Tag: Magic/Supernatural (Page 15 of 29)

BOOK REVIEW – Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW – Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) by Chloe NeillTwice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

“You undo me, Merit. Wholly and completely. You don’t take me at my word. You challenge me at every opportunity. And that means when I’m with you, I am less than the head of this House…and I am more than the head of this House. I am a man.” He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs. “In my very, very long life, I need you more than I have ever needed anything.”

Eeeeeeep finally! That’s all I’ll say on that note.

The sexual tension, the angst, the battles, the jealousy-boy oh boy was I in my element. There isn’t much to say on my end that hasn’t been said, but I sure do love to try.

The sexual tension, the angst, the battles, the jealousy-boy oh boy was I in my element. There isn’t much to say on my end that hasn’t been said, but I sure do love to try.

Wow, this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt butterflies since book one in such a long series. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve had this intense of a bout of butterflies so consistently. But in this installment, we finally got to see, shall we say, some of the goods. And this time….they were all for Merit. *whispers creepily* and us….

“On the other hand, they’re the ones creating this pec-tacle.”
I slid her a glance, arching an eyebrow. “Pec-tacle?”
“You know, like spectacle”-she paused to point at her breasts-“but with more dude nipples. Do you disagree?”

But it would be so sad to claim that was all this book had going for it-there’s so much more. Underneath all this sexual anxiety is a hidden story where Merit is just a girl trying to find (and keep) her place in this new world. She defends those in her house and stands behind the person that made her-despite all the sexually unresolved….occurrences….she knows that her goal is to, ultimately, keep Ethan safe. And she takes her job seriously. No doubt about it. And that’s why I love these books.

Love was very definitely a bitch.

They don’t need only a boy and a girl circling each other to fuel the events of the book-there’s always a mystery, always a need to save or protect or serve the house. And Merit even has friends. Yes, that was plural. So when I think of this story, it doesn’t wholly revolve around Ethan and Merit *lies lies lies*. Okay, I might have jumped the gun a bit. Let me rephrase-While I am in love with the build-up of something much, much larger between these two stubborn vampires, I’m also very aware of the other characters and the mystery that surrounds each and every page.

He shook his head. “You are a wonder of vampiric strength, yet you treasure your humanity and care greatly about those who were in your life before your change. Stay that way,” he said. “Stay just the way you are.”

Ethan was, for a lack of a better word, adorable in this one. I finally got the last in my long wishlist of Ethan wants and needs-protectiveness. I loooooove that. I love when he is protective of her. And, I’m not going to lie, it was short-lived and didn’t occur regularly….but it was there. As was possession, obsession, jealousy….Just….sigh. Yum.

“I am beginning to remember-” He stopped, shook his head, then started again. “I am beginning to remember what it means to need things. Laughter. Companionship. Love.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine. “And I need you, Merit.”

So to say this wasn’t my favorite one would sound a bit odd, but, I think it’s a tie between this one and book two. Book two was still building onto this fierce attraction and this one was avoiding the inevitable repeat….so they both had their perks while still annoying the shit out of me. But I’m not annoyed, not really. I want there to be tension and angst and retribution. I want him to obsess and win her. I want her to resist and ultimately fall. I’m on book four and I just love their dynamic-I really do. And I can’t wait ’til the day when all his earlier idiosyncrasies become ever present and indisposable because he loves her so much. I can’t wait-but I also want this series to stay excellent. So, I’ll wait. And for once….I’m being patient about it.

BOOK REVIEW – Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) by Chloe Neill

BOOK REVIEW – Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) by Chloe NeillFriday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2)
by Chloe Neill
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Footsteps, and then he was next to me, his body behind mine, his lips at the spot of skin just below my ear. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my neck. The smell of him-clean, soapy, almost discomfortingly familiar. As much as the want of it disturbed me, I wanted to sink back against him, let him envelop me.
Part of that, I knew, was vampire genetics, the fact that he’d changed me, some kind of evolutionary connection between Master and vampire.
But part of it was much, much simpler.
“Merit.”
Part of it was boy and girl.
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
“Don’t deny it. I want this. You want this.”

