The Vast and Brutal Sea by Zoraida Córdova (The Vicious Deep #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Adventure, Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date: July 1st 2014
POV: Male - First-person, Present tense
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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This epic clash of sand and sea will pit brother against brother-and there can only be one winner

In two days, the race for the Sea Court throne will be over-but all the rules have changed. The sea witch, Nieve, has kidnapped Layla and is raising an army of mutant sea creatures to overthrow the crown. Kurt, the one person Tristan could depend on in the battle for the Sea King's throne, has betrayed him. Now Kurt wants the throne for himself. Tristan has the Scepter of the Earth, but it's not enough. He'll have to travel to the mysterious, lost Isle of Tears and unleash the magic that first created the king's powerful scepter. It's a brutal race to the finish, and there can only be one winner.

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I found this series over all rather tedious. It was ok for the most part, but not good enough to keep bringing me back. I got really impatient with it most of the time. I just wanted to find out how it would end and didnt really want to do all the work to get there.

I read two other books on the side during the time it took me to read this one. And I fell asleep on this book on numerous occasions. As I have said in my reviews for both The Vicious Deep and The Savage Blue, I liked Tristan but I never really swoon over guys when the book is from their POV. I have to see them from the POV of a woman, to see them as the woman sees them and loves them, then I start to pick up those feelings myself.

I enjoyed most of the supporting characters, but I don't know if there were too many, or if I just didn't care about them enough, but I could never remember who was who. Who the hell is Kai? She was with Tristan for most of this book, but I have no idea who she is or when he met her. I just cannot remember.

I am glad with how things turned out for everyone. I don't know why, but for some reason I suspected the ending would go down something like it did. No tragic fates are hanging over anyone's heads. And I am glad that this series is over and I can move on.

East of Ecstasy by Laura Kaye (Hearts of the Anemoi #4)

Genres: Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance
Publication Date: April 22nd 2014
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

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I think this one has got to be my favourite in the series. It was just packed full of action and was the climax of the whole series as Eurus' madness, which has been building for 4 books, was finally stopped.

Devlin is by far the most damaged and tragic of the heroes. My second favourite would be Owen because he is just so sweet and his story with Megan secluded in a cabin together was just amazing. And then Chrys because he is so much fun. And then Zeph who is hot too but I preferred his brothers. Although I do find him much more appealing now that his is god of storms and keeper of the winds.

I really loved Anna and Devlin's story because Devlin needed someone absolutely gentle and patient and selfless like Anna to undo all his father's damage and he found just the perfect woman for him in Anna. And Devlin was amazing and it makes me sad to think that the Anemoi never saw his potential before. They only saw his father's son. He risked so much and never stopped fighting his father and trying to make up for what he felt responsible for, even though it was never his fault. He had such a strong sense of duty and loyalty. He was the best of Anemoi in my opinion..along with Boreas and Owen. Sorry, even when I try I just cant forget about those Northern guys. I love them too.

Although this had by far the most action and mythology of the four books, it still had a large focus on the romance, on Anna and Devlin's relationship. But it was a bit less smutty than the other three I think. But it is still my favourite in the series because of the action, and the introduction of Devlin, and the HEAs.

But the book ends with the words "And all the hearts of the Anemoi were finally, totally in love and at peace." But they aren't! There is still Alastor! He is an Anemoi now and he is not in love or at peace. I demand an Alastor book! At least a novella! Please? Please! Please! Please Laura Kaye! I feel so bad for him and he sounds so sweet as he has become so close to Zeph and Ella and Anna. And he looks like Devlin and is jumpy and insecure like Devlin was in the beginning and that just breaks my heart! I need an Astor novella, please!

“Perfection is the absolute right word. And you could never ruin it," she said in a low, calm voice. "Not when it was perfect because of you."

Tiger's Promise by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #0.5)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance, Novella
Publication Date: June 1st 2014
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Before the curse, there was a promise. A prequel to the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, this much anticipated novella recalls the beginning of Ren and Kishan’s story. Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history.

Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father’s threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.

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This book destroyed me! It was just the right combination of factors to rip my heart out.

First, it heavily featured Kishan, the 'book boyfriend' love of my life. Secondly, it was from the POV of a woman who loved him. When she met Ren and compared him to Kishan, she actually found him wanting. In Kishan's eyes she saw the warm sun and kindness, not a man who always fell short. And thirdly, the real clincher to my broken heart, is the fact that I knew what would happen in the end. I knew that once again, or for the first time, chronologically, Kishan's love would be ripped from him. Every time Yesubai thought of Kishan it broke my heart again, knowing that they would never be together. It was constant pain and suffering for me to finish this book. I can't remember the last time a book made me cry so hard.

