Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Goodreads
Claudia Gray's site
Series: Evernight #4
Copy obtained: e-ARC from Net Galley
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release date: March 8th
Rating: 4.5/5
SPOILER WARNING!! Big spoilers for the previous book ahead!

Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart - and find the power to claim her destiny at last.

Afterlife, the final book in the Evernight series, picks up exactly where book three, Hourglass, left off. I loved the previous books in the series and Hourglass had a heartbreaking, shocking ending. I was really looking forward to seeing how things worked out for Bianca and Lucas. But as with any final book, I was a little anxious as well, wondering how things would wrap up, if the series would go out on the high it deserved. I shouldn't have worried though.

The book is well paced, lots of twists and turns as you'd expect. There was a lot of loose ends to tie up from the previous books to tie up, and I think they all get tied up well. The odd one is tied up a little quickly before moving on to the next thing, but for the most part they're all given enough time and explanation. Fitting both with what's come before and what's revealed in Afterlife.

There was one moment, very close to the end, that should have had a big emotional impact, but for me fell a little flat. I've really no idea why, but it just didn't quite work for me. But aside from that, it was the heart wrenching, beautiful, fantastic book I wanted it to be. There was a lot of character growth and change, and I really felt for Bianca so many times as she faught to figure out what to do. It was an emotional roller coaster but one I wouldn't have changed for anything. It was a really satisfying ending for a fantastic YA vampire series, that I highly recommend!

Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

Goodreads
Jaye Wells' site
Series: Sabina Kane #3
Copy obtained: e-ARC from NetGalley
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: Feb 3rd 2011 (UK) Feb 22nd (US)
Rating: 4.5/5

Spoiler Warning: contains Major spoilers from previous books!!

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. She has to save her sister from her mysterious captors. And in order to do that, she has to broker a deal between the mages and the vampires before all hell breaks loose.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won't be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about, she's got to save herself from the ghosts of her past. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.

I liked the first book of this series, Red-Headed Stepchild, a lot. The second book, The Mage in Black, was also good but I didn't enjoy it as much. There was a heck of a cliff hanger in it though, which left me very much wanting to know what happened. Green-Eyed Demon did not disappoint and is easily the best of the series to date! I loved this book.

Green-Eyed Demon picks up a few days after the events of The Mage in Black with Sabina, Adam and Giguhl searching for Sabina's sister Maisie. There is plenty of action right from the start and it rarely lets up. It's a book full of twists, some seriously kick-ass fights, and a few awesome new characters. I loved the extension to the world building with more of a mages' power being explained and shown, along with some other aspects to various races we hadn't yet learnt about. Things always seemed so close to boiling point, ready to spill over and it created a tension that made the book very hard to put down!

But what I loved most about this book, was the development of Sabina. She's always been a loner. Working as an assassin it was something that worked for her. But now she has to learn to play with others and it's not been something she's been particularly good at. Here in Green-Eyed Demon though she takes a real step forward. I loved seeing her insecurities and how her relationships with both Adam and Gighul (who, by the way, is still as funny as ever, but so much more awesome in this book!!) develop as they work to find out where Maisie is being held and if they can possibly rescue her. It's heart breaking at times, but it's brilliantly played. I couldn't get enough of it!

The ending is seriously intense! It had me in tears (a couple of times, I confess) and wow! It packs the biggest punch. I had some issues with both the first two books, different issues and while they didn't ruin the books for me, they did stop me loving them as much as I could have. I had very few issues with this one and pretty much just loved it outright! It's fast and actioned packed, with a emotional background that kept tugging at me. It answers several questions and ties up a few plots while still leaving plenty to keep you guessing and wondering! Fantastic work! I can't wait for book 4, Silver-Tongued Devil (out in 2012 I believe) to find out what's going to happen now after the big events of Green-Eyed Demon!

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

Goodreads
Alyxandra Harvey's site
Series: Drake Chronicles #2
Review for previous books: My Love Lies Bleeding
Copy obtained: gift (family)
Rating: 3.5/5

'Conversation halted abruptly. They all turned to stare at us as if we were poisonous mushrooms suddenly growing in a manicured garden. They were pale and perfect, with gleaming teeth and hard eyes.'

It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living, and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

I really loved book one of this series, My Love Lies Bleeding (Hearts at Stake in the US), so despite this one being about different characters I was still really excited to read it. But I didn't end up enjoying it as much. Isabeau was met right at the end of My Love Lies Bleeding and takes center stage here. Like book 1 it's written with two different points of view, one being Isabeau, and the other Logan Drake. I loved all of Logan's POV, I really enjoyed getting to know him better. And when Isabeau's POV was in the present, I really enjoyed her as well.

But part of the story is Isabeau's past. There I had trouble. I have no problem admitting to the fact that I'm not a big historical fan, in fact it's something I rarely read. I don't think there was anything wrong with the writing of those past sections, or that they were particularly slow. They were fairly important to the overall plot, but I found them slow reading and they didn't really hold my interest. There was the odd good moment in them, but mostly I found myself wanting to get back to the present time and what was actually going on for Isabeau and Logan.

Aside from that, I did enjoy the story. I liked Isabeau and I found her to be a well drawn character, as was Logan. They certainly had chemistry together and I liked seeing the developments and changes through both of them as the story unfolded. But I think I was looking for more of Lucy's craziness (My Love Lies Bleeding) rather than the more centered, focused, quieter Isabeau. That didn't help my enjoyment of the book and it did take me a little while to warm to Isabeau and really like the story.

Plot wise it develops nicely, involving Isabeau's thirst for revenge while continuing the issues the Drake's have been facing, namely Solange being a target for the other powerful vampires around. I liked getting to see some of the characters through different eyes as well, noticing things that Lucy and Solange (narrators of My Love Lies Bleeding) didn't show. Overall I still liked this book, particularly Logan's parts and towards the end where things got a lot more intense, but I think a lot more of book 1. I'm sure there are plenty who think the opposite though. This one just didn't fully work for me. Really looking forward to book 3 and the rest of the series though!

My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

Goodreads
Authors Website
Alternate title: Hearts at Stake (US)
Series: Drake Chronicles book #1
Copy obtained: gift (thanks Sis!)
Rating: 4/5

"They're close," she murmured. "Watching."
"Run?" I suggested. "Like right now?"
She shook her head
"If we act like prey, they'll act like predators."


Solange has always known she is a vampire. And as the only female vampire ever born, not initiated, she is surrounded by danger on all sides - from other vampire tribes who want to take her blood into their lineage, and from the bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family.
When she is kidnapped, it's up to her elder brother Nicholas, and best friend, Lucy, to save her.
But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who temps her with every look - what will be her own fate if she surrenders her heart to a vampire.

I wasn't actually too sure what to expect from this book before I read it. I only knew that a few bookish peeps I chat with really enjoy the series and it's about vampires so I figured it was worth a try. I ended up really loving My Love Lies Bleeding! It's told in first person, from alternating points of view from Lucy and Solange which made for a great way to tell the story and show more of what was going on.

