Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe (Fireblood #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
Publication Date: December 17th 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Present tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father’s capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince's first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.

When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart’s twisted world, Zara’s path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara’s hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father’s evil nature, or they will take him out.

But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels’ command and where the prince’s heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she’s truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart.

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This book really grabbed me by the heart and would not let me go. Although I have one major issue with it which is the cause of the 4 stars, and I will get to that later. I was tempted to even move it down to a 3 because it was kind of a major issue. But I really enjoyed the story so I couldn't do it.

First of all, the story was totally captivating and I just could not put this book down. I read way past my bedtime. For the first part of the book it was fascinating but in a subdued sort of way. I thought it would be about Zara coming to terms with her position as Queen and using her influence over Sebastian to try to make a better kingdom--while also loving someone else. But then the rebels were introduced to the story and it became so much more complex. There was so much more going on than I gathered from reading Unveiled.

When I first saw the cover for this book I really liked the appearance of the characters. Zara was gorgeous but there was something about her that still looked strong. But I didn't even know the half of it. Zara was amazing, and so was Devlan. The cover made him look strong but kind, and he was. He was so protective of Zara and it made me like him instantly, before I really knew anything else about his character. They had so much chemistry that I felt like they couldn't even be in the same room with Sebastian or he would be able to see it simmering between them. Their romance moved faster than I first anticipated, which I am very glad for. I wasn't sure at first what the romance level would be in this.

Now my problem with this book was Sebastian. And the problem was that I liked him. He was a tormented character from the beginning but I never bought him as a villain. Not that I was 'Team Sebastian' or anything, but I saw the goodness in him that Zara seemed to see in the beginning. I felt sorry for him whenever she rejected him. He was an ass to her sometimes, especially when he hurt her, and I don't agree with some of his actions, but I certainly do not think that Zara's actions were justified either. She treated him worse than he deserved. And when she lost faith in him in the end, she jump to the extremes about him being worse than his father. I really thought she was getting through to him when she told him all her secrets. I could see him beginning to open his eyes. But then it was ruined and I think he started to act a little out of character. Its hard to believe he would do some of the awful things he did in the end, without really understanding where it came from. We never met King Hart and we never saw Sebastian interact with him so its hard to believe that that darkness had been seeded in him by his father. We never saw where it came from, we were just told "he's Hart's son" and are supposed to know that that is enough to make him evil. And Zara's actions in the end make me incredibly sad. Its hard to accept what she and the rebels did. But if I had seen Sebastian as a true villain, as I get the impression I was supposed to, then I assume none of it would have bothered me. So it doesn't ruin my feelings for the other characters. I can see what Trisha Wolfe intend, the book just didn't bring me there like it was supposed to. But overall I don't like how his character was handled. He was either portrayed too kind in the beginning, or not evil enough in the end. It all just left a sour taste in my mouth.

Besides that I loved how things turned out in the end. I really enjoyed seeing Fallon and Xander and the roles they played in this story. It was a huge HEA all around and I especially enjoyed the epilogue. Zara and Devlan seemed to be in a perfect place for them. I am not sure where the story can go from here, but I am excited to find out.

Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe (Goddess Wars #1)

Genres: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: April 18th 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Present tense
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena.

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.

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I was a bit disappointed with this since I have come to expect so much from Trisha Wolfe. I really wanted to love this, but I couldn't.

First of all, the world it was set in really drove me crazy. I couldn't stand the idea of a matriarchy. Its not like I want to be ruled by men, but it should be equality and anything else just feels wrong. Kal tried to explain that it wasn't about forcing men to obey, but to show respect and a woman's need to protect her family. I don't care how it is justified, it's still wrong. And I know Kal came around in the end, and that was part of her journey. Learning that men are just as useful as women. But it was still infuriating. At the end, when Kal is like, "Hey, Caben can take care of himself after all. Maybe he is good for something." And I am just thinking, "No shit!" It didn't make it any easier for me. I still hated everything about her society, and couldn't really come around to liking her either because of it. It nearly ruined the whole book for me.

I didn't really like Kaliope anyways. She was so dedicated to becoming a Nactue and had trained since she was 12 years old. But within her first few days of duty, she is already breaking every order she is given. How could she be so bad at it if she had been training most of her life, and it mean everything to her? She was rude and condescending and so full of herself. I enjoyed Caben but I don't really get what he saw in Kal, besides her physical badassness. She was so mean to him. Their relationship felt really forced to me. I didn't feel a real connection, and when they had sex it was too soon.

But I enjoyed the story's mythology, and I look forward to finding out more about the goddesses. I usually love the worlds of high fantasy, so hopefully Of Darkness and Crowns won't have as much misandry and can focus more on developing other aspects of the world. This also had a great deal of well written action sequences and a fully capable heroine. So I will read the sequel, but my expectations aren't too high.

"His thumb skims my cheek. "You're my goddess." Then his lips fall to mine as he rolls me to lie beside him."

Astarte's Wrath by Trisha Wolfe (Kythan Guardians #1)

Genres: New Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal/Mythology, Romance
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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A tragic love story.

Two thousand years before Dez Harkly developed her secret powers, Guardian Astarte was vowed to protect by the binds enslaving her to the Egyptian pharaohs. Discover the prophecy that originated from a very different time, and spans generations to link two very different girls.

This is the beginning.

Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Actium, in the city of Alexandria, Star struggles with her guardian duties as her feelings for the newly named pharaoh of Egypt grow deeper. Not only is Caesarion her duty, he’s the son of Cleopatra, and he’s human. All of which makes their love forbidden.