Welp….I don’t see any reason to deduct a star…so I won’t. Like with all series I read, it’s hard to write review after review for the same series with the same characters. Things change, they progress, but the idea is the same, isn’t it? Well, in book two, I found that not only did the intensity increase in the severity with which Merit and her vampire brethren were threatened, but also, her attraction to the head vampire, Ethan, became such a tangible thing I choked on it.

“Whatever the source, Sentinel, we have the information now. Let’s use it, shall we?”
I bit back a grin, amused that I’d reverted back to “Sentinel.” I was “Merit” when Ethan needed something, “Sentinel” when he was responding to my snark. Admittedly, that was frequently.

It’s not easy, these days, to build the same attractions to book characters because, well, I’ve read so many books. I build these relationships with my book men and while that’s all fine and good, time has passed since I’ve been on this site. Books have came and books have gone, and here I am in October having beat my 2014 challenge with over two months to spare. That’s not to say I’ve loved them all-I’d like to think that because I’ve became picky that I’m choosing only the best these days. There are so many trigger words, phrases, ways of writing the blurb and reviews by friends that let me know whether to be cautious with a book or not. That’s not to say that while my system is super awesome, I don’t miss a few hidden gems here or there based on my bias of horrid covers (cough ^^^ cough). So, in essence, I’ve missed a lot of crap, but gained a lot more to swoon over. But with this success comes a price-The male or female lead has to work really hard for me to become obsessed with them now. What used to make my heart stutter now barely scratches the surface of my seasoned soul. I love my characters-almost always. But there has to be….oh, I don’t know…something pivotal or memorable for me to fangirl or obsess or lose my breath over a look or touch like I used to so easily.

Ethan stared at the menu. “I have no idea what to do here.”
“There’s the proof positive you made the right decision by bringing me on staff.”

When the Mercedes was full of vampires and fried food, he drove to the exit, then paused at the curb while I made a sleeve of the paper wrap around his burger. When I handed it to him, he stared at it for a moment, eyebrow arched, before taking a bite.
He made a vague sound of approval while he chewed.
“You know,” I said, biting into an onion ring, “I feel like things would go a lot smoother for you if you’d just admit that I’m always right.”
“I’m willing to give you ‘right about food,’ but that’s as far as I can go.”
“I’ll take that,” I said, grinning at him.

What I’m getting at? I fell in love with the two main leads at about 15% in book one. 15%. Really? How hard is that, for me, these days? Extremely difficult. That connection is fragile, and now, with the progression through book two, is a tangible, unbreakable thread. I love Merit and Ethan. Sure, Ethan’s hair makes me want to gag (cut it off, Bro-for all of us!) but his persona is so strong that nothing deters or hinders me when I think of him.

“I guess. And FYI, Darth Sullivan is putting a crimp in our friendship. I know you’re living over there now, but you should still be at my beck and call.”
I snorted. “Darth Sullivan would disagree, but I’ll do what I can.”

Merit, strong as ever, has dominated the vampire playing field. She’s Cadogan House Sentinel, and she defends Ethan and those residing in the House and under the Cadogan name. But, her number one priority is the head master of the house-Ethan.

One hand braced to keep my face from hitting the ground, tears spilled over, and I gripped my chest with my free hand, to rip out the pain, to rip out the vise that was squeezing the air from my lungs. I struggled for breath, and a wave of pain, a morbid aftershock, convulsed my spine.

I really enjoyed Ethan in this one. They were forced, as Sentinel and head of Cadogan House, to go to events together in this one. But, and what Merit didn’t see that everyone else sees, mostly they were ruses to spend more time together. He hides behind a perfectly placed facade and rarely lets it slip-but the closer he and Merit become, the more she starts to see the man, not the vampire, underneath. He’s been betrayed, he has lived through his fair share of heartbreak and war and now supervising hundreds of those under him, but his greatest challenge yet is Merit and her stubborn attitude.

