Tag: Paranormal (Page 11 of 51)

BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I loved this book! I loved these characters! Oh my gosh, I am so excited to see where this series is going to go! And in case you didn’t know, Torn is out today woohoo! I’m so grateful to have read an early copy because Torn was a solid 5 Stars! So check out my 5 Star Review below, read an excerpt that’s a scene between Ivy and someone I loathe (well for 95% of the time because clearly I have issues). I’d love to hear if you have already read the first book or are planning to read this series because I am in desperate need to talk about what happened! WOW, this book was soooo much fun!

BOOK REVIEW + EXCERPT – Torn (A Wicked Trilogy #2) by Jennifer L. ArmentroutTorn (A Wicked Trilogy #2)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

Review:


***Spoilers for Wicked.  If you haven’t read Wicked yet, you can read my review here***

“I don’t want to die.”

Torn was an emotional ride that was filled with uncertainty and characters I absolutely loved!  It was everything I was hoping the second book would be and much, much more!  I was left on such a high and I truly can’t wait for the release of the next book to see what happens with characters who have easily become favorites for me.  Each and every one of them has embedded themselves in my heart.  Ivy is someone who makes me want to be her best friend, Ren makes me want to steal him so he could do wicked things to me and I’d love to carry Tink around in my purse all day so I could hear all of his crazy antics.   And I can’t wait to see where their journey is going to go from here!

The hate building inside me burned brighter than a thousand suns, but even with that rage, I always, always felt cold. With each passing day, it was like I was filling up on the inside with ice and shadows. The only time I didn’t feel this way was when I slept.
I felt nothing then.

The horror, uncertainty and utter shock that Ivy felt upon learning that she was the halfling crippled me.  I knew that she made the most sense in the back of my mind, but I was truly hoping that Val would be the halfling.  Even if that wasn’t very logical.  I just couldn’t believe that after she finally opened herself up to friendship and possibly love with Ren, that she was slapped right in the face.  Because the man she had fallen for had been sent there to kill her.

I should’ve never gotten close to him.

While Ivy vacillated in telling Ren the truth about what she was, I completely understood her internal struggle.  If she told him the truth, what would he do?  Turn her in, be the one to kill her or would he just leave since history was repeating itself?  It was such a hard decision, and while I started to struggle with her keeping secrets and the truth from Ren, that issue quickly disappeared in my eyes.  Why?  Because Torn took a dive into a dangerous, twisted area that quickly had me rooting for Ivy and being her biggest fan.

“You can fight this all you want, but I know the game and the rules,” he said , and my stomach roiled as his icy breath coasted over my cheek. “I know how this ends, little bird. And trust me, you will be consenting sooner than you realize.” – The Prince

Speaking of twisted, can I say how much I hate the Prince?  Well, hmm, actually that’s not entirely true. *hides face while I make this confession*  Yes he’s creepy and wants to impregnate Ivy so the gates from the Otherworld remain open so he can take over the mortal world.  But at times I found him amusing.  And I truly don’t know what that says about me at all because the prince was sick and twisted.  You see, he had this weird sense of humor and would say and do things that made him appear in a different light.  I know that it’s probably because he’s a psychopath and I know without a shadow of doubt not to trust him but his personality had these blue moon moments.  In those moments he was entertaining.  But then he would do stuff that quickly had him nose diving into the oh-I-hope-you-die category.  I loved that the Prince was a complex character that made me second guess my hatred for him but then had me spiraling back into the rallying behind his death.  On a side note, I hope Breena dies too!!!  I know you’ll agree with me!

As I exited the bedroom, I hit the switch and turned on the fan, grinning when he shrieked.
“That was screwed up!” he shouted as he was flung across the room. (Tink & Ivy)

Thank goodness Ivy had Tink in her life though, because he was a constant.  No matter how ridiculous he could be.  And trust me, he definitely strays from the bounds of being normal lol.  But I loved that Ivy had a male best friend who was from the Otherworld.  There’s so, so, so much I want to say about Tink.  But I can’t because of huge spoilers.  But just know that while I guessed for one thing to be true, the other one I wasn’t even close.   At all.  Let’s just say that I stared at the page open-mouthed while trying not to gasp.  Or maybe laugh.  I can’t tell you which.  Yeah.  I desperately need someone to talk to about that!!  But besides loving Tink interacting with Ivy, I freaking adored Tink and Ren’s interactions because those moments were always explosive, hilarious and over the top.