 

And now I need to see Kishan find happiness one day. I know that he eventually marries Annamika, but the little we have seen of them together does not give me great hope for their happiness. I have to see it, read it with my own eyes. I used to always feel like Kishan marrying Annamika was like a betrayal to Kelsey. Even if she had treated him badly, and Kishan had lost her forever to his brother, I didn't want his great love for her to die. And I supposed a part of it never did, as he said in his letter to her. But I still didn't really want to acknowledge the fact that he married Annamika. 

I have now had time to come to terms with the truth, and after seeing the tragedy that was his relationship with Yesubai, I must see him find happiness with a woman who loves him most of all. Does Annamika love Kishan fully, as fully as he loved Kelsey? Or is it just convenient, a result of their circumstances? I can tell in the sneak peak that he is attracted to her, even if he is not acknowledging it yet. They better be featured heavily in Tiger's Dream. If Colleen can manage to show me their relationship become what Kishan has been without for centuries, what he so badly deserves, what I have been wanting for him for so long that I am at this very moment in tears, I will hunt her down and give her the hugest hug!

“Like the trees, his roots went deep, and I daydreamed that if he wrapped me in his arms, he could safely tuck me away within his branches and hide me from the world. He was shaken by nothing. He feared nothing.”

Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them. A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos. A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling. Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing, which means sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

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The story in this was pretty interesting. Despite all the mythology that was in it, and the many different types of deities and demons and hells and everything else that we were introduced to, it still managed to make sense. It explained everything well enough to follow and there was a good amount of action. I don't have any complains really besides the characters, namely Dev and Kyle. I think this book handled its love-triangle rather poorly.

The book alternated between Sera and Kyle's POVs, so I was definitely Team Kyle. We got to know him a lot better than Dev because of his POVs, and I felt like that meant something for the outcome. Although I was really frustrated with the back and forth. You can trust him. You can't trust him. You can trust him. You can't trust him. My demon blood made me do it. Its really hard for a character to be an individual when they are so easily controlled, and their loyalties begin to mean nothing when it is not their own choice.

And Dev we hardly knew at all. I hated how he just strolled into Sera's life and started acting like he belonged there because of something that happened thousands of years ago. We never really got to know him, and any relationship he had with Sera was based on the past. We never saw them connect in the present, and it just felt really intrusive and presumptuous. It made me hate him in the same way that I hate River Song.

And what the hell was with that ending?! Who did she pick? Did she pick neither or both?! She spends months in a realm between realms, where she is mourning Kyle's death alone, which I assumed meant something in favour of Kyle. But then Dev shows up and tells her that Kyle is still alive. And what does she do? She kisses Dev! And while she is kissing him she thinks. "It was a kiss of hello and a kiss of goodbye, a kiss of love and of friendship. It was a bridge between the past and the present, and a promise of the future. It was a kiss for forever." I like the part where it says 'a kiss of goodbye and a kiss of the past'. But I certainly do not like the part where it says 'a promise of the future and a kiss for forever'. Blah. But then, on the very next page, she visits Kyle and when she sees him, she thinks, "Sera knew without a doubt that there was no other place she needed to be...there was no other place she would rather be. She was home." And then the book ends. Huh, sooo what just happened?!

I would recommend this to fans of books heavy with mythology, and especially books that visit hell. There is a lot of hell and demons in this book. Or I should say Xibalba. But not necessarily for fans of YA romance. The romance in this book was a mess.

“Why are you telling me this, Dev? You could have let me believe that she didn't love me. Things would have been much easier for you." 

Dev smiled. "Because its not the truth. And why would I hurt you when its clear she does love you? What she feels for you doesn't change what exists between me and Sera. That existed far before your time and will endure long after it. Even if she loves another, I bear that person no ill will because I love her. And love is infinite, is it not?”

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Genres: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: January 28th 2014
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

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I did not enjoy this book very much. I did not like the way that the narration felt so disconnected. It made me feel like I was just seeing this story from afar. Or that I was not reading a story, but just the outline of the story. It read like a ghost story told by word of mouth, or a fable, myth, or legend, not a novel. I was never immersed in the world, and I felt like the characters were thin and undeveloped. They felt like a list of required traits, not people.