Catcher dumped a cutting board of trimmed asparagus into a steamer pot. “It’s lotion. I’m pretty sure science has advanced to the point that you can buy a single bottle that will take care of all that.”
“Missing the point,” I said.
“He’s missing the point,” Mallory parroted. “You’re totally missing the point.”

Now, not that this isn’t present in every novel these days, the sexual tension in this story was so thick I could cut through it with a knife. The way he looks at her, talks to her, touches her makes me melt into a heaping pile of goo. Even when they dance, the way he looks into her eyes…it kills me. Their chemistry is off the charts-he needs someone who can balance him out with his dominant attitude and tight-ass ways. And, in one scene in particular, my heart stopped. This kiss was…smoldering. It was nothing special, I mean, it was a kiss for chrissakes! But….the delivery. It’s all about the delivery. A smile a triumph, a groan of desire, possession, the primal need to take what you’ve wanted since the beginning…Yeah. So, heart-attack inducing, as far as I’m concerned.

“My point, Sentinel, is that you are more than a woman who hides in a library.”

“Ethan,” I said, a hesitation, but he shook his head, gaze dropping to my lips, then drifting shut. He leaned closer, his lips just touching mine. Teasing, hinting, but not quite kissing. My lids fell, and his hands were at my cheeks, fingers at my jaw, his breath staccato and rushed as his lips traced a trail, pressed kisses, against my closed eyes, my cheeks, everywhere but my lips.
“You are so much more than that.”

Like I said, it’s so hard to write non-repetitive reviews about a series, but it seems I didn’t have as hard a time as I previously thought I would, lol. But there’s something so refreshing about this series-the idea that not everything revolves around vampires, their feeding, their need for blood, even though the whole story is, in fact, all about vampires and protecting themselves. I mean….how does one do that? Make a story that both centers around vampires but doesn’t bow down to it for the story as a whole to make it work? I hardly even think about the fact that they’re vampires-This author makes it so that it’s extremely hot when it’s brought to the surface. Like, for real. And this story wouldn’t be possible without the snark of Merit. She’s witty and funny and she doesn’t let anyone boss her around (even her boss), but she knows her place. Her and Ethan’s banter is so funny and I can’t get enough…hopefully in the next one they take their clothes off-together. Just sayin’.

I tightened sweaty fingers around the handle of the dagger.
But then, standing there in the dark, the blade in my hand, my heart pounding with the rush of fear and adrenaline, I remembered something Ethan had told me about our predatory natures: For better or worse, we were the top of the food chain.
Not humans.
Not animals.
Not the thing that roamed the woods beside me.
Vampires.
I was the predator, not the prey. So, in a voice that sounded a little too breathy to be my own, my eyes on the spot between the trees where I imagined it to be, I advised that animal in the dark,
“Run.”

BOOK REVIEW – Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

BOOK REVIEW – Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. JensenStolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)
by Danielle L. Jensen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*Buddy read with my wonderful friend, Kat*


I was terrified. It was not like the terror of running from a wolf, always knowing you can turn and fight. It was not like the sense of drowning, where there is a chance to flee to the surface. From this darkness and this place, there was no escape. I could neither run nor hide, and no one can fight the dark. All there was left for me to do was die.

Okaaaaayyyy so…..a book about trolls? Really? I mean, come on. In what way could this possibly be appealing? And, even if it did appeal to my senses, how could a troll possibly be hotter than the sun our dear Cecile so desperately misses? I can’t answer these questions with coherent and well thought out answers, but I can assure you of one thing: Tristan. Was. Hot. This story? It was beyond addicting. Every single one of these characters had a way of getting under my skin that mirrored only my favorite stories, and that is very rarely an occurrence for me.

