Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

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

Release Date: December 29, 2009

Publisher: Harlequin

Author Information:  Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Paranormal

Available Formats: Paperback and eBook
My Shelf: Want to Buy

Other Books in Series: My Soul to Lose (#0.5), My Soul to Take (#1)
Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Books-A-Million

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

Review:

Oh, my disappoint runs deep. After having loved the first book, maybe my expectations were too high for this one? Regardless, I am disappointed. I enjoyed this book, but that is about the extent of it. I have no resonant feelings or thoughts concerning the story, making My Soul to Save just….forgettable. It’s a decent read and a passable sequel, but nothing more.

I think the thing I am most dissatisfied with is the change in character personality and dynamic. Was Kaylee always that infuriating and headstrong? Did she always come across as a grating know-it-all, and this is just my first time noticing? I really liked her in the first book, but she seemed to have undergone a change for the worst in this one. Nash is much the same as before, but seeing as how I did not really care for him before says little. However, the person that changed the most was Tod. Seriously, Tod’s personality did a complete 180. What happened to his snarkiness and snubbery that I loved in the first book? Also, he never striked me as a character who would lie and risk Kaylee’s life, especially when he went out of his way to save her and her family last time. In this book, he just seemed uncaring and stubborn, and not at all like the Tod I was hoping to see more of. I was also hoping for some more reconciliation/emotional bonding moments between Kaylee and her father, but there was little to none of that either.

However, the one thing that irritated me the most in this book was Nash and Kaylee’s ‘love.’ While I never particularly cared for Kaylee and Nash’s relationship in My Soul toTake, this book quickly turned my mundane feelings for their romance into hardcore resentment and hate. There is no depth to their feelings for one another. They do not have any heartfelt discussions, no exchange of feelings. Kaylee wonders a few times what Nash wants from her and what he sees in her, and that question is never answered, which made me even more disenchanted with their ‘romance.’ They just seem like hormone-filled, lustful teenagers whose relationship only consists of (heavy) pawing at one another. For me, their relationship has become intolerable.

I also never understood why they tried so hard to save Addison. I could not see why they would risk everything, especially their lives, to save a pop star they hardly knew. She made her bed, so she should lay in it. I know it seems uncompassionate of me to say these things, but even at the end of the novel, Nash was yelling at Addison to quit thinking of herself and to get her head out of her rear. So why, WHY, WHY, would you risk your life to save someone like her? It made no sense to me, and I was not buying it.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, this book is a decent read, just not was I was expecting. (Please excuse all my ranting.) The story did have some good points, such as delving into the idea of selling your soul for fame and fortune. I also liked discovering more of the Netherworld and its components/inhabitants. I hope the next book in the series, My Soul to Keep, proves to be better than this one. I am going to try and lower my expectations this time around.

A Decent Escape

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1) by Rachel Vincent

Release Date: August 1, 2009

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Paranormal

Available Formats: Paperback and eBook
My Shelf: Want to Buy

Other Books in Series: My Soul to Lose (#0.5)
Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Books-A-Million

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Review:

I LOVED this book. To be honest, I am actually pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. Based on the synopsis, I was expecting something about a girl hung up on the “hottest guy in school,” with some awkward standard paranormal elements added in to make a typical YA paranormal+romance story concoction.  However, this book had none of that, for which I am very grateful. My Soul to Take is refreshingly original, beautifully written, and something you should not miss out on.

My favorite thing about this book was the paranormal/mythology components present. This is my first time reading a book about banshees, and it proved to be a very enlightening and entertaining read. I liked learning the mythology behind banshees (and I also like how there are male banshees), and it is nice to have some deviation from the typical vampire/werewolf/faerie/[insert any other common fantastical being here] stories found in abundance nowadays. The characters were well-crafted, and for what feels like the first time in a long time, none of them annoyed me. Kaylee is definitely one of the better female leads out there, and she is smart and quick on her feet. I am partially in love with Tod and his snarky demeanor, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book. Nash was a little too one-dimensional for my tastes, but I did not mind him so much. The romance between Nash and Kaylee suffers from insta-love, and it was my least favorite part of the book. I am actually hoping for something to happen between Tod and Kaylee myself, since Tod actually has some (interesting) depth to him and I loved the interactions between the two of them. However, this book does not focus on the romance that much, so Kaylee and Nash’s relationship was bearable. Maybe I am just over the whole ‘popular playboy who falls for the unnoticed one’ dynamic, but nonetheless, I am hoping something to develop between Kaylee and Tod. *crosses fingers* Maybe I should just be happy with what I get and be appreciative of the fact that there is no love triangle. A bad romance trumps a love triangle any day.