I also didn't enjoy the fact that Nyx and Ignifex were such bad people. That was sort of the point of the story I think. Two horrible people who were never loved by anyone else, love each other. But it made it hard to care about either of them, and I hated Nyx a little bit. I guess the story did manage to draw me in enough to make me angry when I think of what Nyx tried to do to Ignifex. More can be forgiven when you are a hot guy who has been tormented for 1000 years. Less so when you are a rich teenage girl. Shame on me, but it's true.

The story was unique and ambitious, but only succeeded in being confusing. I don't understand a lot of what happened, especially nearing the end. And I found the romance seriously lacking. Since they were both horrible people they couldn't really love each other properly, and even admit as much.

"But we'll pretend we know how to love." I smiled at him. "And someday we'll learn."

I couldn't really bring myself to root for them to be together when they were so willing to hurt each other before. They had such an odd relationship, and its even odder now that Ignifex is not Ignifex, but Lux. I didn't love Ignifex, but he was the best thing about the book, and now I feel a little ripped off by the fact that he no longer exists as he once did. But whatever, I can feel it slipping from my mind already. I will forget about this book completely by the end of the day.

If you are looking for a good Beauty and the Beast retelling, I'd recommend Of Beast and Beauty. Its really good!

"I had been waiting, all my life, for someone undeceived to love me. And now he did, and it felt like walking into the dazzling sunlight of the Heart of Earth. Except that the sunlight was false, and his love was real."

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Covenant, #5)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance
Publication Date: October 31st 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Past tenseMy Rating: 4 out of 5

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It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoon-worthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

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This book was great for the most part. It renewed my faith in the series after Apollyon which I found to be a big disappointment and pretty uneventful. But a lot happened in this one and it was exciting. I really enjoyed Perses and I hope he is in The Return. And I loved Seth in this one.

This was possibly Seth's best book. This one or Pure. I was Team Seth from the beginning until Deity. And Elixir was definitely Aiden's best book. After those two there was really no denying how much they belonged together. But I still loved Seth and I am pretty happy about how things turned out for him. Except for the him-being-sad part.

But overall, I'm not a huge fan of the ending. The final battle was anticlimactic and unfolded exactly as was

expected. And the ending for Alex was weird and unnecessarily confusing. It reminds me of the ending to the Evernight series. It was not really a bad ending, but it wasn't entirely satisfying either.

At first I preferred this series to Lux, but after a few disappointments, and how Origin blew my mind, I am not sure if that is still the case. We shall see after Opposition. But this was an amazing series either way. Alex is still among my top 5 heroines and Seth is still a great character and I wont forget him anytime soon. It was an incredible world and an incredible story. I always feel a sense of relief after finishing a great series which I am ready to move on from.

“He was my strength when I needed him to be, my friend when I needed someone to talk me down, my equal in a world where by law I would always be less than him, and honest to gods, he was the love of my life.”

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal/Mythology, Sci-fi/Dystopian, Romance
Publication Date: August 20th 2013
POV: Female - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

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This book was super awesome and I am tempted to give it 5-stars, but I think I am gonna have to stick to 4 for a couple of reasons. The first being the major info-dumping that happened in the first 50 pages of the book. I had some trouble getting through that, but I hope you will find it easier, after reading this and knowing that greatness is waiting on the other side. The other reason this loses a star is because of the amount of different clairvoyants there are, and trying to keep track of them all, and their weird names and what they all mean. Some are straightforward; like soothsayers, and mediums, and necromancers. Others are not; like drymimancers, astragalomancers, and cleidomancers. These kinds of words kept getting thrown at us as if we were supposed to know what it meant. Eventually I had to just give up and skim over them. Although, you can sometimes pick up what they mean from the context.

 

One of the first things you need to know before starting this book is that there is absolutely no basis for any comparison to J.K. Rowling. That is a ludicrous claim that no one should have ever made. If Samantha Shannon's writing emulates anyone, it would be Veronica Roth. World and tone-wise, I would compare this to The Hunger Games. And characters and romance-wise, I would compare this to Shatter Me and Half-Blood. I thought it was absolutely engrossing, but its still just a YA paranormal. A great YA paranormal. Story and mythology-wise there is nothing I can think to compare this to.