“They aren’t ugly.” I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. “More like beautiful things that have had the misfortune of being broken.” Tristan turned his face back to me. I saw the sorrow in his eyes and felt it in my heart. “Why are you always so unhappy?” I asked.
“I think it is our nature to believe evil always has an ugly face,” he said, ignoring my question. “Beauty is supposed to be good and kind, and to discover it otherwise is like a betrayal of trust. A violation of the nature of things.”
“Do you think trolls are evil?” I asked.
“Do you?” His eyes searched mine as though he might find the answer there.
“No,” I said. “I don’t.”
He exhaled softly, reaching up and stroking my cheek with one hand. “From your lips I can almost believe it’s true.”

It’s quite simple, really…Cecile is stolen from everything she has ever known, dragged ‘leagues’ downward to the passed over and only rarely mentioned city of Trollus where all the Trolls are trapped because of a curse some witch cast on them a long time ago. And how might they break this curse, you ask? Well, it is foretold that if a daughter of sun (who sings) and a son of night (prince) are brought together in marriage, that the curse will be lifted. Or so they think…

“I wish I was not what I am.” His voice was twisted with anguish. “I wish I was not who I am. I wish I had met you in different circumstances, in a place far away from here, where there is no magic, politics, and deception. Somewhere where things could be different between us. I wish I was someone else.”

Cecile doesn’t want to be a troll’s wife and she doesn’t want to sleep in the same bed as her newly (forced) betrothed. So she does what any good wife would do: She plots. She plots and researches and waits for her moment to escape. She waits to capitalize on the mistakes of the city around her and, most importantly, her husband. But this is probably the largest problem with her whole plan: He can feel her. Every emotion. Every flinch of pain. He can feel if she’s becoming deceptive or if she’s hiding something…but can he ever really know?

“That was only part of it.” I barely heard him speak his voice was so quiet. “I was afraid…I am afraid of loving you, knowing that someday you will go and leave me here.”

Trolls can’t lie, but humans can. Oh sure, they can deceive. They can mislead. They can lead someone off the edge of a cliff or push them off themselves, but they can’t directly lie. Thus making for one of the biggest problems for our romantic duo throughout the whole story. Even hate at first sight can lead to something when you see them for what they truly are. Forced together when neither of them wanted each other, they form a bond they never anticipated. They forged an understanding. They had a common thread that linked them and, ultimately, bonded them.

“Ha ha,” Tristan snorted. “How dreadfully clever. And speaking of clever, is this to be your bid for escape?” He contemplated my clothing. “In a dressing gown and bare feet? Now tell me, if I go put on nightclothes and slippers, might I join you, or is this a solo adventure?”

On the outside they loathe one another. They walk through the city’s streets and ignore one another until absolutely necessary and even then share minimal exchanges unless venom is spitting through their teeth. But they can’t hide what’s on the inside: The pain. The turmoil. The misery. The longing. The secret ‘you aren’t so bad’ thoughts. No, it’s all fun and games until you realize you are starting to befriend and care for the other person. And when you have enemies hidden in plain sight within the city, you can’t afford to show that you’re falling for her, not when your carefully planned ruse could so easily crumble-Or when she could so easily be used to bring you to your knees….we wouldn’t want that…would we?


 photo tumblr_lt0n3i8LgP1qabhns_zps4e88cbcd.gif

Tristan was by far my favorite character, that much was certain. But it’s not often I can say I loved the female lead almost as much-Cecile was strong-willed, stubborn and she made mistakes. Costly mistakes. But because of these mistakes, we got to know both her and Tristan on a deeper level. We got to see my favorite thing about any story-I’ve only said about one hundred times that I love seeing a desperate male lead saving the damsel in distress in the fashion that he could lose his life in exchange-and I haven’t gotten to see that in action for a long long time….not in such a dramatic fashion, anyway. In short-I loved how every perilous situation was handled in this book. The author didn’t shy from the nasty things or the bloody things and, no, there wasn’t necessarily an abundance of those either, but all in all I loved seeing it play out and the desperation and love that was brought forth in these situations. Seeing Tristan and Cecile fall for one another both warmed and broke my heart….because they can only be used as pawns against one another…did I mention I loved that?