My fingers curled around the top of my dress as I stared blankly at the tile floor. I didn’t know who I was anymore. My breath caught in my chest.

How did I not talk about Ren yet?!  After reading Wicked and now Torn, I truly believe that wicked is the perfect word for describing Ren.  He is constantly exploding sexuality and I just wanted to crawl into the book and steal him for myself.  His looks, his touches, his words everything he does seduces me, um I mean Ivy.  And while my heart did break for him as the story unfolded, he proved himself to be the badass sexy fighter that I have easily come to love.

I’m gonna kill her. My hands trembled as I let the bra slip to the floor. I’m gonna kill her. I kept repeating those words as I slipped off my undies.

So now I patiently wait for the next book.  The ending of Torn is much, much easier to handle then Wicked, who’s ending left me feeling like my heart had been ripped out of my chest.  Although I do love that feeling, since I’m glutton for feeling deep emotions in a book.  But I can’t wait to read more about my favorite characters!  Come on 2017!!

*Quotes were taken from ARC*

*ARC kindly provided by Jennifer L. Armentrout via Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

** Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo **

  Excerpt:

[scroll-box]I lifted my right hand, reaching for my iron stake out of instinct, even though I knew it would do no good against the prince.

“You shouldn’t do that.” His voice was deep with what reminded me of an English accent. “I know you want to, but it would be very, very unwise of you, Ivy.”

My hand twitched.

Creepy Prince smiled slightly. “Your friend has been very helpful.”

That got my hackles up. I slid my sunglasses onto my forehead and forced my tone to stay calm and level. “I’m sure she has. Speaking of Val, happen to know where I can find her?”

His lips curled in a semblance of a smile as he stepped closer. The prince was tall, taller than Ren, who was pushing six foot two. My entire back stiffened as I forced myself to hold my ground, even though every instinct demanded that I run and run super fast, because he had almost killed me once before. Correction. He would have definitely killed me if he hadn’t realized what I was and had, I guessed, healed me.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, instead of answering my question, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine.

My hand curled into a useless fist. “That is extremely creepy to hear.”

That cold smile returned. “Why don’t we talk? There are seats across the way.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

The slow smile increased but never reached his eyes. “Oh, I know it is.”

Fine hairs rose on my arms.

“What exactly can you do right now?” he said in the same coldly polite voice. “Refuse me?” Creepy Prince laughed, and it wasn’t a bad sound. Again, it was something that was just cold, as if he were mimicking what a human would do. “You can’t.”

“I can.” My palm itched to grab the thorn stake secured under my pant leg, but I held still. I might be reckless, but I wasn’t stupid.

“Really? I will have to beg to differ on that. You see, humans surround us. So many of them, and I have an extraordinary appetite.” His eyes appeared to glimmer as his gaze slithered from the top of my curly head down to my toes. “A rather impressive appetite for many, many things.”

“Okay. First off, ew.” My lip curled. “Secondly, I don’t want to hear about any of your appetites.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “Oh, but you should know that I could kill twenty of these humans in less than five seconds and feed on the rest, leaving them to believe that it was this little red-headed girl who murdered these innocent people.” His voice dropped even lower as he leaned in and icy air brushed my cheek. “You deny me this, those lives will be on your hands, little bird.”

Anger flushed hotly as my eyes met his. There wasn’t a single part of me that doubted anything he said. He had me. God, I hated to admit it, but he had me.[/scroll-box]

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…

Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED!

** Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo **
** My 5 Star Review **

 About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

 #1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Torn on Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
wicked jennifer l armentrout
Wicked #1
Reviews:

Jen
torn jennifer l armentrout wicked trilogy
Torn #2
Reviews:

Jen

Brave #3
Reviews:

     InkSlinger-Blogger-New

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BOOK REVIEW – Deceptions (Cainsville #3) by Kelley Armstrong

BOOK REVIEW – Deceptions (Cainsville #3) by Kelley ArmstrongDeceptions (Cainsville #3)
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Otherworld series delivers her most suspenseful novel yet, where the discovery of Cainsville’s dark past and the true nature of its inhabitants leads to murder, redemption, love, and unspeakable loss.

