Book Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Review: Bloodlines
Series: Bloodlines – Book 1
Author: Richelle Mead
No of Pages: 421
Release Date: 23 August 2011

SYDNEY PROTECTS VAMPIRE SECRETS – AND HUMAN LIVES.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she is still being punished for her complicated alliance with the dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one…

My Thoughts:
We were never going to get another Vampire Academy, but what we did get was still surprisingly unique considering it was set in the same world.

Sydney Sage is a disgraced alchemist. After helping Rose to escape from prison whilst on a murder charge and befriending vampires and dhampirs, she is under constant surveillance from the Alchemists. Sydney is terrified of getting sent to a re-education centre and for her younger sister to get caught up in the Alchemist life.

Her newest mission is to keep Jill – Vasilisa’s sister – safe after being repeatedly attacked by people who want Lissa removed from the throne. They move to Palm Springs, a place that is very uncomfortable for vampires because of the heat. Jill is in for a struggle, but her safety is now more important than her comfort.

Sydney for me took a little time to warm to. She was never my favourite person in Vampire Academy purely because she was too uptight. Well, in Bloodlines she was still uptight, but being able to get into her mind, I also found that she was very human. Being raised in a cult like lifestyle full of rules and regulations Sydney hasn’t had the life of a normal teenager and once the full extent of that deprivation is explored, her upbringing is really quite sad.

Bloodlines took a few chapters for me to get into as well; I bought it purely because it had Richelle Mead on it and a Rose appearance in it. At first I was sceptical thinking that Bloodlines couldn’t possibly be as good as Vampire Academy, that Sydney was more of a consolation prize for Adrian to those of us who loved him in the first set of books.

There was actually no romance between them in this and I was so glad for it. Mead didn’t fall into the trap that I have found with so many authors lately of rushing relationships. She knows she has six books and it’s not even clear if Sydney and Adrian will get together. They are just friends for now which I am really happy about.

Bloodlines itself was more mystery than action. The mystery was fairly see-through but Mead’s incredible writing kept the pages turning even though I knew from the start which bad guys were going to do what.

Sydney started to come out of her shell towards the end of Bloodlines, making for a promising character to lead this series, she showed that she wasn’t the push over everyone seemed to think she was and I really started to like her.

The only thing that really disappointed me about this book was in the first chapter. Sydney narrated that she knew a secret about one of the other characters. I hate when people do that. Don’t tell me you have a secret about someone, it’s a cheap trick to try and entice us to keep reading. It’s what gave me the bad first impression, but I’m glad that Mead worked it up to a very good book in the end.

Mead left us with quite a few loose ends but no unbearable cliff hangers to carry us into the next book, the mystery behind the heritage of some characters and the future of others is quite enough to have me eager for more.

Others in this series:
The Golden Lily

Book Review: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Review: Emblaze
Series: Violet Eden Chapters – Book 3
Author: Jessica Shirvington
No of Pages: 409
Release Date: 11 October 2011

The games are over. Now, the battle begins.

Violet Eden knows her life will never be as it was. Phoenix, the exiled angel who betrayed her, is back and he’s willing to do anything to get what she has.

With the help of surprising new allies, an ancient Scripture is deciphered and a destination set. All that is certain – a brutal battle looms. With innocent lives at stake, Lincoln and Violet must work together, denying their soul-crunching desire for one another.

Seemingly holding all the power, Phoenix is always one step ahead. And when he puts the pieces of the terrifying prophecy together, he realises exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

My Thoughts:

Can this series get any better?

Violet has some huge choices to make in this book. Where she stands with Phoenix, how much she should be telling her father who is getting increasingly nosy, how she can better protect the friends who know about her life as a Grigori, and probably the most important one, how does she stop Phoenix from freeing one of the most evil people ever known to walk the earth.

Violet once again stuns with her depth and emotion. She feels so alone after she figures out that Lincoln, her soul mate, his not only distancing himself from her because of their connection, but is shielding himself from her as well. They are growing ever apart and it hurts Violet more and more each day she sees him and it’s driven home once again that she can’t have him.

Shirvington has done such a good job in building this story that one can completely see where Violet is coming from. Usually when teenage girls feel that they have no choice but to do something stupid if they had just talked to someone about it everything would have been solved in the first ten pages, and I am normally so frustrated I want to slap them or throw the book across the room. But Violet really doesn’t have anyone she can talk to when it comes to the crunch in this book. Lincoln has for all intents and purposes rejected her, Griffin her leader and mentor is in a different country and if she doesn’t make a decision people she loves and who are helpless, will get hurt.

The one thing that did start to grind on me though towards the end was her continuous mentioning of her soul hurting. Yes, we know Lincoln is your soul mate. Yes, we know you can’t be together. Stop whining about your stomach ache because you have a broken heart and get on with it. It was mentioned just a few too many times for me especially towards the end. It probably grinded a little more because I am still on team Phoenix and still don’t like Lincoln that much.

I will admit, Lincoln grew on me a bit in Emblaze, but only in the “oh, so he is a person with feelings” way. Lincoln is too aloof for my tastes whereas Phoenix shows his vulnerability and his bad boy charm for Violet to see. Phoenix also has his heart in the right place, he may eventually kill Violet, but he does still care in the fact that only he is allowed to kill her, and he will kill anyone else who tries, I like that in a man.

Once again I loved the history woven into this story. The integration of Lilith and historical events that Shivington has linked back to the Angels, everything is so seamless and seems so effortlessly part of the story that it makes everything about the world she has created that much more believable and grounded.

I really can’t say too much more about Emblaze without falling into squee territory, it is absolutely fantastic. Shirvington once again drew me in with her incredibly emotional yet action packed writing. She once again left me with a two day book hangover because I just can’t get this series out of my mind. October 2012 is far too long to wait for Endless but I will still be waiting with eagerness.

Also in this series:
Embrace
Enticed

Book Review: Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

Review: Bloodthirsty
Author: Flynn Meaney
No of Pages: 234
Release Date: 5 October 2010

Attention, all girls reading this:

We get it. The message is coming through loud and clear: You think vampires are hot. Your little sister thinks vampires are hot. Your mom thinks vampires are hot. Every single female on the face of the earth thinks vampires are hot. Girls love vampires, and I love girls. Unfortunately, girls don’t seem to love me.

