shook my fists at amazon. Thy foul mistress tricked me again. I totally thought the next installment had already been published. *sigh* Being a reader is like wanting to fight a fire breathing dragon with your bare hands…  and thinking you’ll win.  I can’t decide if I’m glad I caught this series while it was young, or sad that there isn't more for me to read!) I highly recommend this book. This book was given to me by Reading Away the Days, and Tricia Drammeh in exchange for an honest review.

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1) by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

This poor book. I don’t know what happened to it. Let me lay out the book for you:

Fend off wannabe boyfriend #1
Something weird happens
Get irritated at boy #2 and #3
Kiss boy #2
Something weird happens
Kiss boy #3
Get irritated at boy #2 and boy #3
Rinse, repeat…


It had a good…how do I say it…? Frame work. It had good framework. But it lost it after that. The book fails to mention why she has to choose between the two boys, when she has to choose (…before some catastrophic event or such.) and fails to mention why it would have anything to do with the overall picture of things. Also: In the book, Devin is a ‘good angel’ so to speak. The reason he seems safe and secure is because the good angels are incapable of ‘bad’ feelings (jealousy, hatred etc.) but Devin’s ‘girlfriend’ back home, oozes hatred and jealousy toward Skye. It just didn’t make sense. Nothing Jocelyn said stuck. It contradicted itself and went on and on and on. Do yourself a favor. Wait two days and get Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen. Same sort of concept, but a world of difference in every other fashion.

A Fractured Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.
Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.

You know, I didn’t like the first, but I knew it had potential, and I was curious to see if it harnessed some of it. It didn’t. Nothing really happened in the novel….I mean…it just sort of trudged on through the snow and just sort of..existed. it never really gave into what is was getting at. The end was a little different. And of course Skye really irritates me…she has like… three guys trailing around her, and she never does anything about them. She just goes from one to the other to the other. I suppose what I should say is that the series just lacks development and logic. I don’t feel attachment to any of the characters, and that just sucks the fun out of it all.