Dying was an easy thing to accomplish, effortless in its agony. It was living that was hard, requiring endless toil and labor, and for all one’s efforts, it could be stolen in an instant.

Normally I would touch on what my complaints were for the story, but I really didn’t have any. Like…at all. I really enjoyed this and found it was very difficult to put down at any cost. This was everything I love in a story and then some. Very rarely do action and peril meet my standards alongside the romance within the same story. I never would have guessed that a book such as this would become an instant favorite of mine, but it has and I can’t seem to find the words to explain just how great this book was. It was addicting, heartbreaking, hopeful, fun, action-packed, and sweet. I fell in love with the world and what they were trying to do-the lies, the deception-all for the greater good. I am obsessed with these characters and can’t wait to see how their story continues. My only hope is that it isn’t too long of a wait before I can see what becomes of these wonderful characters with so much to lose.

“This all seems like a dream now, but like every dream, eventually you must wake.”

*Sorry-my review was more factual than fun, and I hate that-but I’m so tired…and it shows.*

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
stolen songbird danielle jensen
Stolen Songbird #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Anna
hidden huntress danielle jensen
Hidden Huntress #2
Reviews:
Jen
warrior witch danielle l jensen
Hidden Huntress #3
Reviews:
Jen

BOOK REVIEW – Anew (The Archers of Avalon #1) by Chelsea Fine

BOOK REVIEW – Anew (The Archers of Avalon #1) by Chelsea FineAnew (The Archers of Avalon #1)
by Chelsea Fine
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Three curses. Two brothers. One love triangle.
Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes...love is the death of you.

Review:

I was hooked from the very first page. Anew sunk it’s claws deep into my heart, and I am still in shock over how much this book made me feel. The sarcastic humor had me constantly laughing, the undercurrent of mystery and love had me turning the pages as fast as possible and the characters warmed and angered my heart. Anew completely captivated me, and I never wanted to leave the town of Avalon.

It would happen. Tristan couldn’t stop it. And, if he really cared about Scarlet, he shouldn’t stop it. But that didn’t make the thought of them together any less gut-wrenching.
Tristan stared blankly at the floor as a piece of his heart broke.
His very real, very existent heart.
And so it begins.

Hope, mystery, love, despair, and at the bottom of it all is a curse. Three curses to be exact. This will become Scarlett’s life but she doesn’t know that yet, or more correctly stated, she doesn’t remember her past yet. Scarlett wakes up in the middle of the forest alone and terrified out of her mind. The only thing she can remember is her name. The rest is blank, completely blank. Fast forward two years and she has settled into a nice, safe life. She is lucky. But her world is about to be shaken and she will have two boys to thank for that. Gabriel has a voice that she recognizes, that she knows but can’t place. While getting close to Gabriel, she discovers that he has kept his brother, Tristan, a secret. Why would he do that? And why does she feel such a strong pull to Tristan? What other secrets are they keeping from her?

Wind blew across the porch, lifting a strand of her dark hair and blowing it across her face. A rush of memories – shoved to the depths of his soul in punishment – broke free and flooded his mind as he stared at her. Memories of love. Memories of life. Memories of torment…death… (Tristan)

For me, there is no competition. There is no debate over which Archer brother is the right one for Scarlett. Tristan completely won over my heart and soul. His dark, sarcastic humor was intoxicating. His selflessness and bravery was endearing. And his love and interactions with Scarlett were incredibly butterfly inducing. Even when he was being a jerk, I couldn’t get enough of him. Tristan is everything I love, and so much more.