So I’m making a change. For all the guys reading this, say a little prayer to the high school dating gods for me. Here’s hoping that girls think fake vampires are hot, too.

My Thoughts:

Bloodthirsty was a non-stop laugh for me, purely because it was so true.

Finbar is for want of a better word, a loser. He is painfully awkward in social situations, doesn’t have the looks or charm of his twin fraternal brother, Luke, and just to make his life that much worse, he’s allergic to the sun.

Finn was an amazing character for me; he wasn’t a whinger which took some expert writing on Meaney’s part. His plan to turn himself into a vampire to break away from his life time of social ineptness made for one of the funniest books I have read in a long, long time. His ability to laugh at himself through some of the more cringe-worthy experiences with girls was refreshing for me, as usually main characters want us to feel sorry for them and their horrible life.

Finn’s family was also completely hilarious. His dad didn’t play a huge role in the story, but made for some of the funnier moments – especially getting excited that Finn had been in his first fight and wasn’t in the hospital. His germ phobic mother constantly cleaning and leaving him notes to boost his confidence and being sneaky in her ways of finding out what the boys were up to.

Most of all I loved Finn’s brother Luke, he had Finn’s back no matter what, whether it be helping him to enhance his vampire abilities or letting Finn think he was getting away with going to the library instead of exercising, Luke had what Finn thought was everything and still cared. Yet, Finn also understood Luke in the way he was completely hyper and unable to sit still for more than five minutes.

The humour in Bloodthirsty wasn’t nasty in any way; it was just plain funny which was what I loved so much about this book. Meaney was able to poke fun at the characters and make it funny without being malicious. Making fun of the boy’s mother about cleaning without being mean or putting anyone down for being different.

This story walked a fine ledge of hilarity, cringe worthiness and horrific failure; I bow down to Meaney for pulling this off so perfectly. The perfect balance of laugh out loud funny and feeling bad for Finn whilst at the same time occasionally slapping one’s head for his awkwardness was ingenious.

Bloodthirsty worked for me because it is so close to the truth. People are so caught up in the vampire craze (even me) that they will believe close to anything that gets them closer to their fantasy coming true, even if that means a guy whose allergic to the sun and walks around trying to be aloof becomes so popular it nearly gets him staked by fake Buffy’s.

Bloodthirsty was a fun read, I enjoyed every second of the book. Sure it’s silly to think about a guy getting girls because he’s a fake vampire, but Meaney wrote it so incredibly well that everything about it worked and left me with laughing pains.

Book Review: Earth Blend by Lori Pescatore

Review: Earth Blend
Series: Blend Trilogy – Book 2
Author: Lori Pescatore
No of Pages: 184
Release Date: 1 July 2011

Earth Blend is the second book in the Blend trilogy and the sequel to Human Blend. In this instalment, the mysteries of the Blends and the Earthlings are revealed. How can Julie live a normal life when she is anything but normal? Her relationship with Austin is complicated by emerging abilities in them both. Trust is hard to come by as lies and secrets hinder them at every turn. Is the past destined to repeat itself as the Earthlings once again rush to save them? The ensuing chaos breeds fatal consequences.

My Thoughts:

Earth Blend was a brilliant follow up to Human Blend

Julie and Austin are still coming to terms with Austin’s emerging powers and Julies near kidnapping. They are trying to settle in to a life not only together but come into their own as individuals. Austin is devastated to learn that his mother isn’t his biological mother and Julie is forced to watch his grief without being able to help.

Julie was once again a strong character, sometimes I would say she is too mature for her age, but that wouldn’t be fair on her, also because in actuality she is a lot older than what she looks – like 50 years older because of the slow ageing process – so with that in mind at times she can almost be immature for her true age.

Julie doesn’t really follow through with things until they come to a head and that is the only real thing I don’t like about her, she lets questions go unanswered for a while because she is constantly being distracted by Austin or work or friends, at times it made me want to shake her and tell her to focus but I love Julie in every way she is intelligent and kind hearted, she only ends up in bad situations because of bad people and not due to her own stupidity which is really refreshing.

Austin is a character I just cannot like. He is a complete whinger and so impulsive that I don’t see how anyone could love him like Julie seems to. I am shamelessly on team Eli when it comes to this love triangle. Austin causes issues for everyone around him by running off and jumping in far too soon. Instead of listening to his elders who have fought in battles and found missing people and who actually know about his powers he insists on throwing tantrums stomping his feet and insulting people before running away. The way he treated his mother was absolutely appalling, she raised him, cared for him and loved him and he just threw it back in her face because she wasn’t blood, it was absolutely despicable and it cemented my dislike for him in this novel.

Earth Blend was written differently to any other story I have read before. For the first half of the book we got the back stories of the various characters, flashes of their lives and important moments in their history that have helped lead them to where they are in the story today and the significance of each of them being there.

At first I was wary of this style for two reasons; no one I’ve read has ever done it before, and there is a potential for massive information overload.

I thought it was fantastic, it was like short stories in each characters life and it worked so much better than characters info dumping in the middle of an action scene. I devoured the first half of the book in an hour and I was amazed at how detailed yet relevant each story was. I finally knew each character and why they were the way they were, not just from Julie’s perspective but from theirs as well, I got into their heads and it was amazing.

I will admit that the dialogue was once again awkward, at first it detracted a little from the story but once I got into the rhythm of what was going on again and I was too engrossed in the story to care, it wasn’t an issue. The dialogue for me reads as though it was written on paper rather than coming from a characters mouth, like lines in a soapy with bad actors and too much Botox.

I love Pescatore’s general writing style though, it’s to the point with enough detail and flowery prose but not too much that you start to get bored. If a detail doesn’t have to be there it’s not and yet the way it’s written, giving the reader that freedom, I had a perfect picture in my head of the characters and their surroundings with no one interfering in that picture with “the vase on the table that doesn’t really matter was over there”

Earth Blend was even better than Human Blend and if that’s anything to go by, I want the rest of this series on my shelf as fast as Pescatore can write them.

