Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (Falling Kingdoms #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Adventure, High Fantasy, Romance
Publication Date: December 11th 2012
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword.

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Since Graceling and Fire I have been hoping to find more amazing YA fantasy. Every time another is released my hopes go up, but nothing can quite live up to it. Although this one is the one that came the closest for me so far.

The scope of this is large. The story takes place over 3 kingdoms, with several character POVs. I can think of a total of six, although some are more prominent. Namely Cleo, Jonas, and Magnus, each from a different kingdom. There are very poor relations between the three kingdoms and war is brewing. This reminds me a bit of a YA take on A Game of Thrones; featuring several kingdoms, several characters spread out over the kingdoms, war, and death. There are a lot of character deaths, so dont get too attached to anyone. Unfortunately I did and I cried 3 or 4 times. There are also a lot of dark and evil characters.

My favourite character is by far Magnus. He is such a conflicted character, trapped by his circumstances. I feel so much pity for him. The kind of character you just want to hug. One of the things that I didnt like about this book was the fact that all the characters hate each other. There is so much bias and prejudice between the different kingdoms, and although I see inside their lives and their minds and can grow to appreciate them, they hate each other fervently. Jonas' glowing hatred for Cleo made me hate him for most of the book. He seemed so blind to it that I just could not like him. Although his eyes started to open near the end. And I also really enjoyed Cleo's character, so when she and Magnus met, it was especially painful to see them through each other's eyes. I dont want them to hate each other, Magnus especially does not deserve such hatred. Or maybe I am the biased one now, but I just love Magnus so much. And although I loved Cleo, she could be annoying at times, a bit entitled. I also enjoyed the characters Lucia and Theon, who had some POV chapters, but not as many.

This isnt a romance. There are a few romantic connections, but none are the focus, and there is still no indication of who will end up with who in the end. I havent a clue. Magnus and Lucia? Alexius and Lucia? Magnus and Cleo? Cleo and Jonas? Or no one? I see the possibility of any of the listed combinations although it could be none. But I am leaning towards believing there will be a romance in the end, since there was enough mention of love in this book to think the author wont let it drop yet. Plus all the characters are about the same age, between 16 and 18.

I cant wait for the sequel, Rebel Spring, although I didn't enjoy the hatred in this book, or the death. The characters we care about most need to meet and start working together instead of against each other.

“Hate is such a strong emotion. Much more powerful than indifference. But those who burn with hate can also love just as intensely. Can't they? When you hate--or love--do you do so with all your heart? So much that it feels as if you might die from it?”

The Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce (Darkangel Trilogy #1-3)

Genres: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
My Rating: 2 out of 5

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They had been searching the mountain for a rare nectar -- the mistress, Eoduin, carelessly scoffing at old tales of the evil creatures they might encounter... the slave, Aeriel, apprehensive, and rightly so. For a darkangel did swoop from the sky, and he stole the beautiful Eoduin away...

Loyal Aeriel understood nothing of the darkangel's purpose, yet knowing would not have stopped her. She vowed to rescue her friend and mistress -- and thus placed herself in Irrylath's power. He took her to his cold, lonely castle to serve Eoduin and his twelve other brides -- tormented soulless wraiths who had once been flesh-and-blood women.

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Above all, this is a high fantasy adventure. In all three books, the heroine, Aerial, is traveling across an extremely fantastical landscape, collecting magical objects that will help her accomplish her goal. 

The bulk of the books is spent on world-building and describing the landscape, and strange creatures and characters Aerial comes across. It is extremely descriptive and spends a lot of time using old-fashioned English that is hard to understand. Call me spoiled, but I much prefer the way YA books are written today--spending a larger portion of the book in internal dialogue, exploring characters and their motives, their hopes and fears and loves. But if you love the strange new worlds of high fantasy, this definitely has that in abundance.

I didn't feel that I really knew Aerial or Irrylath, or what was really going on in the story. And I did not find the relationship between them believable. At the end of the first book, after Aerial released Irrylath from the curse, he was a completely different person. He didn't even look the same. I have trouble seeing how Aerial could love him before, and after. One or the other version of him perhaps, but not both. And as a reader, I can attest to that. I can't explain other people's love for the series, but personally I felt confused by the fact that the first book featured an anti-hero who you slowly grew to understand and accept. And just as you do he disappears and is replaced by a different young man. A long lost prince and budding hero. I felt slightly robbed.

