Quickie Reviews: Once Burned and Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Publication Date: June 26th, 2012
Finished Date: September 28th, 2013
Publisher: Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 346
Series: Night Prince #1
My Rating: 4.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

My Review

I didn't expect to like this so much right after devouring Unchained by J. Lynn (another UF) just a week ago, but I loved ONCE BURNED!

The plot was simple yet superbly enjoyable, and there were the action, the gore, the romance, so ONCE BURNED is far from a mindless good read, it's an amazing read. I loved the entire cast of characters - Leila, Vlad (though he does take high-handed to a whole new level), Maximus, Marty, everyone. Each character had their own distinct voice and (very endearing) personality.

Frost's version of vampires (and Vlad, the Dracula of old, the source of inspiration Bram Stoker drew from) was the classic, fly-superhuman-speed-and-strength, kind. If my memory doesn't fail me and Dracula could fly. Well, at least they don't sparkle in daylight (thank you, Jeaniene!). But in addition to the original vamp model, Vlad had an affinity for fire, able to summon and wield it. Others have other powers they inherit from their sires but it will only manifest after some time. Also, this is perhaps the first time the cover model matches the image of Vlad in my head! Hehe. The only thing that didn't really sit well with me was Leila's abilities to sense a person's essence - to see said person's defining moment in life, be it their darkest sin or life-changing tragedy, trace the essence to the person's present location and glimpse his/her possible future - and being a walking electricity generator after touching (and almost dying) a downed power line during a storm. I mean, come on, this might be an urban fantasy, but still. And the lack of world-building.

However, even with the minimal world building, ONCE BURNED had all the thrills and fuzzies that reminded me why I fell in love with this genre a long time ago, and it kept me glued to it's pages so much so that I didn't bother to update my reading status on Goodreads and grab the second installment, TWICE TEMPTED, right off my shelf once I was done with it. I don't know why I haven't ventured into Frost's Night Huntress world earlier, but I'd definitely check out Cat and Bones' story. I'd say ONCE BURNED is a pretty classic UF read, but there's just this something I can't put my finger on that makes it so addictive; Strongly recommend this to any UF/PNR readers and vampire lovers out there!

My Rating

 

 

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Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Finished Date: September 29th, 2013
Publisher: Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 360
Series: Night Prince #2
My Rating: 4.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

My Review

 

LOVED, loved, luuurved Leila. Loved Vlad. Loved the simple yet oddly satisfying, addictive and fast paced plot! Admittedly, there was more focus on the development in the romance department between the commanding, enigmatic Vlad and Leila in TWICE TEMPTED, but that didn't take away from the overall story or pace.

I'm not sure how to describe Leila, other than that she's loyal to the people she loves to a fault, she's stubborn, but oddly vulnerable to her feelings for Vlad and her family. She's such a beautifully flawed yet amazing woman, y'know wha' I mean? After acclimatizing to the harsher, more brutal (and oddly medieval) world of vampires, she's starting to stand on her own again, and she's gotten more badass! I liked that she faces her problems, that she tries to help Vlad any way she can while also thinking for her family, she doesn't make the same mistake of doubting Vlad again when people whisper poison in her ears, and have I mentioned she's definitely become more badass?

A determined new love interest, a vengeful ex-lover, and a stubbornly sexy man unwilling to open his heart. What is an electricity-wielding woman to do when life keeps throwing excretion in her fan? (Ok I tried to be less crude about it, but wasn't very successful I can tell. And sorry I butcher the English language. Whoops.)

Anyway, I couldn't ask for a better sequel, and I am dying to get my hands on book three. (Which still doesn't have any information released yet other than it's the last in the series. *sobs hysterically*) If you enjoyed ONCE BURNED, you'll definitely like TWICE TEMPTED. Maybe even more so! RECOMMENDED. :)

P.S. Spoiler --> (view spoiler)I have some questions about the book as I was reading ONCE BURNED and TWICE TEMPTED... Like when Vlad and Leila were hunting for the mastermind behind Leila's kidnap in OB, why couldn't Vlad just see Szilagyi's face in Leila's mind after she did her essence-tracing thing? Couldn't she just think of Szilagyi so Vlad can pick it out of her mind? And in TT, why Vlad couldn't read Leila's mind after she turned into a vampire? Vlad could read Maximus' mind before, so being a vampire shouldn't have given her extra neuro-protection... I'll email Jeaniene to see what she says. ;) 

My Rating

Christmas Countdown -- 13 days to go!

