Review: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Blurb:

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.

My Thoughts:

Descended by Blood was such a fun, fast, awesome read! I can't wait for the follow-up book, especially after that crazy ending! Oh my gosh!

So, after that little bit of fangirl gushing, here's my review. Descended by Blood is a great addition to the the YA vampire genre. It's not just plain old vampires creeping around in dark alleys at night. There's a whole society of Pijawikas and Zao Duhs. A society that Brooke knows nothing about until a crazy dude tries to kill her at her boyfriend Jaren's house. Brooke, Jaren and Brooke's best friend Kaitlynn run to Utah with some new friends while Brooke learns about her true nature.

I don't want to give away anything good, but I think it's safe to say that Descended by Blood is an exciting, fast-paced story that definitely is worth to read, especially if you love the vampire genre.

There were a couple things that bothered me about Brooke, however. First of all, she was a bit whiny when she learned the truth about her origins and awesome powers. I would have been super excited about this powers, but Brooke wants to pretended they don't exist. Secondly, I feel like Brooke likes to lead the boys along (yes, there is a love triangle, but it works). Seriously girl, make up your mind! Although there's not much of a contest for me (Team Mirko all the way)!

Overall, I really enjoyed Descended by Blood and I can't wait for Enemy Within!

On the Cover:

I like the cover quite a bit, especially the little blood drops.

Rating: 4 Hearts

Source: I received the book as part of a giveaway by the author

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | The Books Depository


Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Traitor Blog Tour - Bridger Review

I'm excited to share with you today my stop on the Traitor Blog Tour, the second book in the Bridger series.

Ashlyn never believed in fairy tales until she was in one.

They say ignorance is bliss, but not when you're on a centuries old hit list...and there's a traitor in your midst.

Ashlyn must decide what's most important: trusting the allies she has, or siding with those she thought were enemies. Ashlyn knows old friends can turn on her, and unlikely allies may be the best chance she has to piece her family back together. No matter what her choice, she could lose someone she loves.

And when you don't know who to trust, believe one thing: You can never trust a faerie

For my tour stop I'll be reviewing book #1, Bridger. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom!

Ashlyn McVean doesn't believe in fairy tales. That is, until Ashlyn is thrown into the crosshairs of grudges her grandmother created long ago. After finding out she is one of two people able to cross between faerie realms, Ashlyn is faced with trying to understand her abilities, along with navigating a new relationship with her boyfriend, Liam. As if being on a centuries old hit list and dealing with crazed pixies isn't enough, her new abilities mean trouble for Liam. Knowing her new life puts everyone she loves in danger, Ashlyn must decide what's most important in her life between friends, family, love, and ultimately, realms.

Overall, I enjoyed Bridger. I've always liked stories about faeries and I enjoyed the Irish flavour Megan Curd brought to her book. Ashlyn was a great heroine; strong, but still realistic. Not only does she love her family beyond all else, but she also has some mad skillz! I enjoyed the last third of the book the most, as it was the post action-packed.

I felt like Bridger got a bit slow in the middle, when the supernatural elements dropped out of the story for a while and were replaced with a few chapters of high school drama. Luckily, this didn't last for too long and the action ramped right back up again. There's a minor love triangle in Bridger, but it's not too overwhelming and mostly just shows up in the high school drama section mentioned above. 

Liam. Most of the time, I really liked Liam as a leading man. Except for during his 'Krista phase,' when he annoyed the crap out of me. It helps that in my imagination, he is super hot!

My favourite character was Memaw. She's so feisty! I hope I'm as kick-butt as Memaw when I'm a grandma!

Overall, I enjoyed Bridger and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Traitor!

You can find more about Bridger and Traitor on Goodreads and by checking out Megan Curd's website. Don't forget to add her on twitter!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Options Cover Reveal

I'm super excited to be sharing the cover reveal of Options by Abbi Glines. The cover design was done by Stephanie Mooney from Mooney Designs.

Two paths.

Two completely different roads.

Each one standing before me.

Each one holding a different destiny.

 

In life you're just supposed to choose one path.  

In life you're not given the chance at choosing one specific future.

 

Until now.

Until me. 

 

Why am I different? I don't know. But I'm going to see those roads and walk down each one. When it's over I'll know which one to choose because I'll know my - options.

I like this cover a lot. I love the mysterious forest path and colour of the model's hair! What do you think? Are you excited for this one?

Review: Tallis by M. C. Rae

Blurb:

The Empire of Andresium is threatened by the corruption of the immortals, ancient beings given the gift of eternal life after the death of the last reigning empress. A prophecy speaks of their eventual downfall at the hands of one of their own, however. Tallis is known by most simply as "The Loren," and seeks to avoid her destiny while trying herself to remain untainted by the decaying morals and indifference to the fates of men that plague her kind. As the events of the prophecy begin to unfold, Tallis finds herself conflicted between upholding her dedication to justice, and falling victim to the ramifications of following the desires of her own heart.

