Review: Black Wings by Christina Henry

Published Date: Febuary 24th, 2011
Finished Date: August 30th, 2011
Publishers: ACE
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Series: Madeline Black Book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.


Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.


Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.


Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

My Review: I have to say that I am shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you. This novel is definitely a far cry from other angelic-interlinked-with-other-creatures-of-the-supernatural-realm books.

A few days ago, Madeline "Maddy" Black is your typical 32 years old Agent of Death, escorting the dearly departed-s to the Door where they will be presented with 2 choices - to cross the threshold and move on to the next realm, or to roam the earth for eternity as a ghost. But ever since one Gabriel turned up on her doorstep responding to her rent ad, her world as she knew it changed forever. Lol, I sound so..old. *shudder*

Anyway. Maddy's friend suddenly dies by the hands of a freaking demon (she has never known about its existence prior to this incident), that the demon who ate the soul of her friend was also the one who killed-ate her mom all those years past, that said demon is also after her, that her supposedly deadbeat dad is, in fact, one of the Grigori (which is a fallen angel), that she has a demonic-half-brother who's bent on killing her, and many more that I am averse to state. On top of which, she starts getting visions of this girl called Evangeline, which she saw in those visions was the Morningstar's (Lucifer's) lover. This would certainly bring her to the attention of Lucifer himself should it be known by others. Yep I know, screwed life.

So now, what is the link between these visions and the demon that killed-ate her mom and friend? And what is Maddy's role in all this? Well, you know where the answers are. Go read it:)

I thought that this book was bloody brilliant (yes, I quoted from Rupert Grint). This novel is a rather refreshing take on this urban-fantasy-supernatural-a-little-sprinkle-of-paranormal-romance genre. Ever since quite long ago, I thought that it was impossible for me to find a book that would not just be a variation of another. Well, after this my notion has surely been dispelled.

Maddy is a headstrong and astoundingly obstinate heroine. She is brave and loyal, but can be pretty immature and temperamental sometimes. And even on some occasions, her behaviour can only be construed as bitchy. In the presence of Nathaniel? Well, he can be a douchebag SOMETIMES(yes i stress on the "sometimes") but the lady doesn't need to act so..Bitchy. It's the only word for it. But I do like her. Lol, she's only mean in front of him, so most of the time she is the normal kickass, I-take-my-own-orders kind of independent woman.

Her pet-cum-friend-cum-family gargoyle, Beezle, is old and funny. Lol. But look at his name! He reminds me of him:

Bibble of Fairytopia

Don't you think! Beezle and Bibble. He's cute, and smart. He saved Maddy out of a few tight spots AND do witty banters with every cast in the book. He sounds like a perfect pet-cum-friend-cum-family to me! Oh and if you're wondering, yes, I watch Barbie from time to time..Not embarrassed of it!

Another prominent character is Maddy's Agent superviser, J.B., who is a pain in the ass and always making her life tough. He scolds her all the time, lectures, scolds, talk for 5 secs, then lectures again. From the sound of it, he totally reminded me of Peter Parker's newspaper company boss:

But oh no, he is actually a totally hot, young man, just with an attitude. Wow, that's seriously testing my capacity for imagination.

Love interest, Gabriel....Hmm, he's not real alpha male. He's more like her guide in the supernatural world. To explain what is, what to do and what not to do and stuff. But when the real shit hits the fan, it's all Maddy. So.......Nah, not really. And he's not even the one doing the courting! It's all Maddy! But he's not that bad..Just not ideal.

The plot was real sweet. Action all the way. It was superbly eventful, fast-paced, and Henry even managed to do her world building and character development without a glitch. The suspense continued building all the way, and I just couldn't predict was going to happen and what the ending was like. Everything was well thought of and a mighty lot complex. One tiny thing tho - with so much going on, it was hard to keep track of everything all the time and I think I lost track of some of the things a few times. But well, it's a negligible problem, in my opinion.

I would recommend this to Jill Kismet and just any vamp or werewolf or angel novel fans out there. THIS, is how you write a paranormal book.

Random musing (which does contain spoilers):

If Maddy is Lucifer's descendent, and Gabriel is Ramuell's son who is Lucifer's son, that practically makes Maddy and Gabriel family. But they're an item..which is disgusting, cause family DO NOT date each other. Or make out. *shudder*

My Rating:

Review: Captive Surrender by Linda Mooney

Published Date: September 12th, 2011
Finished Date: August 28th, 2011
Publishers: Carina Press
Format: eARC from Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads: As an intergalactic cop gifted with psionic abilities, Maurra instinctively went to the Ellinod's defense when she saw the immense and bestial-looking alien being attacked by a group of vicious Kronners. Little did she know what the Kronners had planned for her and the Ellinod until she woke up naked in a cell inside their ship. And it wasn't long before she found out a translation device had been implanted against her spine, debilitating her and making her helpless with pain whenever she tried to use her psi powers.


Neither she nor the Ellinod had any idea how twisted their captors were, but they soon discovered that she and the beast were at the mercy of someone who expected them to "entertain" his "customers", and entertain them well regardless of the consequences.

My Review: Hmm.. Conflicting emotions, this one gave. There were the ups and there were the downs, but ultimately, I'll say there were more ups.

Maurra is a JoJo, our equivalent of the police. One day after a mission which left her exhausted, she decided to give herself a little reprieve and went to a bar for a drink. It was there that everything went downhill for our dear Maurra.

As a JoJo, it was instilled into her to always uphold righteousness, so when she sees a group of Kronners attack an Ellinod, she plunged herself into the crosshairs between them.