Olivia Taylor Jones’s life has exploded. She’s discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town’s mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé.

Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?

✨ Now available in Paperback! ✨

Whaaaat? Is it finished already? Damn it.

Gabriel character’s growth : Alright. I feel like a broken record, so don’t mind me. As in the first two books, here lies my favorite part of these books. I’m all about the characters most of the time, and a great characterization can decide of my love for a book. In Deceptions Gabriel continues to learn how to stop being a cyborg (not really) and I absolutely adored peeking through the layers of his character. GAH. I love this man. See, I love the way he talks. All practical. I’ve loved his tough side from the start, his inability to react like people are supposed to, because that what makes him different from other characters : he’s not a bad-boy, he’s not a knight in shining armor either, he just… is, and I can’t help but enjoy every time he appears, even if he is being an ass (yes, it happens. No, it doesn’t change a thing). When he starts showing vulnerabilities, though? I melt. I just – I can’t. It’s subtle, and it’s way more interesting as it is. It’s showing, never telling, but he cares, so much – it made my heart throb with wonder and yes, break a little.

“He kept giving me that look, the confusion deepening to something like disappointment, like hurt, as if he’d tried to be kind and thoughtful, and I was rejecting it, and he didn’t know why. That little boy, reaching out and being pushed away. Goddamn it, Gabriel. Don’t look at me like that. Wake up. Snap out of it, pull that wall back up and retreat behind it.”

Finally, his interactions with Olivia and really – everyone – made my day. I’ll take more of this, please.

“His brows shot higher. “That would imply I have time for such frivolities. I don’t watch television or movies, and while I read a fair bit, fiction would hardly advance my education. Data, data, data. I cannot make bricks without clay.” I crossed my arms and glowered up at him. “Obviously, you’ve made an exception.” “I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule.” ” I hate you so much right now.”

Ricky’s case : Strangely, I feel bad about Ricky. Why? Because he’s genuinely adorable with Olivia and they seem really great together but even if 1)he doesn’t annoy me and 2)I don’t mind their sex scenes, on the contrary, I can’t help but feel not involved in their story. I’m a Gabriel girl through and through, even if I repeat, it’s not a love triangle-team Gabriel kind of situation. Not really. To be frank, I have nothing against Ricky : he’s sweet, respectful, charming, a little wild… I like him, really. And still… He isn’t near as fascinating as Gabriel. *shrug* Gabriel is the one who makes me smile. Always.

Olivia’s behavior : I still like her, but I have to admit that she annoys me a little when she refuses to see the obvious View Spoiler ». However, she does act on it and I appreciate how realistic that makes her : yes, in real life we bury our head in the sand sometimes. I’m often the Queen of that ship, even if I’m not proud of it. That doesn’t prevent me from waking up when I sense that I need to, and Olivia does. Whilst lost and confused, she always stays brave, smart, and funny. Am I tired to be in her head? No, never. And that’s saying something : she doesn’t ramble, she doesn’t daydream, but she always tries to make the best out of the chaos that followed her arrival in Cainsville. However, I cannot stand how she handles a certain situation, and it’s a spoiler, so here we goes (sorry) :View Spoiler »

TC! Every book needs a moody cat.

Addictive factor : Once again, the writing is completely addictive and I couldn’t stop reading for the life of me. From page one I dived into Cainsville’s mess as if I had never stopped, and there are very few series about which I can say that.

Creepy factor :

First of all : I’m a chicken (yes, it’s important to state). This being said, the creepy scenes increased in number in this third book, definitely. I got chills at her visions and no, the light of my Kindle wasn’t enough anymore. Chicken, I said.

ANSWERS! I’m not gonna lie, the first two books let me –

You get the idea. Lost. Confused. Did I say lost? So, does it change? Yes we get explanations about the murders. Yes they’re twisted and wicked. Yes I loved that. Does the story seem less captivating after getting these answers? Oh hell no. I’m even more curious to see where the story will go from now on. Now, I must confess that some parts disappointed me and that I am scared that this series will become stereotypical (that’s why I lowered my rating) View Spoiler ». I hate Fate related plots and I really can’t fathom why authors do that. I strongly hope I’m wrong, and I want to trust Kelley Armstrong to stay far from the easiest path View Spoiler », because so far everything was way more complicated than it seemed, and I loved these books for it.

