Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
(Everneath #1)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Harper Collins
Review copy received through Netgalley

A great mix of mythology and young-adult romance, Everneath is definitely a debut you want to check out.

Last summer Nikki vanished into the Everneath. Now she is back in the mortal world again, a completely different person. But her days are numbered; only six more months until she will disappear to the Tunnels forever. Will she be able to make peace with her destiny?

Everneath easily slurps you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. Because of the way the novel is built up, you alternately get little parts of Nikki's past, and of her present. This way the story slowly unfolds, leaving the big secrets to hidden until the very end. Each chapter is numbered; the countdown of months Nikki still has here is unnerving, making for a quick and exciting read.

What I especially loved in this book is the romance. Nikki and her boyfriend Jack are best-friends-turned-lovers, something that barely happens in young-adult books lately. There is no instant-love here, there's no place for petty problems. They were and are an amazing couple, and I was totally rooting for them. What I also liked was that there was no love triangle here. There could have been; the immortal bad boy Cole would have been a perfect choice. But Nikki stays true to her one love Jack, even though Cole is definitely very attractive. I really appreciated this; it made their love even more convincing.

Everneath will break your heart. But it's so, so worth it.

Blurb

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly (4/5 Stars)
• Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelley Keaton (5/5 Stars)

More links

• Author page
• Press
• Goodreads

Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger
(Parasol Protectorate  #1)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Orbit

This was one of the surprises of the year. Even though I have had the Parasol Protectorate series on my TBR for a while, I never really looked into them and what they were about. All I knew was that they were classified as steampunk, a genre I love.

Miss Alexia Tarabotti is a special woman, in several ways. She is a spinster in her twenties, deemed unmarriageable because of her mysterious Italian father, her interest in science and other unladylike topics, and her slightly sarcastic wit. On top of that, she is a preternatural. Miss Tarabotti is not in possession of a soul. When she is most rudely attacked by a vampire, she is sucked into quite dangerous business, dealing with even more dangerous yet very attractive werewolves...

I absolutely ADORE the world Ms Carriger has created. Not only is the story of Soulless set in Victorian society, even the supernaturals are affected by the setting. Being a werewolf is no excuse for dressing poorly, and you better have good table manners as a vampire. It makes for such bizarre situations, it is utterly brilliant. I actually snickered while reading this book. Maybe I am even guilty of outright giggling.

Another massive plus is that at no point in the story the romance felt icky. Usually, when the heroine and hero are getting the hots for each other, I am not quite there with them yet. In Soulless I had no such issue. From all the adult romance storylines I have come across, this was one I was most comfortable with. It all felt so natural, the bickering, the little bits and pieces of tenderness. It all came together in such a way that I was fully invested in the scene, which is accomplished very rarely by books I read.

Alexia was an interesting character to read about. Even though she might not technically has a soul, she has enough brains to make up for it. She is a pleasant conversationalist with a healthy self-image and enough thinking capacity. She is nothing like her shallow half-sisters, constantly fussing about who wears what, and what they will wear to that party. What I liked was that even though Alexia in spirit resembles a modern woman, she still has some very distinct Victorian values. It was a great little touch, adding a lot of credibility to the story. You can really feel Ms Carriger has thought every detail through.

Soulless is a highly original book that I would certainly recommend to all lovers of steampunk, the paranormal, or historical romance. From the first page the dreamlike prose draws you in, and won't let you go until you have finished the story. I cannot wait to read the next installment, and find out what is in store next for this soulless heroine.

Blurb

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Review: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross (4/5 Stars)
• Review: Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens (2/5 Stars)
• Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher (4/5 Stars)

More links

• Author page
• Press
• Goodreads

Review: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford

The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford
(Of Witches & Warlocks #2)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Global Authors Publishers
254 pages
Received a review copy from the author
This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series

The sequel to the romantic The Trouble With Spells, The Demon Kiss gives us a lot more suspense.