As seen in the synopsis, she was coerced to copulate with the Ellinod. Oh, but amidst the moans and groans (oh, sounds kinda..gross) sparks fly and they started developing affections for each other. However, even after their narrow escape from their prisonhold (albeit a little ruffed up), they still had the law to face - which decreed that inter-species fornication is strictly forbidden. On top of the law, the mastermind behind this whole incident is still at large, and is bent on seeing both of them silenced forever...

Let me start off by saying that sci-fi novels have very similar storylines and since I've already read more than a few sci-fi novels, this one seemed pretty predictable to me. Which ultimately debilitated the excitement and suspense for me. But well, Mooney is a great writer and her words carried me to the end.

The world building is amazing. Detailed but not overtly fanciful or redundant. It was stunning, really. All the peripheral stuff came together with the nitty-gritty, and voila, you get yourself a crazy backdrop. Lol. Aside from that, the characters were well-formed and their interactions were..well, fun. Those that made an impression were actually those that were witty and funny. Lol, got a kick out of those.

Maurra started off as a very serious, no-nonsense type of officer. Stern and always in control. But you could see as the story progressed, she became a more...loving..person? Oh man, my vocab brain compartment is planning a mutiny.. Let's just say that she embraced more of her feminine side and developed a sense of humor in the end.:)

The male protagonist, Safan the Ellinod...Safan Safan Safan.. He is a giant hulk of a man. Not man, more of a humanoid alien. He has horns which are as sensitive as his manhood. Lol. So you can imagine where Maurra strokes/places her hands as they, ahem, fornicate. Anyway, not the point. To me, Safan wasn't the ideal male protagonist. Not that I don't like him, just not the best that I've seen. He's dominant in bed, yeah, but out of bed? It's more of Maurra steering the reins, so nope, he didn't make the cut for me.

The first part of the book was like:

Woah dude, that's some hot _BEEP_!

Yep. It's like the Rated version of Jess Granger's Beyond the Shadows. I have to say, Mooney sure has some sick and sadistic thoughts up there! But patrons enjoy it, so why not right?

Two things that bugged me was the speed at which their feelings for each other developed and that sometimes there were just too many coincidences that it made the problem solving a little too convenient. Firstly, how can you actually develop feelings for someone just because he was gentle to you in the course of being sexually violated?

And about the convenience issue, somehow during her rather ambitious endeavors, EVERYTHING was to her favor, and EVERYTHING that happened seemed to fit into her plans. Which got quite fallacious at some point.

Furthermore, the hype and suspense dwindled down towards the middle portion. But it got back up again right after! I swear, it shot up real quick. Lol, I think this review is getting a little wacky (in a bad way) and lengthy, so I'll stop here.

Oh wait, just one last point. The ending was suh-weeeet. Really romantic.

Ok, let me rate it this way.

As a sci-fi novel: Not bad. 3.5/5

As an erotica: Woah. 4/5

Plot-wise: Nyeh....Predictable, but still action-packed. 2.5/5

Development of plot, world, characters, etc: Not bad. 3/5

Mean: 3.5/5. But I was tempted to stop reading quite a number of times, that's why I gave it a 3.

PS.The first thing that came to my mind when i saw this book cover, was "legal porn". Lol.

*Thank you Netgalley and Carina Press for this eARC!*

My Rating:

            

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Published Date: August 31st, 2010
Finished Date: August 27th, 2011
Publishers: HarperTEEN
Format: Hardback
Pages: 335
Series: Paranormalcy book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal. --------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: This review would be a short one. Why? Because this supposedly "so famous and well-written it's gonna be turned into a movie" book, left me utterly and downright disappointed.

You see, main girl loves pink. Nothing wrong there, but she worships the color and has everything of her things pink. Seriously, what? Pink dress, pink boots, pink taser (yes, pink TASER which she uses to stun the paranormals she's supposed to bag-and-tag. In short, to apprehend them) - I'm not done yet - and pink knife pommel/handle. She squealed and hugged her teacher when he made her a knife with a pink handle. After which she went to prom in a pink, floor-length satin dress (did I remember this right? Oh right, I was only semi-conscious at this point), where she added on another glittery layer of sparkles on her shoulder. Lol, excessive much?

Bad point number two: She thinks a lot. Now let me explain to you the horrifying implications of this one seemingly innocent trait of our dear female protagonist. This story was written in the first person POV. And she is that first person. And she thinks a lot. And now, how many pages were there in this book again? Right, 300 odd. 300 hundred odd pages of her thinking. In chronological sequence and order through the book:

-I am good at what I do. (which is fighting) Oh yeah, I'm good. (Y'know why? Because the "villains" in this book are pansy-asses. Take the first vamp that was intro-ed in the book. All he knew was to bare his fangs and act sexy to scare off victims. Ooh, scary.)

-Then, I love pink. I like main guy holding my hand.X10.

-Why am being so self-centred? I should do more for the world. Yeah, by going to the woman who has been acting as your mom for practically your whole life when she is obviously so busy managing a whole portion of this international organization that she doesnt even need eyeliners in her make-up kit anymore, and arguing with her and then telling her you're not her daughter, you're her employee when you lose the argument. Then when main girl was told that she was grounded, she got angry but went to her room anyway. FYI, only parents would ground their children. Imagine going to work one day and your boss tells you you're grounded. Wow, that must be awkward. Aaand that was sure un-self-centred.

Bad point number three: The storyline's kind of..........lame... For lack of a better word, but it gets the message across. So, main girl is not wholly human. She was made by this group of paranormals but they lost her somewhere, somehow. Yeah, cause she was so un-important that they didn't spend centuries on creating her. Then, girly-girl protagonist fell in love with a fey who, at first, didn't recognize main girl because her eyes were so unique, he missed them. Wow, really? Ok that was a little too sarcastic, but, really? Her eyes are one-of-a-kind, dude, and your people are the ones who made her! Yeah, you didn't recognize her.

