Book Review: World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2) by Susan Ee

May contain spoilers from the first book

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Format: Paperback 

Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: 21st November 2013

Pages: 314

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Dystopia

Main Characters: Penryn
Date Read: 3rd May - 23rd May 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.
When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.
Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.
Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

I was sent a review copy by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I love this cover just as much as the first book and I especially love that it ties in with the first book but with different wings. I liked that they have used different wings as these remind of the wings that Raffe has. I love the overall effect of this book as it makes it stand out even when there is not much on the cover.

After finishing the first book Angelfall I couldn't wait to continue on in the series however for me this second book disappointed me. I couldn't get into it like I did the first book and even though there was a lot going on it still didn't capture my interest. It took me ages to get through World After as I just didn't feel as though I wanted to continue on with it but I'm glad I did because the last half of the book started to grab me just like Angelfall did. The last half of the book just seemed to come together nicely with twists and turns that I didn't see coming the action in this half of the book had me on tenter-hooks. There was even a little more romance than there was in the first book which I loved. Once I had finished the book I got very excited to see how this series is going to end and I can't wait to get my hands on End of Days if its anything like Angelfall and the end of World After it's going to be epic!

I didn't have the same feelings towards the characters in this book although there was a few that I still loved. Raffe wasn't in most of the book but what little we did see I loved as I feel like we got a better understanding of why he is the way he is. Penryn showed a different side to her that I hadn't seen before and I didn't like it but apart from that she was her kick ass self. I seemed to warm a little more towards Penryn's mother as she seemed more sympathetic towards Paige which surprised me especially when she called Penryn out for her behaviour towards her sister. We got to see a little more of Paige in this book which was nice to see although I felt so sorry for what was done to her.

Overall the first half didn't do anything for me but I'm glad I kept with it as by the end I started to fall in love with the series again.

Book Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) by Susan Ee

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Format: Paperback 

Publishers: Feral Dream

Published: 14th February 2012

Pages: 284

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Dystopia

Main Characters: Penryn, Raffe
Date Read: 18th April - 26th April 2015

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. Travelling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

I received this for my birthday a couple of years ago now and I have only just gotten around to reading it. I really don't know why it took me so long to get around with it but in a way I'm glad I waited as I will be able to get the last book read with he series fresh in my mind.

I'm a huge fan of this cover and I must admit the cover was why I wanted to read it, I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover and I've been let down by favourite covers before but thankfully the story lives up to the cover. I love that the cover is simple with the dark colours saying everything.

As soon as I started this book I knew that all those reviews where not lying as this was one amazing read. There was so much happening in this book that I was never bored of reading it and it was written in a way that didn't make me feel overwhelmed with everything happening. I usually love romance in the books that I read but there wasn't really any of that happening apart from maybe a glimpse of something to come, I just didn't mind the lack of romance as I was so enthralled with everything that actually was happening I found that I didn't miss the romance. I have read a few angel books now and I have enjoyed most of them but I think that this one stands out for me. For me this book was beautifully written making me feel like I was watching what was happening rather than reading what was happening. As well as action there was some emotional scenes in there as well as one particular scene broke my heart and made me want to shout at the character not to believe what he was seeing. The ending was just as amazing as the rest of the book as left me wanting more and I am so glad I have book two waiting for me.

I loved all the characters and hated others (that I was supposed to hate). Penryn has to be one of my favourite female characters ever as she was strong, kick-ass, independent girl. She had to go through a lot of hard times yet it just makes her stronger. What I especially loved about her was the lengths in which she would go to for her sister. Raffe I also loved especially towards the end when he showed a softer (yet heartbreaking) side to him. My other favourite characters where Dee-Dum as they added much needed humour in what was dark times.

Overall I adored this book and I am now off to read the next book as I need to know what on earth is going to happen next.

Book Review: City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare

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Format: Paperback

Publishers: Walker Books

Published: 6th September 2012

Pages: 544

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Main Characters: Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec, Isabelle, Magnus

Date Read: 17th June - 30th June 2014

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.
What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

“Kill me, little sister. Kill me and you kill Jace, too.”

I had put off reading this book when I first got it as I knew there was going to be a long wait for the next book and now I kind of wished I hadn't put it off for so long...

I do like that these covers have all been kept similar as you know that it's a part of a series. I didn't used to be a fan of these covers but the more I see them the more I like them. I love the way it looks like they are shining as it makes them stand out and I feel like it adds something more beautiful to the cover.