  The story starts out with Paige in Scion, explaining to us how clairvoyants have become feared and hunted over the years, starting with the alternate history of King Edward VII. The info-dumping explains Scion's underworld, but its not really that important. After less than 50 pages Paige is taken away to Sheol. Sheol is a hidden city where supernatural beings who have made a pact with the Scion government, take clairvoyants to enslave them. The Rephaim of Jewish mythology are giant, beautiful beings from the netherworld. Its a complex mythology and I am sure there is still a lot more to learn about them in the future books.

Paige's new master is Arcturus, usually called Warden. He is intimidating and a strict task-master as he teaches her to use her gift to become a soldier fighting the Emim, creatures that followed the Rephaim from the netherworld. I hated him so much at the beginning. He never beat her like the other keepers, but he let bad things happen to her and other people, and he tried to force her to cooperate. But Paige's spirit was strong. She was a fighter. In that way she reminded me of Juliette and how she fought against Warner in book 1 of Shatter Me. How she refused to play his games. 

“I looked at him and he looked at me. A moment. A choice. My choice. His choice.”

But unlike in Shatter Me, there is no love-triangle in this. As much as I hated Warden in the beginning, I suspected he would become the love interest, and the book actually brought me around to that idea by the end. I was rooting for Warden way sooner than I would have expected myself to, considering how much I hated him in the beginning. He was stoic, and mysterious, but you could tell how much he was watching out for Paige. He took care of her as much as he could get away with before it would become suspicious. And in that way, he reminded me of Warner, and I really recommend this book for fans of Shatter Me. I am very curious where their relationship will go in the end. It is a planned 7-books series, so they have a long journey ahead of them.

This series is a lot darker than the average YA novel, though. The Rephaim were torturing and killing humans left, right, and center. There was always a sense of danger and mystery, because we didnt know how much danger Paige was really in. How many of the Rephaim knew what she was up to? Did Warden know? What did he want from her? You never really knew, until it was too late. Its a really unique, complex world that captivated me. I highly recommend this book!

“I would never see him again.But as I watched the tunnel race before my eyes, I was certain of one thing: I did trust him. Now I had only to trust in myself.”

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."

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (Age of X #1)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date: June 4th 2013
POV: Alternating
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: Did Not Finish

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In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of Xseries, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

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I don't rate DNF books, but if I did I would probably give this 1 star. It didn't captivate me, but the story was probably the best part of the book. In a futuristic world where religion is closely monitored and almost outlawed, Justin is a servitor, someone who investigates religions and shuts down the dangerous ones. He is sort of a mentalist, and is helping solve serial murders which are believed to have religious connections. But, the strange thing is, that gods are real. And Justin knows it. There is involvement from Greek, Roman, and Norse gods. I don't know if they are good or bad, or involved with the murders since I didn't finish the book, but they are there.

The story moved really slowly, it reads like a detective novel and really didn't keep my interest. I didn't like the writing style either. It was distant, and formal, and reminded me a lot of the one Kathy Reichs book I read. I did not enjoy it so that is not a compliment. The writing really did not feel connected to the characters at all. I felt like I was just watching from a distance. Like I was reading a history book.

I also found it really really difficult to understand the world I was in. I don't know how far in the future this is supposed to be set, but I imagine its pretty far, since the country names are different. But Richelle Mead didn't even seem to bother trying to help us adjust. She threw us into this world and didn't try to explain it. I had no idea what was going on and I could not follow most of the conversations because half the words were new to me. It was really frustrating, and whatever small motivation I had to continue reading disappeared in my confusion. I don't remember the narration ever, even once, stopping to explain a new term to us. I would prefer info-dumping over this. I still have no idea if she was using the word patrician in the traditional way. And even if she was, this is a futuristic America. An explanation of the new context would have been nice. I really couldn't get a grasp of what was happening, or the characters because of this.

But I didn't care for the characters anyway. I am almost seething when I think of them. At first, I thought Mae was the main character, because the first chapter was from her POV, but then it began to alternate with Justin, and more of them were from Justin's POV. The chapter POV ratio was probably 3:1. Justin was smart, but he was disgusting to me. He was a horrible MC. He was a rude, womanizing ass with a drug problem. Seriously! He makes me so angry! He thinks its a good time to end up unconscious on the floor of a seedy bar. And he is so arrogant and full of himself and just blah! Then there is Mae, who is also arrogant but not because of her intelligence, but because of her upbringing, or heritage, or caste. I dont even know which one because this is one of the things about the book that I couldn't understand. She was so stuck up and proud. She thought she was so much better than everyone else. Too good for Justin. Normally I would say everyone is too good for Justin, but when you start acting like a bitch, then you don't really have the right to say that.

