I have to say, I was so excited when I found out we were getting a novella from Logan's POV. I'm always down for getting in the head of a series hero, but this one was even more tempting to read because of the angsty way the last book ended. After all, the dude tried to kill his girlfriend! The emotional impact should have been huge. Only, it wasn't really.
Yeah, Logan feels like crap for what happened. He blames himself. He doesn't trust himself. And he wants revenge on the Reapers. But if you're looking for anything deeper than that, you're SOL. This is novella is really short. A third of it focuses on recounting the events of Crimson Frost, a third of it focuses on a battle with some Reapers, and the rest is a look at Logan's relationship with his dad (and a really descriptive scene involving the contents of their breakfast.)
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy Estep's writing (and her foodie scene always make me hungry.) But this was pretty superficial and didn't show me anything new about Logan as a character. It wasn't a bad read, but it felt I could have gotten just as much out of this if it were pared down and delivered as a web short.
Just ok.
Rating: C *ARC Provided by Kensington via NetGalley
“I was Hannah Cohen. I had everything and knew everything and could do everything.”
Hannah is sixteen and raised to follow her mother’s rules of self-preservation, including: Always have the upper hand; Never let yourself be surprised; and, If reality isn’t the way you want it to be, create your own. Obviously she’s a lot of fun. When her father overdoses on pills and goes to rehab, Hannah’s mother runs away to Paris to avoid scandal and Hannah moves in with her aunt to avoid her mother.
This is more a coming-of-age story than it is a romance, because Hannah learns how to face reality even when it terrifies her, trust people, and take responsibility for her own mistakes. There is a boy, though, helping her with all of this growth. Jude is a high school graduate whose brother died in Afghanistan. Jude hasn’t been able to move past his brother’s death, but he finds Hannah to be a welcome diversion from the non-life that he’s barely living.
Hannah and Jude hang out, drive around town, and have awkward social encounters with other people. Jude encourages Hannah to climb Chimney Rock even though she’s afraid of heights (metaphor alert!). They are “just friends” until one afternoon in Jude’s truck, when he says, “I know this person sitting right here, and she matters.” They kiss, I’m happy, and then his mother interrupts them and ruins everything. Hannah remembers that she’s not supposed to trust anyone so she forces Jude back into the friendship zone, where he stays for pretty much the rest of the book.
This book is Hannah’s emotional journey. She makes up with her dad. She confronts her mom. She dumps her shallow friends and reconnects with ex-friends. Jude is there, as a friend, but the story is more about Hannah becoming Hannah than it is about her falling in love. I, of course, must quibble with that because I love reading stories about teens falling in love, but when there’s so much personal growth involved it takes time away from the romance. I’m superficial that way.
Having said that, both characters are interesting, the setting is beautiful, and if you need some help with your own personal growth, this book will have some good advice for you.
I was thisclose to dropping out on this series. I'm not usually a YA reader, but I make a few exceptions with authors whose adult series I enjoy. Reading the Nick books seemed like a no-brainer since it is so intimately entwined with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter books. But the early installments were just too young for me. The characters, their thoughts, the dialogue, even the way they were treated by the adults seemed even younger than their chronological ages. It alienated me. It felt like there just wasn't enough growth.
I'm glad I gave it one more shot. While this is still nothing like the Dark Hunter books in the romance department, I finally feel like we're seeing the characters evolve and mature. There is a minimum amount of Cherise (who I have grown to truly dislike reading,) far fewer "gah"s, and less ruminating from Nick in general about being a misfit kid. Now before you do too much celebrating, there is still a big old message (not even a little bit subtle) about being true to yourself and fighting bullies. But still... improvement.
As the book begins, Nick is dealing with the revelation that Kody is not who she appears. She may be, in fact, an assassin sent to kill him. Of course, we the readers are privy to who she really is and why she is there, but this is a tough pill for Nick to swallow. He breaks up with her, feeling heartbreak for the first time. Thankfully, the teen angst is only a small part of the book.
The larger arc centers on someone targeting both Nick and his father, trying to get to the Malachai mojo. It gets a little complicated with all of the players. But it's got a good amount of intrigue and momentum. What I liked about it, is that the series arc actually moved forward in a big way. I felt like as much actually happened towards moving along the series arc in this book --as in all the previous ones combined.
There are a lot of cameos and shout-outs to Dark Hunter characters and how they fit into the big picture. There are explanations and flash forwards. It's a fun ride. And Nick is so much less annoying.
I think the Epilogue is going to garner some mixed reaction. It's clearly the set-up for the next book, but I hope it's not the subject of the entire installment. For me, that would be a complete throwaway. I won't spoil it, but IMO, it equates right up there with an entire book that's a "dream" and will have no real impact on the series as a whole. But I will give Kenyon the benefit of the doubt and give it a try. After all, she came through in this one.
OK guys. This is not light reading. But it is captivating, entertaining, thought-provoking, and heart-wrenching reading. It's a trade off I'll take any day of the week.
The story picks up just a few months after the ending of The Immortal Rules. (And this is the part where I tell you not to read this book unless you read that one first.) Allie has left her ragtag band of human travelers safely in Eden and now she is on the hunt for her maker, Kanin, and the sadistic Sarren who holds him captive. Her blood bond to Kanin draws her toward him, leading her through a string of trials and unlikely reunions along the way. Ultimately, she discovers Sarren's plans are much, much worse than the simple torture he is forcing Kanin to endure. Allie must find him --and stop him-- or lose those she holds most dear.