Ps. I need to say something about the bike club scene : it made me cringe so bad. I do not like girl fight at all, and the whole “handling over” Olivia played with my nerves. I know, I have no idea if it is accurate or not. Maybe it is. I still can’t help but hate the casual sexism that is pictured there. Ugh.

BOOK REVIEW – This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab

BOOK REVIEW – This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria SchwabThis Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

 So. This Savage Song. Rarely a novel created so many divergent reactions in my feed. If the fact that opinions differ doesn’t strike me as unusual – suffice it to take a look at most romance novels’ pages to see radically different ratings – it still contributed to my confusion before reading because mixing most of them would lead to a hell of an oxymoron.

The world-building is fantastic and original, but generic.
The characters are well-rounded and complex, but rather dull and one-dimensional.
It was unputdownable. It was so fucking boring.
It lacked romance. Thanks god there’s no romance.

I very much enjoyed reading all these interesting and well-thought reviews – and I am not being ironic – yet my questions started piling up with increasing speed : so, what? Would This Savage Song be the first novel from Victoria Schwab that would leave me indifferent? Should I lower my expectations? Would I like, would I like, would I like?

But then I thought : Anna, these reviews aren’t about you. Such a tiny thing, this. So easily forgotten. As much as we start noticing similarities between our tastes and particular reviewers’ over the years, their reviews are never, ever, about ourselves. How could they?

I guess that’s why it baffles me so much when I see people leaving hmm, let’s say, tactless comments on reviews they don’t agree with. Sure, sometimes we can’t change the facts. Does the MC cheat? Is there consent? (because yes, I’m one of these people who think that there’s nothing grey or “blurred” about consent) But most of the words written in a review are opinions and are linked to so many factors : the number of books read in that genre, the personal tastes, the current mood, etc, etc.

We can organize our reviews all we want, use bullet points or dialectical reasoning, who cares, it doesn’t change a thing (or ramble before even talking about the book itself, I know, I know, the irony isn’t left on me).

In the end, sometimes our opinion will only revolve around the chemistry we share with a particular author and her work. This is where I stand when Victoria Schwab is concerned.

Does that mean that I will love every one of her books? Hell no. I only liked Vicious, and This Savage Song awoke the same kind of contradictory feelings in me :

✔ As usual with Victoria Schwab‘s novels, I was fascinated by the concept and the writing managed (without forcing, it seems) to tug at my heartstrings at the most random moments.

✘ ✔ The pacing didn’t suit me during the first 50%, my read was interspersed by at least 10 minutes of rest every few chapters, but once the second half started, the story captivated me so much that I forgot everything that wasn’t August (yes. I am playing favorites) – it started with a whimper, ended with a bang? How fitting.

Verity’s monsters were as disturbing as engrossing to read about, and the darkness lurking enveloped me completely.

“Be careful, parents told their children, be good, or the Corsai will come, but the truth was the Corsai didn’t care if you were careful or good. They swam in darkness and fed on fear, their bodies sick, distended shapes that looked human only if you caught them out of the corner of your eye.”

✘ The somewhat dystopian settings made me think that really, I’m not sure we need to read about a umpteenth version of the decaying United States. I’d rather go somewhere else next time. Really. Please think about it.

✘ ✔ I would say that the characters are pretty generic and trope-ish, because this is what my mind was screaming at first, but I cannot dismiss the fact that they made me care and snort and bite my nails and feel. They left me craving for more. Perhaps Victoria Schwab used an old mold to craft her characters, it doesn’t change the fact that they genuinely interested me and that I, for one, enjoyed their dynamics a lot.

Also, I really have a thing for male leads who sob and whisper. I KNOW. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. But THIS IS WHO I AM. It only works in books, though. Weird how attraction works, ha. In real life I would probably say something along the lines of, [frowns] why the hell are you whispering?! Because of course. Kill Mood Is Me.

“This was the opposite of peace. He felt alive – so alive – but tarnished, his sense screaming and his head a tangle of dark thoughts and feelings and power, and he was drowning and shivering and burning alive.”