Countdown Christmas is an event at A Bookalicious Story to celebrate the coming of Christmas in 2 weeks time. There'll be fun interviews, Christmassy excerpts and giveaways just brimming with bookish-goodness ranging from YA Fantasies to New Adult Contemporary Romances to Adult Historical Romances. I hope y'all will join in this celebration! The more the merrier, aye? ;)

13 days to Christmas, what are y'all planning to do on this lovely wintery day? :) Today, I'll be featuring Livia Blackburne's self-published novella, POISON DANCE, prequel to MIDNIGHT THIEF which will be published next year July by Disney-Hyperion.

Publication Date: September 24th, 2013
Finished Date: December 3rd, 2013
Publisher: Livia Blackburne (self-published)
Format: eBook
Series: Midnight Thief #0.5
My Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb from Goodreads

James is skilled, efficient, and deadly, a hired blade navigating the shifting alliances of a deteriorating Assassin’s Guild. Then he meets Thalia, an alluring but troubled dancing girl who offers him a way out—if he’ll help her kill a powerful nobleman. With the Guild falling apart, it just might be worth the risk. But when you live, breathe, and love in a world that’s forever flirting with death, the slightest misstep can be poison.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Author's Website

 Livia Blackburne

About Livia

Livia Blackburne started writing her debut novel MIDNIGHT THIEF while conducting research on the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since then, she’s switched to full time writing, which also involves getting into peoples’ heads but without the help of a three tesla MRI scanner. She still blogs about the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and writing.

My Review

POISON DANCE is a fast-paced little read that neatly introduces us to a fantasy world of mercenary assassins and powerful noblemen called wallhuggers. The Guild's leader has recently passed away and the higher-ups are keeping it hush hush. James is a gifted assassin who doesn't necessarily like what he does and the new leader of the guild, but he's good in his trade and his new leader has this preconceived notion that James covets the title of top-dog.

In the midst of all these politicking and the daily bustles of Forge, there lives a dancing girl in a tavern called the Scorned Maiden. Thalia wasn't always a dancing girl, but she's here now with a mission - to kill a wallhugger. That's nigh impossible, what with all the Red Shields perpetually at their beck. She's a resourceful woman however, and she has chosen her mentor by eavesdropping on the tavern's many patrons' conversations - James. It's suicide to even think of assassinating a wallhugger, even if you're just an accomplice. James is a rational man, but Thalia's got outside connections and resources that might just be what James and his pals need to escape this stifling city. So therein begins an innocent woman's lessons in becoming a femme fatale and the (inevitable) romance between her and her enigmatic tutor.

Being a novella with an approximate word count of 14,000, there were parts of the story that were skimmed over perhaps a tad too much. Especially the ending, but we'll get to that.

The plot was engaging, though, and I grew to love the characters. They each have their distinctive characteristics, and I loved the development between James and Thalia. Though the "climax" in their romantic development wasn't all that fantastic, I was still rooting for them all the way. There was another subplot going on but it never got confusing.

I wasn't happy with the ending though! GAHHH, but that's because I'm a very one-track reader. I don't want to spoiler it too much, so you'll understand my frustration when you get there. That, and the ending was the part that was skimmed over the most. Blackburne's writing style was engrossing, up until a particular point and everything was tell instead of show. It was like all the details suddenly up and hid somewhere while everything was conveniently summed up without the hows.

That said, POISON DANCE shows much, much promise and I cannot wait to see what happens in MIDNIGHT THIEF, which sounds reminiscent of GRACELING by Kristin Cashore and all kinds of Fantasy goodness. I'm hoping to explore Blackburne's world in more depth and definitely to see more of James! ;) POISON DANCE reads more like a cross between YA and adult Fantasy, so younger readers should take note.