     Not that kind of bad romance...

This book has become one of my new guilty pleasures. I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I am looking forward to reading the second book! My Soul to Take was SO GOOD, and if the next book, My Soul to Save, is even half as good as this one, then I am sure I will love it. This story is imaginative and rather unprecedented, and I cannot wait for more. Here’s to finding a new series to obsess over!

The Greatest Escape!

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster Memoirs, #1) by Karen Amanda Hooper

Release Date: November 25, 2011

Publisher: Rhemalda

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 328
ISBN: 9781936850433

Buy the Book: Amazon

Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

Young Adult fans of Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Gorgons will love this tale of the sacrifice one makes for genuine love. Love that could be lost at any moment to the ever-changing tides.

Review:

What an amazing debut by Karen Amanda Hooper! I was captivated by this story from the very beginning, and believe me when I say that Tangled Tides is definitely one of the best mermaid stories out there.

Hooper has certainly weaved quite a story. This book is so much more than a simple mermaid tale. Sirens, gorgons, and selkies all make an appearance, and the mythical world that Hooper creates for them is well-detailed and breathtaking. It was so easy to envision the underwater realm that Yara, Treygan, and their many companions live in. Another thing I loved was the elements of Greek mythology that were present. These elements give background to the merfolk and sea creatures, explaining how they came into being. I feel like with most mermaid stories, there is no mention of how or why mermaids exist, but instead, the reader just has to accept that they do. The fact that Hooper offers explanation to the history surrounding these sea creatures really sets her story apart from others and gives a fresh, new take to the classical mermaid tale.

The characters are also wonderful. Each one has their own, definitive voice, making it really easy to connect to them. Yara is faced with a tough decision that not only affects her, but hundreds of others, yet she is resolute and strong, and I really liked that about her. There are moments when she feels fear, but never once does she back down. All of her emotions come across really well, and I think she was an excellent main character. (I have to say I was a little surprised by her reaction to becoming a mermaid. She was angry, yes, but what about the freak out?? If you just got turned into a mermaid, you are entitled to freak out a little!) And then there is Treygan. Oh my, where do I even begin with him? He is strong, confident, smart, and the list goes on and on. He is just a great guy who really cares for Yara, and I love their relationship and chemistry. There were even a few instances where Treygan had to stop himself from having some inappropriate thoughts about Yara, which made him seem more ‘real’ and really fleshed out his character. There are also the minor characters, such as Pango, Rownan, and others, and I liked every one of them. It is very rare that side characters have their own voice (or personality, for that matter), and I applaud Hooper for creating such excellent characters.

Hooper’s awesome writing style coupled with great characters and an intriguing plot make Tangled Tides a must read for all. This is one of the best books published in 2011, and also one of the best mermaid stories available. I cannot for the sequel, which is still untitled. There is no release date set, but I hope it is soon! I cannot wait to see what Yara and Treygan’s next underwater adventure will be!

The Greatest Escape!

Destined by Jessie Harrell

Destined by Jessie Harrell

Release Date: November 17, 2011

Publisher: Mae Day Publishing

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook format)

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Pages: 260
ISBN: 0615500951

Buy the Book: Amazon

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

Review:

After Psyche turns down Aphrodite’s request to marry the callous Eros, Aphrodite’s son, Psyche is cursed with a grave fate. She is to become the wife of a monster, a thing even the gods themselves fear. However, Eros accidently strikes himself with one of his arrows, falling in love with Psyche, and he creates the curse. He steals her away to a grand palace he made for her, and he visits her under the cover of darkness night provides so she can never see his face. He then tries to win her love while Psyche tries to come to terms with her destiny of being tied to a monster.