There were also occasional chapters from the POV of Tessa. A sixteen year old girl who was Justin's ward and I have no idea what her relevance was. But when I stopped reading, at 42%, she still didn't seem important. She was an ok character, but nothing special. She was smart, like Justin, so maybe she will help them later on in the book or the series. I don't care and I don't intend to find out.

The characters in this were so repulsive, and the storytelling so frustrating, that when I see the cover of the book it nearly makes me nauseous. I am no longer as excited to read Vampire Academy as I was before. The story and characters may be better, but I don't know if that alone will be enough to make me read it, if the writing-style is anything like in this.

“You can put on as many airs as you want, but in the end, that dress is the same as you: an old, cheap design dressed up to look like its worth more than it is.”

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." 

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck (The Tiger Saga #4)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Adventure, Romance
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. 

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I'd like to say this was an amazing, beautiful ending to an awesome series. But its not the end! There is another book! How is this possible? How can we go on from this? But regardless, this was unbelievable. The best in the series so far.

I know that I must address the love-triangle. It gets all the attention around these books and I would really like to add my opinion on the matter, so I will get right to it. The first two books in the series focused on Ren and Kishan respectively, and although I loved Kishan after Tiger's Quest, there was no sign that Kelsey would. She remained faithful to Ren. But once I read Tiger's Voyage I was pretty torn. I grew to love Kishan even more, and I was pretty upset at Ren for how he handled the situation. He gave Kelsey up way too easily in my opinion. But Kelsey clearly still loved him, so I had to give him credit for that. Although it almost seemed like she had no choice in the matter. She loved him beyond reason. And I found Kishan to be a better person, far more grounded, easier to talk to, and a lot of fun. But it was Kelsey's choice, not mine, and I guess Ren was more her type. More sensitive and fond of grand gestures. But, although he had lost his memory at the time, I felt like he had no right to be upset over her relationship with Kishan, when he was the one who gave her up. He had still loved her at the time, memory or not.

But then we get to Tiger's Destiny, and I start to see where the Kelsey-hate comes from. I still love her. She is one of my fave heroines because she is so incredibly brave, determined, stubborn, and smart, and even a little snarky at times. But she seriously mistreated Kishan. I would understand if she didn't want to be with Ren. Because he hurt her. Because she was afraid. Because she felt she didn't deserve happiness when so many others hadn't found it. But that did not mean that she had to pretend to love Kishan more than she actually did. She could have decided to be alone. She could have waited until their journey was over before deciding on either brother. She could have done so many things besides leading Kishan on, when it was so clear that it was not going to last. She could barely get through the day without Ren. How could she think she could get through forever? And agreeing to marry Kishan?! That is forever, but their situation was not. I don't understand why she thought that she would feel the same way about herself and her situation a year from then, ten years from then. She could have told him it was too soon, to wait until after their final journey. There is no excuse for committing yourself to someone, when you are in love with another. It was a promise she would never have been able to keep. Kishan deserved better.

And Kishan is the one that made the sacrifice in the end. Kelsey always said that Ren had a superhero complex, but he didn't. He only risked his life for her, never for the mission, for their destiny, or for Durga. Ren is just as bad as Kelsey if not worse when it comes to all-consuming love. And I'll admit, grand gestures aren't my thing, but Ren could be really sweet. I did love him first, back in Tiger's Curse. I seriously swooned when he gave her the fireflower in the fire world. And I was really moved when he leapt in front of the gae bolga, and I saw the severe pain he was going through, all because he loved her. And Ren was extremely brave and was amazing in battle.

But Kishan is still my hero in the end. The more noble and selfless brother. I would never want to diminish Kishan's love for Kelsey, but he was willing to look at the bigger picture, willing to make the sacrifice that Ren refused. But I'm sure there was still a part of him that only did it because he knew it was what was best for Kelsey. And that is why I think the ending was so perfect. I knew that Kelsey would end up with Ren in the end, it was inevitable, but I really didn't want to see Kishan hurt. This way, the choice was Kishan's, not Kelsey's, and he eventually found happiness. I really appreciate that we got to see the letter from Kishan to Kelsey and Ren, and how he said that part of him loved her for centuries. As I said before, I don't want to diminish Kishan's love for Kelsey. I would have felt betrayed if he had found someone that he loved more than her. Colleen found the perfect alternative.