*An ecopy was provided by Livia in exchange for an honest review.*

Livia is giving away one (1) ecopy of POISON DANCE. This giveaway is international and will end two weeks after the last giveaway of the Christmas Countdown, Jan 8, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Thanks for visiting! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what bookish goodness is in store. ;) You can refer to Day 1's post for all the days of the countdown.

Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Publication Date: Febuary 2nd, 2011
Finished Date: November 30th, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
Pages: 273
Series: Gods & Monsters #1
My Rating: 3.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it's impossible to protect herself when she doesn't know what she's running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won't stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Review

“The house took my breath away. Yes, it was enormous and graceful, but it seemed to bleed emotions. Sadness. Loneliness. Like a beautiful lady left alone in a sea of gray, green, and black, protected only by oak matrons in their skeleton shawls.”

Kelly Keaton has a way with words that is very visual and poetic. I've always had a love for Greek myths and legends, and Keaton has put quite a modern twist to the entire Medusa legend that's atypical from most YA novels nowadays.

My Summary
Aristanae "Ari" Selkirk has always been the oddball in society - freakish, white hair and teal eyes. She's been an orphan since the tender age of four and been moved from foster home to foster home, finally finding a loving family in the Sandersons. To be part of Bruce and Casey Sandersons' Bonds & Bail company, she has to learn to be able to defend herself and that means being comfortable with headlocks, knives, and guns. Now that she's seventeen, she's determined to find out more about her past - why did her mom request to be admitted into an asylum? Why did she abandon her?

At the asylum, Ari's told that her mom exhibited occasional unusual behaviors and ultimately slit her own throat just before her twenty-first birthday (twenty-one yo?? I shall address this in a minute), and left a box of belongings to her. In the box, there's a letter addressed to her, telling her that there's danger for her in New 2 and to run.

Thirteen years ago, New Orleans was ravaged by a freak hurricane that blew through and wiped out the entire town. A group of nine families, who called themselves the Novem, came together, bought the town and rebuilt it. People do not travel into New 2; The ones that do come out with tales of the supernatural and paranormal. Ari was born there, surely they'd keep records that can lead to some answers about her biological family. Just a day to travel there and another to travel back. What's the worse that could happen?

My Take on DBH
First things first, that cover is a stunner! I love the moonlight quality of Ari's hair, and that purple flower-on-grail pattern is BEAUTIFUL. So mysterious and just perfect for the story! I've never been that interested in the gorgon legend, especially since it's the such a commonly used story that I sometimes find it overrated. But Keaton's take on it pulled on my heartstrings and was so haunting I'll probably remember this version of Medusa's tale every time I hear Medusa's name.

When we were first introduced to Ari, she's a relatable character and she's got character. However, something that did not sit well with me is her dislike of her beauty. I'm not going to your pity party just because you're sad that you're beautiful. Granted, it makes you outstanding (well now, it can't be that bad to have moonlight hair and teal eyes), but it's nothing to be so upset about. I don't think your friends will hate, ostracize or abuse you if you have strange but really nice physical traits now, would they? So stop kicking up such a fuss over it.

But yes, she can kick ass and it's such a joy to read about her confrontations with those who'd want to hurt (or kill) her! It gets even more interesting as we get to meet the rest of the cast in New 2 - twelve-yo quirky and independent Crank, Henri with his own brand of humor, little Violet with her quiet, disturbing yet endearing ways, and the (wait for it) tall, dark and handsome Sebastian. I love the interactions that Ari has with her new little family in their rundown mansion in New 2, and their camaraderie and loyalty. Violet's so adorable in her own ways, even though she may exhibit really strange behavior at times! She wears different Mardi Gras masks, goth dresses and has a baby albino alligator called Pascal for a pet. See, adorable.