I love Greek myths, especially the story of Cupid and Psyche, so I just had to get my hands on Destined!  As with most myths and epic stories, there are many different versions of the same story, making it extremely difficult to write a good retelling. However, Harrell does an excellent job! She combined some of the versions together to make Destined and I really enjoyed it. In some versions of the Cupid and Psyche story, Pysche hurls herself off a cliff after certain events go down (which is not a satisfying ending, if you ask me). Sorry for mentioning that there is an absence of cliff diving, but would you honestly want to read a book where the main character falls to her death? (If you do, I would suggest reading some of the other versions of this story. J)

I liked Psyche and Eros a lot. Psyche is beautiful both inside and out, and I really adored her. Even with being the most beautiful woman in the world, she seems like any other girl and is rather humble. She hates being extremely beautiful, for she wants people to like her for who she is on the inside, not what she looks like on the outside. She wants the guy she’s going to be with to like her for personality and mind, and I really respect that about her. Her life has become quite a mess after Aphrodite’s offer to marry her son, and she takes it in stride, remaining strong and mature through most of it. I just really appreciated how real her emotions and thoughts were and I really liked her character. Eros was also pretty awesome. Even as the god of love, he was not saved from heartbreak when a previous lover of his left him. He is on the defensive when it comes to love, but he slowly reveals a little more about himself to Psyche. The chemistry between them took a while to build up, but towards the end of the story, I really felt the love they had for one another. Besides Eros and Psyche, I really did not care for the other characters. I did not mind Aphrodite, but I could not stand Iris. Darrell probably wanted to make her seem all clingy and annoying (I hope), and she did a bang up job.

Destined is an amazing retelling of one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful (not to mention monogamous) relationships in Greek myths. Even if you are not a fan of Greek mythology, this book is one that you will still enjoy. It is more of a love story than a myth, and I enjoyed every page. Harrell has made me a fan! She has written a short story for an anthology called In His Eyes, scheduled to come out February 14, 2012 (Valentine’s Day!!). I will definitely be checking it out!

A Great Escape!

Blood Past (Warriors of Ankh, #2) by Samantha Young

Blood Past by Samantha Young

Release Date: August 17, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Author Information: Blog / Twitter

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Dark/Horror, Romance

Available Formats: Paperback, eBook

My Shelf: Own eBook
Other Books in Series: Blood Will Tell (#1)
Other Information: Older Young Adult (16+)

Buy the Book: Amazon

All Eden wants is redemption... but the road to redemption is never an easy one. 

Travelling to Scotland to find her mother’s bloodline, Eden is soon embroiled in the politics and training of the Scottish Warriors of Neith. It is a world where some stand with open arms ready to welcome her as family, while others keep a wary distance, conspiring against her. Through it all Eden learns of love, friendship, and what it means to be a warrior. Her future has promise... that is until a man she thought forever gone from her life returns to threaten it all. 

When the one person Eden loves above all else is endangered, she will have to make a choice. Him... or her? 

Life is such a bitch... 

... but so is Eden when you don’t play nice. 

YA Paranormal Romance recommended for ages 16 years and up

Review:

Samantha Young has done it again! Another wonderful book to add to her repertoire of works (and I still hold to the statement of her being a genius)!

I enjoyed Blood Past immensely. When compared to the first book in the series, Blood Will Tell, this book had a different feel to it. BWT was super fast-paced, where emotions and plot where constantly being thrown in your face. In Blood Past, you get some more plot and emotions, but it also focuses on the relationships between the characters and is a little mellower in terms of intensity (but this mellow tone is much needed). We get to see the relationship between Noah and Eden grown as Eden slowly forgives Noah and realizes how she feels about him. It takes time for her to come to terms with what happened to her brother and Noah’s role in it, and she does not just forgive and forget. It made her grieving process seem real and I could not help but feel for her.