We come back to Portia and Vance after Vance is turned into a half-demon, and Portia is left behind while Vance goes on a search for his evil father.

What I really appreciate in these books is that Ms Weatherford doesn't keep you waiting for the action until the very end. There is enough going on throughout the book to keep you entertained. There were a lot of moments in the book that made me giggle, which is always a very good sign.

The most significant change in the series is that the focus of the story is shifting a bit from the romance between our main characters, to some more action and plot. Trust me, there is still more than enough romance to satisfy your fix of Vance, but it's nice to read some more about his father and learn more about the demon lore.

There is a little bit less magic in The Demon Kiss, but I still love the fact that it all feels so natural. The descriptions make it feel like a second nature of the characters, and not something the author forced on them. It was also nice to see Portia's friends getting some minor powers of their own. I hope to see more of them in the third book of the series.

The relationship between Portia and Vance is clearly more mature now, and I'm very glad for that. They're still deeply in love, but they now realise that there will always be disagreements within a relationship. It was interesting to see them deal with their problems.

Overall The Demon Kiss is a really nice sequel for The Trouble With Spells. It has the same atmosphere as its predecessor, but a bit more mature and with an exciting plot to keep you urging to read on.

Blurb

Can someone else's past come back to bite you?

After being drained of nearly all the blood in her body, novice witch, Portia Mullins, wakes up to find that her warlock boyfriend, Vance Mangum, has fled in search of his demon father. Determined to keep him from facing the evil alone Portia follows after him, unknowingly setting herself on the path of a new adventure that will take her, Vance, and their coven over international borders, into a foreign place where they will discover that the black magic which awaits them is far worse than they ever imagined. Portia finds herself tangled up in a web of lies and deceit in another's quest for demonic power in the excitingly romantic second paranormal novel in the Of Witches and Warlocks Series, The Demon Kiss.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford (Of Witches & Warlocks #1)

More links

• Blog Tour: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford (Book Excerpt)
• Lacey Weatherford's Author Page
• Amazon

Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
(Fever #1)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Dell

Oh, Ms. Karen Marie Moning, how could you?! How could you leave us hanging like that? How are we supposed to live without having a sense of closure after that roller coaster ride that was your book? That's just plain sadistic. No really.

When her sister is killed in Ireland, small-town Georgia girl MacKayla Lane has no peace until the murderer is found. The police decides there aren't enough leads and close the case, leaving Mac no choice but to travel to Ireland herself and convince the police to open her sister's case again. When she sets foot in Dublin, she is within days sucked into a strange world where monsters exist, and only she can see them for what they are.

I loved this book. I love the way it's constructed, the voice in which it's written. I love the world that slowly but steadily unfolds before our eyes, where more and more Unseelie Fae are entering our world through a portal, infesting our cities and killing innocent humans. The only ones that can save mankind from being overrun by these monsters are the Sidhe-seers. These humans can see through the glamour of the Fae and see the real monster within them.

The world Ms. Moning has created isn't pretty. It's dark and gruesome. You can't trust anyone. Everyone has its own hidden agenda, including the supposedly good guys. Then, you throw our pink-loving small town girl from the Deep South Barbie heroine into this mess. I don't believe there could be a bigger contrast.

I've read a lot of reviews saying they couldn't stand Barbie 'cause she's so annoyingly shallow and not-heroic. I'm not going to lie to you, she totally is both things. She has two things working for her though. One, she is still grieving the loss of her sister, her best friend. Don't tell me you wouldn't do stupid things to revenge a loved one. Two, I don't think any regular human being has world-saving ambitions. In books we see the I-have-to-save-the-world-on-my-own complex a lot, but we all know that it isn't realistic. Mac is just an ordinary girl, maybe shallow and superficial, but can you blame her for not wanting to fight monsters straight from your worst nightmare?