Solange is a vampire, or will be when she completes the 'bloodchange' on her 16th birthday (which is just a few days away at the start of the book). Lucy is human. They've been best friends virtually their whole lives and there aren't any real secrets between the two. Solange is the youngest Drake sibling, she's got 7 older brothers all of whom are over protective of her. But she's determined to fight whether they want her to or not, and she'll do whatever it takes to protect them. Lucy won't sit on the sidelines either, human and vulnerable or not.

Lucy is so full of sass she had me laughing out loud within pages. Her and Nicholas, the youngest Drake brother, have a very antagonistic relationship which is very entertaining. And while Lucy and Solange (and the boys at times) are prone to daft teenage moments and hormone induced craziness, it's of the very entertaining variety, not irritating at all. And while there are several laugh out loud moments, there is still a very serious side to the story as well. My heart was racing with the tension and danger at times. And a little at the romance as well I have to say! I love that the romance is a side plot though. It gets plenty of page time, but never takes over the story and nor does it feel like the book looses focus because of it either.

It's a pretty fast paced book with some great twists along the way. For the most part I found it a really good, very enjoyable, fun read. It's a very lively, vibrant book. The different personalities of the Drake family and Lucy seriously jump off the page at you and there is some great mythology thrown in as well. I did find I got confused about the various 'groups' that existed, with the different types of vampires and hunters. But I found that actually, it didn't matter too much to keep it all straight because you could easily see who was for/against the Drakes and that was what really mattered. Loved it and really looking forward to reading the rest of the series now!

Crave by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Goodreads
Series: Crave book #1
Copy obtained: bought, ebook (Kindle)
Rating: 4.5/5

Shay has had a rare blood disorder since she was born. In fact, her mother married one of Shay's doctors, Martin, who left his world-renowned leukemia research to try and figure out exactly what the disorder is and how to cure it. When she turns seventeen, Martin begins to give her new blood transfusions that make her feel the strongest she has ever felt. But she also has odd visions where she sees through the eyes of a vampire.

This is a book that goes straight to my heart. This is going to get personal for a little while and I make no apologies for it. When I was 11 I got sick with tonsillitis, 2 weeks later the infection was gone but I was still exhausted. I missed four straight months of my first year of high school, and after that I managed maybe half a day every couple weeks. I was constantly exhausted, not sleepy, but bone achingly tired. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't think, I couldn't walk up the stairs without having to sit and rest before managing the last few feet to my bed. 10 months after getting sick I was finally diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (an incredibly dumb name if you ask me because it sounds so simple and fake, when this illness is anything but!) not that having a name to put to it helped any, because the doctors (if they even believed it a real condition, this was 11 years ago and some still don't) couldn't do anything but monitor me and suggest useless ideas to my parents. I still have CFS/ME now. So I spent my entire high school life as 'the sick girl', which is exactly what Shay is.

My condition isn't fatal, and Shay's is, but it doesn't matter. Her experience of life as a sick kid is pitch perfect to the point where reading this became painful for me because it hit way too close to home. Shay's experiences of how being the sick kid automatically ruled out from gym, getting 'special' treatment from teachers, how differently every kid treats her because of it, even how her mom treats her as a sick girl, never a normal one, and all the insecurities that go with it are depicted perfectly! It's unbearable to go through. I hated every moment I was stuck in high school, all I wanted was to be normal, as Shay does. Shay would do anything to be normal, and when her new blood transfusions start making her feel like she can do anything, take on the world, she starts pushing harder than ever and doing some pretty crazy stuff. Some people may find her attitude through that irritating, I found it completely perfect. When you don't know anything but sick, you don't take the strength, the good days, for granted, you do as much as you can, more than you should, and you don't apologise until way later for screwing up because dammit you need that normalcy!! And I love Shay for that. Her character is so real to me, I can identify with her very easily and I love her.

Aside from Shay and the realness surrounding her character, I loved the rest of this story! I really enjoyed getting to know Gabriel through Shay's 'visions' of him, and the way the vampire story has been flipped; the human girl needing blood for survival. There is some really good character development through the course of the book and I also loved the romantic sub plot. It was nicely developed, with a slightly reckless edge to it that I think fit Shay very well. A couple of the side characters feel a little flat at times, and sometimes I really wanted more explanation than was given, which did let it down a little over all, though not enough to stop me loving it.

Crave is quickly paced, running full force from almost the very start right up to the end, where you suddenly run face first in to a gigantic cliff hanger. I was literately saying 'no, no, no!!!' out loud and shaking my head, clicking through on my Kindle convinced there had to be more, that they couldn't possibly have left it there. Sadly, they had, though it took me several hours to come to terms with this!! And now September 2011 feels very far away as I wait for book 2, Arise. Crave isn't a very long read, but it's one I seriously loved! I read partially as an escape from my reality of being mostly home-bound, but this didn't really allow that and I liked the challenge of reading something that meshed my reality with the paranormal. Also, it's nice to see a sick girl getting to speak. I think I'd urge everyone to read it for that alone, as a glimpse in to what it's like for those of us who suffer daily.

Note: I read this book during the Out With a Bang Read-a-thon Dec 29th-31st 2010.

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

Eternal edited by P.C. Cast

Eternal: More Love Stories With Bite, is a YA anthology containing 6 new stories from 6 great authors. Here's a quick run down and short reviews for each of them in order.

1. Bloodshed by Claudia Gray - rating: 7/10
A short story about Patrice, from her Evernight series, in war times. I really liked this, nice chance to get to know Patrice a little better. (You don't need to have read any of the Evernight books to enjoy this short)

2. Say Yes by Lili St. Crow - rating: 7/10
A dark, kind of creepy short about a girl who becomes obsessed with the guy she believes killed her best friend. I liked it.

3. Letters to Romeo by Nancy Holder - rating: 5/10
A weird retelling of Romeo and Juliet in which Romeo is a vampire who's waited hundreds of years to find Juliet again. A decent enough story, but not really to my tastes, didn't enjoy it very much.

4. The Other Side by Heather Brewer - rating: 8/10
Great short story about a girl and her boyfriend who wake up to discover they've been kidnapped and are chained up in a basement. Loved this one! Nice twists to it.

5. Drama Queen's Last Dance by Rachel Caine - rating: 8/10
A short story set in Rachel's Morganville Vampires series, post Ghost Town [book #9] I think, told from Eve's POV. If you follow my reviews you'll know I read Ghost Town recently and was not too happy with the Morganville world. Wouldn't ya know that I then went and loved this short? *shakes head* Very good Morganville short. I do love being in Eve's head, she's much easier to take that way. You probably do need to have read at least some Morganville and know the set up to get everything from this short, but hopefully it would be a reasonable intro to the world for new comers as well.

6. Thief by Jeri Smith-Ready - rating: 9/10
Beautiful short that very nearly had me in tears (rare for something so short about all new characters!). It's about a gypsy girl who's trapped between her dreams and what's expected of her. I loved everything about this really, but I wanted more!! Fantastic short though, loved how vampires fitted in to this one.