► My review, it seems, is everything but helpful. This being said, given the huge fanbase Victoria Schwab has – which she deserves, as far as I’m concerned – I know that my review will hardly change anything in your decision. Read it, don’t read it. One thing is sure : your review will be unique and genuinely interesting to me.

BOOK REVIEW: Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

BOOK REVIEW: Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg CabotShadowland (The Mediator #1)
by Meg Cabot
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost.

Suze is a mediator - a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind... and Suze happens to be in the way.

But even on the ninth floor of Bellevue-which is where they lock up the crazy people in New York-I probably wouldn’t be safe from the ghosts. They’d find me.
They always do.

Alright so, it appears that everyone wanted to like my pre-review of fangirlish relations to when I was younger…so I don’t see a large point in writing a long-winded review when it seems everyone has mostly stopped by and saw all they wanted to see. But, along with those youngish nostalgic ramblings, I did want to say why I loved-and still love-this series.

It’s not often a person can look back at a book they read in middle school and say they still love it and it’s almost just as good as they remember. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe I love it so much I’m blind to the fact that it is a little youngish. Maybe it really is just as good as I think it is. Maybe I am biased because I truly believe this author is a witty, sarcastic, and wonderful writer. Or maybe I’m just biased for Jesse. And Suze. I don’t know, and frankly, who the fuck cares?

“Oh, Suze. Not again.”

This series shaped a large chunk of my pre-teen years and gave me countless months, years, whatever of pining and wanting and dreaming of the beautiful Jesse. And, admittedly, my funny story for this is that I read book five first. ME. CHELSEA. The girl who hates spoilers and disorder and messing with the integrity of books. But I guess this just goes to show you that if you are a good author, you can make anything work.

I was OBSESSED with that fifth book, Haunted, and wanted nothing more than for Jesse and Suze’s story to continue. Little did I know, after a little bout of research at the local bookstore (aahhh the good old brick and mortar days) that I had missed four books before!! Imagine how excited I was. I mean, really. Plus, there was yet another book coming! Hey, don’t judge me too harshly. It’s not like I had GR to jump onto so I could see (Mediator #5)! And it certainly didn’t show on the book’s spine, I’ll tell ya that much.

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“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, this is my room now. So you’re going to have to clear out.”
I’m going to have to clear out?” He raised one black eyebrow. “This has been my home for a century and a half. Why do I have to leave it?”

But in some weird way….I think that’s why I loved this series so much. It was developed and Jesse was in full-blown swoon mode and Suze was funnier than ever-and hey, there was lots of jelly at this point…me likes the jelly boys. So, you know, maybe my little heart needed this one first. *Shrugs* I dunno.

Just before I fell asleep again, I thought I heard something besides the owl. It sounded like someone singing the words Oh, Susannah, now don’t you cry for me, ’cause I come from Alabama with this banjo on my knee.
But that, I’m sure, was just my imagination.

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Witty, light-hearted, fun, fast-paced, and humorous, I will never get tired of reading about Suze’s escapades as a mediator. I mean really, who gets to have a sexy, mysterious ghost boy as a roommate? Certainly not I….but I sure would have loved to have had a Jesse of my own.

*****

Oh. My. GOD guys….that moment when you realize a childhood favorite is better than anything you remember and you get three times the feels because you can ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT BETTER and appreciate your young childhood BBF in the way he deserves AGHHHH.

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Sometimes it feels like coming home when you pick up a book again…and that’s all you can really ask for. Those feels, they are unlike anything you’ve ever felt. SO unreal. And so worth it to re read these masterpieces from my childhood.

RTC

***********

Ahhhh nostalgiaaaaaaaa ♥

**********

O.m.g. My favorite book series EVER from when I was in middle school is being made into a movie! You know how many times I wished that would happen 10 or more years ago?! I used to pick out songs that would make up the soundtrack.

I will be there! Hope they don’t ruin it!