My Thoughts:

I wish that Tallis was a novel instead of a novella. I felt like just as I was getting into it, it ended. While I'm sure M.C. Rae (aka. Killian McRae) has intentions to expand the Books of Andresium series, I not the most patient reader and a 57 page novella felt like a teaser! I think Tallis could have been fleshed out a bit more into a novel instead of a novella.

The world M.C. Rae creates in Tallis is very intriguing and I would definitely like to learn more about it. The world feels very complex, but I really feel like 57 pages wasn't enough to do it justice.

 At first I had some trouble connecting with Tallis, as she's very strong and stoic and comes off a bit flat and boring in the beginning. However, it's not too far in that her character becomes more developed and we see some vulnerability in Tallis.

Overall, I felt that Tallis was a bit too short and I would have preferred it to be a novel, but I'm definitely interested in reading the next books in the series when they come along.

On the Cover:

I don't mind the cover on this edition of Tallis, but I prefer the new cover (right).

Rating: 3.5 hearts

Source: I received a copy from the author in return for an honest review.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Review: Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors...and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories.

In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to Sherwood Forest, where Pestilence figures out how to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where cartons of infested grain are being packed onto a ship that will carry the plague, to the Children’s Crusade in France—all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world.

But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?

My Thoughts:

I was super intrigued by the concept of this series: normal, imperfect people becoming Horsemen of the Apocalypse. While I haven't read Hunger or Rage, I would definitely like to. Maybe because as well as a bookworm, I'm also a horse-girl, but if I had to be something evil-ish, it would totally be a Horseman of the Apocalypse!

One of my favourite parts of the book for Kessler's portrayal of Death. He was perfect! Calm, intelligent, uncaring and unbiased. Such an awesome character and definitely my favourite.

I also enjoyed the layers in Loss. As if finding out you must act as a Horseman of the Apocalypse wasn't enough, Billy is also dealing with some serious bullies, not to mention his grandfather's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Bullying is a huge issue and I'm glad there are books like Loss that give it a voice without being boring or preachy. Hooray for an awesome message.

Unfortunately, the middle of the book held some issues for me. The plot felt like it slowed to a crawl and things jumped around a lot, leaving me confused and not sure what was significant to the story. However, I still enjoyed the book and will definitely keep an eye out for Hunger and Rage.

Also, I didn't feel like the title packed the same punch as Hunger and Rage.

On the Cover:

Beautiful. I love this cover (possibly because it's shiny).

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

Source: Won from the awesome Rhiannon at Diary of a Bookworm


Find the Author: Goodreads | Website

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | The Book Depository

Water Blog Tour - Earth Review + Giveaway

I'm super excited to be participating in the Water (Elemental #3) blog tour.

Blurb:

Shayna's first surfing session of the summer is interrupted by the screams of a mother who has lost her little boy in the water. Without regard to her own safety, Shayna swims out, rescues the boy, but must escape the clutches of something far worse than she could have ever imagined – mermaids.

Compelled to answer the sirens' call, the boys of Shayna's town are drawn to the sea, but when they return are afflicted by an unknown illness, a sickness which is draining them of their life force. Unable to tell anyone about the mermaids, Shayna and her friends are forced to solve the mystery before it's too late, and in doing so, Shayna will finally have to face the full force of her powers. Whether she’s ready or not, she will have to face her true nature.

I'm very excited to share with you my review of the first book in the Elemental Series, Earth!


Blurb:

Shayna and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town. Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the nightmares start.

Shayna suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it's only a ploy to draw her out; she can't let someone die because of her.



My Thoughts: 


I definitely enjoyed this book. Earth was an exciting suspenseful ride! I couldn't wait to find out how things would be resolved in the end. There was a healthy dose of mystery and Shauna Granger kept me guessing until the very end (I waffled back and forth quite a bit).


I'll be honest, it took me a while to get into Earth. I'm not sure why, but the beginning felt a bit slow and dragged for me. But I'm sure glad I kept reading! Once the plot picked up, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next!


As I've said before, I love stories about witches! Shayna, Jodi and Steven aren't exactly witches (they're Elementals), but I still got that whole vibe, which I really enjoyed. Plus they had such a great friendship. They were very supportive, but also realistic in that they still argued. However, it bothered me a bit how lopsided their friendship and partnership was, with Shayna being the most powerful of the three. I would have liked them to be a bit more equal.


All-in-all, I enjoyed Earth and I can't wait to read Air and Water!

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Please check out the rest of the tour and be sure to enter the giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Theme Thursday - Earth Edition

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

The theme for this week is

TIME , Clock, Hours, Minutes, Seconds 

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My Theme Thursday comes from Earth by Shauna Granger.

When you fall everything moves too fast. I could have been falling for seconds or days before a hand caught my arm.


What do you think? I can't wait to check out everyone else's!