Red's Wolf by PJ Schynder

August 2010, Decadent Publishing
? pages, eBook
Review copy

Paranormal Romance

Shapeshifters (cats), jealousy, lone wolf (literal & figurative), rivalry, overprotective family, getting hurt, some humour, a few occasions of intense romance,

Summary from Decadent 

Book Two of the Terra's Guardians Series


Carri has definitely caught the eye of the big bad wolf.

Visiting the Glacier Valley pack to get a little breathing room from life in the city, Carri uses her skills to help install a high tech airspace sensor array for her adoptive grandmother’s pack. Jason is a lone wolf, good at doing his job and good at being alone. Sparks fly between them, igniting desire hotter than Carri's red hood. But the Glacier Valley pack has made it clear Carri is under their protection and off limits. Yet, the heat between them is undeniable, and when Carri makes her choice clear, Jason is ready to claim her as his. He'll go against the pack and any rivals, even take down an alien hunter to have her and protect her

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Carri...although Carri was nice, it took a while for me to be totally at ease with her She's very determined, and will not take being dictated to by her well meaning but over cautious family. Just because she isn't a shape shifter doesn't mean she isn't aware of how pack society works - a fact that makes her remind the pack that they are neglecting their duty a little towards Jason.

How evil/nasty is the enemy? I haven't read this for a few days, but the mere title 'Hunters' has me looking around very cautiously. They are inhuman - I'm not talkig not human - the pack are part human, but hunters are evil, goal driven and determined to hunt the pack down. So what if Carri gets in the way - she's still in pack territory.

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? Not heaps, it was pretty clear where the story headed (it felt shorter than book 1...which I did mind a lot).

One of my favourite parts was...when she puts the needs of others first above her own safety (remember that she isn't a shapeshifter...so doesn't have extra strength/weapons in combat)

This gets 8/10 - it felt a little too short (perhaps I was spoiled with the length of Heart's Sentinel), and Carri's story wasn't as exciting as MacKenzie's.

Be sure to check out more about PJ Schnyder on her website.

Suggested reading


You absolutely have to read Heart's Sentinel, the first book in the series (much longer than RW). It's awesome and one of my top favourite shapeshifter novels.

Alpha, by Rachel Vincent, Follow Faythe as she lives with her pride, struggling with all the rivalries and politics (remember, this is the last book in the series, but it is seriously awesome) Cem has actually read the entire series, which starts with Stray (reviewed by Cem).  (Yes I'm aware it might look odd putting the last book first, and the first book last - its just the way I've done it :)

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Goodreads
Kimberly Derting's site
Series: The Body Finder #2
Copy obtained: bought, hb
Publisher: Harper (US)/Headline (UK)
Release date: Feb 15th (US)/March 17th (UK)
Rating: 4/5

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.


Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered - and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.


As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationships seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging in to Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

The Body Finder was one I wasn't sure I'd like, but I got sucked in straight away and loved it! So I was really excited to get my hands on book 2 and because I'm an impatient person, I couldn't wait for the UK release and bought the US one which released a month earlier. I am glad I did, but Desires was not quite what I expected.

Desires of the Dead takes place a few months after The Body Finder and for Violet things are more in the realm of normal again. But not for long. There are basically three plots to Desires, all twisted together. One involves Violet and Jay's relationship (and all the issues with Jay's new best friend), one involves a body Violet finds and the FBI who get involved afterwards, and the third involves someone stalking Violet. The third one, I had figured out very easily, early on, so it lacked a lot of the intended tension, especially considering the where it went and the place it held in the story.

I really enjoyed the developments with Jay and Violet's relationship. They've been best friends forever, now they're a couple and I'm glad things aren't all plain sailing. That Violet struggles to deal with their new dynamic, despite being completely sure she loves him, is something I found real and the whole of that particular plot was something I found very engaging. If a little heart wrenching at times! I also thought the FBI side of things played out well. I liked the ideas it brings and the possibilities as well. Plus, the two agents involved are both really well drawn characters. There's still a fair few secrets there to be unveiled I'm certain!

The three plots tangle together, one affecting the next and does make for a really good, reasonably fast paced read. I did finish it in a day. But something I loved about The Body Finder was how unpredictable it was. The ending of that one was pretty shocking because I didn't see it coming. I found it very easy to guess what was coming throughout Desires and that was a little disappointing. However, I do love Violet, and Jay. Reading the continuation of their story was very enjoyable and I certainly felt Violet's anguish as she tried to figure out the right things to do, both with Jay and with everything else. I was impressed with how she handled certain things, but other times I half wanted to smack her and tell her to wake up. While her parents do play a small role in Desires, it's not as strong nor are they are as obviously present as they were in TBF, something else I found a little disappointing. I preferred The Body Finder, but overall, I still love Desires of the Dead. It's a different ride than TBF, still emotional, but not quite as dark or creepy. I'm very excited that there will be two more Body Finder books because I'm really curious to see where things go after the events of Desires!

Half Moon by Jordan Deen

Goodreads
Jordan Deen's site
Series: The Crescent #2
Copy obtained: bought on Kindle
Publisher: Black Rose
Released: Jan 2011
Rating: 4.5/5
Spoiler Warning!! Contains spoilers for previous book!!

"I'd been a fool for coming here with them, and now...no one would come to save me. The world that hid in the shadows of humanity was full of enemies."

Faced with death, Lacey Quinn ran away from the only family she'd ever known. That...was just the beginning.

As the decision she's made sinks in, Lacey struggles to fit in with the pack and find the key to bonding with her werewolf soul mate, Brandon. But, lies can only be concealed for so long.

Adjusting to a powerful new best friend, a twelve-year-old roommate with a nauseating Barbie fetish, and a lost love that won't stop haunting her dreams, she knows she has no hope of having a normal future - ever again.

After a long talk with the dead mother she never knew, and an almost deal-breaking night out with Brandon, Lacey starts spiraling into the underworld - a place where all things are possible and everyone is out to kill her.

With mysterious legends of witches and sorcery marring her past and clouding her future, she quickly learns - werewolves aren't the only ones lurking in the woods...waiting to claim her powers for their own.

The Mares? Well, they are the least of her worries.

Half Moon is the second book in The Crescent trilogy. I really enjoyed book one, The Crescent and I was very excited to read book 2 and discover how things went from the semi-cliff hanger ending. I did love this book, but it was not an easy or fully enjoyable ride.

I really enjoy the extensive world building in these books. There's a lot discovered and explained in Half Moon and I liked getting to see more of how some things work. I loved getting to meet some new characters as well, and get to know others better. There is the addition of one new character, Brea, who I really loved! She's got a spark and how she is with Lacey is something I just thoroughly loved.

What I didn't enjoy, is the love triangle. This is not fault of writing though, this is my personal, growing, hatred for them. If they're well written I can sometimes get on with them or at least put up with it. If they're not, or I have a particular, serious dislike to one of the guys involved then I struggle to read them because I just don't enjoy reading what I see as the girl being a little of an idiot for liking said guy. This one is odd because it's a combination of both. It's well written and well handled, and I really dislike one of the guys involved. So reading it wasn't enjoyable and a couple times I did put the book down and walk away because I was getting very irritated with Lacey's attitude towards both guys and her actions as a result. But because it's well written and because I was so engrossed in the rest of the story, it usually took me less than 10 minutes to get back to it because I needed to know what was going to happen!