After that, she got wind of the prophecy which centres on her from a teenage guy who tried to break into IPCA (the International Paranormal Containment Agency. The agency that main girl works for) alone. He busted into an international organization's building ALONE without giving anyone a head's up, because he overheard this banshee telling his dad about the prophecy. Mm hmm, because every teenagers nowadays are suicidal.

This review is supposed to be short..So I'll just name one good point and I'll wrap it up.

There was humor in there. Lol, it got hilarious at some points, I'll give that credit.

Example: ["I" would be the main girl talking and here, main guy starts the conversation about what main girl thinks is cool. Apparently, she thinks that ordinary school lockers are uber awesome.]

"..yes, I have a driver’s license.”

I leaned back against the wall, sighing. “Man, that must be so cool.”

“It ranks right up there with lockers. In fact, sometimes I put my license inside my locker, and it’s so cool I worry that the whole thing might explode with the sheer coolness of it all.”

I smacked him on the shoulder. Again."

Yep. I don't know if it would be as funny for people who haven't read the book, but I thought it was pretty funny.

Lol. Ok to wrap things up, this book didn't quite do it for me. After getting to the THE END, I felt...nothing. So emotionally barren. Which is not right, cause after reading a book (or should I say, MOST good books) I'll usually have this whole barrage or myriad of feelings bombarding me that I'll stone and sit there thinking about what I've just read. This one didn't.

When I start a series, I'd usually follow thru but this time after reading both this book and the synopsis of the next book, SUPERNATURALLY, I think I'll pass. But I do still want to congratulate White for getting the movie deal. It sure is a major step-up in her career. Cheers!

PS. Woops, not a short review after all.:X
PPS. Sorry it got kind of bitchy at the start. Just pouring out my resentment at another book that I would've rather not picked up.

My Rating:

           

Review: Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas

Published Date: September 19th, 2011
Finished Date: August 24th, 2011
Publishers: Carina Press
Format: eARC from Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads: Selia has run her family's tavern since she was fifteen and can hunt and fight the equal of any man. When she rescues a badly wounded man and nurses him back to health, she has no idea she's about to change not only her life, but also the destinies of two peoples…
The battered warrior is Svistra—a race of bloodthirsty savages determined to destroy her homeland. Or so the stories claim. Jaden reveals a different truth: how his ancestors were driven into the barren northern mountains. Now they are strong and war parties are pushing south wanting their land back.

The son of a Svistra Commander, Jaden is looking for a way to bring peace to both humans and Svistrans. He tries to ignore his growing passion for Selia, but when she is captured he has to decide what he would be willing to sacrifice to save the woman he loves…

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My Review: This is a 'wow' of a book. This novel contains everything that you could ever want: Suspense, action(definitely lots of action), romance, betrayal, deception, friendship. Really just a fantasticle novel that i would never get bored of no matter how many times i'm going to reread it (and i do plan to reread it.Oh yes i do).

Selia and Oren are barkeeps at a tavern situated near to the Svistra border to the North in Newhaven. Svistra are bloodthirsty creatures(literally. They need blood to survive. But not like vamps. No god-like speed and all)who excel in the art of combat. However, all is not well in Newhave - The Svistra are now rallying up to take back what has been stolen from them time and time again: the land that they called home. Which is in Newhaven.

Selia was hunting for game one day when she came across three thugs bashing up someone else, who she found out was a Svistra named Jaden. At first she was afraid that saving Jaden was a fool's course of action, but as Oren, her and Jaden spend time together, they started forming bonds of friendship.

Oren is a kindred spirit who won't ever harm a fly, so when he and all the men in their little run-down village were taken to be soldiers in the coming war against the Svistra, Selia and Jaden set off to save him. And along the way, not only cupid paid them a visit, Jaden's brethren are out for his blood too...

That's not the whole story, it is much, MUCH longer than that. Testimony of how eventful this book is. Trust me, this book will not disappoint you.

Selia is a kickass heroine who tops my all-time-favourite-characters list. Although the environment that she lived in leaves much to be desired(her mom being a whore and everything), she still grew up to be a loyal, mature, compassionate person. Even when she found out that it was a Svistra she was saving, she still cared for him and gave him a place to stay(even tho it's in the barn, it's still a place to stay). I adore her.

Jaden. Jaden Jaden Jaden. He is one sexy man. Or Svistra in this case. Wow. Hot-ness! Lol. This man really knows how to fight, and how to love. He was so super sweet to Selia, and a damn good friend to Oren. Add to that, he is a natural-born leader. How much more perfect can a guy get?

Anyway, this book was a complex one to write. Not that i would know, but the way Thomas switched POVs all the time and still making it come across clearly, and to actually encompass such a complicated and wholesome plot..That's some real talent here. Really, it alternated between Keldar(commander of the Svistra army - antagonist), Nathan(commander of the Newhaven human army), Jaden(male protagonist!!!), and Selia(female protagonist), but never, not once did i get confused. The entirety of it was well thought out and so very detailed, I applaud the skill Thomas has exhibited.

This novel started off at a not-so-fast pace, but it slowly opens up to the world that the characters lived in, and each of the characters' past. And not long after, it picks up its pace and i find that i couldnt put the book down anymore. I literally clutched my iPad and glued my eyes to the screen. Lol, gruesome visual description. But yeah, it was filled with suspense and jam-packed with non-stop action.

One teeeeensy weensy flaw tho - the initial attraction between our 2 protagonists was a little quick to me. I mean, only after the first few times they talked and already they feel a pull. But it isn't insta-love, that i can assure you. And other than this rather negligible detail, the romance part was slow and sweet, never too rushed. All in all, it was so perfecty romantic that i found myself craving for more scenes with these two in it. I swear, their just so perfect together.