This series, and this book in particular, is so emotionally engaging, with characters that I love so much. It was so important to me that the ending be just right so that my heart would not be broken, and Colleen nailed it. I cant even say how much I loved the love in this book. A few poor decisions on Kelsey's part cannot overshadow the depth of the characters and the love that all three have for each other.

I feel like there isn't much else I can say about this book. Everyone who has read even one book in the series knows the reason it is so appealing is the unique focus on eastern mythology and its amazing adventure. And Destiny continues that trend and took it further. Their visit to the fire world was reminiscent of the journeys in book 1 and 2, but their journey to the past and their final battle against Lokesh was epic and amazing. The action and the fulfillment of destiny was breathtaking. Colleen really outdid herself and I really really hope and pray that Tiger's Dream will be a worthy successor, because I really can't think of a better way to end this incredible series. Thank you Colleen for officially writing my second favourite series of all time!

“There is still a piece of my heart that belongs to you. I have cherished it all these centuries.”

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Covenant #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance
Publication Date: October 31st 2012
POV: Female - First-person, Past tenseMy Rating: 5 out of 5

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"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

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This is my favourite book in the series so far. The first was amazing and blew me away, the second delved deeper into the story and was really exciting but didn't have enough Aiden. In Deity the story expands and explodes, and so does Alex and Aiden's romance. It had everything we loved about the first two and more. It definitely satisfied all the Aiden fans and then some.

I am Team Aiden, but I always loved Seth too. Even in book 1 when we didn't know him too well, there

was just something about him that I liked. He seemed like a lot of fun. And now I feel really sorry for him.

He is clearly being used and manipulated. I am sad that he would let it happen. He has gone so far over the line, but I still believe he can be saved, and I hope once Alex comes around, that she will still be standing up for him. Maybe he doesn't even realize what the connection was doing to her. Maybe there is so much more at play than we even know. And there is still a god out there somewhere, working with Lucian. Its too early to tell what could possibly be motivating Seth. But I still never expected him to go as far as he did and it breaks my heart seeing what he has become.

Aiden also does funny things to my heart. :P The lack of Aiden in Pure was definitely made up for in Deity. And we got to know him so much better as he took his relationship with Alex further, and decided she was worth risking it all. I have so much hope for Apollyon.

“I'm afraid of never being allowed to feel what I do.”

Inhale by Kendall Grey (Just Breathe #1)

Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: April 20th 2012
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 8 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

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I really enjoyed this book. At first I was really confused. There is a lot of mythology behind the world in this book, and a lot of new supernatural creatures to sort through. Elementals that feed off of human emotions have found their way into the dream world, where feeding is easier and more satiating. But if they take too much, the human can die. And if they die in the Dreaming, they die in reality. Gavin is a Sentinel, sent to protect Zoe in the dreaming, who has been targeted by Fyre Elementals.

A vast majority of the story takes place in Zoe's dreams, while she has no idea that it is any more than a dream. While Gavin slowly falls in love with Zoe, and struggles ever day to resist the urge to go and find her in reality, Zoe thinks she merely has an amazing imagination that dreamed up the perfect guy to fill the void left by her non-existent love life.

Gavin is absolutely delicious. He is sweet but broken. He reminds me of Dank from Existence for several reasons, but mainly because he is a rock star, and he wrote some awesome songs for Zoe. He has tattoos and piercings, and really has the bad boy image down, but inside he is falling apart and only Zoe can save him, so together they can save the Dreaming.

Zoe and Gavin are an unlikely duo, which is even more apparent when you compare their lives outside of the Dreaming, but they are still a perfect duo. There is also a large age gap between them. They were really burning up the pages and I cannot wait to see what they are like together outside of the Dreaming. I really enjoyed their passion and the emotions shown through the colours and elements. Zoe was completely uninhibited since she didn't know any of it was real, so things moved quickly between them, but there were still some really amazing steamy scenes. I could have used more emotion in the first one, but by the end of the book there is enough emotion between them to make up for it, and I can't even imagine the kind of fire (or should I say water) they could make together in Exhale. I am really looking forward to continuing this series.

“And now I know that you're the one 

I've waited my whole life for 

You're budding leaves turning green in spring 

You're the fresh breath of air that summer brings 

You're the autumn sky painted in rainbow hues 

You're the wintry ocean dancing in shimmering blues 

You're the air I breathe 

You're the water I drink 

You're the fire inside me 

The earth under my feet 

You're the one”