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW – End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) by Susan Ee

BOOK REVIEW – End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) by Susan EeEnd of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3)
by Susan Ee
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

Review:

I laughed, cried, fell madly in love, become utterly terrified and was even beyond ecstatic.  I loved these characters.  I loved how the story evolved throughout the series.  BUT I hated how I was left with SO many unanswered questions.  On top of that, I hated how it ended abruptly in the middle of a scene.  Both of those aspects pained my heart.  So I found myself closing the book and just staring at the wall wandering through my thoughts.  Because one on hand, I loved everything else about this story, yet that epilogue left so much to be desired for.  Ultimately my love for Penryn, Raffe, and so many of the other characters allowed me to place this series on my favorites list, which I don’t take lightly.   But I know that years down the road I will still wish that I was given more after that breathtaking journey.

So here’s what I struggled with (a little reiterating here lol):

Happily For Now – While HFNs are okay, I will always prefer a HEA over them.  The end of the book stops right in the middle of a scene, so I was left wishing that there were still a few more chapters to read.

Too Many Unanswered Questions – This could have easily been a 5 Star book.  But that ending left so much to be desired for.  I was crushed that I had so many unanswered questions, even  questions that I’ve had since the first book.  I listed all my unanswered questions in the spoiler below.  I’m sure I’ll eventually think of more, since these are the ones that easily rolled off of the top of my head.  Btw don‘t click this spoiler if you haven’t read the final book, there are HUGE spoilers:

View Spoiler »

See, that’s a TON of unanswered questions.  That’s why I docked what should have easily been a 5 Star book.  Too much was left unanswered, or was left not mentioned.  Was it an easy way out?  I don’t know.

But here’s what I loved:

“Since when did you become so protective?”
“Since my enemies have determined that you’re my Daughter of Man.”
I swallow. My throat is dry.

Sexual tension – This whole trilogy was laced with sexual tension, but the of End of Days gave me exactly what I wanted!  My heart was racing and happy and you couldn’t knock the smile off of my face.  THIS was exactly what I was hoping would happen, even if some of the scenes went a little too fast……..I went back and already re-read them a few times.  They were sooooo good!

The invasion. My mom. My sister. The massacres. They all come rushing back. He’s right.
We’re at war.
On the verge of an apocalypse filled with monsters and torture in a nightmare world.
And I’m standing here, a moonstruck teenager pining for an enemy soldier. What am I, crazy?
This time, I’m the first to turn away.

An outstanding heroine – I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Penryn deserves to be standing next to Raffe.  She is rational, logical, brave and fierce.  She is a force to be reckoned with and takes bad-ass to a whole new level.  I loved being in her head, she is one of my favorite Heroines ever!

He looks down at me with sincere eyes. “If I were human, I would have been the first in line for you . . .” He looks away. “But I’m not. I’m an archangel, and my people are in trouble. I have no choice but to try to set things straight. I can’t get distracted by a Daughter of Man.”
He nods a little to himself. “I can’t.”

A breathtaking hero – Not only was Raffe exactly what Penryn was – rational, logical, brave and fierce – but his loyalty and protection towards Penryn was utter perfection.  He made my heart soar with how he saw her and tried to protect her.  He made my heart melt as he fought back to back with Penryn and trusted her with his life.

Amazing supporting side characters – Whether it was her sister, mom, the twins or some other Angels that I don’t want to mention, I loved them all.  They were fleshed out and felt as real as Penryn and Raffe.  They made me laugh and cry and I became invested in each and every one of them!

“We can all go our separate ways and die alone.” My voice becomes firm, and I try to inject steel into it. “Or we can stay together and make our final stand.”

✮Heart stopping action – Battle scenes, horrific situations, insanely difficult decisions, this book was filled with moments that left me breathless and utterly captivated.

“Just this once,” he says almost more to himself than to me. “Just one moment.”
Then he leans down and kisses me.

An outcome that was perfection – I desperately want to talk about this BUT I can’t without giving away an enormous spoiler.  So just know that I cried, laughed and my heart soared with something that happened.

Now do you see my struggle?  Because this series and book was almost perfect, except for all of the unanswered questions and HFN ending.  I still want everyone to discover this fabulous series, but I wanted to spell out clearly what I struggled with since you may or may not also struggle in those areas too.  But regardless of whether you agree or disagree with me, just know that I will always love Penryn, Raffe and their outstanding journey!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
angelfall susan ee
Angelfall #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
Laura
Anna
world after susan ee
World After #2
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
end of days susan ee
End of Days #3
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
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