But when a conspiracy linked to Caesar creeps into Alexandria, Star must choose between helping her fellow Kythan free themselves of their servitude, and protecting her charge—the last pharaoh—while Egypt burns around her.

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This book did a great job of introducing the history in Destiny's Fire, and even setting up for the future of the series. But it is still its own amazing story. The two novels dont depend upon each other and you can read one or the other on its own. But I would definitely recommend reading them both because they are amazing. I still slightly prefer Destiny's Fire because it is more my speed. I prefer the fun, fast-pace and the feel of YA romance. Also, Reese is more my type of guy. Astarte's Wrath was darker and felt more like a New Adult. I thought the characters were older and it wasnt until I was finished the book that I looked up how old Caesarion was during the events of the book, and he was 17. Something about the characters and the story made them seem older. I knew they were young, but I was thinking more like 19. Despite their young age and the mild sexual content, I am still listing this as NA.

"Hearing him refer to me as his intended opens my heart like the sea opens to the sky, and I am his."

I have always loved history, and when I was younger I was fascinated by Egypt. I never studied it because I was just a kid, but I had Egypt themed bed sheets and little Egyptian figurines and posters. So I really, really enjoyed the setting and I really appreciate all the work Trisha Wolfe put into making this accurate. It really felt authentic and it made it so much easier to just disappear into the story. And the added fantasy elements just made it all the more amazing. I loved the world of the Kythan from Destiny's Fire, and I am even more familiar with it now and its just awesome. Although I feel like I should reread Destiny's Fire because it seems I dont remember it as well as I thought I did.

"Xarion's chest heaves. His bloodied face looks more beautiful than I've ever seen it."

The writing is top-notch and totally captivating, and the story has everything. So much intense action and violence, magic and mythology, romance and heartbreak, and great characters. Star was totally kick-ass! Caesarion was strong and sweet, and Phoenix was funny and loyal. I loved them all! Although I prefer Reese over Caesarion, I think I prefer Star over Dez.

And the ending was sort of perfect. I can think of ways I would have preferred for it to end, but the ending managed to evoke just the right combination of emotions for it to shake me without leaving me broken. I cried twice, but it was still sort ofan HEA. You will just have to read it for yourself to find out. You wont regret it. And I cannot say enough things about how gorgeous the cover is. I absolutely love it! I don't know if the girl is a model or a drawing, but she is freaking gorgeous! Her hair is perfect and shiny, and her lips and her eyes, and the interesting necklace, balanced with the Egyptian background. Love it!

"You're home," he says, his voice stirring all my love. 

"You're my home." 

Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe (Kythan Guardians #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Fantasy/Mythology, Steampunk, Romance
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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It's the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind-part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez's newfound power rockets out of control, it's a Narcolym who could change her fate...if she can trust him.Dez's guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.

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I really loved this book! The premise was amazing, and the idea of the Kythan and their abilities and their world. And I love private school stories, even though that aspect of the story didn't last long, I enjoyed it. Destiny was an awesome heroine, I really loved her. There were times when I questioned some of her decisions, but she must have been very confused and scared, so I can forgive her, especially since things turned out well in the end.

I love Reese. He was so awesome. Even though Jace was swooning all over Destiny from the beginning, as soon as Reese made an appearance I knew he was the one. And he just got better with each appearance. I couldn't get enough! For those who have read Evernight, Jace reminded me of Balthazar from that series. But Reese is like no other. There were instant sparks! Like when you cant stand someone but are still attracted to them. Sexual tension. But once Dez realized she could trust him things went quickly. She opened up to him instantly and trusted him with everything. They had a lot in common and they could understand each other like no one else. He clearly cared about her so much. And they could not stop kissing!

But there was a time early on when Dez said something that put worry in Reese's eyes. Dez saw it and asked him about it. I could tell he was lying. He was always open and honest with her and she could see that she could trust him and so could we. But I never forgot that one moment and I didn't like it. Reese was so wonderful, I couldn't handle it if it turned out to be too good to be true. For the rest of the book I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. They ended up having their highs and lows, and during the lows I was so sad and anxious. But the highs made me forget the lows all together. And it had such a great ending that it was all worth it! It was great overall, with the perfect mood and a lot of action and suspense. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of Half-Blood. I cant wait for the next book in the series!

“You shouldn't come out to play until you have the power to party like a big girl.”

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe (Fireblood #0.5)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance, Novella
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Amongst the wasteland lies the gleaming city of Karm. A Camelot-esque utopia built from the ashes of a dying world. Seventeen-year-old Fallon is no daughter of Karm.

She's its assassin.

Raised by a secret society of rebels, she's bent on bringing down the King's sham of an existence. But her first mark, one of the King's top knights of the Force, makes her question everything. Even her heart.

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In this dystopian novella, rebels are trying to free their world from King Hart. He has forced their world to return to an Arthurian way of life. He believes that technology is to blame for the destruction of the world outside the barrier shield in which they live. Anachronisms are against the law.

I love this concept of a dystopian that feels historical. Mixing two of my favourite genres is wonderful. But this was far too short. Only 40 pages. I thought perhaps it would be spread over several days or weeks. But it all happened in one night. Although I really enjoyed this and the romance was sweet, it had to be rushed. This would have been wonderful if it was lengthened into a full novel or a trilogy. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series, although it is about different characters.