Scarlet eyed the brothers for a moment.
Trust her gut? Her gut was currently telling her to run her hands through Tristan’s dark hair. She wasn’t so sure her gut was reliable.

Scarlet is sassy, tough and brave. Throughout each pitfall and each emotional memory, she tried to stand strong. She wasn’t going to let some curse get the better of her. I loved her attitude, but one thing drove me a little crazy this second time around. Her ability to become close to Gabriel. I understand he made her feel normal and safe but honestly, I just can’t stand behind Gabriel. He was so vanilla. I never felt any passion or lust between him and Scarlet. And some of his actions bothered me. They say love makes you do desperate things, but for me, he takes it to a level I wasn’t comfortable with. To put it bluntly, there were a few times I wanted to punch him in the throat, make him disappear, and bring Tristan into the picture. I’m clearly not biased or anything! But in all due honesty, Gabriel wasn’t that bad. But the problem for me was that he wasn’t Tristan. He could never be Tristan.

He looked haunted. Pained.
Her heart thrummed as she felt something sorrowful grow inside of her. Heavy and warm and full of regret, it whispered something to her soul. Something powerful.
Something sad.
Something Scarlet couldn’t remember.

Anew mesmerized me. While the mystery unfolded, I found myself falling head over heels for a tortured soul and rooting on a new favorite heroine. The side characters were quirky, fun and memorable. And the storyline left me laughing, breathless and the feeling that my heart was going to explode out of my chest. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series progresses, because I may have just found a new favorite series!

From the corner of her eye, she saw a sad smile tug at his mouth. “Your life has had more meaning than a thousand lives put together.” A few more leaves fell. “You don’t remember how beautiful your life has been, but someday you will.” (Tristan)

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Anew The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine
Anew #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Awry The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine
Awry #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Avow by Chelsea Fine The Archers of Avalon
Avow #3
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea

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BOOK REVIEW – Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

BOOK REVIEW – Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra ClareClockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

An excellent installment to a surprisingly addictive series. I came upon Infernal Devices in a discussion for another book entirely. It too had a love triangle in it, and some of the girls happened to mention TID and it’s apparently happy ever after for all characters involved. Seeing as how I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I love drama, to an extent, in novels, I had to hop on over and see what TID was all about. Upon reading the synopsis and seeing the cover of Clockwork Angel, I realized that I had passed it up months before. Boy do I ever see the error in my ways.

After the last novel, Tessa is now a permanent fixture in the Institute after Charlotte asked her to stay. We get to see how Tessa is affected after Will’s unforgiveable actions and remarks, and how close her and Jem become because of it. With less time being spent daydreaming about Will(hardly), Tessa finds herself spending more and more time with Jem, thus forming a bond between them. I like both guys a lot. Will has hurt Tessa quite a bit, but underneath it all, I love him because he has a sweet side to him that can’t be entirely hidden, and a passion for his work and also for Tessa. Jem is always there for Tessa, and it becomes increasingly clear he has strong feelings for her. Everyone around him (aside from Will) can see his feelings for her as clear as day, for he wears his heart on a sleeve.

I enjoyed every adventure and could hardly put the book down. I always seemed to be on the edge of my seat and reading at the speed of light-and I still wasn’t reading fast enough. I also adore how each character has such raw passion for who they love and what they believe in. It is hard not to be attracted to each guy when they so obviously are attracted to and care for Tessa. Don’t even get me started on Henry and Charlotte; they definitely add some adorable scenes to the story and make you smile when you least expect it.

So all in all, I really don’t have many words. It is just one of those stories where you feel compelled to tell people about it and insist they read it. I found myself goofily smiling at the pages from Will’s snarky remarks and funny scenarios he found himself in. He always seems to have the funniest facial expressions, and with Jem egging him on, it only fuels the fire. Now I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can’t wait to see how it all ends and ultimately who ends up with whom.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

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