One thing that did annoy me about Mac was not her habit to describe every piece of her wardrobe in detail, but her awful romantic chattering about the Deep South. I know that's where she comes from, and she is apparently damn proud of it, but do you have to measure every single thing that happens to you to how different it would be if you were back at home? It seems like every single person in her home town is extremely kind, hospitable and polite. Personally, I hate small towns. The idea that everyone knows you and knows what you do every second of the damned day freaks me out. Sometimes I wanted to give Mac a nice slap to the head and tell her that not everything that's different from provincial life is a bad thing.

I would have probably given this book 5 stars, if it wasn't for the terrible cliffhanger at the end. I thoroughly hate it when a writer doesn't give you any sense of an ending. We read the whole thing, but now we are forced to buy part two of the series. Which will probably end with a cliffhanger too. That's so not cool. Problem is, I will probably buy the second part of the series, Bloodfever, very soon anyway.

Darkfever was an awesome urban-fantasy book, especially for a first book in a series. Beware of the cliffhanger ending.

Blurb

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks... until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae...

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands...

Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelley Keaton

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
(Gods & Monsters #1)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Published by Simon Pulse
ARC received through a giveaway

A great mix of action, the paranormal, and the sense of not fitting in.

Ari is different. Not in the standard I-don't-fit-in-on-high-school kind of way, but visibly different. Her straight silver hair cannot be cut or dyed, and her eyes stand out. She hasn't had the most standard upbringing either; after being left by her mother she's had foster home after home, before finally settling down with a couple that teaches her how to fight and handle a gun.

The story begins with Ari trying to find out who her biological mother is. This leads her to the ruins of New Orleans, that now, after two catastrophic hurricanes, is called Area 2. Area 2 is bought by nine families of power, the Novem. It has become the epicentre of everything paranormal and the outcasts. Ari hopes to find who she is here, or better still, what she is.

First thing that comes to mind while reading Darkness Becomes Her is that Ari is so mature for her age. She doesn't pay attention to the normal-teen stuff. While this could be a put-off, in this story it works. Her early matureness can easily be explained by her lack of a innocent childhood. We don't get a lot of background, but enough to see that Ari's life has not been easy. One thing that shocked me a bit is Ari's language. I'm used to the cutesy fluffy YA-heroines that say things like "Oh my!". Ari's favourite profanity seems to be "fuck" though. I'm not really a fan of foul language in books, and the word was used quite excessively, but that didn't bother me personally. I can understand that this might offend some readers though.

What made me love this book so much is it's oddness. The setting, the characters, everything is different from the ordinary. It goes hand in hand with the dark edge of the story. The plot is a daring mix of paranormal creatures we know and understand (like vampires and shifters) and an interesting view on the Greek mythology.

I had only one complaint that made me reluctant to give this book a 5-star rating. The plot moves extremely quick, which overall I only appreciated, because this kind of book has to move fast to keep momentum. But that also meant that the romance between Ari and Sebastian was completely incomprehensible at times. Just when I thought I understood what was going on, they did something that left me frowning and scratching my head in utter confusion. Luckily, towards the end it got more understandable for me so I wasn't condemned to stay in that uncomfortable state.

You will either love this book, or hate it. It depends on what your expectations are. Don't expect this to be a cute girl-meets-guy story with some paranormal elements and mythical creatures. A whole new world is created in Darkness Becomes Her, and I cannot wait to see what happens next with Ari!

Blurb

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.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
• Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Undead

The Good, The Bad, and The Undead by Kim Harrison

4.5 out of 5 stars

This the 2nd book in a series. May contain spoilers for previous instalments.

In honour of the release of Pale Demon, the ninth book in the Hollows series, on the 22rd this month I'm rereading the whole series.

When I first read these book I didn't even know the "urban fantasy" was a genre and I devoured these books, enjoying every bit of them. They introduced me to this wonderful world where humans, vampires, werewolves and witches all live together in a contemporary world. Every detail about this world was new for me, never having read anything like it.