That is another thing I really liked about this book: the relationship between Noah and Eden and how perfectly played out it was. I love how Eden just does not automatically swoon in Noah’s arms when she forgave him. Another thing I really appreciated was there were chances where they could have tried to make the other one jealous through flirting and whatnot, and THEY NEVER DID. There were no games being played, no awkward third wheel, no trying to use underhanded techniques. Noah knew Eden would not like him flirting with another girl in front of her, so instead of trying to make her jealous, he ignored the girl. Can we just pause here a minute and take a nice, deep breath? Let’s bask in the fresh air! SO GREAT AND SO REFRESHING.  Samantha Young, I love you for that.

We also got to know some pretty awesome characters: Cyrus, who takes his protective father role seriously (and it is hilarious the glares he throws Noah’s way), Valeria, the ultimate badass female warrior, October (LOVE HER!), Cameron, Darius, and the list goes on. I really liked almost all the characters (save Teagan- I REALLY do not like him. But then, as the villain, you are not supposed to, so Young has done her job). Great, great, great.

The Warriors of Ankh series will conclude on December 12, 2011 with the release of the third book, Shades of Blood. I am eager to see how it all ends! Why does December 12th seem so far away?????

The Greatest Escape!

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh, #1) by Samantha Young

Blood Will Tell by Samantha Young

Release Date: July 1, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Author Information: Blog / Twitter
Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Dark/Horror

Available Formats: Paperback, eBook

My Shelf: Own eBook
Extra Information: Older Young Adult (16+)

Buy the Book: Amazon

Eden is a Soul Eater. While that hasn’t meant much to her in the past, she’s pretty sure any minute now she’s going to go all "Carrie" on her eleventh grade class. 

Noah is an Ankh. As an immortal Warrior, his purpose in life is to hunt down and kill Soul Eaters. Eden is Noah’s next assignment. Problem is… this is an assignment with a difference. Eden’s not your average, run of the mill, Soul Eater. Noah’s job? To test Eden for possible redemption. 

It’s a risky business. 

Especially if Noah awakens Eden’s inner monster. 

It would be kind of hard for Eden to listen to the angel on her shoulder when the devil on the other is telling her, her new best friend is a lying, scheming, immortal enemy... 

....betrayal is such a bitch. 

So is Eden when you get on her bad side. 

YA Paranormal Fiction for mature teens+ (some content may not be suitable for younger readers)

Review:

Let me start by saying that I really cannot believe people do not know about this book! IT IS AMAZING! Samantha Young, at the ripe young age of 25, you are a certified genius.

I had some reservations about reading this book in the beginning. It is a little darker than what I usually read, and I really do not like horror and gore and whatnot. Even though there were some disturbing and darker elements present, it never went overboard and I never felt like it was too much. Young did a really nice job of not scaring off the super scaredy-cats (like me ><). From the VERY FIRST PAGE, the story is fast paced, where if plot is not being thrown at you, lots of emotions are. I literally could not stop reading! (Today was test day at my school, and with no English classes, I literally sat in the teachers’ office, talked with no one, and read this book in one sitting. THAT is how engrossed I was!)

I think the best thing about this book is Eden. She is a soul eater, and with her hunger awakened, she has to feed on the souls of people to survive. In other words, she is NOT a good guy. In fact, most members of her family are serial killers who get off on raping and beating their victims before finally taking their souls (shudder). But Eden would do anything to change who she is and rid herself of the hunger that resides in her. She is portrayed as a strong and independent character that takes crap from no one, and her emotions are complex and real as she fights off the hunger.  And the chemistry between her and all the other characters, especially her brother, Stellan, and Noah, is just excellently written. I felt the closeness of Stellan and Eden, reminding me of my own brother and me. Even the confusing moments when she could not decide how she felt about Noah (or why she had certain feelings of jealousy or anger) was just perfect. It was really a whirlwind of emotions that made you want to keep reading to find out how it all resolved.

I really liked Stellan and Noah. Stellan was the perfect older brother looking after his little sister and the connection and love between them was almost tangible. And then there is Noah, the immortal Ankh warrior whose duty is to destroy soul eaters. I loved when Young told the story from his point of view every few chapters or so. It really showcased his feelings and conflicted emotions, such as how he would sometimes forget Eden was one of the monsters he should hate and definitely NOT care for. It made him that much more relatable and likeable! Overall, characters, chemistry and dialogue were topnotch.

