Author: Richelle Mead

Series: Vampire Academy

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 496

CAUTION!!!! There are some spoilers in this post!!!!

 

This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I read the previous four novels a while ago, and just came back to it. I’m so glad that I did! For some reason, it started off a little bit slow for me, but it picked up pretty quickly. In this installment, Rose and Lissa graduate from St. Vladimir’s and make their journey to the Royal Court. They put together a plan to attempt to save Dimitri from his Strigoi state, as Rose found out in the last novel that there could be a way to change him back. Unfortunately, to carry out this plan means freeing Victor, the man who tortured them, from prison. All the while, Rose has to be careful of her moves, because Dimitri vowed to find and kill her once she was out of the protection of the school’s wards. While they are in the midst of obtaining the information needed to help him, he does just that. When he fails, he attempts again, by way of luring her to him using her friends. This move causes quite the battle. Later, back at court, things go crazy, and Queen Tatiana is murdered! Rose turns out to be the main suspect.

This novel had some great twists and turns that held my interest all the way through. Some parts were a bit predictable, but overall it was a good read. I’m excited to see where the rest of the story goes, and if Rose is acquitted, who she’ll ultimately giver her heart to: Dimitri or Adrian. On to the next one!

Author: Jordan K. Rose

 Publisher: Jordan K. Rose

 Genre: PNR

 Pages: 42

This is the first in a new series of novellas by Jordan K. Rose. As I’m sure you can tell by now, she is at the top of my list of favorite authors, and this just makes me love her even more! In this series of novellas, Jordan has stretched herself beyond what she normally writes. It is definitely still PNR, but it is much, much hotter than her previous body of work.

This first story is the story of Shana and Max. Shana is a bit of a naïve young girl who begins working in Max’s underground bar, Seductions, where she is the only human on staff. Max is an extremely hot, seductive Vampire who marked Shana in order to protect her from the rest of the Others. They definitely have chemistry, but will it go beyond that? Well, I guess you’ll have to read it to find out! It is a very quick read, but it is full of the incredible writing that goes in to all of Jordan’s work. I highly recommend this, and can’t wait to read what comes next in this series!

If this sounds like a series for you, you can read he stories for free (that’s right, FREE!!!) on release day by joining Jordan’s newsletter here:  http://jordankrose.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=cd416ac4f08f069c0ace7d9cc&id=41b160e595

The Scorch Trials

Author: James Dashner

 Publisher: Delacorte Press

 Genre: YA Dystopian

 Pages: 384

I was incredibly hopeful that I would love the second book, when I started it. I hoped that the character development would continue, and that I would grow to love it. I wanted to love it, because I had heard such great things about this series. I did not. There is just so much that seems to be drug out throughout the book that doesn’t really need to be. It was hard to keep my focus on the book. That is just one girl’s pinion, though. There is a whole fandom that loves it! I will read book three, because I’m that girl that has to have some closure, and book two (like book one) ends with us still not knowing what in the hell is happening!

Author: James Dashner

 Publisher: Delacorte Press

 Genre: YA Dystopian

 Pages: 384

I initially decided to read this book because it was recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, which is one of my favorite series. The overall plot arch seems to be a bit similar, in that it is a group of kids fighting for their lives in an artificial environment while others create hurdles for them to overcome. That is where the similarities end, though. The book was ok, but not amazing, in my opinion. I think that the characters’ personalities could have been a bit more developed. Maybe they were a bit listless because of the environment that they were in, and this was done on purpose? It definitely wasn’t a bad read, just not my personal favorite. I do plan on reading the next book in the series to see if it improves upon this one.

Author: Kate Corcino

 Publisher: Kate Corcino

 Genre: Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic

 Pages: 380      

I really enjoyed this book! It is the first in a saga, but it ended pretty complete. Admittedly, I have not read a massive amount of dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels, but I feel that this was a very well-written book. The author did a good job with her world and character building, so I was able to visualize well as I was reading. There were some areas that I felt that I had some questions that weren’t answered (mainly about the characters not using non-fossil fuels, etc), but that is most likely a me issue (I know, I’m too analytical) and not necessarily an issue with the writing. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the dystopian/post- apocalyptic genre, and I will definitely be reading the sequels!

Author: Quincy J. Allen

 Publisher: Wordfire Press

Genre: Sci-fi Noir/Thriller

Pages: 426

This is Quincy Allen’s debut full-length novel, and I have to say that he knocked it out of the park! If you are a fan of Sci-fi noir and thrillers, this novel is bound to be one that you will thoroughly enjoy. This novel’s protagonist, Justin Case, is a man on a mission (I use the word “man” loosely). He is a private detective, who just happens to have a lot of money and cool toys, or so he would have you think. As it turns out, he is actually an alien named Jalin, who was created to kill. Despite what he was built to be, he has grown a conscience and uses his many skills for the greater good now.