Overall this is a pretty good anthology. I loved 3 of the stories and the other 3 were fairly good or better. I didn't really dislike any of them, and they're all worth reading. This is a good anthology and worth buying, I suspect in particular for Morganville fans who will love the short short about Eve and Michael. I love the different mixes of vampire lore and worlds found in the book. For once I've already read all the authors present in this anthology, but if I hadn't, I know I'd certainly be checking out Jeri Smith-Ready and Heather Brewer's backlists at the very least, and likely the rest as well.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Copy received for review from Penguin/Razorbill UK, thank you!

Spoilers for previous books only!! I am starting out the review with a short summery, but I don't believe I'm giving away anything that anyone who finished Spirit Bound wouldn't have already guessed/assumed/read else where online already. But if you don't even want that, just skip the next paragraph. I recommend avoiding this review if you aren't up to date with this series though. And if you're not, then go read it now because it's awesome! Reviews for previous books: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise and Spirit Bound.

Last Sacrifice is the final book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. It picks up two days after the end of Spirit Bound, with Rose locked up in the prison at the Royal Court for high treason. It's not long before she breaks out of there though, with help from a few trusted friends. On the run outside the vampire world with few people she can trust, Rose must attempt to find out who killed the Queen and bring them to justice to clear her name. But despite her own problems, she can't forget Lissa, who is fighting her own battles with the highest levels of Moroi royalty in the hope that she can help change their world for the better.

I have been addicted to the Vampire Academy series from chapter one, when Rose took on Dimitri Belikov despite being two years out of practise in an attempt to protect her best friend. So much has changed from that moment and none of the characters are the same people they were then. I've been anxiously awaiting Last Sacrifice to fins out how it all ends since that final twist of Spirit Bound literally left me gaping in shock. But it is a bittersweet moment as well because I don't want to say goodbye to these characters I love.

Last Sacrifice surprised me in many ways that I didn't expect. For one, it disappointed me fairly badly twice, although not enough to ruin the book. Secondly, it's not as dark a book as I was expecting. I think it actually made me laugh out loud more than any of the previous books did. Not in a bad way at all, it just seemed to have a higher humour level which broke up the tension nicely, never taking away from the series aspects on the book.

All in all, Last Sacrifice is a very satisfying final book! It answers many, many questions, tying up some plot threads that have been around from book one. And of course the love triangle that has divided fans for the past couple of books is resolved, with careful handling. Although, I'm sure there are still those who will be less than thrilled at the outcome, but I think Richelle has stayed true to the characters and that's what readers should really be looking for. Like all the previous books, Last Sacrifice is full of sass, action, twists and surprises. There is plenty of continued character development all the way through as well. Rose grew up a lot more in this book in particular, and really impressed me a couple of times with her maturity. There is still plenty of heart ache to be endured in this final book as well, I was left aching for the characters over and over.

While the majority of loose threads are tied up, there is still plenty of room for readers to speculate on things past this final book themselves, which I really like. I am also wondering if any of it will be continued in the spin off series which starts next year. I loved Last Sacrifice. It was a fitting end to Rose's story, true to the books that came before it, taking them forward and leaving the series on a high. I've loved almost every moment of this series and it's sad to see it over now, but it's been a fantastic journey!!

Rating: 9/10

Please keep comments spoilers free!! I love hearing other opinions and what your guys think, but comments are not the place for specific spoiler comments! I will delete any that contain them. Thank you :)

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

"The fragile peace between humans and vampires in Morganville is in trouble, and when Claire takes drastic action, she's put under serious pressure to re-establish the barriers that keep the town residents inside, and wipe the memories of those who leave. But working with her half-crazy vampire boss Myrnin means that things don't always turn out as planned ... and as the people of Morganville begin acting strangely, Claire and her friends must solve the mystery and try to put things right. But one by one, her allies are turning on her ... even the ones she trusts most"

Ghost Town is book 9 in the Morganville Vampires series. I really liked the early books in this series, then they started to get repetitive and samey to me. I almost didn't bother with book 8, Kiss of Death, but in the end I did read it and I found it to be one of my favourites of the series, so of course I carried on with it and bought this one. But while it started out okay, I very quickly got annoyed with it.

I found Claire got more and more irritating through the book because she just wasn't being smart. She's meant to be this very bright girl, she started college at 16 and everything, but she was being really pretty dumb through a good portion of this book. She knew, and so did the rest, what needed to be done to put things right early on, but it just...didn't happen. For what were very flaky reasons in my view. I just didn't get why they couldn't solve things so much easier and why it got dragged out so far.

There were some good moments through the book here and there, and a pretty sad moment near the end. But I just didn't care enough for it to really matter. I got to the end, with the final twist, and literally rolled my eyes. Because seriously, that's where it's being taken? Ugh. It's something that's been done before and given the 'before', clearly not a smart move, but there it is. And I just don't think I want to read more. I don't care enough to see where it's taken from here at this point.

I know there are plenty of big Morganvillie fans out there, and I hope you won't take offence to this review because it is simply my personal opinion and everyone has different tastes. But for me, I've just had enough of Morganville right now. If you've really enjoyed all the previous books, you will probably like this one too, just wasn't for me.

Rating: 4/10

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Copy received for review from UK Book Tours with thanks!

"Junior high really stinks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers and no one to teach him, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he realizes he has a much bigger problem: He’s being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!"

Vlad Tod is half vampire, half human. His parents died three years ago, leaving him living with his aunt Nelly, who along with his best friend Henry, are the only ones who know Vlad is a vampire. As far as Vlad knows, there aren't any other vampires in the world. Then his favourite teacher disappears and his new substitute seems to know more about Vlad than he will say. And from there things just get stranger.

I've been curious about this series for a while, but I hadn't yet tried it because I wasn't sure I'd like it too much, despite an interesting premise. Humor and vampires don't always go well for me. I am a fan of angst. But I actually really enjoyed this! I liked Vlad almost instantly, the way he just takes being a vampire in stride, not stressing about it or what it means, aside from wanting to keep it secret of course. When it comes to cute girls though, he's very shy. Makes him seem very normal, it's cute and funny!

Eighth Grade Bites is a fun story with a semi-serious side. Vlad wants to know what happened to his parents, who died under very strange circumstances and who he misses very much. I just kind of loved the whole story. It's funny without being stupid, got a nice cast with potential to get better. I liked the twists and vampire lore aspects as well. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Rating: 7/10


The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod are being released in the UK in 2011 from Razorbill, Penguin. Books 1 and 2 (Ninth Grade Slays) will be out in February, followed by Tenth Grade Bleeds in April and Eleventh Grade Burns in June. Books 1-5 (Twelfth Grade Kills) are already out in the US.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Here I am for the final time with a Vampire Academy book reread review! On the off chance you missed the previous posts, this is a part of Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. Like for SK and BP, I'm skipping a discription, but if you're interested: Goodreads. Reread reviews for previous books: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise. And once more SPOILER warning!! Unavoidable BIG spoilers for all previous books.

It goes without saying at this point that the Vampire Academy series is one of my favourite and one of the strongest YA series out there. Books 1-4 are all fantastic and Spirit Bound was one I was once again very excited for and that fully lived up to expectations.