And I also had a problem with the fact that they were first cousins. I know people used to marry their cousins, and still do today in some countries. I believe the heroine from Austen's Mansfield Park even married her cousin, and that was only 200 years ago. Also, this series is set in a completely different world where that may be acceptable. But the book was written only 30 years ago, in America. Why try to force something on us that you know would be completely foreign and uncomfortable compared to our way of life? The fact that they were cousins served no purpose. And not only was Aerial Irrylath's cousin, so was the other woman who was in love with him--a first cousins from the other side of his family.

The ending was really disappointing. It didn't have an HEA. It is what writers distinguish as a love story, not a romance. If I had known that ahead of time I wouldn't have read this book. But as I said, I wasn't really attached to the characters, so it didn't upset me too much. And I learned my lesson. I never read a book anymore if I have any reason to doubt the ending.

“Aeriel felt her heart grow troubled. "I know," she said. "I know that he is evil, but his beauty unmakes me. Every time he looks at me, I die.”

Distraction by Tess Oliver (Years from Home #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: January 21st 2013
POV: Alternating - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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As false accusations of witchcraft consume Salem Village, eighteen-year-old Poppy Seabrooke, a true witch, is content to stay away from the hysteria and more importantly from the relentless advances of Angus Wolfe, a powerful warlock masquerading as Salem’s pastor. When Poppy uses her magic to help a young boy, she is arrested. Angus is the only person who can help her, but, in return, she must promise her hand in marriage. In desperation, Poppy’s grandmother sends her two hundred years into the future to hide. Poppy finds herself years from home in the middle of a strange place called Montana where rooms light up without candles or sorcery, steam puffing dragons roar across fields on tracks, and cows sprout horns as long as tree trunks. And while Poppy hides from the man who turns her heart cold as ice, she discovers the man who can set it on fire.


Cade Tanner has always lived fast and hard, and he prefers it that way. The last thing he needs is a girl to distract him from running the cattle ranch his father left him. But Poppy, the sweetly innocent beauty with the soft smile and dark eyes, who seemingly fell from the sky, is tough to ignore. But Cade soon finds that falling for Poppy comes with a dangerous price.

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An ending like this had, has a way of instantly connecting you with the characters, making you feel what they feel, even more so than a happy ending. I still prefer happy endings, but this is only book one, so there is time for that later. I think I actually enjoyed this more than Camille! Making it now my favourite Tess Oliver book.

I can tell Tess Oliver likes her men a little bit naughty, a little bit cocky, but with a heart of gold. Cade and Nathaniel are very similar in that sense. And I cannot blame her for that. They are amazing characters. I think I might prefer Distraction over Camille because Cade is just amazing. He really broke my heart in the end.

"Cade grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest. "You are right here forever, and no magic tricks or sorcery can pry you from my heart.""

I always enjoy a good time travel story, seeing someone try to find their way in a new time, as an outsider. Its like us, the readers, looking into their world of magic from the outside, and it helps us relate to the character because we are outsiders too. And I especially enjoyed the fact that Poppy time traveled and is still in our past. I thought she would time travel to our present day, but she ended up in the old west and that just made the story more interesting. Seeing two different historical time periods in the same book.

Angus is a truly menacing villain and I was dreading his reappearance for the whole book. Just waiting for him to arrive and ruin everything for Poppy (love her name btw!) and Cade. This book was so sweet and romantic and I can only imagine what will happen in book 2! Its going to be awesome because Poppy will be fighting for Cade, and Cade is gonna do something awesome like overcome magic for her!

I have a few more books by Tess Oliver on my Kindle and I will have to move them up my TBR. I already loved her Camille series but I always feel like I need to read at least two stories from an author to really confirm my sentiments. Now I know for sure she is awesome. Thank you so much Tess for this book, which she gifted to me!

“You were meant for me, Poppy. I can feel it in my fingertips when I touch you.”

The Dream Thief by Shana Abé (Drakon #2)

Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: September 26th 2006
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In the remote hills of northern England lives a powerful clan with a centuries-old secret. They are the drákon, shape-shifters who possess the ability to Turn—changing from human to smoke to dragon. And from the very stones of the earth, they hear hypnotic songs of beauty and wonder. But there is one stone they fear.

Buried deep within the bowels of the Carpathian Mountains lies the legendary dreaming diamond known as Draumr, the only gem with the power to enslave the drákon. Since childhood, Lady Amalia Langford, daughter of the clan's Alpha, has heard its haunting ballad but kept it secret, along with another rare Gift...Lia can hear the future, much in the way she hears the call of Draumr. And in that future, she realizes that the diamond—along with the fate of the drákon—rests in the hands of a human man, one who straddles two worlds.