Sebastian is...quite the typical hero you'd see in YA novels nowadays. I'd say he's a mix of Aiden from the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and maybe Nash from M. Leighton's Down to You (first instalment of the The Bad Boys series). He's a fighter too, he's brooding, he's a little mysterious, but he's diplomatic (most of the time) and he tries his best to help Ari uncover all her family's dark history. What I would have liked to see more of is development between Ari and Bastian. Their romance was almost of the insta-attraction variety, and that just does not inspire any warm and fuzzies in me.

The pacing of the story was very steady, with some ups and some downs. There were times when the story became a tad monotonous, and I was tempted to put it down several times. But I have been in a reading funk of late, so I was determined to get through this, and what do you know, the last one-third of the book was pretty exciting. The halfway mark has come and gone and we're still dangling with Ari on the lineage front. We've met the Novem and they seem to know all about Ari's cursed lineage (they are literally cursed. I'm not swearing just because I'm frustrated), so why doesn't one of them possess the initiative to TELL US WHAT IT IS? It got so frustrating because everyone just kept, "I knew your mother", "You look just like your mother", and gave her the sad, knowing eyes. The thing is, I knew that it was going to be about the gorgon curse so just get on with it.

Another part of the plot that did not sit well with me was the teen pregnancy. Ari's mom died before she turned twenty-one, when Ari was about four years of age. That means that Ari was conceived when her mom was sixteen/seventeen-ish. In the modern world, that's just wrong, and the wrong message to send out in the YA world. The plot is also a little simple and the world not very in-depth. The entire story mainly revolved around Ari, her friends, the Novem and the Big Bad Wolf. Other than that, we don't get to see much of the world or people outside of New 2 or their little group.

It wasn't until the entire instigator of the curse and fiasco was revealed that the story started to amp up its pace. I was shocked actually, cause I was expecting some other god(dess) to be the Big Bad. Spoiler --> Hera seemed the more plausible bitch than Athena. Cause I mean like, Athena, really? She's the goddess of wisdom and justice, I don't think she will be that petty and power-hungry. There were some things that happened in the story that were rather questionable and even in fiction and legends, there are some rules already set in place that are not meant to be broken. Spoiler --> For one, I don't think the Greek gods and goddesses are that easy to kill.And why do we only get to see one of the few existing gods? That's stingy... Haha, Kidding. One thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the god(dess) swearing. There are too many F-words in this story, but that's fine, I guess. But when a god or goddess start to color the air blue, it just doesn't seem legitimate. They're gajillion years old with age-old knowledge and wisdom. Profanity should be below them. And where's the elegance?

However, I mentioned that I liked Keaton's take on Medusa's story, that what if Medusa was the victim and not the irreverent beauty that myths often portray her to be? What if she was the wronged victim forced to take the blame and suffer for the misdeeds of another god? The way that Keaton told her story was very vivid and heartwrenching.

There were many things I did like about DARKNESS BECOMES HER, but there were others that debilitated my enjoyment of it. I would still like to see where Keaton takes Ari and her misfit little family in New 2, out of curiosity or amusement or maybe they've grown on me. Just a little. ;)

Staunch (or anal) fans of Greek myths might not take very well to DBH due to some parts of the legend in here that strays from what y'all know of it.

My Rating

Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: June 4th, 20113
Finished Date: June 8th, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Format: eBook
Pages: 368
Series: Psy-Changeling #12
My Rating: 5/5!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:

Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh’s explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world…

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
A deadly price that must be paid.
The day of reckoning is here.

From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

I basically devoured this book the moment I got out of camp. Everything about this book was so awesome - the romance, the plot (the arc of the series really moved quite a bit in HoO), the interconnection between Psy, the changelings and the humans. This book did not disappoint the waves of anticipation and hype prior to it's release.

“And when she looked up, it was to see Kaleb's eyes looking down into her own. There were no stars, but the obsidian was sheened with midnight colors, beautiful and mysterious.

Her fingers clenched on the muscled heat of his back, the fine cotton of his shirt crumpling under his touch. "You came back." ”

I won't go on very much about the plot cause there's a lot of mystery enshrouding the two protagonists in HoO, and learning them along the way with them is vital in this amazing series.