That said, there are parts of Spirit Bound that I had a very hard time reading. There are parts that made me laugh out loud, others that shocked me and left me breathless, and others that I just outright loved. While I didn't love or even like parts of Spirit Bound, I understood exactly why Richelle had things play out as they did and I was left very satisfied with the story as a whole.  Rose was not always the smartest girl in this book. She made a lot of spur of the moment decisions, based more on emotion than logic or sense, and she paid the price for it.  I wanted to shake her at times and tell her to wake up, to stop being an idiot and realise the truth.

I really enjoyed how some of the lesser side plots with various side characters played out as well. Nothing in this series has worked out easily for anyone, there are no easy answers or easy outs, and I love that! Actions have consequences and Richelle never ignores that. One of my favourite side characters from this series is Abe Mazur, and I was very happy to see more of him here in Spirit Bound and I'm more than a little curious to see what role he will play in the final book.

I loathe spoilers and to avoid leading ones here let me simply say that a lot happens in Spirit Bound. Several things from previous books are dealt with, at least particially, whilst still new questions appear. Spirit Bound is very different to the previous books as Rose and the others no longer students, but adults trying to find their way and place in the Royal Court. There is some great and unexpected character development throughout the book and the ending was shocking, a real smack in the face, leaving me hungry for more! It's a hell of a cliff hanger, though not quite the intensity of Shadow Kiss [book #3]. Spirit Bound was an emotional roller coaster. Rose may have been out in the world killing Strigoi, but it doesn't mean she's ready for everything she faces. I wish I had some certainty about at least a few things that could happen in Last Sacrifice, but the truth is, Richelle has surprised me with every book to date and I don't see Last Sacrifice being any different. Bring it on! Rating: 10/10


Reread Thoughts

First time I read Spirit Bound I kept putting it down and walking away because Rose was tearing me apart with her decisions and actions. It was that, or throw it at the wall. I did then and still do now, believe that it was completely in character for her to be as she was, but that doesn't mean it was easy for me to read or that I didn't want to smack her repeatedly, yelling at her that she was being an idiot. Rose doesn't show her pain or uncertainty. She wasn't about to get over what happened to Dimitri within weeks, but she wasn't going to stand around and pine either. She was pro-active, tried to move on because it was the 'right' thing to do, she was caught between hope and reality. Sure little things could have been handled a little different and still work to the same effect, but as I said, I felt what happened was entierly within character so I'm happy with it despite not agreeing with certain things!

This is the first time I've reread Spirit Bound because it was so hard to get through that first time. I wondered if I'd have such a strong reaction again, but actually, I loved rereading it probably more than I loved it first time around. It helped knowing what was going to happen and none of the uncertainty about whether Dimitri would be saved or not because obviously I already knew the answer to that one. The tension in the ending was almost as high as first time around, and the moment that almost did have me throwing the book at the wall (repeatedly) made me cringe just as hard as well. But the final two and half chapters = total love!!

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Book #4 of the Vampire Academy series reread for Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. SPOILER warning. I can't review this without MASSIVE spoilers for Shadow Kiss (book #3) sorry about that, but it's just not possible for me. So skip this if you've not read that far. Like my Shadow Kiss reread review, I'm skipping attempting my own summery of the book: Goodreads description. Previous reread reviews: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss.

Shadow Kiss was heartbreaking. It changed everything for Rose, because how could she not be seriously affected and tainted by what happened, or by the task now ahead of her? I know there are plenty of people who didn't like this book. They found it flat, or underwhelming, or too different, or many other things. That wasn't the case for me. I thought it was all handled brilliantly. In Blood Promise Rose is away from the Academy, away from Lissa, the man she loves is the thing he never wanted to be, and as far as she's concerned, it's up to her to save him the only way possible, by killing him and giving him true death. There is still some sass in her, but it's seriously tempered by her grief. Rose is still strong, still capable, but she's facing something bigger than she's ever faced before. She's barely 18, confused, broken and desperate to believe the reality she is facing, isn't true. And everything she does, every tough choice, every moment she hesitates, just....fits.

Rose's emotional state aside, there is still plenty going on. I love the change of scenery, seeing Rose out there in the real world, unprotected. We get to meet some awesome new characters, and some of whom I would love to see more of. I want to say which ones exactly, but I fear it'd be too easy for me to end up revealing spoilers, so I'll stay quiet. I thoroughly enjoyed Rose's interactions with the new characters. She learnt a lot from them, from seeing a different part of her world, outside the school. There is plenty of action still, especially in the second half, though I admit the first half does have a slower pace to it. I actually think that works in it's favor. For Rose to find Dimitri instantly would be too easy, then what would happen for the rest of the book? No, I think it works very well. There is a balance that had to be struck and I think Richelle got it pretty spot on. It gave Rose a change to explore her new surroundings and meet people who she needed to meet.

I lost count of the number of times I ended up in tears the first time I read this. I still cried repeatedly during the rereads. It's a heart wrenching book. There is fresh pain and grief, and memories of the better times. The contrast is startling, both brought tears. And every read of Blood Promise has left me feeling very conflicted. It's too painful for the book to be my favourite of the series, but it's a very important book and very well done. I am always left impressed, sad, and with a slight queasy feeling about the final couple of chapters. I think its the right way for the book/series to go, but they didn't, and still don't, fit comfortably with me for some reason. Rose just felt a little bit 'off' for lack of a better word. However, like I said, still the right direction for the series, maybe just a little sudden for me when I am still reeling from the rest at that point. The final couple of pages though, that last twist, I loved.

Overall, a fantastic book. Very dark, very painful, full of grief, but still brilliant. Left me desperate for Spirit Bound, wondering if maybe, just maybe, what I want more than anything could still happen. Rating: 9/10

Reread Thoughts - this hits spoiler territory, in a semi vague way.

Like with Shadow Kiss, my thoughts are pretty much identical to first time through. I love reading the flashbacks, Rose remembering happier times with Dimitri. They kill me because I know he's gone, but I love and treasure them as well because they're the real Dimitri. The guy I fell in love with right alongside Rose. They're what Rose should, rightly, cling to.

I still, no matter the rereads, can not stand evil, Strigoi Dimitri. It's brutal seeing him so twisted from what he was, and there's the point of those flashbacks, to show that a Strigoi is not the person they were. I completely understood why Rose wanted so badly for it to be him, why she let herself believe it for a while, but it was, is, hell to read it.

The one thing I've found rereading this that is really different, is that I was annoyed with the amount of time Rose spent in Lissa's head. Don't get me wrong, I like Lissa's side plot, and it's got important moments, but I've found that I just wanted to stick with Rose's story.

Oh, and on Adrian, I still do not like him. I know he cares about Rose, for real, and he's an important player plot wise. But I just can't bring myself to really like him. He's okay, and he has grown on me from Frostbite, but I still don't really like him and I can't particularly place why. I think he just rubs me the wrong way on a personal level with the smoking, drinking and some other things, because he's not the kind of guy I'd get on with in real life...

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Reread of book #3 in the Vampire Academy series for Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge. SPOILER warning, this review contains some spoilers for the previous books. No spoilers for Shadow Kiss though. Previous reread reviews: Vampire Academy, Frostbite.