And even though my innocent fascination is gone after reading my share of urban fantasy, this series is in my opinion one of the best out there. It has the right mix of fast-paced action, suspense, true friendships, drama, character development and even some romance to keep the story interesting.

In this book the FIB (the investigation bureau for non-Inderlanders, also known as those boring human beings) contracts white earth witch Rachel to help find something or someone that's killing ley line witches one after the other. The trail leads to extremely rich and attractive young bachelor Trent Kalamack, that also runs most of Cincinatti's underground. But as always, nothing is what it seems...

Rachel is flawed, but that makes her so much easier to relate to. She doesn't always make the right decisions and is extremely stubborn at times which makes me love her even more. She cares about her family and her close friends/business partners and she tries to make the best out of everything. Throughout the series we see her struggling with her morals. What is the line between good and bad? In this book she starts to realise not everything is black and white. Even though she has sworn never to deal with demons (as people who are stupid enough to do that usually end up dead or worse) the smut on her soul is only increasing. And what to do about that demon-summoning boyfriend?

These books are quite long (about 450 pages in paperback) you read through them at an incredible speed. I like reading about how Rachel deals with her blood-craving living vampire roommate, her delicate relation with the FIB, the investigation part of the story. Kim Harrison's writing is clear and adds to the story, describing the witch spells and other magic in detail.

I would also like to give Ms. Harrison credit of her incredible cast of secondary characters. They all have their distinct personalities, and I love them all for that. Especially the mysterious Trent is awesome, and the tongue-in-cheek pixy Jenks is hilarious.

Even if you've already know where the story is going these books are extremely engrossing. I would recommend them to everyone interested in paranormal stories. Even if the books take some time to get into at the start, they are totally worth it.

Blurb

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.
She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.
Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

Other reviews you might be interested in

• Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (The Hollows #1)
• Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison (Madison Avery #1)
• Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison (Madison Avery #2)

Review: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

4.5 out of 5 stars

I don't know why it took me so long to pick this book up. It has been sitting on my shelves for ages, and I never felt like reading it. I'm not in the mood to read straight fantasy, I kept telling myself. The extensive world building, the political intrigues, it seemed all too heavy after so many light young-adults. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Robin Hobb's writing gripped me from the very first page; and this is an anomaly for me. I usually need at least fifty pages to get into the story, and another fifty to start loving it. The narration is so wonderful and poetic in a way, it sweeps you into its light arms and carries you through the story. I saw everything Hobb described, every character became alive, the whole world seemed to be so natural. You know a fantasy author is good when you don't have to look on their map that comes with the book.

Assassin's Apprentice is basically the start tale of royal bastard Fitz (for lack of any other name; he usually goes by "Boy"). At the age of five he is brought to the court of King Shrewd, where he is to reside and be a King's Man. As a bastard, he is too dangerous to be left running around the kingdom unchecked, but he will never be acknowledged either. He is trained to be a royal assassin, who is completely loyal to the King.

Fitz' life is definitely not easy. He overcomes countless hardships. Even though he gets a purpose in his life, he is utterly alone. People either act like he isn't there or they try to "put him back in his place". Meaning Fitz' life could be in danger.

Fitz is a wonderful tragic hero. Usually I'm not that big of fan of those (I like my heroes to have happy endings and live ever after), but Fitz is such a complex character you can't help but feel for him. You live through all his hard times with him, you feel his loneliness, his excitement, and you just have to root for him. I kept hoping for him, that all would turn out well in the end, even though his situation got more and more desperate.

Of course, Fitz' story is long from over, as the book ends quite abruptly. This didn't really bother me because I have book two (Royal Assassin) and three (Assassin's Quest) here waiting for me, but I think this could be quite a turn off if you don't have the possibility to immediately pick up the second book.

Assassin's Apprentice was way better than anything I had expected. I wasn't bored a second of it, even the courtly intrigues where interesting enough to keep my attention. I can't wait to see what happens next to my poor Fitz.

Blurb
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.