Also in this series:
Human Blend

Book Review: Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany

Review: Bargains and Betrayals
Series: 13 to Life – Book 3
Author: Shannon Delany
No of Pages: 303
Release Date: 16 August 2011

Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangerous than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like any legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother’s time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn’t dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr’s made could mean the death of far more than the tenuous relationship with the girl he loves.

My Thoughts:

Bargains and Betrayals was definitely an improvement on Secrets and Shadows.

Jessie is locked away at Pecan Place, an institute for the mentally unstable, and she quickly learns that Pecan Place is hiding some pretty big secrets when it comes to what they are doing to their patients.

Jessie matured between Secrets and Shadows and Bargains and Betrayals and although it was only minor it was definitely an improvement, yes she was still pining after Pietr but at least she has a real reason to this time. By the end of Bargains and Betrayals Jessie was actually a likeable character again, putting others with bigger problems before herself and stopping to think about her actions before running after Pietr every ten seconds.

Pietr was still a little annoying being his typical I am seventeen therefore I am a grown-up and can make huge decisions for myself. Uh yeah buddy, no you can’t. Pietr was still irrational and mildly irritating in this book but we didn’t see that much of him compared to the previous two books.

For the first time in this series, the POV was spilt between Jessie and Alexi and I absolutely loved it. Reading from Alexi’s POV was absolutely fascinating and definitely kept the book going, we had a mature outsiders impression of the situation, sure Alexi decided to become a drunk about halfway through for a little while, but his blackouts were reverted back to Jessie’s mind so it didn’t impact too much.

Alexi is a very interesting character, having done everything he can for his family and still being shunned, watching his inner turmoil as he continues fighting for those he loves is amazing. He left the love of his life for his family and it’s only after Cat becomes human again that she really starts to bond with him.

Bargains and Betrayals was definitely much better than the previous two books, I will admit that I was reluctant to pick it up after finishing Secrets and Shadows and it was only because I had a review copy that I read it at all, but I devoured it quickly and it was on my mind from the moment I put it down right up until I dived back in once again.

The story actually moves this time around, it moves quite a bit to be honest, we are still lacking many answers but they are more answers to questions like how can people get away with these evils things they are doing. I think Delany may have shorn off a few plot points a little too abruptly, it was almost like she didn’t want to continue having that bad guy as a problem, so she just killed them, every time a character got too in the way she killed them off which was a little weird, but I suppose you can’t have all these characters antagonising the mains when the mains have making out and devoting themselves to each other to do.

I am interested in this series, and this book has definitely redeemed some of the series more horrible qualities but I am not sure if I will be continuing on. Considering there is another book whose release date hasn’t been announced yet and this series general lack of memorability I will probably end up just as confused as I was when I picked up Secrets and Shadows a year after 13 to Life.

Others in this series:
13 to Life
Secrets and Shadows

Book Review: Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer

Review: Bloody Jack
Series: Bloody Jack – Book 1
Author: L. A. Meyer
No of Pages: 290
Release Date: 1 June 2004

ADVENTURE AND DECEPTION ON THE HIGH SEAS!

Life as a ship’s boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and daring sailor as the crew hunts murderous pirates on the high seas.

There’s just one problem: Jacky is a girl...

My Thoughts:

Bloody Jack has potential to rival Captain Jack Sparrow, she is that good.

Jacky wasn’t always called Jacky; she was once called Mary, living on the streets of London after That Dark Day when her parents and sister were claimed by the plague. The first part of our story details some of Mary’s adventures on the streets of London, begging, stealing and reading for pennies but when the boy who has been her gangs leader for four years dies she decides it’s time to move on with her life, and pursue her dream of sailing on the water. Because as Jacky says doesn’t matter if you die by hanging or die by drowning, you’re still dead, so she may as well give sailing a go.

I absolutely loved Jacky in every way, her scallywag nature, her adventurous mind and her caring heart. In many situations that most people would have stood back and saved their own necks, Jacky stepped forward and did what was right. Sure Jacky also causes quite a bit of trouble as she gets older, but all of it is good natured and well meaning.

What I loved most about Bloody Jack though – apart from Jacky of course – was the writing. It’s the sort that isn’t overly detailed but one still has the perfect picture of what is going on. The writing flows and reads fairly quickly. I also loved the style of Jacky’s language as she recounted her days in London and on the Dolphin. She literally wrote how she spoke with all of the:

“Methinks meself to bes a proper lady what gets married to some handsome man some day, or so methinks in me dreams and such, I knows I’m not a proper lady, but hopefully someone will takes me good-natured heart and all.”

One would think that may get a little annoying but it was so well done that it only added to the picture being painted. Jacky was no lady, and she never pretended to be, but she did have dreams and those dreams were quite big.

Bloody Jack was also split into five parts which I absolutely loved as well. We weren’t overloaded with plotlines, because Jacky can only do one thing at a time and have one thing on her mind at one time. Five different plotlines weren’t played out through the story but as each part came to a close so that part of the story was over and the next part began. It was marvellous to read because it let me keep track of everything that was going on and fit perfectly with the story.

Add into the masterful writing the plot and you have a perfect piece. Nothing about Jacky’s adventure was ever dull, but you still got time to breathe. Jacky got all the important information across without dumping it on us and still made room for witty remarks and engaging monologue.

I cannot fault Bloody Jack in anyway, the storyline was brilliant, the characters were flawless and Jacky is so loveable that I absolutely cannot wait to revisit her world as soon as possible.

Others in this series:
Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Under the Jolly Roger
In the Belly of the Bloodhound
Mississippi Jack
My Bonny Light Horseman
Rapture of the Deep
The Wake of the Lorei

Book Review: Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delany

Review: Secrets and Shadows
Series: 13 to Life – Book 2
Author: Shannon Delany
No of Pages: 304
Release Date: 15 February 2011

Nothing’s simple when you run with werewolves. Jessie Gillmansen thinks she’s seen it all, but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she’s ever suspected. Thanks to Jessie’s startling revelation about the Rusakova’s mother, the group’s choices become harder – and trust is more important than ever. But the dramatic change Pietr’s going through may shake the trust he’s built with Jessie to its very foundation. As the broken Rusakova family struggles to come together to face what may be their greatest challenge, the people Jessie believed were normal show themselves to be much, much more…

My Thoughts:

Ms Delany seems to have a serious Twilight complex and it doesn’t bode well with this book.