It was clear early on that something was going on. I couldn't figure it out, maybe I should have figured it out sooner, but I didn't. And I loved it! The twists and turns along the way are great. I got so mad at Lacey sometimes, but I just wanted the best for her as well. I really hated some of the Armana's at times. For people who claim to be the good guys and want to help, they're not very good at it! But, again, I ended up kind of loving how it all works out. I really enjoyed all the confliction and how Lacey grew and learned to fight back through this book. I think there is still a lot to come from her, but she did end up really impressing me through Half Moon.

This is a great follow up to The Crescent. No, I didn't love all of it, I didn't enjoy reading parts of the love triangle. But it's very well done and it is a great story! I felt so bad for Lacey at times and wanted to protect her from some of the events she faced. Things got very intense towards the end and left me wanting the final book, Full Moon, right now!! Any earlier misgivings I had with the book were fully made up for with events towards the end. If you like werewolf books, you need to check this trilogy out!

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Lover Revealed is the forth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and picks up a little while after Lover Awakened. This is Butch's story. He's an ex-cop, human, living with the Brotherhood under their protection and with their friendship. He fell in love with vampire Marissa when he first met her but things have not been simple between them. Marissa fell for Butch at the same time, but she's spent 300 years being unwanted, and she doesn't believe Butch can really love her. When Butch is taken and almost killed by the lessers, Marissa steps up to help get him back to health. As their relationship changes and grows, Butch is also coming to terms with being a human in the vampire world, and what the lessers have done to him.

I really enjoyed the first three books in this series, but it's taken me a while to carry on and pick this one up. Not because I wasn't interested, but because I prefer UF and YA to paranormal romance. I will confess from the start that I skipped over all the sections that were from the POV of the lessers and just read what was from the Brothers and Marissa's POV. I don't think I really missed out on any of the story by doing so, and honestly the lessers bore me!

The majority of the story is very good. It's got a good pace to it, not hanging around but not rushed either. I love the development of some of the side characters through the book, John Matthew and Zsadist in particular. I didn't like Marissa before the start of this book, I've always found her annoying and whiny, although I can understand her discomfort. But by the end of the book I really liked her. She grew a lot through the book developing in to a really well rounded, stronger character and one I enjoyed reading about.

My problem with this book though, despite my overall enjoyment of it, is Butch. For a couple of reasons. One, because I wasn't too thrilled with where his story went, how he changed over the book, although I understand why it happened as it did. But mostly because I don't enjoy Butch and Marissa together. In fact I'm a huge supporter for Butch and V to be together. I love the way the bond between the two has grown through the books. I think they've got far more chemistry together than Butch has with Marissa and the way they play off each other is far more entertaining. I would have loved to have seen JR go there, to twist what was expected. I think it would have made for much better story. I did like how Butch was affected by the lessers and what it meant for him. I also enjoyed seeing him realise he was basically a kept man by the Brothers, everything he 'owned' bought with their money or given by them. It was nice to see his pride come out and start throwing his weight around again.

Overall I did like Lover Revealed, but I got to the end wishing more than ever that Butch had chosen V and not Marissa. That was kind of a let down really. The BDB books aren't short and after the time put in to it I was almost wishing I hadn't bothered. I will certainly read more of the series, I enjoy the switch up on characters in each book and they are well written for the most part (I was getting annoyed with their 'language' here, regular words aren't good enough?) but I'm disappointed with this one. Easily my least favourite so far.

Rating: 5/10

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Summary from Headline
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies – or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift, but now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer – and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling in love, Violet is getting closer to discovering a killer...and becoming his prey herself.

What first drew me to this book was the front cover. Look at how beautiful it is. The blue is rather striking against the black background. Having read the book, I think it's a good cover.

On with the story! The cover drew me in, then the prologue did. I mean, how many little girls find a body in the wood? Not many. And Violet stayed sane as she grew up. That's thanks to her parents, and also to Jay who is her best friend. Throughout the book there is a lot of romance slash anticipation about Violet and Jay's relationship. For me, I would have liked a bit more action regarding Violet's skills, but the parts about the two of them was quite sweet, especially near the end.

The most interesting parts of the book for me was when Violet's ability came into play. It's a pretty spooky ability to have, to locate dead people/animals. I was glad that her parents supported her, and didn't think she was a crazy lunatic. I felt it was good how she wasn't isolated at school, that she did have friends, and Jay knew about her ability. There wasn't an info dump in the book, Violet's background was filtered in throughout the whole story. I sensed she came from a loving home, which came alive when Violet was under threat from the murderer. I like books where the family is heavily involved in the protagonists life. I feel it adds a sense of realism, and makes a character more easy to relate to. I was scared for Violet as she started tracking the murderer down. I wasn't surprised when her family and Jay got angry when she went back on her word - her mistakes could cost her everything. I loved how much I cared for Violet, how scared I got when she went wandering off on her own. As for who the murderer is - that was a real twist in the story that I didn't see coming! I seriously hope that there might be more stories about Violet, because if she ever moved to a big city  her gift could be put to a lot of good use.

I give this book a 9/10.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by HP Mallory

"Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, She doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.


Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!


Word of Jolie's incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld's most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand."

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble is the first book in the Jolie Wilkins series. I read HP's other book, To Kill a Warlock [review], a little while back and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to this one as well. It's got similar elements to Warlock, with a humor apparent from the start and a loosely formed love triangle. But otherwise they're really different. Jolie doesn't realise there is a paranormal world out there, despite being a little psychic. Rand, a warlock, opens her eyes to it and in the process brings her powers to the front making her the most wanted witch in the world. She's forced to leave behind her job and move to England with Rand in order to try and avoid the witch intent on owning her.

There is a serious side to this story, but at heart it's a humorous, light, fantasy verging on paranormal romance. I know I've said this before, but I'm not always a fan of lighter fantasy. I like dark angst, but like To Kill a Warlock, this was a lighter fantasy that I did enjoy. I found I couldn't always take the characters seriously, they were a bit too flaky and daft a couple of times, but I was still able to connect with the story.

I liked the plot, and the pacing, it moved along quickly with some really good twists. And some great laughs. I wanted to smack Rand a few times, and Jolie occasionally as well, but I still liked them and found them really growing on me by the end. One thing that annoyed me a little though is how Jolie doesn't think she's all that special or beautiful, that her best friend is the hot one, but how almost every guy is introduced as a potential love interest. I also thought the 'final showdown' came a little out of nowhere, rather than from the build up throughout the book which left the ending a little less than satisfying for me.

Overall it's still a good read despite my misgivings with parts of it. It's quickly paced, funny and it's got decent characters, even though they don't show their real depth til later in the book. I'm looking forward to book two though (Toil and Trouble, out Jan 1st 2011) as I think there is still a lot of unexplored potential in this book. I also think those who enjoy the lighter side to fantasy more than me will enjoy this a lot more than I did. And I still enjoyed it.


Rating: 6/10

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade is the debut book from Andrea Cremer and the first in the Witches War trilogy.

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

Despite my favourite YA urban fantasy series being a vampire one, I am actually a wolfgirl at heart. I am always excited to get my hands on new wolf centric books and this one sounded like a fantastic one. Lots of early reviews for it thought it was as well, so of course it was top of my must have list when it was released last week. I was totally prepared to really enjoy it and from the premise it sounded like something I'd love, and something that could be a new favourite. I wish I could say that happened, I really do, but it didn't.

This book starts out well, we're introduced to Calla in wolf form, taking on a grizzly bear and protecting the human hiker, Shay, in the process. She's clearly a fighter and in no need of someone to protect her, like say an over protective and possessive male alpha wolf (Ren, who I'll get to soon). Shortly after that incident Shay arrives at the Mountain School. It's an exclusive boarding school for the rich, and a day school for the wolves and Keepers. The humans know to stay clear of the wolves, and the wolves don't tend to interact with the Keepers either, who are their bosses in training as it were. But when Shay arrives, things are different. He's important to the Keepers for some reason and has no natural instinct to keep him from the wolves. Not to mention his infatuation with Calla. With him arrival things change drastically.