It may look like it took me awhile to read this book but I did actually stop reading it once a book that I had been waiting on had arrived so in actually fact I read this in maybe less than a week and considering the size of the book thats a feat in itself. I did feel like I needed to read this quicker than normal because I wanted to get it over with but my the end I was reading it faster because I was enjoying it and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. At the beginning I did find that I couldn't remember what had happened in the previous book which I think was because I left it so long but there was subtle reminders so I didn't feel too lost. There was a lot happening in this book so I loved that it was told from alternating points of views as I didn't feel like I was missing out on something. I really enjoyed the ending as it answered some questions but it also left it wide open for the last book and even though this wasn't my favourite book I am still really excited to see what happens in the last book.

With this book being in alternating points of views we was able to get a better understanding of each of the characters. Jace was the only one we didn't really get to know better as one minute he was the Jace we all know and love from the first three books and then the next minute there was a more sinister side to him. There was a lot of times when I warmed towards Sebastian but then I would remember that I don't like him. Clary seemed to be the same old Clary but there was a few times when I saw how much she really has grown throughout this series. I loved Simon and I felt so sorry for him in one particular scene. There was times when Isabelle annoyed me as she said one thing but meant another thing which did get tiring very fast. I loved Alec and Magnus together but there was something that did happen that made me want to knock some sense into Alec.

Overall for me it felt like the spark was missing from this book compared to the first three which is a shame as this was one of my favourite series but after this one and the previous one it has slipped from the number one series.

“Unhappy? I was lucky. So, so lucky. And I couldn’t see it.” His eyes met hers. “I love you,” he said. “And you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And now that I know what it’s like to be someone else—to lose myself—I want my life back. My family. You. All of it.” His eyes darkened. “I want it back.” 

Kinetic by S.K. Anthony

 

About the Book 

Title: Kinetic

Author: S.K. Anthony

Series: The Luminaries #1

Publication: September 20th, 2013

Category: New Adult (NA)

Genre: Urban Fantasy (UF)

Synopsis: 

Being strong is one thing. Being an unlimited source of power is quite another.

Genetically altered by the Organization, Annie Fox takes down criminals CIA-style with her luminary strength. With nothing to mend but her broken heart, she is relentlessly pursued by her boss Derek Lake. Just when Annie is about to give him a chance, her ex-husband unexpectedly comes out of hiding.

A wanted man, Nick Logan is a cold-hearted murderer who is considered enemy number one, and orders are clear: kill on contact. He is more powerful than ever and threatens the lives of those she holds most dear. His plan? Get his hands on Annie and use her Kinetic energy to destroy them all. When Annie finds herself with an opportunity to end him, she pauses, horrified by the scars covering the face she once loved. A split second that will cost her everything …

** Kinetic is a stand-alone novel. All books in series are part of the same world with the characters intertwined. **

My Review:

 

Firstly I just want to mention that my review has gone up a couple of days late which I'm very sorry about but I've just not had the time to read let alone review books but that is about to change now that I'm no longer in work.

 

The cover is what made me want to read this book as it's stunning, I didn't even know what the book was about until I started to read it! The only negative I would give is that I don't feel like it has anything to do with the actual story.

 

When I first started this book I really didn't like it (and was another reason why I was so late) and it took me ages to go back to reading it. I really didn't understand what was going on and it was just very slow. However once I got about 30% into it, it picked up so much that I couldn't put it down. The paranormal side of this book was really good it reminded me of Marvel which I love. The romance was lacking to begin with but again it really picked up after the 30% mark. I really liked that I never knew who I could trust one minute you think someone's bad the next thing you know it all changes. I also loved the ending as it wrapped the romance side of things up but it did leave it a little open for the next book in the series if you wished to read it and I will be one of those who will!

 

The characters where good but there was some who just stole the show. Annie seemed a bit annoying to start with but the more we read the more we find out about her which makes me understand why she is the way she is but she still wasn't my favourite character. Nick is one of my favourite charcters but he wasn't in it much during the first 30% but I'm not going to say much more about him as it will give everything away. My absolute favourite character in this book was Kevin he was such a fun character but he isn't in much.

 

Overall a very slow start but stick with it and you will be pleasantly surprised. I can't wait for the next book as I found out that its from the point of view of Kevin!

 

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About the Author 

Author bio: 

S.K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders…she is convinced they are out to get her!

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