Another thing I really liked about the story was the usage of Egyptian mythology. I have read plenty of books that had elements of Greek/Roman mythology, but Egyptian mythology? Not so much. With aspects of Egyptian mythology thrown in, this story of a soul eater is utterly original and a super satisfying, fast-paced read. I already have the second book, Blood Past, right next me and I am super stoked to start reading it! I better get comfortable in case it is another book I read in one sitting. >)

The Greatest Escape!

Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

Available Formats: Paperback, eBook

My Shelf: Own
Other Books in Series: Daimon (#0.5)

Buy the Book: Amazon

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Review:

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

I have seriously not enjoyed a book this much in a long while. Holy crap.

There were two reasons why I bought this book (that was all it took). Usually, I will try reading the first few pages in the store to see if I like the writing style and see if the boos interests me at all. In this case, I did not even crack open the pages before buying. A book dealing with some Greek gods and half-bloods? I am all over it (thank you, Percy Jackson). The cover, in all of its luminescent glory, is breathtaking! I swear, I have bought more books this year for their pretty covers than ever before [sigh]. What kind of person have I become?? ><

To start off with, this book is written really well. I honestly could not put it down! From page 1, this book captured my attention and never let it go. The descriptions are awesome, the dialogue is witty and extremely well done, and the characters are easy to love and relate to. Overall, Armentrout did an EXTRAORDINARY job!

The characters are amazing! Alexandria, otherwise known as Alex, is a girl who takes no crap from anyone and has a plethora of smart aleck remarks that she can pull out of the air on command. In other words, she is my kind of girl. It is so nice to see a female character who does not rely on the men in her life to save her and faces her problems head on (which is oh-so-NOT-common nowadays in YA fiction *coughHalocough*). Sure, it sometimes gets her into trouble, but she manages in the end BY HERSELF. She is no damsel in distress, which is the main reason I like her so much. And then there is her male counterpart, Aiden. Oh, Aiden, how I could go on and on about you (where is my Aiden?!). I LOVE HIM. He is on my list of favorite male characters EVER. I am not even going to try and talk about him because I know I would not be able to stop. Forget being a pure blood, HE’S A FREAKIN’ GOD. And curly hair and silver eyes? That’s hot.

As a side note, can inventors quit trying to make time machines and instead make a device where book characters become real??? I could have Aiden, Jace, Ash, Four/Tobias, Percy, Adrian, Adam, and Bones! What a nice little harem that would make [insert dreamy sigh here].

I am really conflicted about how to rate this book. It is pretty obvious already, but I enjoyed every page of this book. And I think the reason why is because it is essentially Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. Alex is Rose, Aiden is Dimitri, Caleb is Mason, Lea is Mia, Deacon is Adrian, etc. The story/social structure and plot elements were the same as well: a pure blood= Moroi, a half-blood=dhampire, a daimon=Strigoi, and Sentinels=Guardians. In the beginning of the book, Alex returns to the Covenant (just like Rose returns to the Academy), the relationship between Aiden and Alex is forbidden (just like the relationship between Rose and Dimitri is a big no-no),  Alex and Aiden almost ‘go all the way’ (just like Rose and Dimitri almost make it to home base), and the list goes on. If you have read VA, it is impossible not to notice. I loved and adored VA, and since these books are so similar, it is almost impossible for me not to like Half-Blood.

So as far as plot originality is concerned, there are certain parts and elements that are very much original, but the story and plot were a little too similar to Richelle Mead’s VA. But in Armentrout’s defense, there have been plenty of books that have been ripped off of other books and movies and still been a great read. I mean, hello, Hunger Games anyone? The story is a rehashing of Battle Royale (the dystopian version) and plenty of people loved it, just like me. So in terms of originality, the story was a little lacking, but in the end, it was immensely enjoyable. That’s what counts.

I am so excited for the sequel, Pure, due out April 2012. I have the date marked on Google Calendar already! Does that make me pathetic? (Please do not judge me.) It seems like the sequel will split away from the plot line of VA a little and we will see more Armentrout’s own plot twists, which I am super fired up for. I honestly cannot wait! Jennifer L. Armentrout, you have made a fan out of me.

A Great Escape!