Calla is the young alpha female of the Nightshade pack. Ren, young alpha male of the Bane pack, is her mate. They're the same age, they share the same birthday, and they've been promised to each other for their whole lives. Mates aren't decided by love, they're decided by the Keepers who rule over them. Along with everything else, like when they can have kids and how many. By the Keeper's rules, Calla isn't allowed to be involved with anyone, Ren included, before her wedding night. Ren on the other hand, has no such rules to play by and is a known player. Ren, Calla and their packs may have grown up together, but they're not friends. They are two separate packs who will have to combine to one once Calla and Ren are married. Ren is an alpha male and, player or not, Calla is his. No one will touch her but him. Shay was something none of the two young packs saw coming. He's different and new but while most of them simply accept what the Keepers say, Calla can't help wanting to get closer and find out more, and with that discover more than she ever realised about her past.

A great start, a great premise, great themes, and yet somewhere it just went wrong for me. I think my biggest problem is that I can't truly buy Calla as the warrior she's supposed to be. It's stated a few times that that's what she is, that she sees herself that way and wants to be that way. And she does do a good job leading her pack. But when it comes to Shay, she's very weak. And she's worse with Ren. The first time Ren is introduced they face off in the hallway at school. Nothing wrong there. It's stated that she's fine being his mate, but she wants to be respected by him and rule with him, not have him rule her. I applaud that attitude, but Ren is a pushy alpha male. His advances are mostly forceful, and I would expect, based on what she's said already and what we'd seen, I would expect her to get up in his face, push back, put him in his place. Instead she does none of that and instead melts, not managing even a verbal half comeback. I found that really disappointing. Having feelings for him shouldn't just make her a puddle like that. She's an alpha female supposedly, so why can't she fight back? Yes Ren is experienced and she's not, so I get that she's out of her depth, but she should be able to fake it and throw attitude, which she seemingly had plenty of in the first couple chapters, back at him.

The problem is, aside from when she's ruling her pack (and then, mostly without Ren around), she just doesn't come across as the tough warrior she's meant to be. She's too soft, too passive letting the guys make the decision when she is supposed to be wanting things differently. She easily gives in to Shay and his gentle asking of her to do things which if the Keepers found out could mean her death. It's never a real battle, just a token argument. The way she bounced between Ren and Shay annoyed the heck out of me as well. I get that she's got feelings for both and is confused, but again, she was just so passive with both of them never standing up for herself.

This book is long at 450+ pages. It's got a lot of history and research to it, and while it's interesting, it's also complex and time consuming. It isn't dull actually. You would think with as much as Calla discovers without action and fights that it would drag and just be kind of boring. I didn't actually find that. I liked the depth to the world and the thought thats gone in to creating it. But it does mean it's not a quick or light read. Its got some really good twists to it, but others were a bit too predictable. The romance is obviously a pretty big part of the story as well as it's the catalyst for everything. There are moments where I enjoyed it, but most of it is a little too sappy for me. Like I made clear already, Calla doesn't fight enough in it. So even when Ren is being pushy, it's all kind of soft because Calla's not pushing back. But for everything outside the romantic plots, I really liked the story. I love the ideas, with the wolves who may rule their packs, but are ruled in turn by Keepers (witches), and how Calla is meant to start challenging that.

Those romantic plots though are my other big problem with this book. I don't see the point to the love triangle, well sure I see what it's meant to do, but I don't think it's needed. Shay is a nice guy, but I don't really feel the passion between him and Calla. I love Ren completely and utterly, I don't always like him, but I love him and I think there is a lot more to him than at first glance. What I don't like though, is that Shay is the catalyst for Calla beginning to realise she is a slave to the Keepers. Why does it have to be a love interest? Why couldn't she simply wake up enough to realise what's going on? Or overhear a conversation she shouldn't or something? I don't like love triangles very often and this one just doesn't work for me at all. And I'm not saying that simply as I fear I'm on the losing side of this one.

Overall I do still like this book. It's got a lot of potential and a lot of promise. There are just a few places where it just didn't work or live up to expectation for me. The ending was dramatic and yes it's a cliff hanger, but I wasn't left desperate for more. I was left wishing some of the earlier stuff had been cut so what was going on at the end could have been explored more before the stop point. Still, it's a decent read but it'll be book 2 that could make this series for me. I am still hopeful because there is so much promise. It just didn't come off here.

Rating: 6/10

Which Nightshade cover do you prefer, the UK or US one? I am curious, go vote ;)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo is the sequel to Hush, Hush, some spoilers for it ahead. I received an ARC copy of Crescendo for review thanks to Lynsey at UK Book Tours.

"Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Milliar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line had something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?"

I finished Crescendo a few days ago, but I'm still not entirely sure what I think of it. I loved Hush, Hush. I didn't think it was spectacular (characters a little flat, Patch too much of a bad-boy, Nora too willing to ignore it), but I loved it anyway, so of course I was looking forward to the sequel. I was particularly interested in the story of Nora's fathers death, and how it connected to the Nephilim. But I found myself quickly loosing enthusiasm while reading it. I found it predictable, and far too alike Hush, Hush in many respects. It wasn't hard to figure out where the danger was really coming from, or what had really happened to Nora's father.

I didn't love Nora in Hush, Hush, didn't even like her that much. She was too flat and far too willing to do whatever Patch wanted when she shouldn't have been near him. And she never told Vee, her obnoxious, insensitive 'best friend' to stop being such. And my opinion hasn't really changed. I kept waiting for some growth from her, but what there was minimal and didn't really seem to last, she kept going back to how she was before it seemed to me.

Patch. Stalker, bad-boy, seriously dangerous. He was in Hush, Hush, and despite knowing he was really too bad to be good, I kinda loved him. Possibly for the contrast he was to Nora, where she was a bit of a straight laced goody-two-shoes, he was the opposite. I wish I could say that carried over to this book, but it didn't. I kinda hated him a few times throughout this book, and (obnoxious about it or not) completely agreed with Vee when she said he was bad news and that Nora was better off without him.

There were a few times I would have liked to slap both Patch and Nora for their behaviour and stupidity. At least twice Patch was getting really mad at Nora for 'not letting him explain' and her just getting crazy. And I was thinking 'what the heck?!?' because a) he wasn't trying to explain, not once. And b) Nora had every reason to be furious at him for his behaviour and yet he expected her to accept it without explanation. Made no sense whatsoever. And neither did several of Nora's outbursts which came from nowhere (even if there was reason) and would die just as fast. Not to mention that I never really felt they 'fit' as a couple in this one. Not a healthy relationship in book one, but a steamy one that somehow worked anyway. But here...it just didn't for me. All their interaction was brief and it felt like there were chunks missing. Nothing was fleshed out the way it really needed to be to truly work.

The story itself, like I said, felt very alike Hush, Hush, in many ways, just a few minor details switched. I spent a fair bit of time reading it and thinking 'didn't I read this already?' I finished Hush, Hush in a day easily. It flowed at a fast pace and was an easy read. Crescendo I more or less finished in a day as well, but it took far more effort on my part. The first half really dragged for me. It picked up a bit past the halfway point, and the final 100 pages raced past. And I did actually enjoy the final 100 pages. I knew what was coming, how it would play out, but I'd finally gotten sucked in enough that it didn't matter, just like Hush, Hush. I was surprised just once reading this book, and that was the very final twist on the last page. That one I never saw coming and may be my biggest reason for wanting to read Tempest, book 3, when it's released rather than waiting for a cheap paperback copy.