This story literally revolves around the lives of two people - ex-Councilor Kaleb Krychek, known to be the most powerful Psy in the world, rumored to be a dual cardinal with enough power to level cities and cause earthquakes, and his childhood friend, (view spoiler)Sahara. I hope that's not too big of a spoiler (I didn't reveal her last name, so you can't blame me for not trying!).

Even though I haven't read all the installment in this series yet (but I am a hardcore Nalini Singh fan, I really am! I've read each book in her Guild Hunter series multiple, and I mean multiple times), I think this will probably take the top second spot right below KISS OF SNOW. (Hawke~!!)


My Brief Summary (Spoilers alert!)
(view spoiler)Kaleb has been searching for a certain someone for seven years, three weeks and two days, and by now, everyone knows it's this mysterious Sahara ahem-ahem-ahem. His abilities honed to a lethal edge, financially, politically, economically one of the world's powerhouses, he also has the infamous Arrow Squad behind his back. Now that he's finally found the only person in the world whom he cares about, he's going to make her abductors pay for what they've done to her for the past seven years.

Sahara's had a relatively stable and caring family, up until the day she was taken and held captive in sterile and brutal conditions. To keep the secrets in her mind safe and her unique powers from being controlled by the wrong hands, she did things to her mind that makes her now a shell of who she used to be.
(END of spoilers!)

Kaleb isn't the gentlest of caretakers, he can seem heartless and uncaring, but deep down, he's just a man who hadn't received much love or kindness in his life, and so doesn't know how to express his feelings very well. But he does a mighty fine job in his own way, and it's so heartwarming to see him protecting (view spoiler)Sahara any way he can, even if it means letting her stay away from him. It broke my heart just a little at the end when everything came full circle for them. ;)

I loved the interactions between the side characters too! How Aden, Vasic of the Arrow Squad, leopards from DarkRiver and even Nikita Duncan and Anthony Kryiakus came into the picture; It gave the story a depth and life to it. The plot moved so much more than the prequels that seemed more like backdrops for the romances between each couples, but HoO showed us where Singh is trying to lead the arc to, and I have a rough idea of what the plot for Psy-Changeling #13 will be. However, there were major parts of the book that was just about Sahara's healing/recovery and Kaleb's part in it, so the plot had to take a backseat and the pace dulled down quite a bit, only really picking up again around four-fifths through, that's why HoO comes in as a close second to KoS.

But all in all a mighty fine read with tons of slow, compelling, tender and sweet romance, redemption (really, I'm not trying to be melodramatic or anything...ok, maybe a little, but this book is quite dramatic!) danger, and political intrigue. I don't know how Singh does it, but her style is just as addictive as ever! Recommended to every Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance fan out there; Maybe throw in a little thriller and action!

5-amazeball-stars!

 

 
P.S. Miiiiight be doin' an interview and giveaway soon. ;)

Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Publication Date: May 21st, 2011
Finished Date: March 3rd, 2013
Publisher: Feral Dream
Format: Paperback
Pages: 254
Series: Penryn and the End of Days #1
My Rating: 5/5!!
 
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My Review 

It's just some bird flying by, that's all. That's all.
But I'm already panting with panic.
I force myself to look up. All I see is endless dark sky.
But then, I do see something. Another, larger feather floats down lazily toward my head.
Sweat prickes my brow. I break out into an all-out sprint.

ANGELFALL is nothing less than YA Dystopian at its best. It has everything this genre has to offer, and it gives back ten-fold. The action, the tension, uncertainties, the start of a budding rebellion, and the unlikely romance between mortal enemies when circumstances thrust them onto an adventure that'll blow all yer little asses off yer seats!

*Many spoilers ahead!*

A Summary
The apocalypse came, harolded by beautifully terrifying angels of destruction. Buildings collapsed or decayed, connection lines are a thing of the past, the streets are ruled by gangs that loot and kill in the day and by nightmare creatures in the night, and your home is not your haven anymore.