All in all, let me repeat myself, this novel has everything you could ever want and leaves you thirsting for more. A definite 5 stars.

Random musing (which may contain spoilers):

There is a kind of love triangle thing going on this book. Not that the female protagonist was torn between two men, more of the other guy is a third-wheeler. It was kind of amusing when i found out he liked her(not gonna say who and who. Even i'm not that spoiler-y). It was an unrequited love, and sort of uncalled for. Still, it was fun and...amusing, really. Lol.

My Rating:

Review: Cascade (The River of Time #2) by Lisa T. Bergren

Published Date: June 1st, 2011

Finished Date: August 19th, 2011

Publisher: David C. Cook

Format: Paperback

Pages: 399

Blurb from Goodreads: Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”
Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.
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My review:

From the very moment i picked up this book, i was like:



Seriously, it is that good. That is also why i've put off writing this review. I'm afraid of my inability to fully justify how good this book was.

I devoured this book. Literally. The first book didnt impress me much, more of, "oh okay, im done. Move on". Y'know? But this..This is a stunning novel that far surpassed its predecessor. A phenomenal book just short of a miracle.

*I must warn you i am wont to being a little over-spoilery. So if you dont want to be spoiler-ed, skip my summary:)*

This book picks up right where WATERFALL left off, where Gabi and Lia tries to convince their mom to time travel back with them to medieval Italia. Their mom was skeptical at first(uh, duh), but was willing to take the leap anyway. Because both girls dont know how to control how many years to rewind, they ended up months after they left.

It was kind of funny how Gabi fret over how much time has passed. The scene goes like this:

"Let's hope it's the same year," Lia said, sliding her bow over her shoulder.
My heart paused and then pounded at her words. What if I was off by a year or more? What if Marcello was no longer a guy about my age, but rather a middle-aged man? I shivered.
That would be…awkward.Loll

Anyway, shortly after their sweet(and i mean sweeet) reunion, the entire Siena population got wind of it and are in celebrations. So the trio(Gabi, Lia, and mom) are carted off to Siena where they will be hosting lavish feasts and whatever they wanted.

(ok this isnt a major part of the book but i MUST mention it. Or rather..him) GRECOOOOOOOO. There, at the ball-cum-feast, she met Lord Rodolfo Greco. Good guy, smart guy, hot guy. Perfecto.

Anyway, yes, there she met a few people, some old, some new friends, and one old enemy - Paratore. Something happened between them and off they go home. On the way back, they met with someone who has been infected by the bubous plague, which would ultimately lead to the Black Plague 5 years later in 1338(or sth). To not spread this contagious disease, they fled to an isolated middle-of-nowhere place and settled down. But not long after their arrival, the Firenze army closes in on them, unprotected and unawares...

Actually, that's not the end of it but it'll be too long if i really summarise the entire novel. That's testimony to how truly eventful it was. Mindblowing-ly awesome, i swear.

Gabi is such a courageous, loving, and beautiful lady. You can really see her grow and mature into a true lady at court, ready to lead and well..give speeches. Her speeches are really cool. One quality that i really lack. I'm digressing.

Oh man, and the love between her and Marcello is sweet and romantic. They're protective of each other and their banters! Oh their banters! They totally rock my socks.

There's a new character in this one, and lots of potential. It is a one Lord Rodolfo Greco. Greco Greco Greco, your name sounds like a frog, but your demeanor is far, FAR from it. Your looks too(hubba hubba). Anyway, he is Fiorentini, but he takes care of Gabi tenderly when she was captured(oh did i just spoiler you?oops. oh well), and he's dialogues are filled with depth and..oh swoon. You'll love him:). Really hope to see more of him in TORRENT!

There was lots more humor in this one. Definitely more humor.
I heard the dull sound of a metal latch unhooking, and a door opening behind a moth-eaten tapestry in front of me.
Dude. This is SO Nancy Drew. And Harry Potter. Nancy Potter.

One teeeeeensy weeeeeeensy thing that i thought wasnt right was that after Person A was starved and dehydrated for 2 days straight, how can Person A walk and swim? Moreover fight? That's....not right. No one's superman, yo, except superman.

Bergren's writing techniques weave an enchanting story, much more elegant, grand and beautiful than the last. And when it comes to the romantic part..Ahh..How love soars through the air with abundance of pretty pink frills and lacesXD. Pardon my gay-ness, i am but just celebrating my joy of having read another fantasticle book. Oh and that frills and laces sentence wasnt a quote. That was just my lame attempt at expressing my gay-ness.

Anyway, add to that, the plot and storyline was jam-packed with action and suspense, there was never a dull moment throughout.

After reading for so long, i was still like:



And at the end, i was like:



Bottomline: I have no higher praise for this book.

My Rating:

   

Review: Hush Money by Susan Bischoff

Published Date: August 3rd, 2010
Finished Date: August 19th, 2011
Publishers: Createspace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Series: Talent Chronicles book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: Be normal, invisible. Don’t get close to anyone. Kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear when they get noticed. Joss has spent years trying to hide. Now she has an unasked-for best friend, who is the victim of an extortion plot by the school bully, who used to like Joss, who is best friends with her long-time crush, who is actually talking to her. Life just got more complicated.

Longer version:
They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.

That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.

When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her; and her need to mind her own business and fade into. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people--especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.

But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all?

It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters...that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.

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My Review: When i first laid eyes on this book, i was intrigued by the uncommon title and the pretty cover. Then as i read the synopsis, i was very much reminded of GRACELING(a crazy good book), and so it naturally piqued my interest.