If Vampire Academy and Frostbite were un-put-down-able (and they were) I don't know what to call this one. Some series are falling off the tracks by the time they hit book three, characters changing beyond realness, plots not as strong as they were or feeling like they've lost direction. Not so here. Shadow Kiss is the strongest book of the series at this point.

Rose is changing, growing up, but she's also facing new, bigger dangers and changes she can't control. I loved Rose from page one of VA. She's a smart, sassy, rebellious, kick-ass kind of girl. No waiting for the guy to come save her here! But there is no doubt she's not quite the same girl she was at the start of the series. I really enjoy her development over the course of the book, how she reacts to certain situations and she realises things are not quite what they always seem. She shows a more vulnerable side, just a little, and it shows her confidence is really growing, without inflating her ego. She's more settled and sure of herself, even when she's feeling lost. Okay, that probably doesn't make any sense at all, but it's how I feel about her and I'm not sure how else to try and explain it.

There are some answers to left over threads from VA and Frostbite given here, as well as many new questions appearing. But it's all connected, to varying degrees, and heading towards a place where you know big bad things lie. Perhaps the most impressive part of this book though, is not the character development, the addition of a new key player or two, but that I knew what the outcome to the book would be, long before I read it, and it still shocked the hell out of me.

I was reading it and filled with a sense of dread that just kept growing because I was thinking this one big thing would happen, but also constantly telling myself I had to be wrong, because surely the author wouldn't go there. But Richelle did. And did it perfectly. I didn't want 'it' to happen, not even close, but I knew it absolutely had to happen, because otherwise, where would the series go? It changes everything for Rose, and ends the book on a killer cliffhanger, but there is no doubt for me at all that it's exactly what had to happen and that the book (and series) is that much stronger for it.

There are so many great elements to this book that all together make it awesome, I can't possibly manage to really give many, let alone all, of them justice. There's further exploration of the world; a deeper look at spirit and it's strength; more romance; lots of action; lots of careful, fitting character changes and development; and like I said, some big, shocking twists.

What else can I say? I adored every moment of Shadow Kiss. Vampire Academy is one of the strongest YA paranormal series out there. Nothing about it is typical or cliched. A spectacular story and equally spectacular continuation of the series! Bring on the rest of it! Rating: 10/10

Reread thoughts

Honestly, I know I had a lot (too much) to add in this section with the first two, but here, I really don't because I feel pretty much exactly the same about this book as I did the first, second and third times I read it. It never fails to make me cry, to tear me up inside, and have that sense that it really couldn't have gone any other way than what it did.

As always, I felt the foreshadowing was perfectly placed, not just for the final twist here, but for certain things that are still to come. The ground work for future events works just perfectly as well. The development of Rose and Lissa's friendship is fantastic. I love that it's so complex and not always straight forward or easy. Friends fight, that's reality, and Richelle doesn't ignore that or make the fights childish, bratty stuff. The problems they face are very real, very serious. Same goes for all romantic involvements. Rose and Dimitri. Well, what can I say past I still adore them. More than ever. The development of their relationship and the chemistry between them is quite possibly my favourite thing about this book. And that's saying something because there is a lot to love about this book!!

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Frostbite is the second book in the Vampire Academy series, my favourite paranormal YA series. For Vampire Book Club's Reread Challenge, I reread and reviewed *cough*gushed over*cough* book one a couple weeks back, now it's Frostbite's turn. As then, review first followed by reread thoughts (and again, total gush fest, sorry!).

Rose is heading away from the Academy for the day to take her Qualifier. A combined interview and exam meant to discover if she's got the potential to be a guardian. But when she and her mentor Dimitri, arrive at their destination they're met with horror. The guardian they were meant to meet, along with the family he guarded, are dead. Killed by a group of Strigoi. The attack shocks the vampire world, groups of Strigoi working together is almost unheard of, causing mass panic through the Moroi and dhampir world.

For Rose and her friends, there could be worse things than a mandatory ski trip, if it were as simple as that. Rose's long absent mother, a very well respected guardian, has just reappeared and it's far from a happy reunion. Dimitri, Rose's mentor and big time crush, is maybe getting involved with someone else. Mason, one of Rose's best friends, is making his feelings for her clearer than ever. Lissa's happier romantic life is grating on Rose's nerves. And the repercussions from the Strigoi attack are fraying tempers, unrest within the Moroi and guardian ranks are starting to show.

Like Vampire Academy, I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end. It's a great follow up to the first book continuing Rose's training, her personal and emotional development, and also taking a deeper look at the way the vampire world works, some of the politics, and the unjustness which is causing unrest. While VA showed hints of how the Moroi society worked, it becomes a focus in Frostbite.

There is continued character development, most obviously with Rose, but with several other big players as well. Rose faces big conflicts in Frostbite, with her mother and Dimitri in particular. There is an ongoing intensity involving them both, it's hard not to see why Rose reacts as she does at times. She's still short tempted, acting first and thinking second. However there are times when she does think before she acts, or realises herself that she's wrong and deals with it, showing some real maturity. It's a work in progress, with many ups and downs, but I love being along for the ride.

Some new characters made for some interesting twists here, but I also loved getting to know some of the side characters better as well. Frostbite was full of surprising twists, I couldn't put it down. The ending is heart pounding and heart breaking. It made me cry and cry some more. It was raw, honest and hopeful, and despite the painfulness of it, beautiful. No cliff hanger ending, but it certainly left me wanting a hell of a lot more.
Rating: 9/10

My reread thoughts/comparisons start to stray in to spoiler territory, read at your own risk :)

First time through:
Rose: She's growing a lot, but feel really bad for her with Dimitri.
Rose and Dimitri: why are they fighting?! This is just plain wrong, painful really.
Rose and Janine: Kinda really hate Janine, though she's okay at the end I guess. Totally get why Rose hates her.
Rose and Lissa: get why Rose is jealous of Christian getting most of Lissa's time, but kinda love how she puts Lissa first even so.
Adrian: Don't like him. Kinda creepy, not looking forward to seeing more of him

On Rose: In my VA reread I stated that I noticed Rose's bratty nature more, or saw more why it bothered some people. I was paying a lot more attention to how she was behaving, reacting and what changes there were (or weren't) with her behaviour compared to VA. I do think she's grown a lot in this book. She is immature at times, but again, she's 17. It's expected. What I like though, is that she's trying. She thinks it, she says it, and she acts it. She makes some bad decisions, but acknowledges them, suffers from them. She also makes some mature ones, really showing potential, recognising things above and beyond what's expected of her.

On Rose and Dimitri: Wow. Talk about unbalanced. Dimitri over compensating, trying to be just her instructor, constantly putting her down harshly. Not treating Rose as an equal, or even as a student. Everything he says is meant to push her away, but the force behind it only proves he cares too much. Rose tries so hard to cover her hurt and loneliness with sass and attitude but unfortunately for her, it comes off as the immaturity Dimitri keeps throwing in her face because she is younger. Painful reading, and I wanted to smack Dimitri a few times, and yet I now think those moments were really vital.