So can I really have liked a book when it was so predictable and same-y? Can I really have not when I did still finish it in a day and enjoy (more or less) the final 100 pages (which is a quarter of the book)? I really don't know. It wasn't what I wanted from this second book. I wanted character development and a new story, and I didn't find that. There wasn't (bar the final one) any surprise because it was far to easy to see them coming chapters off, or simply because I could see the same patterns from Hush, Hush appearing. So overall, yes I was disappointed with this (and I realise I appear to be well in the minority here, please don't hate me for it). There was the odd moment I liked, and like I said the final 100 pages weren't bad, even if they were predictable (and I was rolling my eyes a bit through one particular 'tense' section). But Nora, gah, the girl drove me nuts!! And Patch felt flatter than he did in Hush, Hush, relying only on that mysterious/bad boy vibe to get him through and it didn't work for me. So...yeah, not a great read, and a disappointing sequel in my opinion, with some good moments.

Rating: 4/10

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Book two of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. Some spoilers for book one, Shiver, ahead.

"I feel the weight of the pack's gaze...

Grace and Sam must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive the future.

But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace realizes she's changing in ways she could never have expected..."

Linger is the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series from Maggie Stiefvater. I made no secret of my dislike of book one, Shiver. I barely got through it, and then just about everyone who was reading it around the same time was loving it and I was wondering what the hell I had missed. It wasn't bad exactly, but it was all romance and nothing else. Sometimes, I can deal with that, but I didn't like Sam. He was too sappy and soft. I didn't like Grace much more, so between them, I had no interest in seeing if the relationship would work or not. I think, had Maggie not been coming to the UK, not been taking part in a joint talk about writing werewolves with Jennifer Lynn Barnes (author of the awesome Raised by Wolves) this weekend one town over from me, I wouldn't have bothered reading Linger. But she is, and as such I felt I should probably read book 2 before I go. To say I'm surprised in my opinion of Linger would be an understatement. I liked it. A lot. Verged on loving it at times. *shakes head wryly*

Linger continues Sam and Grace's story, but it involves two other characters as well: Isabel, and Cole one of Beck's new wolves from Shiver. So instead of being from two different view points, the story is told from four. I could very happily have read a book solely from Isabel and Cole's POV's. I still don't like Same or Grace very much, they grated on my nerves several times, but when ever it switched to Cole or Isabel, I struggled to put it down. Both characters are, to me at any rate, far more interesting, with a much bigger story to tell.

Isabel is obviously dealing with the death of her brother still. While Cole is, well, more than a little damaged for many reasons. But unlike Sam who is kinda lost in sadness a lot, Cole is a straight up asshole who makes it clear right from the start. Damaged, werewolf, being a total jerk because it's easier? Help. I totally fell for him. And Isabel with her issues and often less than warm personality I also liked. I a lot. I felt I could actually connect with these characters, get involved in their issues. I wanted to fight for them, hug them when they needed it and slap them when they deserved it as well. I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that there is a little romance between the two. But what surprised me, was how little there was between them in that sense. Unlike Grace and Sam who have only ever had romance between them, these two have a whole lot more going on with them. Thank goodness. I don't mean to sound harsh saying that, but for me, it's needed. It's the whole reason why I liked this book so much.

And, I confess, I did like some of the story with Grace and Sam as well. It played well in to the rest, fitting with Cole and Isabel. Actually, there is more focus on Grace and Sam still, but I paid less attention to them. I wish there had been more of Isabel and Cole, more of their story, because while I am now interested in what's going to happen with Grace and Sam (something I really didn't think I could care about), I'm still far more interested and invested in Isabel and Cole's story.

I found Shiver pretty predictable, and because I didn't care enough about the characters, I was happy to skip to the end and see if I was right about it (which I was). Linger was similar, not in plot, but in how early you can figure out the outcome. I guessed early on what I thought would happen, but unlike Shiver, I wanted to see it unfold for Cole and Isabel, I didn't want to skip over anything. I wasn't wrong in my predictions, although there were a couple little things I hadn't guessed, but they weren't a surprise either. I'm already predicting the outcome of the final book, Forever (out 2011), but I am looking forward to it now, I want to see how it unfolds. I think my biggest disappointment with this book (which, admittedly I'm not too disappointed with cause hey, never expected to even like the book) is that while I felt Sam and Grace's story kind of got to a suitable 'stopping point' for the end of this book, I didn't feel the same about Cole and Isabel. I felt they got a little forgotten at the end when Grace and Sam's story took over completely again. But, like I said, I didn't expect to like this, so I'm not that disappointed really, just would have been nice to have more of them. Overall, very pleased with this book and while I don't think I can really recommend Shiver (plenty love it, I'm sure my best friend who has it but hasn't yet started will adore it) because of how much I didn't enjoy it, I would certainly recommend this. The internal conflict both Isabel and Cole face, and the way they play off each other, Sam and Grace, is very well done and makes for a very interesting story I found oddly hard to turn away from.

Rating: 7/10

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

"The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale - and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny...

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swath of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan's long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge - and Cerise's life. William, a changeling soldier who'd left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation's spymaster.

When William's and Cerise's missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly - but they'll have to work together if they want to succeed...and survive."

Bayou Moon is the second book in The Edge series by husband and wife writing team, Ilona and Andrew Gordon under the pseudonym Ilona Andrews. Ilona and Gordon's Kate Daniels series is one of my favourite series full stop, so of course when they started The Edge series, it was a must read for me. The first book, On The Edge, was very good and I loved it, but it is very different to the Kate series. While reading On The Edge I had a feeling, much as I liked it, that (rather like the Kate series actually) that I'd enjoy book 2 even more. I wasn't wrong, I adored this one!!

Bayou Moon follows William, the wolf changeling from On The Edge, in his continued hunt for his old enemy Spider. He was quite possibly my favourite character from OTE, despite not being the main role or the hero of the story. He's so deeply damaged, no family, a trained killer, someone who wants nothing more than a family of his own. There is something heartbreaking about reading the first chapter of this book, seeing him playing with the action figures he's bought himself to try and have some of the childhood he was denied.

William is hunting Spider in the Edge when his path crosses that of Cerise Mar. The Mar's are land rich but cash poor and her parents, head of the family, have just disappeared. It's thought that their long term rivals are responsible, but she soon learns that Spider has a hand in it as well. Cerise has to lead her family against their rivals knowing not everyone will survive. She realises William will be a valuable asset going up against Spider, but with sparks flying between them and secrets that could ruing everything, nothing is simple.

I didn't have any problems getting in to this book, I was hooked from the start. It's written in third person, mostly from William and Cerise's POV's but the occasional snippet from others as well gives a fuller view of what's going on. I already loved William and my love for him just grew through the book. Cerise is a new character to the series and it didn't take me long at all to like her as well. She's pretty awesome actually. She's completely dedicated to her family, smart, brave and a hell of a fighter. Cerise is no damsel in distress and I love her for it. I love her snark and how she insists on calling William 'Lord Bill' despite his constant 'it's William'. So funny watching them rile each other up. The chemistry between them was played pretty perfectly. Misunderstandings crop up as well as some big secrets and while my heart ached for them at times, they were just as likely to crack me up with their attempts at flirtation.