Jessie is still struggling to come to terms with how her life has been flipped on its head in the past year. Now she also has to deal with the increasing distance Pietr is putting between them whilst still agreeing to help the werewolves release their captured mother.

Jessie seems to have had a complete character change from how I remember her in the first book. She went from being a likeable, seemingly intelligent character to this clingy, whiny schoolgirl who is having a breakdown every other day and unable to handle her life at all. She went from being well-adjusted considering her situation to a total mental wreck in the space of the couple of weeks between books. She became Bella, basically.

Shamelessly throwing herself at a guy who doesn’t want her then going and making out with his arch enemy to get back at him. Then wondering why he still doesn’t want her and not listening to him after he tells her something is too dangerous, she stubbornly tags along anyway. What is wrong with these humans who seem to think they can match a supernatural's healing abilities?!

Pietr went from an arrogant semi-likable character because of his hotness appeal, to well, Edward. Tortured teen who thinks the world will never understand his predicament, wanting to ”protect” those he loves by distancing himself from them but still keeping an emotional hold over them so they can never move on.

Secrets and Shadows was a train wreck in every sense of the word. The story is a bad copy of Twilight even going so far as to say that the male lead doesn’t think he has a soul anymore because of what he’s become and what he has done and then to say that maybe the family should leave town and everyone they know behind to keep them safe from themselves.

The romance between Jessie and Pietr is becoming laughable now. Jessie pushed Pietr into the arms of another girl and expects him to treat the other girl, Sarah the former Queen Bee, like dirt because Jessie can’t stand the thought of them being together.

I will admit up front that I could barely remember anything from 13 to Life, and Delany’s lack of any form of backstory until three quarters of the way through the book had me scratching my head at times. It goes to show that either I’m losing my memory or that no matter how much I liked 13 to Life, it just wasn’t memorable.

The writing in Secrets and Shadows is engaging once again but the plot is all over the place. There’s trimming down unnecessary detail and then there’s butchering your story. A werewolf got turned back into a human, end of chapter; do we see how said werewolf is faring? How said werewolf feels or is coping with this massive change in their life? Of course not. Vital details were missing; Jessie was at her house one minute then in the car the next. She was possibly borderline date-raped (hmm, I’m seeing more Twilight here) but that doesn’t get explored at all.

I said in the first book that there was a severe lack of information, that pattern continued in the second book. It was a complete mind-boggling circle of the mess Jessie has made of her non-existent love-life and any interesting parts of the story were overlooked because Jessie was too busy panting after Pietr – and quite literally sexually harassing him, I’m sorry but shoving your tongue down someone’s throat who has expressly asked you not to do so is harassment in my book - to notice anything else that may have been going on around her.

Secrets and Shadows was a big disappointment for me. It was a bad copy of the Twilight Saga and the writing was so jumpy it literally gave me headaches to read. I kind of want to know what happens in relation to the Rusakova’s mother but I am wary.

Others in this series:
13 to Life
Bargains and Betrayals

Book Review: The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

Review: The Fallen Star

Series: The Fallen Star – Book 1
Author: Jessica Sorensen
No of Pages: 447
Release Date: 9 April 2011

For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts:

The Fallen Star didn’t live up to my expectations at all; it was an extremely frustrating read.

From since before she can remember, Gemma hasn’t been able to feel emotion of any sort, she has gone through life with no friends and no family she can talk to. Until one seemingly unimportant day, when she feels her first emotion ever, and things spiral downward from there.

Gemma was an extremely stupid, naive, boring character, she encompasses everything that is – stupid teenage girl. From day one she made inappropriate decisions that simply cannot be passed off as adolescent immaturity.

My biggest pet peeve with her was her constant running to Alex and her non-committal statement confirming that she shouldn’t be doing it but she just wants to have a bit of fun after so many years of not feeling blah blah snore. Alex lied to her, kept things from her, deliberately distracts her and is obviously using her for not only selfish but dangerous purposes.

Gemma never followed anything up, Alex would let something important slip about her past and Gemma would constantly make a point of saying “you are not going to get out of telling me this”, but does she ever follow through? Of course not, which gives Alex the go ahead to continuously lead her on without telling her anything and lying to her the whole way.

Even after confirmation that she was being lied to and a perfectly good reason not to go with Alex, she still chased after him.

Gemma was a weak character and extremely dull. Sorensen tried to make her witty by talking to the reader even going as far to say “oh, don’t look at me like that” but it just didn’t work. Gemma was not only boring, but extremely dumb. After seeming to develop visions of the past and possibly the future, Gemma is given all of the pieces of the puzzle about halfway through the novel to piece everything together, even after the reader was told what was going on at the end of the story, Gemma whose POV we are in, still didn’t seem to know what was going on.

I’m not quite sure what Sorensen was trying to achieve with the character of Alex, but whatever it was, she didn’t pull it off at all. Alex was a complete tool. He was not a handsome broody guy, he was a complete wanker, there is absolutely nothing to like about him, he is a brainwashed, pathological liar. He tries to hide behind the “I’m just a moody guy” excuse but no, he is just a malevolent character. At one point I actually swore out loud at the book because he promised Gemma that he “would tell her everything” my kneejerk reaction to that was bulls***!

I also found it hard to get through The Fallen Star because of the horrible editing. Usually a few mistakes here and there don’t bother me, but whened a sentencing is contantly reads like this and these author seems to haves no concepts of the correct uses of the word “there” it becoming very frustrate.

It read like a first draft basically, errors were everywhere and the book probably could have been at least fifty pages shorter if you simply took out the amount of times certain facts were repeated, sometimes the same line used consecutively over the course of three chapters.

The Fallen Star was a big disappointment for me, the characters had no life and were complete contradictions of themselves, the story line relied too heavily on the characters so it never seemed to move and the book was so badly edited that I was tempted to line edit it myself.

Book Review: Talon, come fly with me by Gigi Sedlmayer

Review: Talon, come fly with me
Series: Talon – Book 1
Author: Gigi Sedlmayer
No of Pages: 220
Release Date: 14 January 2010


Nine-year-old blond Matica lives in a remote little village on a dry plateau in the Andes of Peru. She moved here with her Australian missionary and schoolteacher parents when she was five years old. Ever since she could remember she faced cruel rejection because of her growth handicap. She is trapped in a body the size of a two year old. Because of that the local Indians wouldn’t accept her into their community or allow her to play with their children. Under the watchful eyes of her parents who understand her, lonely Matica explores the plateau for entertainment.