So what's Hush Money about, you ask? Well, after reading the book, i get the 'Hush' part, but not the 'Money' part. I shall give you a brief overview and you tell me what the money is about. Cause seriously, i've been thinking about it for the past 24 hours now, and i keep coming up blank.

Jocelynn "Joss" Marshall has a talent. A very cool talent. But she has to constantly hide it and keep a low profile lest she be whisked away and kept in this school-prison sort of place by the National Institute for Ability Control(NIAC). So this is the 'Hush part.

The town that Joss lives in has a big population of Talents, so they all have to be more cautious than most other Talents in other states. And so, it all spirals out of control when a new Talent girl finds her way into Fairview and into Joss' life and another Talent boy being stupid enough to reveal his Talent in front of some officers.

That's not all that's going wrong in Joss' up-till-now quiet, low-profile life - her crush's best friend, Marco(also main antagonist) knows about her sister's Talent and is using it as a bargaining chip to blackmail her! Actually her and that new Talent girl who became Joss' best friend. He wants them to give him 500 bucks each for his silence. Hey..maybe that's how the 'Money' part came about? Weird..cause that's not a big part of the plot. But oh well, who cares how ridiculous the title is nowadays so long as it has patrons right?

Anyway, so after this entire fiasco whereby many of the students revealed their Talents in front of officers/officials, and after Marco threatens not only Joss, Joss' sister, Joss' best friend, Joss' boyfriend, and yeah everyone, Joss thinks it's time to take some much-needed action.

Yep, that's the gist of it.

First things first, Bischoff's writing style resembles that of Lilith Saintcrow's. Which to me, is a bad thing. Because the inner-commentating was bordering on over-excessive. It annoys me a lot, and it slows down the plot by a gazillion times. I know that books which can clearly illustrate what's going on in the protagonist's head is a good one, but over-excessive is just a pain in the ass. It's like:



That's one of the reason why i gave it a mediocre 3 stars.

The first thing that came to my head when i started reading this book was: If the government and people found the kids with Talents so repulsive and such freaks, why name it 'Talent' at all? Why not..I dont know..Mutation? Abomination? um..You get the idea. I mean, talent is something which you have which is good and unique, something that everyone else dont have. So yeah.. Why 'Talent'?

The plot was set at an ok-pace..Not too fast, not too slow, nothing amazing, but not boring. Y'know? More average. But there were parts that were funny..Not that i can think of any now, but i remembered myself smiling sometimes.

This book is written in the selecive third person view, tho i think double first person would be more suitable. Both Joss and Dylan(her crush) were written in the "I" POV. It alternates between them quite frequently, and sometimes i thought it rather confusing. Sometime, i even had to refer back a few pages to see if im in the head of who's head i thought i was in. Also, being able to see into both of our protagonists' head kind of takes the excitement and suspense down a notch. I mean, since you know what's happening at both ends of the spectrum, then the surprise at the end will also be gone. If you dont know what the other is or was doing, and you dont know about his past and his thoughts, then when all is revealed at the end, the shock factor is still there. AAAND, Dylan would be more of the mysterious, quiet love interest, which would of course earn him more brownie points. At least from me.:D

Joss was a quiet, talented(or should it be Talented?lol) heroine who thinks a lot, and observes a lot. Add to that, she knows how to kick butts, which totally pushes her up to my Favourite-Heriones-Of-All-Time list. She's cool, and wears combat boots all the time! Not that it's ver practical in these times, but still. It's all up to the imagination to wander, oui?

Dylan wasnt the best male hero I've ever come across in YA novels. He is protective of Joss, but their relationship wasnt developed much in the first place. Both of them already had a crush initially so i didnt get to see the development in their feelings, so it was kind of weird when Dylan suddenly keeps watching for her and standing in front of her to protect her from stuff. To boot, his Talent is inferior to Joss(to me, it's inferior. Hey, but it's subjective so dont go shooting me down with "oh no it's not"s). Sooo...It didnt really endear him to me.

When i thought back about this book(which i only put down yesterday), the word that automatically came to my head was, ordinary. I dont know why, but maybe it's because my expectations of it were to high to start off with, what with having GRACElING as its benchmark and all. But still, i have to say i was rather disappointed. It had so much plot potential..

This book was ok i guess. Not amazing, altogether not that bad either. Arh, it's so hard to describe this book. I wouldnt recommend this book to anyone, but i would continue reading its sequel HEROES 'TIL CURFEW. See! Such conflicting emotions. But i do think the second book would be better so, cross my fingers!

My Rating:

            

Review: Betrayed by Ednah Walters

Published Date: August 1st, 2011

Finished Date: August 18st, 2011

Publishers: Firetrail Publishing

Source: eBook from Author

Format: eBook

Series: The Guardian Legacy book 2

Blurb from Goodreads: Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon. But trouble looms in the Guardian enclave. Bran is pulling away from her and her best human friend is in trouble, and it's all Lil's fault.

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My Review: 2 words, baby: Utter brilliance.

This book takes all angelic novels a whole league up, and it was more than i expected after reading AWAKENED and more. Seriously people, you have got to read this or you're really missing out on life.

Anyway, this book follows our beautiful, smart, witty, powerful - in short, real perfect - protagonist, Lil as she starts getting used to her life as a Guardian(half-angels). Previously, she hated the idea of not being fully-human, to have such crazy powers was a waking nightmare to her, but now, she doesnt mind it; In fact, she pretty much love hunting now. Which is totally awesome since it means that there was much more action in this book.