But the romance is only half the plot. The other half is taken up with Cerise's hunt to get her parents back, and William's determination to find and kill Spider. There is plenty of action and tension as they try to figure out exactly what's going on, what Spider is after and such. I was hanging on the story all the way through wanting, needing, to know what happened and if either or both of them would succeed in their aims, and of course if they'd manage to make things work between them.

Like all of Ilona and Gordon's books it's a vividly drawn story with such well rounded characters that I find easy to care about. One thing that shines very brightly through their books is the semblance of family. Children/teens and parental type roles don't play a big role in urban fantasy/paranormal romance etc. books, but it's an aspect I always feel adds something extra, something more real to a book. It's a complex issue to add though and it doesn't always work, but so far Ilona and Gordon have gotten it spot on every time and Bayou Moon is no exception. I love the family relationships in it and how they change and grow with the issues faced.

Another big hit from a favourite author. Bayou Moon is spectacular, intense, sweet and funny as well. The mix of magic and real world felt more settled and solid than it did in On The Edge, maybe just because I already understood the world, but whatever the reason, it did feel more solid than book one. It was fantastic from beginning to end and let some interesting things open for future books. I can't wait! 

Rating: 10/10

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

"Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance - even her closest friends - and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions - for Hell - and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them."

Personal Demons is the debut book from Lisa Desrochers, the first of a planned trilogy. Take a girl, a Catholic girl with a crisis of faith and a very special skill. Add in an incredibly hot demon intent on corrupting her to take her back to Hell. An equally hot angel, intent on saving her soul to take her back to Heaven. Both wanting her for that special skill on their own sides. Add in some good old teenage hormones and you've got one of the hottest teen reads there are. Like, hot enough I was worrying about the sizzle factor it could cause on my favourite shelf. Yes really.

Okay, so this book is not simply about the love triangle, though it's certainly about that as well. It's about a girl who can't forgive herself for something that happened in her past. It's brought her to keep everyone at bay and question everything about the God she was raised to believe. When Luc and Gabe both suddenly appear as students at her high school, with obvious interest in her, things start spiraling out of control. Frannie is someone who has worked hard for her control, to keep others at a distance. She knows that Luc is bad for her. She knows that Gabe should be the easy choice of the two. But letting either of them in is something she isn't really prepared for.

I was hooked from the first snippet of this book I read on Lisa's blog, so of course I was very excited for it to finally be out and me to finally have my hands on it. And I wasn't let down at all. I could barely put it down and finished it in a day pretty easily. I confess that despite my love for the snippets I'd already read, I thought this would primarily be a love triangle story, with only semi deep characters. Which would have been okay, cause sometimes those books are exactly what's wanted. But that wasn't actually the case. Frannie and Luc (who both narrate the story) were both deep, well rounded characters who grew and changed through the book. Gabe was as well, although we don't see as much of him as Luc. The battle for Frannie's soul, and her heart, is the main plot of the book, but there is so much else tied in to it and it works beautifully.

And the sexual tension between Frannie and the boys? Oh hell! Seriously intense. Both guys are very hot, and have different qualities that made me love them both pretty equally. I am totally team Luc, but I think I want Gabe for myself. Don't get me wrong, Luc is amazing, and I love his darker edge, but there is just something about Gabe that I just fell in love with. And yet I'm team Luc because for Frannie, I believe that's the only way it should go.

It's a fast paced read, and very well written. The chemistry between characters is undeniable, but also the depth and seriousness to them. This isn't a light, easy read, or I didn't find it as such. It honestly made me think a lot more than I thought it would, in a very good way. Some really good twists along the way and some great character development as well. It's dark, sexy and simply fantastic. There's some good funny moments as well, and some of the reactions to Luc and Gabe constantly had me cracking up. The ending got pretty intense and while certain aspects felt a little light for what had happened, there was still a subtle darker undertone of things still to come. I loved it from page one and I am very excited for books 2 and 3, Original Sin and Hellbent (out 2011 and 2012). I think my only real complaint is with the cover. While the modals' may be a match on the physical description (more or less), both Frannie and Luc look too old to be 17 (okay, so Luc isn't 17, but he is meant to look like he is). But really, what does a cover matter? I loved it the inside content. A must read.

Rating: 9/10

The Crescent by Jordan Deen

I got this book for review thanks to Lynsey and her site UK Book Tours, thank you!! xx

"Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.


Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.


Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agenda's. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever known."

Werewolves are my favourite supernatural creature, and have been basically always. I confess I got in to fantasy via vampires, well via Buffy actually, but it was werewolves that got me in to UF books with Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, thus starting my obsession with the supernatural. So I'm willing to give pretty much any werewolf book a try in an attempt to add to my werewolf book collection. When this book went up for tour on the UK Book Tour site, it was an automatic sign up for me. I wasn't let down at all!

Lacey is seventeen, human, no idea of a supernatural world around her. When a huge dog, a stray, appears in her garden and she can't find his owners, she lets him stay. He offers her a comfort, a security she was missing at home, her parents constantly fighting. Then she meets Alex. He just walks in to the school office one day to register for classes. Lacey can barely take her eyes off him, or form words around him. But he's very mysterious, and knows a lot more about her than she's told him. As things progress with him, they get stranger. She starts having vivid dreams, not of Alex, but of another guy, Brendon, who appeared just once in the school office, shortly after Alex's arrival. Strange stories of werewolves, packs and mates start flying around and Lacey begins to wonder what's real. How much is reality and how much a dream, a nightmare. She struggles to figure out the truth, to choose a guy, first love or true love. Caught in the middle of a way she didn't know existed. Where one wrong move from her could mean death for others.

It didn't take long for me to get in to The Crescent and start loving it. Lacey started off on the right foot with me simply by being an animal lover. She feels unsettled at home, her parents constantly fighting, hiding things from even her closest friend about them. She's never really felt like she really belongs, like an outsider, and an outcast at school. It's easy to see why she felt so off balance with Alex's attention.

I love the build up, the different reactions to both guys, to the idea that werewolves exist in her world, how certain elements of being a werewolf work, and the tension that fills it all was pretty perfect. Kept me reading and I barely put it down. I loved seeing how the dreams and reality clashed, confusing for Lacey and how she dealt with it all in her head, how it's written, made me start questioning what was actually real at times as well. There are certain aspects of 'reality' in the book that have serious dream like qualities.

This is a debut book and it was awesome, it's not very long at only 187 pages, but it packs a lot in to those pages. There is a lot of depth to Lacey, I loved getting to know her better, or trying to anyway, and trying to figure out the mystery surrounding both boys and the wolves. The rest of the characters are pretty mysterious, none as straight forward as they sometimes seem, and while I loved and seriously disliked some, they all held my interest and have a role to play. It's well written, it's smart, it's got a werewolf I've fallen fairly in love with and a protagonist I'm aching for, while urging her to make the right choices.

I confess I've been going through a phase of simple hatred for love triangles in books, and knowing I was about to wade in to another, made me cautious going in to this book. My heart is aching enough for fictional love triangles without adding another. But dammit, I fell. I fell for the characters, the setting, the wolves and yes, I wish it was just a little easier for Lacey to pick, that she'd realise the right guy and not be torn any more, but well, this is the first of a trilogy and that wouldn't really work now would it? Love triangles where it's too obvious who the girl should pick, or those where the second love interest is simply an obvious plot twist drive me crazier than those which tear me apart. This one is far closer to the latter. For me, it's an easy pick which side to come down on, but I can sympathize with Lacey's decision and why she is so torn.