Ruthlessly clever, Zane has risen through London's criminal underworld to become its ruler. Once a street urchin saved by Lia's mother, Zane is also privy to the secrets of the clan—and is the only human they trust to bring them Draumr. But he does nothing selflessly.

Zane's hunt for the gem takes him to Hungary, where he is shocked to encounter a bold, beautiful young noblewoman: Lia. She has broken every rule of the drákon to join him, driven by the urgent song ofDraumr—and her visions of Zane. In one future, he is her ally. In another, her overlord. In both, he is her lover. Now, to protect her tribe, Lia must tie her fate to Zane's, to the one man capable of stealing her future—and destroying her heart.

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This is such an amazing series. Such a great concept, crossing historical romance with dragons. And I love the men in it so far! I loved Zane even more than Kip, but they were both so naughty yet still dignified. Zane isn't even Drakon but there was still something about him that was just magnificent and Alpha. I am slightly in awe of him. I really can't blame Lia for being in love with him most of her life. For making a move on a man in his mid-thirties when she was only 14. I am sure she couldn't have helped herself. But the way she was dedicated to him was inspiring. She knew him her whole life, him being a friend of her mother, and she knew what he was. A criminal, a thief, a liar. But she loved him. She knew his future (or a possible future), and the terrible things he was capable of, yet still she loved him.

 

The story in this was much grander than The Smoke Thief, which was about a jewel theft in London. In The Dream Thief, Lia and Zane go to Hungary to track down a legendary diamond that can control the Drakon. There is much at stake. There are powerful new enemies, and powerful new allies, and you don't always know which is which. There is sacrifice and love, and a possible dark future. The sense of desperation between Lia and Zane, caused by her dreams, was nearly intoxicating. The scene where they made love just after Zane had found out the power of the diamond, was heartbreaking and beautiful. The writing is breathtaking and hypnotizing. Nearly every word is worth remembering and making note of. Its like a song.

I cant stop thinking about this series, and I have to order Queen of Dragons from my library right away. It is about a character we met in this book. She was only 11, but Zane was only 13 in The Smoke Thief, so I'm sure several years will have passed. I am extremely excited to hear her story. The rest of the series has lower ratings than the first 2 books, but I hope I will love it anyway.

“Something inside his chest unlocked--wildly, slowly, a peculiar sort of melting. He was lost. He was the thorn and the thistle, blown upon her breeze. He felt, strangely enough, staring into her yes, like he was going to weep.”

Fever by Lauren DeStefano (The Chemical Garden #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

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Although not a lot happened in this book, I enjoyed it more than Wither. After Rhine and Gabriel escape they travel from place to place, looking for Rhine's brother and never staying anywhere long. Nothing of much significance happened until the end. But I enjoyed it more than Wither anyway because I found Wither really disturbing. I hated the idea of the Brides and being forced into that life is as bad as prostitution. I am glad that it wasn't covered much in this book.

I also enjoyed it because there was so much more Gabriel and so much less Linden. Despite the dark subject matter, the romance in this book is really sweet and innocent, like in Matched or Origin. Actually, its more like Origin because they are both very heavy, but still sweet with the romance. They both even discuss scientific experimentation on humans. Rhine and Gabriel spent a lot of time together and went through a lot together, and they are good for each other. But I am really disappointed in how Rhine reacted in the end. She seemed to give up too easily, and is still more worried about her brother than anything (and why did she not throw that ring away at the first opportunity?). But I think that Gabriel knows her, and knows what she will do next and will be able to find her.

Linden is revolting. They tried to make him seem all sympathetic at the end in the hospital. "Poor naive Linden. Mistreated and manipulated by his father." But all I have to do is remember Cecily. He impregnated a 13 year-old! Enough said. He's sick.

I am really hoping for a HEA in Sever. They don't even have to solve all their problems. I just want them to find safety somewhere. Even if Rowan ends up to be crazy. Even if there's no cure and we know Rhine will die in a few years. I just want her to be free until then.

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé (Drakon #1)

Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy/Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: September 27th 2005
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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For centuries they’ve lived in secret among northern England’s green and misted hills. Creatures of extraordinary beauty, power, and sensuality, they possess the ability to shape-shift from human to dragon and back again. Now their secret—and their survival—is threatened by a temptation that will break every boundary.

Dubbed the Smoke Thief, a daring jewel thief is confounding the London police. His wealthy victims claim the master burglar can walk through walls and vanish into thin air. But Christoff, the charismatic Marquess of Langford, knows the truth: the thief is no ordinary human but a "runner" who's fled Darkfrith without permission. As Alpha leader of the drákon, it's Kit's duty to capture the fugitive before the secrets of the tribe are revealed to mortals. But not even Kit suspects that the Smoke Thief could be a woman.

Clarissa Rue Hawthorne knew her dangerous exploits would attract the attention of the drákon. But she didn't expect Christoff himself to come to London, dangling the tribe's most valuable jewel—the Langford Diamond—as bait. For as long as she could remember, Rue had lived the life of a halfling—half drákon, half mortal—and an outcast in both worlds. She'd always loved the handsome and willful Kit from the only place it was safe: from afar. But now she was no longer the shy, timid girl she'd once been. She was the first woman capable of making the Turn in four generations. So why did she still feel the same dizzying sense of vulnerability whenever he was near?

From the moment he saw her, Kit knew that the alluring and powerful beauty was every bit his Alpha equal and destined to be his bride. And by the harsh laws of the drákon, Rue knew that she was the property of the marquess. But they will risk banishment and worse for a chance at something greater. For now Rue is his prisoner, the diamond has disappeared, and she's made the kind of dangerous proposition a man like Kit cannot resist.

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I love the combination of genres in this. It would at first seem like a Georgian historical romance, set in 1751 London. But it was also a cat-and-mouse story of a jewel thief. But then, on top of all of that, there are dragons! Yep, you heard me.

Clarissa grew up in a secret tribe of shapeshifting dragons that is disguised as a village and a large manor house, where the Alpha dragon and his family live. From a young age, Clarissa has been in love with the Alpha's beautiful son Cristoff, 4 years older than her, and far above her in status. But when Clarissa is 17, she discovers she can shift. A terrifying reality, or a dream come true? Female who canshift are rare, so she will be forced to marry Cristoff. It may sound like a dream come true. But more than wanting to marry him, she wants him to love her. So she runs. She runs away to London and becomes the Smoke Thief. Nine years later, Cristoff is now Alpha and still unmarried. He comes to London to stop the Smoke Thief before their kind are exposed. But he had no idea what kind of fight he was getting into with Miss Clarissa Rue, The Smoke Thief.

 

I really loved Cristoff, aka Kip. He was swaggering, arrogant, loyal, bold, determined, and passionate; about being Alpha, about his people, and about his Rue-flower. He was so yummy and the relationship between him and Rue was so unusual. She was bitter about him trying to force her back to the tribe, and he was bitter about the fact that she ran from him 9 years earlier. But it didnt stop them from falling for each other, again, in Rue's case. And the first time they had sex was unbelievable! It was unbelievable that he would attempt it, and unbelievable that she would let him! The arrogant, bold, determination, and passion in him all came into play in that scene. And the bold and daring in Rue that allows her to be the Smoke Thief, also allowed her to have sex with the man of her dreams on the floor of an office during a high society party, with someone else in the room, without being caught.

Rue and Kip were a well matched pair, as rivals, as a couple, as partners in crime, as everything in life, they were amazing together. Their constant bickering, as well as their mutual respect and admiration. And I love the history and magic, and mystery behind the drakon. The way the book ended, with hints of what is to come. I cannot wait to read The Dream Thief!

"In the year 1751, for the first time in centuries, two Alpha hearts united. The power of their union shivered the very web of the drakon. Souls trembled on invisible strings. Fates shifted. And ancient ties, long forgotten, thrilled to life."

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon (The League #2)

Genres: Adult, Sci-fi, Romance
Publication Date: November 3rd 2009
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 5 out of 10
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear - except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty, he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now...

He takes no prisoners.

Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence, and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

She offers no escape.

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she’s the only one who can bring him to justice. There’s only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who’s helped out the Dagans countless times. But if she saves him, both of their lives will be on the line. Is Syn’s protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago. Now it’s kill or be killed - and they, the predators, have just become the hunted...

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This was just as good as Born of Night. It had everything the first did. Not nearly as much time was spent in space or in fighters, but way more time was spent in fire-fights, so they were equally action packed. And I love Vik!

In Born of Night I remember Syn saying that he had had a horrible childhood, but that Nykyrian's had been worse. We knew that Syn was the son of a horrible criminal, and we knew that his wife had left him when she found out, but we didn't know much else. Now that I know Syn's life in greater detail, if it wasn't as bad as Nykyrian's, it was certainly close. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Syn and wanted his happiness so badly!

But I still like Nykyrian a smidgen more. I don't know if that is because Nykyrian came first and its lost its novelty, or because Syn never seemed quite as downtrodden. Nykyrian was extremely melancholy and never smiled or laughed until he met Kiara. Syn was always laughing and cracking jokes and being sarcastic. It was his way of coping, but it also made him seem like he didn't need saving as much as Nykyrian did. After being in his mind I know that's not true, but it still seemed that way sometimes.

I can't wait to read Born of Ice, which is featuring characters I don't recognize. I think it would be better if the characters were always introduced in the book before. I was hoping the next one would be about Nero. He is described as gorgeous and wounded, which is the perfect combo for a lead in this series. But Born of Ice still sounds awesome and like it will be set a lot in space. I love space.

"Thank you, Shay." 

"For what?" 

"For looking into the eyes of nothing and seeing a man you could love."

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt (Princes #2)

Genres: Adult,, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: April 1st 2007
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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The One Thing a Lady Must Never Do...

Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man.

Is Fall In Love...

Harry has known many aristocrats—including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms.

With Her Servant.

Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar. The locals blame Harry for everything. Soon it's all Georgina can do to keep her head above water and Harry's out of the noose…without missing another night of love.

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This was a great historical romance. I really enjoyed it, although it wasn't quite as good as its predecessor, The Raven Prince. The Raven Prince was just on fire! There was so much passion and so many scenes that I read over and over again. The Raven Prince amazed me with its balance between romance and erotica. It had a lot of both that perfectly accented each other. The sex made the romance better, and the romance made the sex better. The Leopard Prince also had a lot of both, but I didn't feel the perfect balance happening. It was very romance heavy. I felt the focus was put much more strongly on their emotional relationship than their physical. Yet there was still a great deal of erotic material in this. I just didn't feel the emotional connection as much as during the erotic scenes, or as in The Raven Prince. 

But I still really enjoyed this book. Harry and Georgina were great characters. I hadn't read a historical romance before this where the woman was the one who was higher class than the man. It usually goes the other way around in these. It made the story really interesting, to see how different things are for a man compared to a woman, all the double standards. And I really loved Harry, from the second page I was already getting tingles. He and Georgina definitely had a connection. I loved the way they carried on. They were really amusing, and both very strong. Georgina was extremely independent and demanding, and wasn't afraid to tell Harry what she wanted, such as the first time they slept together. A very bold move from a virgin Lady. And the same with Harry. He was extremely forceful and would not back down from what he wanted from Georgina.

I really love Elizabeth Hoyt's writing, and how easily she draws you into a story and into a scene. I am very excited to finish this series with The Serpent Prince, and to start another of her series with Wicked Intentions.

“Be that as it may, a gentleman doesn't continue to press his attentions on a lady who can’t return them.” 

“Then, as I see it, you have two problems, my lord,” Harry said.Tony’s eyes narrowed. 

“One, that the lady does, in fact, return my attentions, and two”—Harry turned to meet the earl’s gaze—“I am no gentleman.”

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.”

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (The Lynburn Legacy #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: September 11th 2012
POV: Alternating - Third-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

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This book was incredibly unique. It had me hooked from the very beginning with its unique feel and fascinating story. I could not put it down and I read it in just over a day and I stayed up way past my bedtime. It was a lot of fun to read and was seriously addictive. I loved the fast-paced, witty narrative. I did a good deal of laughing while I read this. And the characters were just as sharp. I especially loved Kami and Angela. It reminded me a lot of Nancy Drew, but set in a small Gothic town with magic. I have never read anything quite like it.

“Your soul is like the souls of a thousand monkeys on crack, all smushed together.”

Also, the whole idea of two ppl being linked from birth, and never knowing whether the person you share your whole life with is real or not; that created entirely new dynamics for Jared and Kami. Very complicated dynamics. I appreciated the tumultuous-ness of their relationship, although I could have done with a tad bit more hope.

There is usually miscommunication in YA romances, that leads to the main character and love interest taking far longer to come together than they should have. But you still always know it will happen, eventually. But at the end of this, I find myself not entirely sure. Jared and Kami are in a place that they have never been before and I dont know how they will come back from this, but I still have hope. I have to, its the only thing that will keep me going until Untold.

"All the lights in his crazy gray eyes were dancing. A shiver went through her, a ripple of his delight. She felt again the way she had at the Crying Pools and at her house, the thrill of sharing your secret soul and having someone think it was wonderful."