Penryn, her little, crippled sister, Paige, and their slightly unstable mother have been delaying migrating to a safer place for quite some time, but they have to get out now. When they set off at sunset, they're risking a lot by being out that late, and as they made their way hastily down El Camino, through Silicon Valley to Page Mill, things were still looking hopeful. They were doing fine, until a white feather, soft as down, floated down from the sky. That's when they knew that they were going to get screwed ten times over.

An epic - albeit gruesome - angelic battle was going on, and though the angel who had wings of such magnificent white was heavily outnumbered 4 to 1, the others are still wary of him. When Snowy Wings (as Penryn calls him in her little funny inner commentary) looked like he was about finished, Penryn and her family were spotted and Penryn did something to distract the other angels, unwittinly helping Snowy Wings turn the tides and angering one of the other angels enough to kidnap Paige as he flew away.

Penryn managed to get Snowy Wings - which turned out to be Raffe (Rah-fie) - to tell her that Paige was most probably taken to the angel's aerie. Raffe's wings had been brutally amputated in the battle previously, needs Penryn's help to travel on the ground, and Penryn needs Raffe's help getting to the aerie and getting into the aerie. So for now, they're on an uneasy truce, and set off for an amazing and heartpounding adventure.

My Thoughts
I had to put off writing this review because of my Term exams, but a week later and everything is still fresh in my mind! All that emotion and mindblowing awesomeness. If you'd known me before, you'd know that I was a huge hater of Dystopian novels because the first Dystopian I read (coughReaperscoughArecoughThecoughcoughcough) was SO BAD. But just recently, Julie Kagawa made me a believer, and now Susan Ee has made me a FAN. They're really amazing writers.

There's so much development and depth in ANGELFALL. All the characters, Penryn and Raffe especially, had their own personality, their own history, and their own distinct way of thinking. A few pages of Raffe talking and you know he's just not like us. He's proud and strong even when he's down on the ground or lying face down on a couch with his hands and feet tied and taped together. However as the book progresses, you see how he gains a little humanity while retaining his mysterious, very-sexy immortal persona. AND OMG, Raffe is...*hyperventilates* Raffe is...His true identity is OMG-ly cool. Penryn is a girl who had to toughen up due to very shitty circumstances, but when things got too much, she let her body handle it the way it knows, puked in some bushes and gathered up her Big Girl Panties. She's smart and resourceful in a very funny, sarcastic way that I liked her immediately.

Along the way, we meet characters like Obi and Boden. Obi's the rebellion leader while Boden's the rebellion thug. They're cool. Obi's the typical inspiring, good-looking military leader who has to make unpopular choices for the good of the rebellion, and Boden's the typical thug with the snarl and always picking a fight with the new kid on the block - in this case, Penryn. I liked that scene where Penryn was expecting help from Raffe when Boden picked a fight with her and Raffe not only didn't rush to her aid, he started betting with the other guys on who'd win! Haha, oh how Penryn pounded Boden to the ground in her anger!

I loved seeing how the arc unfold and how all the characters changed.

THIS is so true for Angelfall. Ee's descriptions are so vivid it's literally a movie in my head!

Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious. Outside our condo window, the sky flames like a bruised mango in vivid orange, reds, and purples. The clouds catch on fire with sunset colors, and I'm almost scared those of us below will catch on fire too.

~Para 1 of Chapter 1

When you see a starting like that, you know that you can expect some badass writing.

I loved the final battle. I loved how the humans made their stand, how they showed a united front in the face of such adversities unlike how most fiction novels protray humans as weak and expendable and ugly. Ugh. The ending was so, so, terribly bittersweet. What happened to Paige and all the other kidnapped kids was...disusting, inhumane and... Ee is one author who doesn't mind killing off some of her characters and roughing up most of the others. That's all I have to say about this. And poor Raffe! However, I did like how the story started and ended with Penryn, her sister and mother being together on the road, only with all the wounds and scars - both mental and physical - at the end.