The plot revolves around the love triangle, but there is a bit of an added twist I didn't fully see coming until it was explained. That, with everything else I've already listed as great about this book, meant I wound up loving it. The ending was so tense, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen, how it would play out, and it left me wanting a whole lot more. I can't wait for book 2, Half Moon (due out 13th Jan 2011), or even the third book, Full Moon (due later in 2011). This was a great YA werewolf book with a dark edge. I highly recommend it and I'm going to get my own copy of it just as soon as I can! My only real complaint about this book isn't about the story at all, it's wondering where the heck the editor was. There are a lot of grammar mistakes and typos in this book. They bothered me a bit to start with, stopping it from being a smooth read, but I soon got deep enough in to the book that I skimmed right over them hungry to find out what happened next. It's a pretty fast paced book and like I already said, I could barely put it down. Great read that I really can't do justice for. Just read it.

Rating: 9/10

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

This is the second book in the Evernight series and this review is written on the assumption you've read book one, Evernight, because there are BIG spoilers from it! So skip this if you've not read Evernight yet, and read my review for that instead here. No spoilers for Stargazer ahead.

"Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all - vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.


But Bianca fell in love with Lucas - a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.


Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross - or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.


Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning..."

Having loved Evernight, I was very, very much looking forward to this second book in the series. It picks up a few months after the end of Evernight, with Lucas still with Black Cross and Bianca at Evernight with her parents, her second year about to begin.

Bianca, ever more dependant on blood for survival, is looking forward to the new school year simply for the distraction it'll bring her. She's spent months pining for Lucas, unable to reach him, unable to explain to her parents, because of course they'd love to see him dead. They still believe he played her and that she doesn't want him now she knows the truth, that he's Black Cross, a vampire hunter. Day one of the new year brings a welcome intrusion, a letter from Lucas, delivered via his former roommate, Vic. Apparently Lucas is missing Bianca just as badly and he wants to see her, and though it means somehow sneaking off campus, alone, she's determined to make it happen.

But that's not all she's dealing with. Something dark is haunting Evernight. Literally. Wraiths, or ghosts, are appearing, attacking the school. Bianca is determined to understand why, and to find out why there are human students at Evernight. Mrs. Bethany seems to be planning something, and Bianca is scared of what that could mean. But the truth she discovers makes her wonder how much of what she really knows, is actually true. And if maybe staying at Evernight is even an option for her anymore.

I confess that while I was really looking forward to this book, it didn't start out great for me. In fact, I found the first half very stop start. Something intense would happen, then it'd go back to Bianca at Evernight, thinking a lot but little happening, and a fair few of the same thoughts rotating in her head, then it's start up again. I understand why it happened like that, showing Bianca's everyday life along with the more interesting bits, but it did mean it felt a little ragged to start with. It wasn't actually bad, it was things that needed to be there, and I was still liking it, but it wasn't great.

Around the halfway point things really started to pick up. The pacing levelled out and everything started rolling together. It got pretty intense towards the end as well as bigger secrets kept being revealed and Bianca realised and dealt with the outcome of certain events. I got really sucked in to the second half and felt every up and down with Bianca. And the creep factor of the wraiths didn't hurt either.

I love the relationship with Lucas. I'm not always a fan of instant love where the two feel like they're destined for each other and such. But I can't help loving these two. I think it's the fact that they are so different, have so many issues to work through and that they're not around each other constantly and when they are, they still have to think about everything else going on as well. It's not just about their relationship, although that is the main aspect of the books.

It's also not hard to relate to Bianca's parental issues. Yes her issues are very different to those 'normal' teens face, but even so, I think it's easy to understand the frustration, the betrayal she feels, and how she wants to lean on them but be an adult as well. Her friendship issues are the same way. How she wants to get close, hates having to lie and knowing she has to. And how she screws up, makes the wrong choices sometimes, and how that affects her also makes it easier to relate to her and like her.

This is a great continuation of the set up started in Evernight, a deeper look in to the vampire mythology, how Black Cross works, and explores the issues Bianca, as a born vampire, is facing in a little more depth. It's a great set up for the next two books as well, and the ending made me very, very glad I already had book 3, Hourglass, to dive in to. Bianca grows a lot through this book, she's a bit less innocent by the end, and she's not the only one. It was great getting to see some more of some other characters as well, Vic, Raquel and Balthazar in particular. I really like them all (and I adore Vic, though that's a little more Hourglass related) and feel they add a lot to the books. So while it didn't start out great, I still really loved this book and felt the better parts and the second half more than made up for the earlier issues. 9/10

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

"With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki - the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret."

Draki are the decedents of dragons. Their ability to take human form is their biggest secret, and their greatest defense from the hunters who track them to capture them for their skins and abilities. 16 year old Jacinda is the first fire breather in her Pride for generations. She's rarely seen as more than a prize, and all her Pride wants her. Cassian, son of the alpha, intends to win her however he can. He already sees her as 'his.' But after she and best friend Az have a very near miss with hunters, her mom takes her and her twin Tamra away in the middle of the night.

Stuck in the middle of the desert, away from the life giving cool, moist mountain earth and air, Jacinda's draki will fade and die. Her mother's draki faded years ago, and Tamra never manifested. They're both human and very happy to be out of the Pride in the human world, for Tamra it's a chance to finally be normal away from all the attention Jacinda gets. For Jacinda, it's a death sentence. Her draki isn't just some part of her, it's who she is. She can't live without it.

Then she meets Will. A guy who literally gets her hot. When she's near him, or touching him, Jacinda's draki thrives. And the attraction seems to be mutual. But Jacinda knows Will is a hunter. And he has no clue she's a draki. Being near him is dangerous, possibly deadly, but Jacinda will do almost anything to keep her draki alive, including getting close to the enemy.

I loved this book from the start. Jacinda's voice, her passion for her draki, for flight and freedom, drew me right in and didn't let go. I held my breath right along with her in the second chapter when the hunter got too close. I felt her pain, anguish and uncertainty as she tried to understand and keep her mom and sister happy in a place that was killing her.

I loved the tension between Jacinda and Will. He isn't like most of the hunters, that much is obvious from the start. His family are killers. But Jacinda's draki gets very close to the surface when she's near him, and I loved seeing how she tried to keep it hidden from him, constantly running away at inappropriate times. Which doesn't make things easy for either of them as she can't be honest with him about why she keeps withdrawing from him.

There was an almost constant dark, tense edge to the book as well, with two main sources. One was Cassian, who Jacinda knew would find her eventually, and that he'd try to force her back to the Pride to be his. Something she was very keen to avoid. The other came from Xander. He's Will's cousin and probably Jacinda's biggest threat. He's noticed her because Will did, and the competition between the two means Xander wants her as well, but not in a good way.

I loved the mythology used as well. The idea of dragons having evolved to draki, shifters, with different kinds and abilities, worked very well. I actually would have been happy with more on the myth and details of the different types of draki, and how the Prides work, than we got. There was enough to get in to and to explain things, but there wasn't any extras. Which probably works great for some people, who will prefer the bigger focus being on the romance side. Personally, I'm very, very curious about the draki and I want to know more!

There is a little predictability to this book at times. You can see some things coming, work them out before they happen. But I didn't actually mind this too much because I was really enjoying getting to know Jacinda, and Will (who, by the way, = HOT (very literally for Jacinda...)), and following their story. Their reactions to the issues and obstacles thrown their way made the predictability of certain things not matter. The heart of this book is the love story between two sworn enemies, I don't doubt that at all. But it's also about the draki, Jacinda's draki, surviving as the hunters chase them. And it's about a girl, torn from everything she knows, facing huge life changing decisions and secrets, learning about herself and trying to make the right decisions. I was really impressed with her towards the end of the book, because there were times I didn't exactly like how she was acting, but she grew up a lot. Lost some of the naivety surrounding her at times. A very, very good read I highly recommend. The ending isn't a cliff hanger exactly, but it definitely left me wanting more! Easily finished it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down as well, they went far too quick! 9/10

Kisses From Hell Anthology Review

This is a new young adult anthology featuring vampire stories from 5 different authors: Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Mead, Alyson Noel, Kristin Cast and Francesca Lia Block.