In contrast, their togetherness moments were very tender and sweet, showing their love for each other and how well they understand the other and how well they fit together. This is not some casual attraction, things aren't always smooth going for them (never have been, but they've never had a real argument before this book either) but it's good for them. More real. And I think it shows strength and promise for the outcome of their relationship,

On Rose and Janine: Janine is not an easy person to like, but I honestly believe she loves Rose. She just doesn't know how to show it, she believes she's screwed up, but putting her duty first is the only thing that truly makes sense to her. They're so alike, it's easy to see why they piss each other off so much. I don't think Rose ever hated Janine though. She yelled and screamed and pushed because she wanted Janine to be her mom, not someone she sees once every few years.

On Rose and Lissa: Oh hell. Rose repeatedly stops herself from telling Lissa what's going on because Lissa is preoccupied with other stuff. The bond actually gets in the way because Rose can't help feeling what Lissa does and is very protective. She's got the 'they come first' drilled so hard in to her that bottling it up as she does is only going to make things explode. Lissa is just as bad. She never asks what's going on with Rose. She doesn't realise she's spending almost all her free time with Christian, being a bad friend. Takes two to make a friendship work, and they're both on the path to destruction.

On Adrian: I do not like this guy. - guess something things don't change with time ;)

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

When Vampire Book Club announced they were going to be hosting a Vampire Academy reread challenge through October and November in the run up to Last Sacrifice's release, I of course instantly signed up. This is one of my all time favourite YA series. I rarely reread books (aside from favourite snippets) but VA is an exception to that and I've reread most of the series several times in full. Notes:  This is very long and gushing, apologies for that! Thanks to the two lovely Nicole's, it's not as long and gushing as it was. Be grateful ;) Review is followed by some reread thoughts.

Vampire Academy [book 1 in the Vampire Academy series] by Richelle Mead - Goodreads // Richelle's site

Rose is a 17 year-old dhampir, a Guardian in training, intent on protecting her best friend, Lissa Dragomir, who is a royal Moroi princess. They've spent two years on the run from the Academy they attended, but now they've been found and brought back. Rose goes back in to training, with a new hot mentor, and Lissa is once more surrounded by the elite royals and the political games they play. Both struggle to find their place in the school again and things are only made worse as someone begins targeting Lissa. Rose is determined to protect her from everything, but there are some things even a trained bodyguard can't stop.

I was hooked on this book this book from beginning to end. I was worried before I started it the first time that it would, despite the description, end up being your typical YA vampire romance book. It is definitely not that!! For starters, it has a kickass female protagonist who doesn't spend all her time thinking about a guy. She's sassy, smart, resourceful and determined. Okay, and a little cocky and bratty at times. But she's 17. She can be forgiven for acting her age! She's also got a serious, deeper, more mature side which gets shown fairly early on. She's got her flaws, but they make her more approachable and easier to relate to rather than being irritating. There is obvious potential for a lot of growth in her as well, particularly emotionally speaking.

One of my favourite aspects of the book is the friendship between Lissa and Rose. It's clear from the start that they're pretty inseparable, and that Lissa leans on Rose a lot. Lissa is smart and strong in some ways, but she's also fragile. She's far more openly vulnerable than Rose ever is. Lissa lost her family in a car accident a couple of years before where the series starts, making Rose the only family she's really got left. However I think the reverse is true as well, that Rose needs Lissa just as much. Rose's mom is never around, she doesn't know her father, and the only true friend she has, the only person she trusts, is Lissa. It's no wonder she takes her duty seriously, even if protecting Lissa means breaking the rules and going against what she's been taught.

I love the blend of reality with the paranormal. Like how everyone can relate to the general high school experiences and drama, such as romance, gossip and strained friendships. But then there is the fact that half the school population require blood as part of their diet to survive, and the other half are training to kill things. Richelle has blended these perfectly to create something very believable and real, with a great cast of well developed characters to back it up. I think it's really well paced and although not always the fastest plot, it's still really interesting. Either the world building (which is complex, but more straight forward than you may think at first glance) or the interactions between Rose and the various people around her. There's never a dull moment and several laugh out loud ones along with the hold-your-breath tension. There are some great twists along the way as well. First time I read this I had no idea what was going to happen until it happened. Every reread I've loved almost as much as that first time, despite knowing the outcome. It still makes my heart race.

There is a romantic plot, well two actually. Both with forbidden aspects, Rose's far more than Lissa's, but both thoroughly enjoyable. Rose and Lissa share a deep bond, literally, and Rose can feel what Lissa does, can be 'in her head' and see what she sees. This means we get a close look at Lissa's life, romantic and otherwise, as well as Rose's. Something I enjoy, even when Lissa annoys me.

Richelle has also done a fantastic job with the chemistry and slow building relationship between Rose and her 24 year old, very hot, Russian mentor, Dimitri. I love Dimitri. He's calm, strong, got a bit of the tough love attitude, understanding, serious and the perfect balance to Rose's short temper. And while Dimitri does play a big part to the story, their relationship isn't the main focus, it is a sub plot. And not all their interaction is about them getting together, in fact most of it is simply them training and getting to know each other. Which I think is why I adore them together so much. There is nothing sudden or rushed about their relationship. I'm very cautious about any relationship in a book that is between a student/teacher or a similar role, and it can often be an automatic turn off for me, for very personal reasons. However, Richelle has built it carefully, and it is a conflict both Rose and Dimitri recognize and acknowledge, so it doesn't leave me with an sick feeling. I adore them together.

Overall I can't help loving and adoring just about every little thing about this book. It's dark and gritty; got great characters; great world building that is complex and yet easy to understand; it's a great story with some fantastic twists; it pulls no punches and generally is just all around awesome. Even rereading it I can barely put it down. I feel every up and down with Rose and love every second of it. It's certainly a YA book that can appeal as much to adults as teens. The ending wraps the major points of this book up, but there is still so much to explore in the rest of the series. Books 2-5 certainly live up to that as the series only gets better, and book 6 promises more of the same. Excellent start to something which is definitely not your typical vampire YA novel, despite the somewhat cheesy series title. A series which is one of the very best YA series around and an absolute must read. Rating: 10/10


Few new reread comments on it

First read thoughts
Chapter 1: Wow. Okay, Rose is sassy and this is not going to be a typical vampire book. I'm going to love this...
About halfway through: Oh my gosh I'm so in love! Dimitri is awesome! So is Rose! And Christian is kinda crazy but I kinda like him too. Mia = mega bitch. I need book 2, is it out yet? *hunts online and orders. It will arrive the next day* *dances*
End: This is such an awesome book. I'm going to love this series!!