Shades of Blood (Warriors of Ankh, #3) by Samantha Young

Shades of Blood by Samantha Young

Release Date: December 12, 2011
Publisher: CreateSpace (PB), Smashwords (eBook)

Author Information: Blog / Twitter
Genre: Paranormal, Mythology, Dark/Horror, Romance

Available Formats: Paperback, eBook
My Shelf: Own eBook
Other Books in Series: Blood Will Tell (#1), Blood Past (#2)

Other Information: Older Young Adult (16+)
Buy the Book: Amazon

Eden’s life has taken a turn she would never have imagined. She’s gone from soul eater to warrior, left behind a family she was ashamed of and moved in with one she admires. She has a purpose, a future, and… she has Noah.

Life should be good.

But… the most fervent and powerful soul eaters are determined to take down the Ankh and Eden is the key to the destruction of the warrior race. Moreover, a shadowed enemy is still after Eden, and the mortal Warriors of Neith have chosen the worst time imaginable to start an uprising.

With an enemy in every corner, the problems before her are overwhelming. Then again, Eden hasn’t come this far to let anyone snatch her new life from her…

However, just when Eden thought she’d battled the monster within and won, the warrior who took something precious from her comes back into her life, tempting Eden to take a course of revenge there is no turning back from.

Vengeance is such a bitch…

… So is Eden when the stakes are high.

A YA Paranormal Romance recommended for ages 16 and up.

Review:

I am pretty conflicted right now. One side of me is like, YES! This series was AWESOME, this book was AWESOME, and Samantha Young is AWESOME. And then there is the five year old in me: What? What do you mean it is over? I want moreeee. [sigh] I am never really going to grow up, am I?

Eden has more problems now than ever before. Just when she thinks everything is going smoothly, someone just has to come and ruin it all. Cosmina is breathing down her neck, a small rebellion is rising in the Neith that would like to see Eden dead, and Romany has come back which drives a wedge between Noah and Eden and reminds Eden how much she would like to see Romany dead. Eden also discovers a few things about herself as an Ankh warrior that she is not sure how to deal with. All she wants is to catch a breather and spend some quality time with Noah. Will she ever have peace?

So as I have already mentioned, this book was amazing, and it was the perfect conclusion to the series. I honestly think it is the best book in the series. It is packed with action and raw emotions that just left me wanting more afterwards. The action scenes were intense and the flashbacks to moments between Eden and her brother, Stellan, tugged at my heart. Also, I did not think it was possible, but the chemistry between Noah and Eden got even more intense and the reader can definitely feel the depth of their love for one another. They face some hardships and some enemies from the past, but through these obstacles, they become closer than ever before. Noah and Eden have officially become one of my favorite book couples! Overall, this series was AMAZING and WICKEDLY AWESOME and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. 

Be quiet, inner child! Go and read some other Samantha Young book!

The Greatest Escape!

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Release Date: January 1, 2011

Publisher: Sterling

Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mythology 

Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

My Shelf: Borrowed

Buy the Book: Amazon

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spell- binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Review:

As much as I hate to admit it, the main thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I read the synopsis and it seemed interesting, but the cover art and detail were what finalized the purchase. I try to stay true to the saying “Never judge a book by its cover,” but this is one of the few instances where I was shallow. All the different hues of blue are beautiful and I love the texture!

As far as the plot and premise of the book are concerned, I appreciated the originality of the story (it is like Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones go to India). I have never read a book that deals with Indian religion and/or mythology, so it was definitely something different for me. I have to say with all the books dealing with vampires, werewolves, faeries, nephilim/fallen angels, etc. nowadays, this book was a refreshing read. Colleen Houck does a good job weaving in elements of Indian mythology and shaping a story around an Indian curse and tigers.