Sunshine by Richelle Mead - 8/10 - This short story is set in Richelle's Vampire Academy series and is the story of how Lissa Dragomir's parents met (for non VA fans, Lissa is the best friend of the protagonist). I loved getting to meet these two characters who we've heard very little of and never met (they died a couple of years before we meet Lissa in VA). For those up to date on the VA series, you'll understand why I was so curious to see Eric and Rhea together. It's a really good short story that I loved, a great 'extra' for VA fans, but I would hope that non VA fans would enjoy it as well. Really wished it had been longer!!

Bring Me To Life by Alyson Noel - 5/10 - Danika has travelled to England from the US to go to an exclusive art academy, an escape from her inattentive father, her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend who hooked up. But what she finds is a mansion more than a little creepy. And no other students around. I kind of liked this story, I liked the start a lot. Danika was likable, and the crazy situation she found herself in was interesting. But I didn't particularly like the outcome. It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't to my taste.

Above by Kristin Cast - 2/10 - This story was...one of the strangest I've read (or tried to read) in a long while. Above and below don't mix, they hunt and kill each other, and in theory there is a star-crossed love story in here, somewhere. It was twisted, strange and I could barely figure out what was going on.

Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - 8/10 - I loved this short story a lot! It's another short story set in Kelley's YA world, which started with her Darkest Powers trilogy and will continue with her Darkness Rising one next year. Kat was first introduced with a short story in The Eternal Kiss anthology. Kat's stories are (for the moment at least) completely unconnected to the main novels, just in the same world. This short story is set about 6 months after Kat's first short, though you wouldn't have to read it to understand this one. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than Kat's first short, and wished it was a lot longer. Kat is being hunted again, but this time, she's not alone.


Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - 3/10 - bit of an odd story. A boy who spends most of his time living in a fantasy world of his own creation suddenly has the attention of a girl who's far too beautiful to be human. He welcomes her unnaturalness, the chance to be strong, if only he has her by his side he feels he'll be just fine. I didn't like the way things went in this story. Didn't really like anything about the main character and thus didn't care what happened, and what happened all worked out kind of strange.

So I only liked two of the five stories, but those two, Hunting Kat (Kelley Armstrong) and Sunshine (Richelle Mead), made it worth buying for me. I wish they'd been longer, but for short stories they had a lot of detail and depth to them, very enjoyable and great additions to the series/worlds they're set in. Or I think they'd make good introductions to the authors if readers haven't read anything by them yet. Shame about the other three, but anthologies are always hit and miss. Wouldn't be surprised to see others thinking a lot of the stories I didn't enjoy. Overall 6/10

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

"An immortal way has been brewing in the darkness...and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears - this fearless, beautiful...human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction."

This is the second book in Jeaniene's Night Huntress World series, the spin off to her Night Huntress series. Eternal Kiss of Darkness follows Mencheres who has played a significant role in the NH series, but always seemed very aloof, always appeared to have ulterior motives and I never really liked him. But having at least liked all of Jeaniene's other books, and having loved her first NHW book, First Drop of Crimson featuring Spade and Denise, when I didn't think I would, I gave it a chance. Turns out, like FDoC, I loved it. Mencheres is far easier to like and surprisingly easy to get to know when you're getting the story from his point of view. He may not show or share much with the people around him, but he is always thinking, always trying to take care of his line and those he cares about as best he can.

Kira was just as easy to like. She's tough and smart, taking things in her stride. She could easily be overwhelmed by the things she discovers and the things that happen to her in the vampire world, but instead she accepts and deals. Stubborn and unwilling to keep her mouth shut even in front of some of the most powerful vampires there are, she's determined to make the best of her situation and maybe save a life as well if she can.

The Night Huntress World books are told in alternating third person POV, so with this one it's from Mencheres and Kira's POV's. It makes it easy to get to know, and like, both characters easier as well as giving a better all around view being able to see things from different perspectives. A vampire who is several thousands of years old sees things a little differently to a 30 year old woman. The contrast makes things interesting as well.

I have to say that the book was a little predictable. Did figure things out pretty easily and nothing really came as a surprise. But it still kept me interested and I finished it in a couple of days. It's got it's dark and serious side, but there are some fun edges to it as well, not to mention Jeaniene's typically hot smex scenes! It's fast paced and the characters were strong enough to keep me very interested past the plot, enough that I still loved the book. The ending was good though I wish there had been a little more too it. It was another of those cases where there was a lot of build up, and then it was just kind of over which was a little disappointing. Still a good read and although Jeaniene's books don't hit top level favourite for me, they're still very, very good and I'd recommend them. 7/10

Kiss Me Deadly edited by Trisha Telep

Kiss Me Deadly is a new young adult paranormal romance anthology containing 13 new stories. It is, sort of, the follow up to 'The Eternal Kiss' YA vampire romance anthology that was out last summer. TEK was awesome and completely worth the money, which not all anthos are, and this one had another great line up of authors so I was really looking forward to it.

It is a decent anthology. Lots of different tales, different styles and some interesting romance options. Probably not the best anthology I've read, or rather not the one I've most enjoyed. I actually liked the majority of the stories, but it was more a case of them being great and loving them, or not thinking much of them at all, no real in-between stories. I still think its well worth owning, for the stories from Rachel Vincent, Karen Mahoney and Maggie Stiefvater alone!

The stories in order:
1. The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink - 8/10 - descendants of angels hunting demons on earth. Nice short, wish it had been longer, liked the characters and the ideas a lot.
2. Errant by Diana Peterfreund - 4/10 - strange story featuring odd unicorns. Not much paranormal love to it, mostly just strange. Just didn't really work for me.
3. The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney - 9/10 - Moth, the vampire girl from Karen's short 'Falling To Ash' in TEK, is back and this time in London after a rare book for her maker, and she's not the only one after it. Great short story, I completely love Moth and really hope there is a full book from her POV in the future!
4. Lost by Justine Musk - 9/10 - fantastic short about a girl good at finding lost things, who meets a guy who's not quite human in an abandoned house.
5. The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan - 5/10 - Peter Pan working for Her Majesty's secret service. Bit strange, but fun as well. Liked it.
6. The Dungeons of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick - 5/10 - short set in her Hush, Hush world. An angel, the man tied to him, and the two women who they try to protect. Okay, but nothing great.
7. Behind The Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge - 5/10 - girl meets ghost who is not as great as first appears. Not bad, but felt quite detached. Wasn't too bothered which way things would go.
8. Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan - 8/10 - focuses on Sister Tabitha from The Forest of Hands and Teeth as a teenager, showing where she came from. Great story explaining how she came to be the way she is. Really liked it.
9. Familiar by Michelle Rowen - 8/10 - a reluctant witch has to pick out a familiar. She chooses a little runt of a kitten, who turns out to be a shifter and not a kitten at all. Fun and sweet. Loved it.
10. Fearless by Rachel Vincent - 9/10 - set in Rachel's Soul Screamers world, this story introduces us to Sabine Campbell, in a short set before the SS series begins. Sabine is a mara, someone who feeds off of nightmares to survive, but finds herself somewhere that's oddly empty of them. Really great short and I love Sabine. Looking forward to seeing more of her in SS #4 My Soul To Steal (out Jan 1st 2011), even if she and Kaylee are going to be enemies.
11. Vermillion by Daniel Marks - 4/10 - ghosts causing chaos, or not causing it. Basic idea was fine, but I didn't like the main character. The girl was just too volatile, going from calm happy to enraged too quickly and she wasn't too smart either, though she was meant to be. Could have been better.
12. The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater - 9/10 - beautiful, sad tale of two best friends and the fey girl who comes between them. Wish it had been longer! Loved the characters and the story and would have loved more about all of it.
13. Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters - 8/10 - very sad tale of a father hoping, wishing, his daughter will rise again as a zombie after she and her boyfriend, and other friends, are killed in a car accident. Not often a zombie fan, but like the ideas and it's enough for me to look in to his Generation Dead series which is the same world as this short.