However as the book moves along, Bran(her beau) receives an assignment from the Cardinals, and to him, this was THE chance to finally prove his worth to them. He starts to get obsessed with it, and started to keep secrets, to the extent of pushing Lil away, even ignore her at some points and those parts, i tell you, were painful. Not only to Lil, but i felt the pain too:(. lol. But yeah, that's how good Walters's writing is.

Lil was devasted(no surprise there. I mean, who wouldnt be right? If you werent, then i have to hand it to your cold stone of a heart, you heartless ba*****. woops, vulgar much.) Aaaanyway, even with her broken heart and finding out who it was that betrayed her (actually, who it were is more accurate), she sucked it all up and dealt with it like a real warrior. Oh oh, the betrayal part was a real kick in the head. It was sooo unexpected!! Don't try to guess it as you read..I tried and failed terribly. I started doubting everyone but oh well..Let's just say i cant be a detective in the future.

I loved Lil (not in the lesbian sense, God no. Not that i am against it or anything). I loved her kick-ass attitude, her stubborn will and determination, her wit, her powers, her steely guts, her unwavering loyalty, her everything! Oh and last but not least, her boyfriend;). Yes, he is swoon-worthy, but fret not, we will get to that. Lil is everything a she-warrior is supposed to be, but without a hint of manliness. Add to that, she deals with all the shit life throws at her with a level-head. She does cry at times when things get too hard, but hey, a girl needs to indulge once in a while, ay?

Bran was...sigh. Can you picture a girl with glazed eyes, mouth a little askew with drool hanging on her chin? Yeah, that's me now. Ok maybe not the drool part, but you get what i mean. He was so fiercely protective of her, even when he was pulling away! Did that make sense? But he was! How does Walters do that? She is one hell of a writer..a force unto herself! Lol, melodrama-sm doesnt become me.

One thing that bugged me tho, was that Lil suddenly LOVED hunting. Y'know how she was really repelled even at the thought of it in the previous book? But at the start of book 2 she just.. loved it. It was like from, "ew no i dont want to hunt" to "hunting is in my blood and i miss it" kind of thing. But it was no big deal. I dont think i could've remembered this if i didnt note stuff down as i read along.

I loved her relationship with her grampa in this book. There were the quarrels and all, but they are really sweet together. I can really feel the bond between them as they exchanged their witty banters, or when they asked how was the other after a brawl. And even when they're yelling at each other. It wasnt a major part of the book, but it told much about the bonds in a family, and i really liked that. (And i think it's really cool that both granddaughter and grampa are in this hunting thing. Seems kinda like the family line of business. Wicked!)

Y'know how some YA heroines meet with a crossroad in life and have choices to choose from? One choice is obviously dangerous and wrong and the other is the glaringly right one but they choose the wrong one instead so that there was a story to write? This one wasnt like that, not at all. Lil did have many choices at many points in time, but she always chose the choices that i would've chosen too but trouble somehow always manages to find her in the end. It made the story a whole lot more exciting and engrossing.

It was very saddening when i flipped the page and the epilogue's staring at my face. And when the The End came out, i wanted to tear that little square part away. Sigh. It was a damn well-written ending too. Tied up all the loose endings and finished with Lil in Bran's arms.
(This is the last six lines of the novel. Totally sweet, totally freaking romantic. Please do not read it if you do not like spoilers!)
"What took you so long? I asked.
I wanted you to finish with your guests first. Now, you’re all mine.
I giggled. Silly guy. It didn’t matter where I was and what I did, I’d always be his."

Overall, the pace was fast(and furious. Hmm..furously fast?haha sounds weird), the plot was absolutely jam-packed with unexpected twists and turns, action, and such lovable characters, i dont see how anyone can not like this book! This book just brought this series to a whole new level and i am eagerly waiting for its sequel, HUNTED.

.:A must-read for anyone who calls themself a reader:.

 

My Rating:

 

Review: Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

Published Date: May 1st, 2011
Finished Date: August 12st, 2011
Publishers: StoneHouse Ink
Format: Paperback
Pages: 425
Series: Airel Saga Book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: All Airel ever wanted to be was normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like sudden mysterious illness. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything she hopes for even now. Airel knew change would be inevitable as life went on. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

My Review: This book was (I'm sorry) utter trash. Seriously? All through the book, i was not touched by the story nor did i feel connected, in any way, to the characters.

So its about this girl called Airel (beautiful name, by the way) who was average and wanted to stay average and normal. Not that it's bad or anything.. Anyway, she met this guy on her way to school and acted the part of the drooling weak-kneed girl that she was in perfect sequence. Really, she gawked and then spilled her coffee on another guy. After which she..y'know what, i dont even want to talk about this book's summary because i really am in no mood after wasting HOURS of my time and leaving me feeling completely annoyed and unaccomplished.

First things first: She DROOLED at a complete stranger, poured coffee on another guy, lost her tongue whenever he talked to her at first, fell in love with him before her second meeting, and guess what? Cherry on top of the whole freaking dung cake - the guy wasnt even swoon-worthy bf material. Ok, i read lots of YA novels and have come to have very high expectations of the male protagonist in every new book that i'd pick up. I mean come on, he just showed that he "desired" her(quoted the word) and oh swoon..She "melts into a puddle of goo".

More complaints about the female lead cast? She cries a hell lot. Ok i get that her life hasnt been smooth and she's having a tough time taking it all in, but hello? Enough's enough. You'd think after bawling her eyes out 5 times would at least let some normalcy in her psyche settle in but noooo. She cries. Every. Freaking. Day. Why? I have no idea.

One plus point tho (and i tell you it will only be the only one): Lots of potential and awesome book cover. Actually, it was both of this that made me more inclined to start this book rather than the other books in my TBR list. Ok, plus point over. Now back to the bad.