Rereading:
Chapter 1: hehe gotta love Rose's sass. Soooo good to be back in this world.
About halfway through: Wow, Rose really was a major brat through some of this. Still love her through it though. Dimitri *swoon-y sigh* Kind, sweet, tough, awesome Dimitri. Oh how I love him. Them first falling in love is soo good to read again. *cackles at Christian's insanity* I adore this guy so much. Mia really was a total bitch, hard to feel even a tiny bit of sympathy for her despite knowing later details.
End: love, love love. How many more days til Last Sacrifice? Why can I not reread the rest of the series yet? *double sigh*

Rereading this now was kind of strange, good strange, but still strange. Before I've always just done it for fun, because I love the series and getting lost in that world again is relaxing and easy, and sometimes I just do not want to start something new, but I want something I can still get a real thrill from, which I can with this series. This time I was actually paying attention to details, thoughts on what was going on, what the characters were like, how things go on to change, and comparing to my first impressions (which by the way, were never written down, I just remember them very well). I'm a little surprised by my reaction to Rose.

The first time I read this book I had no problem with Rose at all. She was sassy, smart, determined and flawed. Now, I'm seeing more flaws then I did before. Don't get me wrong, I still love her completely, but I'm noticing how over confident and cocky she is. I noticed the comments before, but I never paid them that much attention. Now I am. It may just be because it seems so different to Spirit Bound Rose (the Rose who's been to hell and back) or maybe I'm just looking at it differently, trying to see what others who haven't liked book one saw.

Either way, I noticed it. I think I almost like her more for it oddly, thought not when it was actually happening, because I think it lends more to my theory that a lot of the reason Rose is so over-confident and bratty at times is because as a kid it got her noticed and she's playing it up to feel part of a group. She's jealous of Lissa and Christian's connection from the start because she knows it might take Lissa away from her a certain amount, and Lissa is all she has so it's something she's understandably unhappy about. Don't get me wrong, I think Rose is comfortable in the dhampir/Moroi society, but I also think she has a deep desire to be noticed and needed to really feel she's worth while. Or maybe I just obsess too much on this series.

I'll stop the gushing there for now and save some for my reread of books 2-5! If you made it this far, thank you! Would love any comments on this post (and any other for that matter!)

Mini Reviews

I've got three new mini reviews for you today, for two reasons. The first is because I didn't read the book in full so don't think it's fair to give a full review, but do want to comment on it. The second two are because they're for books not released until 2011 and I'm waiting until much closer to their release dates to post full reviews. But I thought I'd give you a taste of them and my thoughts now. All these three are YA titles.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

"When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…
Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret society of popular girls dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.
… be careful what you wish for.
Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.
What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?"

I received a copy of this for review thanks to Lynsey at UK Book Tours.

I really wanted to like this book. Just occasionally I really love a totally girly book and this sounded like a good one. But after 60 or 70 pages I found myself having to force myself to read it to a certain extent. I skimmed the rest of the way through the book because I did want to know what happened. Its entirely possible that in a different mood I could really enjoy this book, but at the time, I didn't. I liked the writing, the characters, the plot. It wasn't a superficial book, it went deeper than I expected. Normally that would be something that would keep my interest and I'd enjoy. I think if anyone is just a little more in to books like this than I am, then it would be a great read, I really do. So while I didn't read the book in full and get the full experience, I'd still recommend it. Like I said, another day and I may have loved it myself.

Afterlife by Claudia Gray [Evernight #4]

E-ARC received thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen. Thank you! Release date: March 8th 2011

This fourth and final Evernight book (about Bianca anyway, Balthazar is getting his own book) was everything that it should have been. Dark, emotional, revealing and brilliant. It had to deal with a lot of issues left from the previous books, and after the shocking end to Hourglass [book #3] I did have to wonder how satisfying an ending there could be for the series knowing what we did about the characters, and how they felt about certain things. I shouldn't have worried. It was a fantastic book and I loved it beginning to end. If you liked the previous ones, this should be a hit as well. Rating: 9/10

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

 "In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?"

E-ARC received thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen. Thank you! Release date: January 4th 2011

Hmm, where to start....WOW. Awesome, amazing, fantastic, brilliant, wonderful, incredible, spectacular...

Saying I loved this book would be a massive understatement. It is without doubt one of my favourite reads of the year so far. I loved it from chapter one and could barely put it down. It dragged me in, held on tight and ripped me apart through a very emotional end. It's suburb. Fantastic, well rounded characters, a setting that's almost as alive as them, a story that's got depth, creativity and the mythology to make it real. You know how just sometimes you can start a book and within a few short paragraphs or pages you just know you're on to a winner? Something special that's going to leave an impression and be a lasting favourite? Yeah, that was this book for me. The twists to this story were expertly done and left me breathless. This was a debut novel? Seriously? *shakes head in disbelief* It was beautifully written, very funny in just the right places, and the characters...simply fantastic. There is one certain boy who I completely fell in love with. He is basically my perfect guy. Why isn't he real?! Adored it from beginning to end. If there is one book you must buy at the start of the new year, this should be it. Rating: 10/10

Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

"The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampire are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated - and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself - and her heart."

This world, Jenn and the other main characters, were first introduced in a short story in The Eternal Kiss, a YA anthology which was released last year. You don't need to read that story to read this, the important things from it are covered in plenty of detail in this story. But I loved that short story. I was very excited to find out that there would be a series, a trilogy I believe, to come from it.

Jenn, Antonio, Skye, Holgar, Eriko and Jamie are a team of hunters. One of very few, normally hunters work alone, and they're lucky to survive a few months. But just because they're a team, doesn't mean they get on. In fact, they barely trust each other, or themselves. The only one they really seem to trust is their handler, Father Juan, one of the men who trained them. When Jenn travels back to the US after the sudden death of a family member she finds out just how bad the situation is, that vampires, the Cursed Ones, really are taking over everything. When she's betrayed by someone close to her while there, she finds herself in serious danger. Her team is sent out to meet up with her and help her out, if they can keep from killing each other along the way. But the odds they face shock even this elite trained team of hunters. Getting out alive may not be an option for them.

The first third of the book is heavy on the back ground, a lot of information on the characters, their histories, the history of how the vampires came out to the world. It makes is slow going forward, but I didn't find it bad. I actually quite enjoyed learning it all. And the little bits of the main plot moving forward were really great. So while it was slow going, it was good. From about a third of the way in it starts to pick up, less background more forward movement and by the halfway point it was great, much faster, must more action. But it still felt a little heavy going. I think it's the amount of information, the way the story is told. It's written in third person, from many points of view. Jenn is the focus, but we get everyone elses story as well, adding the the amount of info floating around. It's good, great even at times, getting to know all the different characters, their pasts, why they fight as they do, what matters to them. It just never felt like a fast read. It's long, 470 pages, and despite having other things going on I did still finish it within a couple of days, so it read faster than it felt. There are also a lot of translation sentences. Spanish and a little Latin, where it's said then translated in full (which is great for someone like me who doesn't know either) but it does add to it sometimes feeling like it's slowing down.

That said, there is plenty of action. I really like the concepts for this world, the vampires, Cursed Ones, coming out, trying to rule the world, while pretending to be harmless when they're clearly killers. The idea of special schools or academies which train people, teens usually, to be hunters fits nicely and how they all have reasons for doing what they do. I really liked Jenn and Antonio, along with Skye and Holgar in particular. I actually really liked all of the team of hunters, but those four are my favourites at this point. All the back stories for the characters have been really thought out and developed, Antonio's fears, Jenn's lack of self confidence, they're all hiding things and it was hard not to feel sympathy for them and their actions at least some of the time.