Overall, 7/10 but like I said, few of the stories would be worth owning the whole antho for on their own!

Lover Awakened by J. R. Ward

"In the shadows of the night in New York there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion - until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist's thirst for vengeance against Bella's tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her . . ."

This is the third Black Dagger Brotherhood book and follows Zsadist's story, which really started in the previous book, Lover Eternal. There he met Bella for the first time, and then she was kidnapped by the lessers. Zsadist shocked his brothers with his reaction to her abduction, because he's known as a killer. Someone who doesn't treat women with anything more than contempt. No one trusts him with Bella, but his obvious drive to save her can't be ignored. It's Bella who needs to stay strong to rescue Zsadist though.

I loved this book. It was gripping, intense and painful reading. Particularly the flashback scenes to how Z was tortured a couple of centuries ago, and how he's still torturing himself now. Pain is what he knows and understands. He struggles to accept that it's at all possible for Bella, for any female, to love him. Some of Z's thoughts on himself are heartbreaking to read. I loved how he and Bella grew and dealt with each other over the course of the book.

Aside from Bella and Z, we learn a lot more about Phury (Z's twin) and John Matthew throughout the book as well. John is easily my favourite side character in this book. I liked finding out more about Phury because we didn't know too much about him before hand, but I'm far more curious about John. I like that he's got his own background we're just seeing glimpses of, rather than just being a flat padding character. Butch's continued involvement in the brotherhood, as the only human to be so, also gets a fair bit of page time, which a very surprising twist towards the end.

There is heartbreak in more than one way in this book. And a fair few tears were shed on my part through it. But while the ending was fantastic, I couldn't help feeling just a little cheated over something. We got a fair bit from John through this book, but when a couple of big incidents happened, John's reaction to them (which should have been big) was mostly ignored. Which I thought was a real shame and after everything we got of him before that moment, I felt a little cheated by it. I also felt that there should have been more on a certain other brother with regard to the events that happened. I'm not naming names for spoilers sake, but this particular brother was hugely involved and his reaction was (rightly) massive, but then...nothing. 2 months get skipped over for the final chapter and in the last chapter I really wish there had been mention of what was going on with him, but it was very strictly a Zsadist/Bella chapter. Which makes sense as it was their book, but still, I was disappointed by that.

Still, it is a great book and that is only a small complaint. It's fast paced and intense. Like the two books before it, I had a really tough job putting it down. I am still fascinated by all of the brothers and their lives and I'm looking forward to reading the next book, Lover Revealed, soon! 8/10

Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward

"In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood . . .

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover - for inside him burns a ferocious curse. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

May Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and is reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves . . ."

This is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I loved it from beginning to end. Rhage lives with a beast inside of him, constantly afraid it's going to come out and hurt those he loves. He has ways of keeping it as chained in as possible, by fighting daily and, well, a very active sex life. He's nicknamed 'Hollywood' because of his stunning good looks and his ability to have any girl he wants. But for him it's a hollow act, something he does to keep his beast satisfied as best he can, and something he wishes he could do without. Mary is a human with no idea her best friend and next door neighbor, Bella, is a vampire. She knows what it's like to fight something inside you have no control over though, she's fought leukemia and won, but now it looks like it's back. Their meeting changes things, for both of them, in a big way. But it isn't exactly all for the better.

This whole book was a rollercoaster of intense emotion. It had me laughing and crying. The ending is immense and I was in floods of tears a couple chapters from the end, feeling the pain both Rhage and Mary did as if it was real. There is, of course, some intrusion of lessers in this book, but I found myself hurrying through those parts to get back to Rhage and Mary. I love them both individually, and together. Like Wrath and Beth in book one, Dark Lover, they're very well rounded, real characters who you can't help feeling for. We also see a fair bit more of Zsadist in this book. The next one, Lover Awakened, is his story but it starts here in this one and I'm already falling for him.

I love the detail given not only to the main characters, but to the secondary ones as well, and the world around them, how it works from an inside and outside view. It's something that helps stop the books from simply being a romance, and making them books that you can really get your teeth in to. And while there are certain things that are kind of predictable, there is a lot that happens that you don't see coming. For me, this book was just about impossible to put down. I got so wrapped up in Rhage and Mary that I seriously lost track of time. It's a fantastically woven story that leaves a lot open whilst giving greater depth to the characters we've already met, and introducing a few important new ones. Z's story is only just beginning in this one, and I am hungry to get in to the rest of it as soon as I can. But I don't need to read the rest of the series to know this one, Lover Eternal, is going to be a lasting favourite. Rhage and Mary's story is just too intense, too powerful and it's one that I know I'll be rereading a fair bit!! 10/10

Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

"In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Among them, none relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only pure-bred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath much usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead . . .

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both . . ."

I tend not to read much paranormal romance preferring urban fantasy with romantic subplots, for the same reason I rarely read any romance books, I get bored with them. I prefer more action, though I'm always happier when there is a romantic plot as well, just not when it's the whole plot. But the Black Dagger Brotherhood series was recommended to me by a good friend so I decided to give it a shot. Really, really glad I did!! I completely fell in love with J.R. Ward's world and her Brothers. The books are written in third person, from several different points of view. It flows well and I like getting to see the extensive world created here, through different angles. From inside the Brotherhood, from the human POV, and from the lessers. It also means we get to see the characters through different eyes, which helps give them more depth by showing how they're perceived by different people. And I also really like the vampire lore that exists here.

The Brothers themselves are intense. They're all unique, with different skills and different issues, but all warriors who are completely loyal to each other, and to their duty, keeping the rest of the vampire population alive by destroying the lessers, who are soulless immortal killers. Although we see more of Wrath than any of the other Brothers in this book (a given as it's Wrath's story) we see hints as to the backgrounds and future stories for the rest of them. Which made me fall in love with pretty much all of them over the course of the book!

Wrath's story is intense and violent. He's a warrior through and through and not known as the nicest guy around. But at the same time, it's touching and sweet and I fell in love with him very quickly. Beth is smart and tough, and while there is the 'girl meets bad boy and instantly falls in love' aspect, it isn't nearly that straight forward. There is a lot more to the plot and the characters, both main and side, are very 3D making even the predictable parts that much more enjoyable because you care about the characters, they're very much alive. The ongoing battle between the Brothers and the lessers is another aspect to the story, adding to it but not taking center stage. Its not without it's place, it just doesn't story the love story being the focus. But the main story is the Brothers. Their pasts, their future, and what they're fighting for. But as it turns out, the lessers aren't the only danger they face.

I love Wrath and Beth's story, they play off each other so well. It's a fantastically written and gripping book which I had a very, very hard time putting down. It left me wanting a whole lot more of the Brothers and I can't wait to read the rest of the series that's currently out!! 9/10