Bad point number 2: On top of her not-very-independent character, it's that she blushes a lot (i dont know why, but i somehow found that irritating too..I think i was already getting close to losing it at this point. The book was awfully boring. To say the least) and she doesnt use the grey matter that i wonder if God actually bestowed upon her. Imagine this: you caught a killer red handed in a dark movie theatre and the killer saw you looking at him. Would you stay in the theatre with your friends and a whole crowd of unknowing people, y'know they say comfort in mass and all that, or would you run out of the theatre ALONE and trap yourself in a bathroom stall where the killer can obviously excuse himself politely and discreetly from the theatre and hunt you down like a trapped rabbit? Oh let's see..Option 1, option 2, option 1, option 2. Guess what? She went for..dun dun dunnnnnn. The great 2.

Bad point number 3: She talks to herself. Not often, more interspersely in the book. But..She talks to herself. I shant elaborate further.

Bad point number 4: Patterson uses weird descriptions sometimes. (Oh but there are some that are really stunning. Real ironic if you ask me. It's like this on and off thing. One moment the illustrations are vivid, magical and enchanting. The next? ..Not so) And i think her mind works too fast or something when she writes. Because the book's average pace is pretty slow, but sometimes at some random, totally non-climatical points in time speeds up real fast and then i get lost. Then she reverts back to the normal snail pace.

I have to admit that i truly am greatly disappointed with this book. There seemed to be so much potential, with the absolutely stunning cover with a gorgeous girl on it, and that cool switching back and forth of the era thing? I mean..I dont get it.. The book was absurdly..bad and i really felt like stopping so many times throughout the entire reading process, but then i still held on to around four fifths of the book cause i was still waiting for climax and the ultimate hooking feeling i get everytime i read a good book. It's like the feeling lingers just over yonder, you can actually graze it with your fingers, but you can never grasp it. Also, there was this once where the book came remotely close to being interesting, Patterson just changed scene abruptly and yeah. I mean, why keep the shit dangling right? Ok im getting vulgar and this is a sign to stop writing.

Actually even tho i've rated it a tragic one, you guys can still read it. I think it's mainly because of my foul exam mood that made me a little more impatient and grumpy. Or maybe not. Who knows?

Anyway, bottomline: Bad book. For me.

PS. I still feel so sad for my lost time.TT I took so long to read this because of how slow and draggy it was. Sigh. Haha, sorry this review seemed more like a bitching session, but it's an honest one, that i can assure you.

My Rating:

             

Review: Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Published Date: Febuary 1st, 2011
Finished Date: August 10st, 2011
Publishers: David C. Cook
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Series: River of Time book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: Lisa Tawn Bergren's new YA series, River of Time, is romantic, historical fiction in which the plucky heroine doesn't have to fear a vampire's bite but must still fight for her life.

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another. -----------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: A definite 4.5 stars. I've just done a review for a 1-star rating book and switching to a 4.5 is kind of disorienting and is like a whiplash, in a way. I'm digressing, sorry.

Gabriella 'Gabi' Betarrini is a pretty, brunette, American teen who's, at the start of the book, stuck with her mom who has a real passion for her job (which is archaeology), and her pretty blonde sister. On trips like these, Gabi always feel marginalised by her mom, making her feel like a child. And on this very special excavation, she has better plans for herself and her sister who likes to follow her around.

So when her mom was conveniently distracted, Gabi and sis (ok i should probably name her now), by the name Evangelia 'Lia' Betarrini, climbs into an ancient tomb and does some things inside (dont be lazy and go read this for yourself. Trust me, it's worth it) and gets transported thru time. Somehow, during the ride back thru time, the sisters got separated and once there, Gabi sets off to find Lia and together, find a way back home.

*Major spoiler alert from here on out!* You've been duly cautioned... Tho i must say the below are really just my idle musings.

Gabi was a strong-willed, actually iron-willed would be more fitting, courageous, smart, loyal, list goes on, girl. Wow, she is some female-tiger. In a good way. In a very good way. I loved her (not the lesbian love, ew - not that im against it). She's just....... I really like her personality.:)

Male protagonists Marcello and Luca. They are handsome (ok which YA male protagonists arent nowadays?), skilled in combat, and real sweet. Even tho Marcello's the main dude here, i preferred Luca with his easy, charming attitude, but you can see deep down that he doesnt just possess the brawns, but the brains that defines him as perfecto with the pop at the p. I really, really liked Luca.:)

I shall go according to what i felt in chronological order, starting from whence i begun the book.

Initially when the girls first arrived at the excavation site in present-day Italy, the first thing that came to Gabi's mind was on finding hot and unattached Italian guys. Ok that, for me, was a major turn off point, but it was only the starting so i just tried to forget it and continue.

After being transported thru time to Fourteenth-Century Italy, she sees structures dedicated to Christ. When she saw said structures (ok the phrasing here is gonna get tricky so as not to offend any...religious folks out there), she said some things that i thought were rather anti-Christ. Well, I'm not Christian, but i thought it was offensive. But of course it didnt continue; She even ended up believing in God in the end. Lol,ok not a major point in this book.

Ending: She sustained this fatal wound and a terrible illness which at that time was still incurable. So the only solution that they could think of was to time travel back to the present in which advance technology was within reach. But somehow when they got back, Gabi was miraculously ay-okay. Well that's a convenient end, al' right.

One last random musing before i wrap up. Why is the title of this book WATERFALL? I mean, it does match the name of the series but there is no link whatsoever that i can find between it and the story. Which is weird.

Overall, i found this book oddly engrossing, i could hardly put the book down! Even tho it did get a little childish/immature at some points, but it still captivated me, heart and soul(woah, kind of exaggerating but you get the point). It was a beautiful novel and i cannot wait to start on CASCADE, book 2 in the River of Time series. Cheers!