Houck also did an okay job with the characters. They are not the greatest characters ever and most of them just had mundane and generic personalities that can be found in almost any other book. I have to say I did not particularly care for Ren or Kelsey, and I was worried about how much I would like the story when I did not care for the main characters. But then you meet Kishan, Ren’s brother. Oh man, Kishan. Why are you a minor character? WHY? He is the reason why Houck did an ‘okay’ job with the characters. Kishan, being the bad boy he is and stirring up trouble, salvaged this book. Lots of people go on about Ren and how great he is, but he cannot hold a candle to Kishan. Kishan has the real personality of the two. Ren was described as being perfect and the only thing that could get under his skin was Kelsey, but that does not make him ‘real.’ People are not perfect and everyone has flaws. While some people liked Ren for that reason, it was the same reason why I did not like him. Kishan is the one that actually seemed to have faults and regrets from the past, which is what makes a good character and enables a reader to connect to him. And boy, did I connect (hello, sir).

The things that really took away from this book was the childish writing and plot/character inconsistencies. I am sorry, but this book honestly could have been written by a ten year old. The dialogue was weak, and in some cases it seemed like Houck just looked up a word in the thesaurus and picked one that seemed most SAT-esque. And the details….oh, the details.

I thought I had a little bit of OCD because my drawers were also meticulously tidy. My socks were all rolled in balls, arranged from the front of the drawer to the back. I usually grabbed the front ones and worked my way to the back. White socks were lined up on the right, black ones in the middle, and colored ones on the left.

I picked up the first one. The label read “Hot Dog Buns.” I hauled it over to the hot dog stand, then went back to get another box. It said “Neon Necklaces.” I took that one to the memorabilia stand.

Not. Necessary. Details like this do not help the story progress in the least, and they just frustrated me. It was another reason I thought the writing was childish and left a lot to be desired.

Another thing that really annoyed me was Phet. I did not dislike the character, but his way of speaking just really irked me.

“At the present, you must respite. Important sunrise is tomorrow. Phet must pray in the dark hours, and you necessity sleep. Embark on tomorrow your traverse. It’s hard as difficult. In first light, Phet assist you in the company of tiger. Durga’s secret to unveil. Now go drowse.”

 Really? For a man who is obviously not fluent in English, he certainly uses some big words, no? One would think that if he knew words like this, grammar would be a cinch. This REALLY got on my nerves. In Houck’s defense, Phet was not around for very long. However, coupled with her immature writing style, Phet’s speaking abilities were just….UGH (insert shudder here).

Another thing that really grated on me was plot holes and inconsistencies. Kelsey decides she is going to go to India randomly to take care of a tiger, and her foster parents do not even blink an eye. There was also the time she was able to get a passport in an hour and there were no security problems for bringing a tiger along on a private airplane. There were many moments like this in the story where things just went by a little too smoothly to be believable. These moments were not terribly important to the overall plot, but they distracted from the book itself and made Houck’s writing seem even worse than it actually is (or is it just naturally that bad?). It displayed one of the weaker points of her writing abilities. The inconsistencies just continue from there. Ren is a gentleman stuck in the past, where he cannot kiss Kelsey without asking for her permission and is very behind on current dating practices and culture references (he does not even know about Shakespeare). So how, pray tell, is he able to make jokes about wet t-shirts? How does he even know about wet t-shirts? Maybe this kind of knowledge is just innate in a man, or maybe there were wet t-shirts in India 300 years ago. Sorry, but I find it very unbelievable and unrealistic.

And then there was the beginning and ending of the story. The first 100 pages of the story were really not needed. It was supposed to be an introduction to Ren and Kelsey, but it served almost no purpose besides making the book longer than it should have been. And the ending, WTF? Kelsey decides that Ren is too perfect for her, so she leaves? “I am sorry, Ren. I love you, but I must leave you for you are too amazing.” Seriously? If it wasn’t the end of the book, I would have hurled it at the wall, pretty cover and all. Not to mention the bickering that went on for 50 pages or so when she decides she wants to split from Ren and he gets angry about it. Here are the two main characters on a life and death quest, and while running from danger, they are yelling insults at one another. In some cases, it can be comedic (like in an Indiana Jones movie), but in this case, it was just SUPER ANNOYING.

Overall, the novel had a very original story and plot (and pretty cover), but poor writing and inconsistencies really dragged it down. I respect the fact that Houck tried to make a story based on Indian mythology, but when compared to other books dealing with mythology, such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, she is a little out of her league.  I will try reading the next book in the series, but my expectations are going to be much lower.

A Small Escape