With patience and a sense of adventure she befriended a pair of condors and named them Tamo and Tima. A strong bond and love developed between them.

Having and egg, Tamo and Tima try to fight off a couple of poachers but they succeed in stealing their egg from it’s ledge. Eventually Tamo drives them away but the poachers leave the egg between some boulders on the plateau. Being unable to bring it back to the ledge, Tamo and Tima make it clear to Matica to take care of the egg, so she does.

Exactly on Matica’s tenth birthday, the condor fledgling ‘Talon’ hatches. The book then describes in detail how Matica helps Talon grow into the majestic bird he was meant to be.

Two months after confidently flying, the most unbelievably amazing thing happens. What Matica had dreamed of ever since she first befriended the condors, actually unfolds. That changes her life so completely that she can now see a positive side to her handicap. The Indians then fully accept the new Matica into their community.

This is the beginning of a time of incredible adventures with Talon and Matica, which is carried on in subsequent Talon books.

My Thoughts:

Talon, come fly with me had an ok start, but went downhill from there.

Matica is a 10 year old girl with a growth disability, after being shunned by the Indians in the village that she lives in, she finds her own place to play, by herself and away from their harsh comments. In the process she befriends a condor whom she names Tamo. They become so close that Tamo gives her his mate’s egg to raise because of the danger surrounding it with poachers.

When Talon is born Matica becomes his surrogate mother; feeding, caring for and raising him where Tamo and his mate, Tima, cannot. Talon and Matica become if possible closer than Tamo and Matica were and it’s with the help of Talon that Matica’s dreams of finally being accepted start to come true.

Talon, come fly with me has a good premise. When I read the summary, when I read what I just wrote, I wonder how it could be that a bird could give that much hope to a child that she could overcome the stigma of her disability. What I got was a far-fetched and poorly put together fairytale that has very little logic driving it.

Talon, come fly with me raises a lot of questions with me. If a village shuns your daughter to the point that she has no-one¬ to talk to or play with for five years, why don’t you move? If your daughter has a disability that stunts her growth, why are you letting her run around a forest without supervision? If you see your 10 year old daughter befriending a bird that you are scared of and that has the potential to kill her, why don’t you intervene? If you have been living in a village for five of the most formative years of your life, how can you not know the language? And finally, since when do condors have the intelligence to understand and communicate with people?

Now, the first few of my questions stem from the complete lack of parental support or supervision that was shown to me by Matica’s parents. My mother would have never let me run around without supervision when I was 10 years old, especially not if I had a growth disability that left me the size of a two year old, because logically, that kind of problem would cause issues elsewhere, with bones and organs.

She definitely would not and probably still will not let me go and hang around with a dangerous wild animal that is bigger than me and has the potential to claw my face off and eat it. If my mother does not think something is safe for her to do, she would definitely not let any of her children go anywhere near it, especially if it was alive and had a mind of its own.

My second issue is with Matica herself, she came across to me as a wilful, selfish child that has been spoilt in all the wrong ways throughout her life. She has been living in a village since she was five, and she still doesn’t know their language? How does that happen, her brother was born there and he doesn’t seem to know the language either. Matica expected the birds to give her their egg, Matica expected the egg to hatch on her birthday, and Matica expected her parents to be okay with a metre tall, talon footed animal running around their house crapping on their beds, eating from their table and knocking everything down.

My third issue is with the complete lack of logic contained within the pages of Talon, come fly with me. I was so inflamed by the sheer absurdity of this book that I actually did research into condors and their habits. Condors have never seemed to show above average intelligence, and yet both Tamo and Talon answer Matica’s questions with complete understanding, my cat is an intelligent creature, I have lived with her for 13 years and been talking to her for that long as well and no matter what kind of question I ask I have never and will never get a definitive yes or no answer from her, a grunt maybe but not a shaking of the head. Condors also lay two eggs, if the first one doesn’t survive the condors will instinctively lay a second, it’s how we are boosting their numbers in captivity the handlers take the first egg and hand raise it so the condors will lay a second one, was there any mention of that here though? Of course not, because that wouldn’t fit in with the overall plan of Matica saving the day and becoming a hero.

Talon, come fly with me hasn’t got any redeeming qualities for me, it reads like a first draft, jumpy and poorly written. Nothing is detailed and everything within it only serves to meet Matica’s needs and to make her seem a hero. The entire time we are spoken at and not to, we are being told that Matica is happy, but we never actually see it. All of the secondary characters are only there to boost Matica’s own opinion of herself and come of one dimensional and poorly created.

Talon, come fly with me was a complete train wreck, the idea was poorly constructed and the writing was poorly formed. I didn’t come away with anything from this other than mounting frustration and a new found knowledge of condors that I researched separately because of the absurdity surrounding the main character and her completely irrational relationship with a bird.

Book Review: The Taste of Apple by James Laidler

Review: The Taste of Apple
Author: James Laidler
No of Pages: 312
Release Date: 1 September 2010

UNDERNEATH THE APPLE SKIN THERE IS KNOWLEDGE AND HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN THE SEEDS OF CHANGE.

Pedro Jones is lost. Abandoned by his father and forced into commission housing with his Filipino immigrant mother, the future seems bleak.

But when Pedro meets the ‘mad’ street busker, Johnny Lazzaro, and gets involved with the East Timor freedom movement, life takes an unexpected detour through the uncharted backblocks of the human heart.

My Thoughts:

The Taste of Apple was not only better than I was expecting, it was exceptional.

Pedro is a half-caste living in Australia with his Filipino mother and Australian father. Life is as ok as it gets when your parents have a strained relationship and you’re going to a school where everyone hates you because of your intelligence and your background. But everything changes when Pedro’s father leaves one day and never comes back, leaving nothing but a note for his wife saying that it is time to move on.

Pedro and his mum move to Richmond, Victoria which isn’t the greatest of places, especially for migrants. There he meets Johnny a street busker who lives in his building. It’s Johnny that helps Pedro figure out what he wants from life and Johnny who helps him see what he has to be thankful for.


The Taste of Apple was an addictive read but also so incredibly powerful that it wasn’t a need to read just to get to the end but sheer want to continuously delve into the setting Laidler created with his prose. It wasn’t about the finish but about the journey Pedro went on to find himself, and his place in this life.

Laidler writes solely in freelance poetry, and while I would usually cringe at the thought of this, as I have in the past, he created a new appreciation in me for the style. Laidler uses his poetry for hard-hitting scenes and to create feelings I can’t imagine being created any other way. My stomach physically clenched and I actually had a head whip during some of the things Laidler showed us.

On top of Laidler's exquisite writing he also offers up a soundtrack to go with his novel. I was hesitant about this concept at first myself but once I settled into the occasional poem being read out to me with the accompaniment of music and sounds to go with it, a new level of understanding was reached a new depth to the story added and I began reading The Taste of Apple truly with Pedro in my head and the sounds of Richmond surrounding me.

The Taste of Apple was a superb read one I don’t feel I can do justice with this review. The Taste of Apple will make you smile, make you laugh and bring you close to tears with a few simple verses. I can’t fault it in any way. One would think that there would be a lack of character development and sure I don’t know what Pedro really looks like, because I never watched him in this story, but I know how he thinks, how he feels and what he wants because I was looking out through his eyes, and I think The Taste of Apple is the finest experience of looking out a characters eyes that I have ever read or will read for a long time to come.

The Taste of Apple is an experience I encourage anyone and everyone to at least try, because once you start, it will be difficult to stop.

Book Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Review: Glass Houses
Series: Morganville Vampires – Book 1
Author: Rachel Caine
No of Pages: 239
Release Date: 3 October 2006

WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE TEXAS. DON’T STAY OUT AFTER DARK.

It’s a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows – one that will spill out into the bright light of day.

Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero. And Claire really doesn’t have the right connections – to the undead who run the town.

When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life. But they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

My Thoughts:

I had high hopes for Glass Houses, but it didn’t really live up to my expectations.

Claire is a nerd, she’s sixteen and already in college. She moves to Morganville which is the closest college she is willing to go to that’s near her home, because she also wants to escape her parents, but what teen doesn’t?

When she gets to Morganville though Claire is faced with more than just being top of the class; extreme bullying, violent abuse and vampires are added to her list of worries. Claire can never seem to catch a break. One thing after another after another seems to be going on and it’s only until she moves into the Glass House that she finally is able to make a few friends that things can start to mildly resemble normality.

Claire for me wasn’t very interesting. Trouble follows her everywhere she goes it seems and at the start I felt sorry for her but it got old really quickly to the point where I was thinking “not again”. Caine wrote some cringe worthy stuff when it came to the extent of the bullying Claire faced at the hands of the cheerleaders.

Eve was probably my favourite character in the entire novel, purely because she was the rocker chick that didn’t want anyone to know she cared. She is the epitome of cool because she has a heart to go with her smarts.

Glass Houses also introduces us to some traditional vampires, and by traditional I mean blood-sucking, evil, human controlling fiends. These vampires are very similar to the mafia, expecting protection money so the humans can feel safe.

What detracted from Glass Houses for me was the intense bullying situation. Claire was nearly set on fire in the back of a van at one stage and no one does anything! A few school girls held her down as someone held a lighter to her clothes. Who does that? What kind of people are these? It was infuriating for me to visualise not because of the situation, but what kind of teenage girls would set someone on fire and not face any repercussions? What was the response to this atrocious act? That Claire needs to stay out of her way. She was pushed down a flight of stairs and laughed at, not helped because of the fear of this teenage girl. Even her over-protective parents who came rushing to see her when she didn’t answer their phone call just dismissed it.

For me Monica had too much power. It was more than just Queen Bee she was getting away with things that are illegal. Beating people is illegal, soliciting hit-men is illegal, ordering policemen to shoot people is illegal, and arson is illegal. Not just mean, but against the law and she was just getting away with it. It was unrealistic and it annoyed me that it was the only thing interesting about this book but also the most far-fetched.

I think I will continue this series, just to see where it goes and to find out what happens after the major cliff-hanger at the end, but I am not going in with high-hopes.

Others in this series:
The Dead Girls Dance
Midnight Alley
Feast of Fools
Lord of Misrule
Carpe Corpus
Fade Out
Kiss of Death
Ghost Town
Bite Club
Last Breath

Book Review: Enticed by Jessica Shirvington

Review: Enticed
Series: Violet Eden Chapters – Book 2
Author: Jessica Shirvington
No of Pages: 413
Release Date: 29 March 2011

CONSEQUENCE HAUNTS EVERY CHOICE

Violet Eden is Grigori – part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengeance of exiled angels.

Knowing who to trust is key but when Grigori reinforcements arrive it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know...Phoenix’s hold over her is more dangerous than ever.

The race to find the one thing that could forever tilt the balance of power takes them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet’s own powers will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.

My Thoughts:

Enticed made for a brilliant sequel that had me glued to every page.

Violet is still reeling over Phoenix’s deception and what she saw in the desert when she embraced, so when Lincoln deserts her again to go off on a secret mission while she is left to figure out why Phoenix wants the sacred Grigori scriptures, and when he is going to come after her.

Violet once again astounded me with her strength. Granted she is not the sharpest tool in the shed and not nearly the strongest, but her sheer will to power through her troubles and not let anyone get her down has me cheering her on through each new obstacle she faces. Violet is coming into her powers now and hopefully it seems, her fighting ability but she is still getting distracted by Lincoln, with whom she is still in love.

Lincoln is so far from being in my good books that he is going to have to do something astounding in Emblaze to even begin to make me like him. His character is a good one because you know he is the good guy but he is just so incredibly mean to Violet. He’s on a crusade to avenge his mother and instead of telling Violet what is happening, instead of being there for his partner when not only she, but his race needs him is incredibly selfish. I would want to avenge my mother too, but for a guy that was in love with a girl for two years and able to control himself every time he was around her to a loose cannon that doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he destroys this one exile is awful.

Phoenix crops up from time to time in Enticed as well, to remind Violet that he is all powerful and can kill her with a single thought, but there is still that connection between them that has me rooting for him to come good.

I also can’t wait to see more of Onyx – the exile turned human – who has taken on the role of comedic relief to help ease the tension of impending doom. Shrivington’s secondary characters all have their own personalities and aren’t hidden by the main which takes this series to that extra level.

Enticed was yet another whirlwind dive into the beautiful picture that Shrivington’s created with her words. Her superb historical elements of the story and completely believable explanations for how some exiles have lived out their existence on Earth has had me looking at the skies from time to time over the last couple of days.

Violet’s story has me enthralled with intense anticipation of what is to come in Emblaze and I absolutely cannot wait until I can get my hands on it as soon as possible.

Also in this series:
Embrace
Emblaze

Book Review: The Shadow Seer by Fran Jacobs

Review: The Shadow Seer
Series: Ellenessia’s Curse – Book 1
Author: Fran Jacobs
No of Pages: 337
Release Date: 2 April 2009

For generations prophets have foreseen the birth of the Shadow Seer, the oracle of dark visions and fallen kingdoms. But by the time of Sorron, King of Carnia, their warnings have mostly been forgotten and his name is known only to a handful of scholars. When Sorron's grandson, Prince Candale, falls deathly ill, the Seer's legends are brought to light once again by his saviour, a witch named Mayrila. She believes that Candale is the fulfilment of those long forgotten prophecies. She believes that he is the Shadow Seer...

My Thoughts:

The Shadow Seer was an extremely interesting read, but it was a little slow in its movement.

Candale is a prince with a secret; he is having prophecies, hearing voices, and seeing people that aren’t there. The Shadow Seer starts with Candale being gravely ill and close to death. All we hear are snippets of conversation between his relatives, arguments between his father and grandfather about how to best help him.

His grandfather sends for a woman named Mayrila, a conniving, gold-digging witch, who seems to be the only person who can help him. Mayrila saves Candale, but she also changes his life forever, revealing herself as his birth mother and him as the Shadow Seer, a dark prophet whose visions will only ever be of death and destruction.

Candale is an interesting character, if a little naive. He is intelligent and easily relatable being a quiet, odd child who fits in well enough at court, but is always dreaming and looking for something more. Candale did get a little infuriating at times when he went off by himself without thinking things through only to nearly get killed by his enemies. At times I wanted to shake him, but mostly I felt empathetic and a little sad about his situation.

The Shadow Seer was well written and completely engaging because it didn’t seem like you were racing to the finish line. Each new event in the timeline was well paced and flowed seamlessly into the plot.

The only problem with The Shadow Seer was that we never really get answers to our questions, the world of Carnia that Jacobs created was superb, but there was so much groundwork to lay that we only got to see snippets about the myths behind the shadow seer and those myths were relentlessly repeated.

The Shadow Seer was an excellently written story with an engaging main character who kept me entertained and continuously coming back for more. The mystery behind who Ellenessia is and how she is going to affect Candale in the long run has me itching to get my hands on the second book in this promising fantasy series.

Book Review: Ada Legend of a Healer by R. A. McDonald

Review: Ada Legend of a Healer
Author: R.A McDonald
No of Pages: 250
Release Date: 1 January 2011

No sickness, No injuries, No pain, No limits.

If you had the power to heal, what would you do?

For fifteen-year-old Ada discovering that she can heal feels more like a curse than a gift. When she learns of the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance, and sees the indifference of so-called friends, she sets out for Paris to find her.

The power to heal protects her, but also has her hunted by a man who sees her as nothing more than his fountain of youth. Ada realizes her true power is her will to survive, and that her only chance at freedom is to become the best at escaping.

My Thoughts:

Ada Legend of a Healer had a bad start, but ended up turning into a rather good read.

Ada is an orphan with an attitude problem. After getting kicked out of yet another foster home she can’t be placed anywhere else, so she leaves the system, embarking on her own journey to find her mother. Her journey leads her to France and the people she meets there help her hone not only her healing skills but develop skills in the art of parkour.

Ada was not a likeable character for most of the story. Her only redeeming attribute was her sheer force of will power, all of her other aspects boiled down to her being an egotistical, self-centred teenager. For the first hundred pages I had the urge to not only scream but stick a fork in my eye because of the constant whining about how unfair the world is and how unfair it is that she have to bear the burden of having the ability to heal not only others, but herself.


Ada Legend of a Healer did start to get interesting when Ada went to France on her mission to find her mother. After using Jessie – her aunt – for money and information Ada struck out on her own to find out if her mother was still alive.

Delving into the world of parkour and the limits of Ada’s power was the highlight of the novel because we got to see McDonalds writing ability on show. Daniel and his friends and Daniel’s budding romance with Ada drove the novel from that point.


Ada Legend of a Healer was a slow read to get started and once it got going it was easy to see where it would end up, but I felt oddly compelled to finish, quickly. McDonalds writing drew me in after Ada got to France to a point where I couldn’t let go and Ada’s story wouldn’t let me go. Even after the final page was turned McDonalds message - to cherish what you have - stayed with me for a long time afterwards.

Book Review: Breaking Down by Maia Kinney-Petrucha & Stefan Petrucha

Review: Breaking Down
Series: Papercut Slices – Book 2
Author: Maia Kinney-Petrucha & Stefan Petrucha
No of Pages: 64
Release Date: 29 March 2011

Contained within the pages of this ghoulishly groovy graphic novel are the complete, unauthorized PARODIES of...nightlight, too soon, ellipses and breaking down.

Together these tales from the complete nightlight saga...the tragic, yet somewhat sparkly and movie-worthy, epic love story between Bleh-Bleh and Fredward. But unlike other silly love stories such as “Romeo and Juliet” that merely featured humans, this unforgettable, this seemingly never-ending yarn is complicated by the fact that Fredward just happens to be a...

No, not a rainbow rider...a vampire. Of course, things get even more complicated, and somewhat creepy, when Bleh-Bleh and Fredward meet J-Bob, a werewolf...

Can a flighty, fickle, female, a self-absorbed blood-sucker and a hapless, hirsute hunk find true happiness together? Or is that a stupid question?

My Thoughts:

Breaking Down was a quick, entertaining if slightly odd parody.