The tension built up well, slowly at first but always there, and the feeling of constant threat grew to boiling point towards the end. It was intense, sad, great and left me wanting a lot more. Which, having just read 470 pages, is a pretty good thing! I've got my theories, concerns and hopes for what could happen next with certain characters and issues, but I'm at a loss to really know where it's going right now. Lots left open, but still with a satisfying end for this first book. Yes, it started off slow, but there was no point at which I wanted to really put it down or consider stopping. And I think all the info that is in this book, is very worth it. I really loved the second half of the book in particular, but overall I think it's a great read and I'm really looking forward to the second one.

Rating: 9/10

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Evernight #3, review contains spoilers for previous books.

"After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, an elite group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend - the vampire Balthazar - all her secrets threaten to come out.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas have orchestrated Balthazar's escape and are on the run, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they run, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything - but can it survive what's to come?"

Book 2 of the Evernight series, Stargazer, ended rather dramatically. Evernight attacked, set on fire, and Bianca and Lucas escaped only with Black Cross. Now Black Cross are giving her refuge, still under the belief that she's human, kidnapped and raised by vampires as a baby. If they find out the truth, that she is actually a vampire herself, they'll kill her. And most likely Lucas as well. But they don't have anywhere else to go. Escaping from Black Cross could well be harder than escaping Evernight, and they need money they don't have as well. So they stay, Bianca trains, learns to fight, while starving for blood only able to get a little every few days instead of daily like she needs. Bianca and Lucas get little time together either, not alone, and Bianca can't confide in her roommate, Raquel, either because she's sided completely with Black Cross. It leaves Bianca feeling very alone in the heart of enemy territory.

Then Balthazar, Bianca's closest friend from Evernight, a vampire, is captured. Bianca can't watch them torture him so she convinces Lucas they have to save him, somehow. Lucas, who has never liked Balthazar for his attraction to Bianca, agrees for her sake more than anything. But he puts his heart in to it and together they come up with a plan. But in such close quarters, can they really save him and continue to keep Bianca's secret? And Lucas', because if they discover Bianca's fed from him, he'll be in just as much trouble. Living on the run, Mrs Bethany, the powerful head of Evernight Academy, after them, surrounded by Black Cross members who'd kill them in an instant if the truth came out, things are far from certain for Bianca and Lucas.

I really, really loved this book. It was fascinating seeing Bianca and Lucas attempt to cope within Black Cross. Neither wanted to be there and the tension between Lucas and some of the members was almost explosive. It wasn't always fast paced, but it never felt slow either. I think there is more action in this book than the previous two, and I loved seeing how they both dealt with the things thrown their way.

It's a great continuation of the series, building on previous events, more secrets are revealed and dealt with, and both Lucas and Bianca continue to grow and learn from the things they face. I've loved how this series has developed. Ms. Gray does a great job of hiding things until the last moment, with just subtle hints before hand which don't make anything easy to guess, but makes perfect sense when you understand what's going on.

I've loved Bianca and Lucas from the start, and Balthazar grew on me a lot as well through Stargazer and this. But Vic has become one of my all time favourite side characters with this book. I loved him already, but even more so now. He's smart, takes things in stride, and yet has a serious, deeper side which just makes him more impressive and lovable.

The build up for the ending is intense. I confess that I think Bianca and Lucas should have figured out what was going on with her a bit sooner than she did. But on the other hand, it does still make sense that they didn't. The ending though, about killed me. I'm so glad I hadn't got in to this series sooner and read this as soon as it released, because the wait for the final book, Afterlife, may just kill me and I've got less to wait than some. Such an awesome series, great writing, great story, great characters, and a must read. It's still far from your typical YA vampire series and it's up there with Strange Angels [Lili St. Crow] and Vampire Academy [Richelle Mead] on my favourites list.

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

Evernight by Claudia Gray

"Bianca wants to escape.

At the eerily Gothic Evernight Academy, the other students are sleek, smart, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

When she meets handsome, brooding Lucas, he warns her to be careful - even when it comes to caring about him. But the connection between them can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart...and make Bianca question everything she's ever believed."

This is the first book in the Evernight series and again it's one I've had for a while. I am not a fan of the fairly typical vampire books where girl meets strange/unearthly beautiful boy who she can't resist, turns out he's a centuries old vampire, they can't stay apart etc. And despite good recs for this one, I wasn't convinced I wasn't about to wade in to another of those. Turns out, I was really wrong. The twist to this book, this series, was awesome and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure it out. I had ideas of what the secrets were, they changed and altered as I was reading it, but right up to the reveal I hadn't figured out half of it. It's carefully hidden until it's needed and I was really impressed with the impact it left for me. It made earlier moments make a whole lot more sense, even though at the time they hadn't seemed strange at all, or only very slightly odd, but easily brushed off.

Bianca actually won me over within just a couple of pages. She's attempting to run away before her first day at Evernight begins, and running through the woods she spots a guy. She recognizes the danger instantly and runs. Without screaming. She's smart enough to know no one was around to hear her so she just ran, saving the energy/breath required for screaming and putting it to far better use running.

I was hooked from the start and found it pretty hard to put down. Bianca is smart, if a little naive (but hey, she's 16, it's allowed), and easy to like and relate to. Lucas was more of a mystery, but I had a lot of fun trying to figure him out. I liked him from the start, he's got the 'you should stay away from me for your own good' attitude that is seen in plenty of those pretty boy vampires that are seen in YA novels (and adult ones for that matter), but rather than being dark and brooding, he's fun. He's doesn't battle himself like a lot of those typical characters, or not in that sense anyway. He's a trouble maker, he likes to disagree, but he does genuinely care about Bianca as well. Very, very hard not to love him. He won me over very quickly with his first appearance in the book as well.

There are many, many secrets being hidden by most of the characters in this book, and trying to figure them out wasn't easy. Well, okay some were, and once certain things were revealed, others were guessable as well. But then the tension of not knowing was replaced by the feeling 'oh hell...s/he's gonna find out that s/he is ...' and that suspense was equally enthralling. But wherever the tension was coming from, it was there all the way through.

And while romance does play a big part of this book, Bianca doesn't spend all of her time thinking only of Lucas. There are some other things going on as well for her, and that's another reason I really liked this book. If the girl is only obsessed with the guy and nothing else is going on, I tend to lose interest, very quickly, but the secrets and those other aspects meant I only wanted to keep reading. While we don't get to know many of the characters very well (those darn secrets again) it's easy to see there is a lot more to most of them than we see. And the ones we do get to know better, are well rounded and you care about them.

The ending isn't a cliff hanger, but it certainly left me wanting much more, and right then. I've already ordered books 2 and 3 (Stargazer and Hourglass) and I'm even looking forward to book 4, Afterlife (out March 2011). That's how much I loved this book. Yes it's a YA vampire love story, but it's got great characters and a really awesome twist to it. I loved it, and I'm very excited to see where this series goes. 9/10