As this story begins, Case finds out that someone has murdered a good friend of his, a chemist named Xen. Case feels the old him cropping up inside of him as he makes a vow to right this wrong and avenge his friend. Case uses all of his resources (which include his beautiful assistant who he happens to have a thing for, a diner owner who he once saved, an old Russian gangster, and a police Captain) and many, many cool tools of the trade (including his ultra cool feline friend, Mag, who can change her coat to blend in to any environment and was also created to kill alongside Justin), as he makes his way through this crazy case that is full of twists and turns. Will he find out the truth about what happened to his friend? Will he find love and figure out his “human” emotions? Well, I’m not going to give you any more details and ruin it for you! I was actually sad to see this book end. Mr. Allen has definitely gained a new reader with this novel!

Author: Jordan K. Rose

Series: A Romance in Central City

Publisher: Jordan K. Rose

Genre: PNR

Pages: 68

This is another ARC that I received from my doll of an author friend, Jordan K. Rose. It is the fifth novella in the Central City Novella’s, and it is my favorite! This one features the very hot Rafe Valentino. Rafe has been in a self-imposed solitary existence for over two-hundred years because of a past that he refuses to talk to anyone about. This existence makes him very sullen, and very dangerous. As hard as this existence may be, this is how he has decided to live his life. Enter the very cute human nurse, Maddie. Maddie has had a thing for Rafe for a decade, every since she was chosen as the nurse to the Vampire Guard. When Rafe is very seriously injured by the very security system that he helped design and required around the clock care, he and Maddie are forced to spend A LOT of time together. Will this time soften Rafe’s heart to Maddie? Will she run when she finds out the truth of his past? Jordan has done it again!

Author: Rachel McClellan

Series: The Devil’s Fool

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Pages: 298

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was the first of McClellan’s books that I have read, and it was incredibly entertaining. Eve- the main character was a very strong leading female, with unusual powers that have never been seen before. She is lured by Boaz, who convinces her that she needs to embrace her powers, which she does…but it all goes wrong. She ends up surrounded by people whom she doesn’t know if she can trust. McClellan does a wonderful job of describing the world that she has created in this novel, and it really leaves you wanting more. I can’t wait for the next one in this series!

Author: Robert Levy

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: Fantasy/Thriller

Pages: 352

Mr. Levy gained a very happy new reader with his new novel! I initially picked up this read, because it had a blurb on it by the aforementioned (and beloved!) Kelly Link. I am incredibly thrilled that she endorsed this novel, because she did not steer me wrong! Levy’s novel is another of those different, kind of hard to put your finger on, type of fantasy/supernatural thriller’s, but I love his voice. I am a fan of Gaiman, and his writing reminds me of him in a some aspects. It took me about half of the first chapter to really get in to this book, but I’m glad that I continued, because once it picked up and grabbed me it didn’t let go until the very end.

This is truly the story of the main protagonist, Blue, who inherits his grandmother’s home and needs to sell it. He  has not seen this grandmother since he was a small child, nor has he been back to the place where she lived in that same time. He and his three companions, Elisa, Jason, and Gabe, make the journey to Canada so that Blue can see the house and meet with the Lawyer to sign the paper’s on the house. They decide to make a vacation out of it, and stay at a vacation house at a since abandoned artists commune- the same commune that Blue’s mother fled from with him when he was a small boy. While they are there, odd things begin happening- Blue feels that he is being watched from the woods, then when they are out hiking he begins to hear voices calling from seemingly nowhere. Once they make it to the house, there is something found in the basement that changes Blue’s entire outlook on things, even as his memories of what happened in his childhood are starting to come back. They find out that Blue and another girl disappeared when he was young…then Blue and Elisa disappear. Jason and Gabe must do what they have to do, each in their own way, to find their companions.

I love the way that this story was written, in the voice and from the point of view of each character within the novel. Levy is masterful in his descriptions of not only the scenes, but of the characters themselves, so as a reader you feel like you really know them and see where they are. This story of intrigue and self-discovery is one that stuck with me well after the novel was complete. As I said to you before Mr. Levy: Your creepy game is strong, sir! I can’t wait for the next gem!

I was finally able to get in to my last blog, so I have access to my previous reviews. Stay tuned for all of those to be posted!