My Rating:

Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Published Date: October 25th, 2011

Finished Date: August 6th, 2011

Publishers: HarlequinTEEN

Source: eARC from Netgalley

Format: eARC

Series: The Iron Fey book 4

Blurb from Goodreads: Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.


To cold, emotionless 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 solemn 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. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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My Review: I had very conflicting emotions about this final book in the series, and the one that featured most prominently was of course the bittersweet knowledge that our journey with our beloved (do you call it quartet?) quartet has finally come to their beautiful close.

My summary(which i will try my very best to leave out any spoilers):
Previously in THE IRON QUEEN, Meghan, the new Iron Queen, forbade Ash the son of Winter to enter the Iron Realm where she resides. So now, Ash, with the help of Puck, Grim, and two others (the revelation of these two would surely be a kick in the guts - a real, hard, unexpected kick) would try to gain a soul to be able to stand beside Meghan as Ash, a once-Fae with a mortal soul - in short, the Ash that would not burn to death when placed amidst a whole landscape of iron.

I shall end the summary there lest i reveal more. I love to spoiler stuff, as can be seen from my other reviews, but i shall restrain myself. For now.>:) (Oh and for convenient and my promise for a non-spoilery review's sake, i shall name the 1 of the new companions A).

Wow, there is so much to gush about this book i don't even know where to begin! This book has twice the number of adventures than in the previous 3 books, and a lot more lores and legends brought into play. Our little band of travellers had to venture deep into the Deep Wyld where only the most Ancient calls them home and is considered dangerous and uncharted lands to the normal Fey folks. From there, they have to fight off monsters and spirits, and most importantly, fight through their dark emotions, past torments and inner demons.

This book was relatively darker and more sinister-feeling since Ash himself hadnt had a very clean, untainted history. And without Meghan there to shower some love, it became rather gloomy at parts. However whenever Puck is there, i can guarantee the smile that will surely sprout on your face. Oh man, Puck is hilarious! Seriously, i love the man.
Example: “You realize you’ve just been duped by a fish,” I said, watching the catfish grin at me before slipping into the dark waters, lost from view. Puck shrugged.
“Hey, it was going to name one of its grandfish after me,” he said, tossing the line into the water again. “That’s one of my rules, you know. I refuse to eat anything that names its kid after me.”

Puck has been infinitely more adorable, but when he isnt joking, he can be pretty serious. He does feel lots of strong emotions, i mean not only to Meghan, but to our dear ice-boy too. He's a good friend and i was kind of sad when it was time for.....sigh...i shan't spoiler..
(Are you all hyped up to read the book already, Team Puck-ers?:D)

Anyway, back to Ash. I had this constant fear that the Ash i have come to really, REALLY like (the reclusive, brooding, quietly protective one) will slowly fade away since we're going to constantly look into his head. At first, i was amazed by how well Kagawa managed to keep that image up, like, really well. Really, it was absolutely amazing the skill which she has shown. However towards the ending, it did sort of change a bit, and yeah, i was quite disappointed there. It was sort of like his essence kind of leeched away a little and i couldn't reconcile the Ash that was teary and scared near the end and the Ash i have painted in my head. But the epilogue saved everything so I assure you that everything is still right on track:).

Talking about ending......Ash was SUPER, S.U.P.E.R swoon-worthy! Yep, swoon-worthy indeed. Tho there was the "Im happy you found happiness" thing that was kind of weird..i have an idea of who said it, but still,i like a little confirmation after everyone else has read the book.

The new scenery, new folklores, new legends and myths were abundant here, all richly-detailed, and ever much more enchanting than ever. I really wonder where Ms Kagawa gets them..Did Shakespeare really invent and cover a whole new world so precisely and just so..full of magic in that one little book? Really doubt that..but if he didn't and those things in THE IRON KNIGHT was actually Ms Kagawa's own input, then i must applaud her for her ingenuity and creativity. They are absolutely stunning and just so..cool.

However having all that said, i have to admit that the middle portion of the book got a little boring. Which is surprising since i NEVER get bored reading any this book's predecessors..never. I guess that it is because there wasnt quite as much Ash-Meghan love in here than the others..but still.

Moving on, an old friend, Companion A, joined in our little travelling party. I was feeling rather disgruntled that she was admitted into our protagonists' group, to be able to get re-aquainted with Puck and Ash(*grinds teeth*). I was afraid of Ash being distracted from his vow to Meghan (Yes, the situation is THAT dire!). But as the story progressed, i started feeling sorry for her. For one, Kagawa seemed a little..cruel to her. Made her seem so disposable. It was kinda sad.. That's one of the things that made this novel a very dark one.

Overall, this book was filled with adventures and obstacles, sacrifices and self-discovery (for Ash at least). The plot was rich, refreshing and unexpected, all this amidst the mystical forest deep within the Nevernever where the true monsters lurked. A wonderful curtain call to an amazing series and i really do hope to see more of each of them in the next series which is going to feature Ethan, Meghan's brother, as the main protagonist!

Just a little side notes and thoughts that you would not want to read if you havent already read the book and would contain spoilers:

1) This is something minor..When Ash and Puck were in the wyldwood looking for Grim, it was kind of funny that there were dragonflies in there. I don't know, is it me only or what, that there things in the mortal realm that lives there..I mean, dragonflies? Why not fireflies? They seem more..magical to me, dont it?haha

2)Seriously, this going to be very spoilery.Isnt the River of Dreams which Ash&co utilized to travel to you-know-where kind of like the River Styx in Greek mythology? The one in the Underworld? oh well, just my idle musings.

*This ebook was supplied by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin!:D

My Rating: