Book Review: Talon (Talon, #1) by Julie Kagawa

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: MIRA Ink

Published: 15th January 2015

Pages: 445

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy 

Main Characters: Ember, Garret
Date Read: 1st May - 1st June 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:‘There are a dozen soldiers hiding in that maze. All hunting you. All looking to kill you.’
To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St. George, a powerful society of dragonslayers.
St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he’s been taught about dragons.
Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides – fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.
‘The first in a new series, Talon leaves readers perfectly balanced between satisfaction and anticipation’ – BookPage
‘Kagawa knows just how to end a first volume for maximum cliff-hanger drama’ – Booklist
‘A strong, promising start to the Talon Saga’ – Publishers Weekly

I received a copy from MIRA Ink in exchange for an honest review.

This cover is stunning it is so eye catching I just fell in love with it the moment I got my hands on my copy. The image of the cover is beautiful but let me tell you it still doesn't give the cover the justice that it deserves. The physical cover is matte and glossy in parts and then add to that the texture it gives off the look and feel of the dragons scales. There is nothing that I don't love about this cover.

I was a bit wary about reading this book as I haven't read one Julie Kagawa's books that I have loved yet but I was hopeful that this one would change that as it sounded so good however, it was another book of hers that I didn't love. Another thing that was putting me off reading this book was the length it was so long that it intimidated me. I was right to be intimidated as it was too long as a lot of the story dragged and not needed. The romance side of the story was a bit of a slow burner and I never quite got the connection between the characters but there was times when I thought they where cute together. I loved the dragon side of the story as I haven't read many books that have used them but this is different to the ones that I have read before and in some ways it was a good thing but other parts where too unbelievable. The ending was left on a huge cliff hanger that has left me wanting more.

I wasn't quite sure about most of the characters as a lot of them came across as untrustworthy. Ember was a sweet character for the most part but there was a couple of moments that she stood up for herself. Garret I wasn't too sure about for a lot of the book but because this book had alternating POV's it was a little easier to warm to him. Ember's brother Dante I liked for a part of the book but for the most part he wasn't as nice as what he came across. Riley, Embers other love interest I didn't really like but he did have his moments.

Overall, I was left disappointed as it just didn't live up to my expectations or the cover but because of the ending being left so open it has made me want to continue on with this series.

Book Review: Mortal Obligation (Dark Betrayal, #1) by Nichole Chase

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Indie

Published: 1st August 2011

Pages: 192

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance,

Main Characters: Ree, Paden, Roland
Date Read: 19th May - 24th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out.Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

I've been putting this one off for a while now although I don't know why as I love Nichole Chase's work.

I'm not a huge fan of this cover as although the girl in the cover reminds me of Ree the girl used looks fake she looks as though Photoshop was used a lot here. I do like the rest of the cover with the use of colours makes it stand out plus I like that it looks like the location used in the actual book.

Mortal Obligation is unique in that I haven't read a paranormal book like it which was a nice change but there was other parts of the story that was what every YA book involves. When I first started Mortal Obligation I was hooked and I couldn't wait to see what on earth was going to happen next, however, I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. I felt the romance side of the story was lacking and I didn't quite believe in the feelings plus I am a little sick of love triangles at the minute which this story has. Most of the story was getting to know about the powers that they all have and learning how to use them which I think was the reason why it dragged as it felt repetitive. The last quarter of the book was back to being hooked with some surprises that I never expected and then left open for the rest of the series which I am very much looking forward to reading.

I pretty much liked all of the characters, especially some of the secondary characters. Ree was an okay character as she was a strong person but with her being put on the sidelines it made her (understandably) whiney. Paden was a nice enough character as he was sweet and protective of Ree but he also kept changing his mind about whether he should be with Ree or not. Roland I liked as he came across better than Paden. Out of all the secondary characters Weylin was my favourite as he added much needed humour to the story.

Overall, not my favourite Nichole Chase book but that in no means that it wasn't an enjoyable read as for the most part I enjoyed it, it was just the dragging in the middle that brought it down.

Book Review: End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days, #3) by Susan Ee

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 12th May 2015

Pages: 435

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Dystopia

Main Characters: Penryn, Raffe
Date Read: 4th April - 22nd April 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.
When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

After reading the first book in this series I have been eager to finish the series to find out how it all ends but both of the books that followed Angelfall just didn't live upto it...

All of the covers in this series have been similar but with subtle differences. What I don't like about this particular cover is the circle with part of the cover from the first book as I feel as though it should be removable as it distracts from the overall look of the cover.

When I first began this book I was enjoying it to a certain extent but for the most I felt it was a little too slow it just took too long to get on with the action. I loved that I never knew what was going to happen throughout the book as some of the things that happened threw me I just wasn't expecting pretty much everything that had happened. There was some dark moments but there was a bit of humour to balance it out. The romance side of the story played a bit of a bigger part in this book but that being said I do feel as though it was a bit of an after thought and a bit rushed. The battle towards the end was epic and I wished there was more of it as it was thrilling. For me the ending was a bit rushed plus I felt like there could be another book or at least a novella just so there's more of a clear ending.

All of the characters have grown throughout the series and we were also introduced to some new characters which I loved I just wish we had met them before as they where great additions to this series. Penryn has had the biggest personality growth especially in this book which has made her an even more likeable character. Raffe was hit and miss in this book but mainly a hit especially the second half of the book.

Overall, it was a good ending to the series but I did expect more from this series especially after such an epic beginning with Angelfall.

Book Review: My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, #2) by Rachel Vincent

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: Harlequin Teen

Published: 29th December 2009

Pages: 276

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Main Characters: Kaylee, Nash,
Date Read: 13th March - 31st March 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.
So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.
Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

I have had this series sitting on my shelf for a while now and I'm slowing getting around to reading the series as I really enjoyed the first one, however, I felt book two fell flat...

I like the cover as it matches my first cover but for me I prefer the new UK covers this one feels a little plain compared. I love the colours but what I love the most is the mystical look to it which is in keeping with the series.

When I first started this book I thought I was going to enjoy it as I loved the first one plus it started off strong, however, the further I went into the story the more I got bored I just wanted to get it over and done with. I think for me the reason why I couldn't stay with this book was because of the storyline was a bit too far fetched as I just couldn't see how much they would risk for someone they don't even know plus there just wasn't much action going on until closer to the end. I kind of liked the growth of Kaylee's and Nash's relationship but I feel like there's doubts starting to creep in on how Nash really feels so therefore I wasn't able to stay involved in their relationship. There is some funny moments but not enough for me to start to love the book. The ending has made me want to continue with the series.

I fell out of love with all the characters in this book plus I never could warm up to the new characters introduced. Kaylee seemed to annoy me a lot in this book and I don't really know why I just couldn't warm up to her like I did the first book. Nash was the only one who had some sense but there was times when I didn't like his attitude. Todd annoyed me in this one as he was willing to risk everyone's lives for a past love. Addison was a new character who I just couldn't warm to as she came across as a selfish rich girl.

Overall I was so disappointed in this book but I will continue the series in the hope it will go back to the goodness of the first book.

Book Review: The Prophecy of Shadows (Elementals, #1) by Michelle Madow

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Dreamscape Publishing

Published: 26th January 2016

Pages: 308

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, 

Main Characters: Nicole, Blake, 
Date Read: 8th March - 12th March 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly ... she's apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers--and, to her dismay, by Blake--the school's notorious bad-boy.
Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle's wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.
When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers over the elements. But the comet has another effect--it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it's up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town ... and possibly the world.

  I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit it was the cover that drew me into this book as it looks stunning. I love all of the colours used as it works with the story plus it looks angelic.

I found this book very hard to get into as I felt it was a little too juvenile for my liking I even found myself rolling my eyes a few times as well. I was expecting a lot from this book as it sounds good but it just fell a bit flat. I liked how the paranormal side of the story was done as it felt different to what I have read before it's just a shame that everything else was pretty much the same as every other Paranormal Romance YA book that I've read before. For me I felt like there wasn't enough world building which surprised me as usually that kind of bores me but I just felt like it was needed here so that I knew why things where happening. If you regularly read my reviews you will know I'm a huge fan of romance in books that I read but for me the romance side of the story was unbelievable and I just couldn't see any of them together. The end was kind of good as it has made me want to know more but I think it might have been too late for me to want to go out of my way and buy the second book unless it was a freebie.

I really couldn't warm up to any of the characters as they all annoyed me there was just nothing there that I thought was redeeming qualities. Nicole just got on my nerves with the way she seemed to fall for Blake when he hadn't even said anything she just came across a bit shallow. As for Blake I just didn't like him. Danielle was the 'bad girl' of the book so yes I shouldn't like her anway but I took an even more disliking to her. Kate was the one of only character that I kind of liked as she was there for Nicole. Chris was another okay character but he wasn't really in it much.

Overall, I was expecting a lot more from this book but in the end I just couldn't warm up to the characters which is never a good thing when reading a book I feel as though you need to like the characters to even start to like a book.

Book Review: Fate (My Blood Approves, #2) by Amanda Hocking

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Indie

Published: 25th April 2010

Pages: 334

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, 

Main Characters: Alice, Jack, Milo
Date Read: 2nd March - 8th  March 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Fate - the second installment in the My Blood Approves series...
Alice Bonham thinks she's finally found a balance in her life between the supernatural and real life with her brother Milo. Jack - her sorta vampire boyfriend - keeps her at arm's length to keep her safe. As for his brother Peter... she's not sure where he's at, or what he wants with her. Worse still, she's not even sure what she wants with Peter. 
When tragedy happens, Alice finds herself struggling with a terrible choice. Her decision has consequences that reach farther than she'd ever imagined...

I was really looking forward to book 2 in the My Blood Approves series as I loved the first one but for me book 2 was a bit of a disappointment.

I'm in two minds about these covers as I think they could be stunning photographs but I think it's a bit misleading as it gives a creepy feeling to me but this book is by no means a creepy book.

It took a very long while to get into this book and actually it wasn't until the last few chapters when I really started to get into it. Even though there was a few things going on I found myself thinking that it wasn't written in a way to capture my interest. A lot of things that happened really annoyed me to the point I felt like throwing my kindle across the room. I felt that the romance side of the story was pretty much non-existent even though there was something going on between the two main characters I didn't feel any chemistry. There was a couple of things that happened that I wasn't expecting and some of those really shocked me which I liked. As I said the end of the book really got interesting to the point of me wanting and even excited for the next book.

Some of the characters was better in this book than they where in the first book and then the others that didn't grow annoyed me. For me Alice was a lot more likeable in this book than she ever was in the first book. I really felt for Alice at times with the way that everyone was treating her and even though at times she was a bit whiney I could understand where she was coming from. I wasn't a huge fan of Jack's in this book as he just kept shutting Alice out without any explanation but there was times when he was the Jack that I liked from the previous book. Milo was in this book loads more than the first book but unfortunately he changed (in more was than one) as he really annoyed me quite often. The rest of the characters from the first book wasn't really in it that much and apart from Peter the others kind of annoyed me.

Overall, I was expecting a lot more from this book but for me it showed signs of suffering from second book syndrome. I will continue this series if I can actually get books 4 onwards as it looks like its been discontinued from Amazon UK but I hope I'm wrong.

Book Review: Ruined (The Eternal Balance, #1) by Jus Accardo

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Format: Kindle

Publishers: Entangled: Embrace

Published: 30th December 2013

Pages: 325

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance, 

Main Characters: Sam, Jax
Date Read: 25th February - 1st March 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
A new adult novel from Entangled's Embrace imprint...
Hell is looking for a way to break loose…
Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it's killing him.
After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she's been trying to forget.
Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.

  I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though this cover is simple I still love the cover as it looks sinister which is very much in keeping with the story. I love the use of colours as it works well to give it that dark feel about it. What I love is the way the title is covering half of the models face as again that ties in well with the story.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I have read and enjoyed a Jus Accardo book plus that blurb I was expecting amazing things however I felt let down by it. For the most part I just couldn't get into it with nothing really grabbing my attention to the point where I even considered stopping reading it but then some things would happen that I would think something was going to grab me which was like that throughout. I did like how different this book is to any other book that I have read before which had loads of potential I just wish I could've loved it as much as loads of other reviewers have done. There was a bit of action that was entertaining but I just wished there was more of it. The romance side of the story was not really believable and some of it I didn't understand what on earth was happening between the main characters. I kind of expected the ending that we got so to be it was a little bit predictable but it did start to pick up which may have been too little too late. 

I couldn't really warm up to any of the characters which maybe that's why I couldn't get into the actual story. Jax was pretty much the only character that had glimmers of being a good character but then he would say or do something that annoyed me to put me off him all over again. I do understand why Jax was the way he was but that didn't mean I could love him. I didn't really understand Sam there was times when I thought she was something that she wasn't.

Overall, I wish I could have loved this book but I just couldn't get into it and I know I won't be rushing to read the next book in the series.