Breaking Down is narrated by Bleh-Bleh’s father Duck. He gives us an update on what’s been happening over the last few years and we get to see in pictures how the story unfolds.

Bleh-Bleh is quite true to her Twilight counterpart, being exceptionally dull and dim-witted. It is emphasised here in her addiction of sticking her tongue in light-sockets “for a buzz”.

Fredward and J-Bob have equal panel time to Bleh-Bleh in this parody and it is made quite obvious who the authors think Bella should have ended up with.

We also get a cast of evil child stars (including appearances by the Rugrats, Stewie and Chuckie), super-heroes and quite well drawn renditions of the Volturi.

What kept me entertained about Breaking Down was that all of the questionable things from the Twilight Saga were brought up and emphasized, including but not limited to: Jacob’s imprinting on a child, Bella’s ability to chose the cold, dead, scrawny guy over the hot, live, nice guy, and Bella’s inability to realise that Edward was a dangerous killer.


Breaking Down was odd, it was not what I am looking for in a parody, when I think parodies I think Disc World series, a parody of life but not outrageously so, there is still a story in front of the comedy. This was an obvious jab at all the atrocities of Twilight, it was a weekend comic put together by Petrucha and his daughter and it was funny, it was light and it was quick.

I have still yet to find a parody that I enjoy without thinking “well, that’s just stupid and obvious”, but Breaking Down was an entertaining read for those of us that have read the Twilight series and who will be able to pick up on the major jokes but also a lot of the subtle and well hidden ones.

Breaking Down was a light, funny and playful approach to the Twilight saga.

Also in this series:
Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring

Book Review: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Review: Human Blend
Series: Blend Trilogy – Book 1
Author: Lori Pescatore
No of Pages: 230
Release Date: 12 June 2010

Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her.

A young doctor’s interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child’s illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harbouring secrets of his own.

Laney’s budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.

My Thoughts:

Human Blend was far better than I was expecting.

Laney/Julie is on the run from the men that stole her from her family. Stopping to rest in a small town that catches her eye she decided to stay when she meets a local boy and realises that she might have a chance at a normal life.

Laney needs to stay hidden so she assumes the new identity of Julie Miller when she arrives in the small town of Marion. Laney/Julie isn’t just a normal girl though, she has powers that let her “see” numbers meaning she’ll never lose a bet or the lottery and she can also heal others by taking the illnesses into herself and healing instantly.

Laney was a strong, independent character that expertly drove the story. She backed up her words with her abilities, not only her powers but also her survival skills and instincts. Laney was also extremely intelligent which was a refreshing change from the constant damsels in distress that we read about. Laney listens to her gut, and she doesn’t walk into her house alone in the dark after finding the door open, she gets help first from someone who is capable.

I loved that Laney just wanted to be normal even though she is so different. She went to work in a hospital just so she could be near people and use her powers to heal them, not for recognition just because she felt it was the right thing to do.

Laney also had a love interest in Austin, the local boy who takes a liking to her as soon as he meets her. Austin is a complete gentleman which is also a pleasant change from the controlling stalkers and the dangerous bad boys we are currently bombarded with in literature.

Human Blend was really well written and kept me completely engrossed from start to finish. It was not only an interesting storyline but a refreshingly new one as well. Pescatore didn’t conform to our current stereotypes of men, women and the paranormal but created something completely new and exhilarating to read.

Not only did we have a paranormal story with sci-fi themes mixed in, but we also had a beautiful YA romance that unfolded perfectly and without unrealistic devotion but with camaraderie and tenderness.

Human Blend was an excellent start to a promising new series and I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on the next novel in this trilogy.

Also in this series:
Earth Blend

Book Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Review: Embrace
Series: Violet Eden Chapters – Book 1
Author: Jessica Shirvington
No of Pages: 382
Release Date: 1 October 2010

THE WRONG CHOICE COULD COST NOT ONLY HER LIFE, BUT HER DESTINY.

All Violet wants is to be with Lincoln. But he has a secret so great it could tear them apart.

Then there’s Phoenix. He’s intense and enigmatic, but always there for her.

Caught up in a battle between light and dark – where angels seek vengeance and humans are warriors – Violet must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice. And who to trust...

My Thoughts:

Embrace was more than I expected, and I absolutely loved it.

Violet Eden’s life is turned upside down when she finds out that her best friend and man she is secretly in love with has been keeping a secret, about her. Violet is a Grigori, a half angel-half human protector of human kind against exiled angels, evil fallen angels that wish to control mankind.

After finding out that Lincoln has been keeping such a terrible secret about her identity she shuts him out of her life, a hard thing to do to your closest companion over the last two years. She meets Phoenix, an exiled angel who seems to have a darkness about him, but is fiercely protective of Violet when other exiles are around.

Violet was an interesting and well fleshed out character. After losing her mother at birth and being terrorized by a former teacher at school she has developed a habit of not letting much get to her and never fleeing from something too hard or scary. She broke that rule when it came to Lincoln and her destiny of becoming a Grigori leaning on Phoenix to help her get through her life upheaval.

Lincoln was a hard character to like for me if choosing between the two boys vying for Violet’s attention, he keeps secrets, lies and is condescending when around Violet but he also had that irresistible charm that Violet has been in love with ever since they got close. Violet’s and Lincoln’s love for each other was obvious from the first page, no matter how much Lincoln tried to keep his distance from her it was still clear that he loved Violet as much as Violet loved him.

Phoenix on the other hand is your typical bad boy; he is an exiled angel who takes a liking to Violet when he meets her. Violet tries to stay away but is inexplicably drawn to him. She admits that she doesn’t love Phoenix, but he can give her so much more, and is willing to give so much more than what Lincoln is.

Embrace was beautifully written, if a little confusing. I had a hard time keeping track of which angels were what and up until mid-way through the book exactly who the bad guys were. Even the motions of Embracing were a little sudden and rather confusing.

Other than the slight confusion Embrace was an engrossing read. Each time I was forced to put it down all I could think about was getting back to it. Having had some bad experiences with angel books in the past I highly encourage everyone to give Embrace a try.

Embrace is an addictive read, and left me salivating for more not just answers but for more beautiful prose and engaging characters. I cannot wait until I can dive into the next instalment in this intriguing series.

Also in this series:
Enticed
Emblaze