Anyhoo, this review is getting long and all I have to say now is, if you're a fan of YA Dytopian novels, or not a fan at all, just as long as you can stand a little Dystopian, you'll 99.99999999% fall IN LOVE with ANGELFALL.

P.S. THERE IS NO DATE OF RELEASE FOR BOOK 2. OMG I CAN GO KILL ME AN ANGEL NOW.

P.P.S. Y'know that part where Penryn was at the rebellion camp and was talking to this woman called Dolores about training domestic dogs into a tracking/police/army one?

"This is the reason the guards are dog-free. It's hard to patrol when your K9 partner keeps running off to chase after rodents and barks all night long."
 

K(ca)-9(nine)? Hahaha.

P.P.P.S. Thank you Donna (@ The Happy Booker) for recommending this book to me!

My Rating

Review: Down To You by M. Leighton

Publication Date: September 20th, 2012
Finished Date: March 1st, 2013
Publisher: M. Leighton Books
Format: eBook
Pages: 215
Series: The Bad Boys #1
My Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.

Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?

My Review

Not a bad adult contemporary romance! It's definitely steamy and piled with sexual tension, but it's the instant physical attraction kind that doesn't do much to leave a deep enough impression on the reader to let the memory last.

Olivia "Liv" Townsend is a sheep farmer's daughter who's responsible, loyal, has a unique blend of humor and...is always attracted to the bad boys. It's the reason why she's had her heart broken one too many times in the past, and the reason why she avoids them at all costs.

Liv is living with her rich, snobbish cousin in Atlanta to finish her college degree in accounting. She goes to school, bartends at a friendly club at Salt Springs every weekend, and goes out with her friends occasionally to club a little or just to chill. She never factored in meeting the sexy bad boy owner of the club that her friend held her bachelorette party at, Cash, or his twin brother, Nash, who's a lawyer, equally sexy, and her cousin's boyfriend...

Both drives her insane, both are equally desirable. Thing is, she's always been drawn to the bad boys, but she knows that Nash will be better, safer choice, the kind of guy she needs in her life. The only end she sees with Cash is one that ends in heartbreak, but she's not that kind of girl that'll steal an attached guy. Therein lies the problem: She's drawn to both brothers. Both brothers are drawn to her. But both also brings with them a whole lot of consequences that Liv'll have to contend with.

Thoughts: I'll admit it - the cover was the thang that drew me in. Dang, I mean, look at it! Haha, it's the kind of once-in-awhile, guilty pleasures that a girl wants to indulge in. It's a quick, steamy read that'll guarantee tide you thru this need-for-a-guilty-pleasure phase, girls! Not sure about the dudes out there, though. It's told in multiple POVs, from Olivia to Cash to Nash, so it's a little different from your ordinary contemporary romance.

I liked DOWN TO YOU, the only reason why I docked off a few stars is because there were times where I just thought that the characters were a little shallow - bimbotic, for lack of a better word. Shallow, yes, but it made for quite a fun read! One of Liv's friends, Ginger, can swear reaaaal colorfully! A quote:

"Stay in your lane you limp-dick, candy-ass, crazy mother fu--"
"Ginger?" I interrupt.
She quiets immediately. "Oh, Liv. Hi, sweetie. I didn't hear you answer."

Hahaha, you have been warned!

One thing that I really liked about DTY is that plot twist at the end! I didn't even see it coming when it hit! Though I don't think that it's really plausible in real life, it still made for quite a big shock. That's some real cool writing right there.

Anyhoo, all in all, I thought that DOWN TO YOU was a quick, steamy read full of lighthearted fun and laughter with a neat plot twist at the end that'll sure to catch readers off-guard. Enjoyed it!

P.S. Not sure whether I'll start on the next few books yet though. I think I'm back into the intense plot and action novels now, so I think I'll place UP TO ME somewhere in the middle of my Mt. TBR. :)

P.P.S. Have you seen the other cover for this book? The one that'll be released by Berkeley Trade this July? It's SO NICE. --->

 

My Rating