I know, I know... I'm not giving much away. But one of the best things about this book is the way the plot unfolds. It's unpredictable, but never erratic. By that, I mean Julie Kagawa made me excited to turn the page (or in some cases, terrified to turn the page.) Allie's journey tests her in so many ways. She is not only challenged intellectually and physically, but over and over she must respond to situations that force her to define the kind of monster she wants to be.
I think Allison is a great heroine, in part because of her internal struggle. It's not always easy to live her ideals. She has all those powerful emotions like wrath, heartbreak, and a need for vengeance that drive weaker people to abandon their principles. It's how she responds through her emotions that defines her.
Again, the world-building is effortlessly fantastic. I was completely sucked in. It was almost like it's own character in the book: this dark, gritty, hopeless, soul-sucking world. There are no info-dumps or overly complicated explanations. It just is. And it's that bleak every-man for himself setting that contrasts so remarkably against the characters who fight to be something more... to rise above it.
I would be remiss if I didn't warn you about two things. One: There is a heart-stopping, punch in the gut scene that will leave you reeling. At least, it did for me. (It also made me cry.) And two: there is a big old hairy cliffhanger that will have you counting the days until book 3 hits the shelves... which, by the way, won't be until Fall 2014. As I sobbed on Twitter, Julie Kagawa reached out to comfort me with this response: "Your tears feed my muse." What a gifted, yet totally evil author.
I am not usually a YA reader, but I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's dark and gritty... set in a post-apocalyptic world, where vampires lord over humans like cattle. The main character, Allie, begins her journey as a human, living off-grid in the slums outside a vampire city. But after she is nearly killed by the zombie-like Rabids who live outside the wall of her civilization, she is given the choice between death and becoming a vampire. She chooses to become one of the monsters she has always loathed.
The book is divided into four parts, following Allie's evolution and the progression of her story. From her life as a scavenger, to her lessons as a new vampire, to her attempt to find a new life away from the only home she has ever known.
One of my biggest complaints among the YA books I have read is that the heroines are so often naive, overly innocent, vapid, or lovestruck. Allie is none of those. She is a survivor. And she makes no apologies for it. She adapts; she is resourceful. But in a world where most of the humans have lost their humanity, she has not... and she somehow manages to maintain that humanity even after she becomes a vampire. It's made all the more-compelling by the fact that her nature, her instinct, fights against her conscience. It would be easy to make her all good or all bad, but she isn't. She struggles; sometimes she falls; but she ultimately refuses to give in to the inevitability of becoming a monster.
There's a strong cast of supporting characters, all three dimensional and richly drawn. Like the vampire Kanin who transforms Allison and teaches her how to survive. Or Zeke, the kind, almost-love interest, trying to help lead a ragtag group of humans to a new life. Their interactions with Allie help shape her, and I am just as interested in how their futures play out as I am in hers.
The world building is very well done too. I found it easy to fall into it from the very beginning, yet new layers are continually uncovered as the story unfolds. It's a pretty bleak existence, but it's that contrast that allows us to see just how special people like Allie and Zeke really are.
I liked it a lot. And I will definitely read The Eternity Cure.
I think this is the strongest installment so far in Jennifer Estep’s Mythos Academy series. It’s also the second book of hers this year that has left me feeling emotionally fragile.
The story starts off in a good place for Gwen, despite the fact that Loki is now free and ready start a Chaos War. That’s because she and Logan are finally together. After much angst and a great deal of waiting, they have both admitted their feelings to one another and are going on their first date. From there, though, everything starts to go downhill… fast.
Before the date even ends, members of the Mythos governing body –the Protectorate—place Gwen under arrest. She is accused of freeing Loki intentionally anda trial date is set. The student body turns against her; a guilty verdict seems a foregone conclusion. Making the situation worse, Gwen knows that the Reapers have something even worse on the horizon. But how can she beat them when her own future hangs in the balance?
I liked the whole Protectorate storyline. The leader, Linus, is such a dick. His righteous rhetoric is played to perfection. I love how he’s all tied in with Logan and how that plays into Gwen’s life even more. I enjoyed the new character Alexi and his surprising link to Gwen’s band of friends. The action was great. Gwen’s emotional turmoil was great. The bigger picture is advanced. And the end… well, let’s not linger too much on the end. Suffice it to say that Jennifer Estep likes making us work for our happy moments. I guess we’re not done working yet.
I had a pretty good inkling who things were going to go south for about halfway through the book, but didn’t find the other elements of the climax to be very predictable. I just wish we could get a little more of a mature dynamic in the relationship department. It doesn’t have to be dirty or anything, but it feels very innocent for 17. (Maybe this would be less bothersome for folks who are bigger YA fans. I read these because I love Estep… not necessarily the genre.)
Gwen is getting stronger and stronger. While in some of the past books that has played out with her magical gifts, here it’s a different kind of strength, the internal kind. I hope she wipes the floor with those Reapers in Midnight Frost.
Ellinore ‘Ellie’ Audrey is not just another high school student; she’s a girl with a secret that only her twin Griffin knows. In this first book of the series, both of these siblings have moved to Colorado from Texas in pursuit of what they believe to be more of their own kind. Once in Colorado, Ellie’s disguises herself as a high school student, allowing her to get close to the Jenners and the Pierces, who are undiscovered members of the Svatura. The Svatura are a ravaged and decimated group of gypsies who have some pretty cool, spectacular supernatural powers. While she’s doing some surveillance work at the high school, Ellie meets fellow Svatura, hunkalicious Alex Jenner.
Ellie’s power is that she’s able to morph into some inherent creatures (wolf, falcon, etc.) and use her twin brother’s, Griffin, mind reading ability. If you’re a fan of the X-Men series, Ellie’s powers remind me of Rogue’s ‘touch’ powers. When I started reading, I was a little nervous that this would be too similar in plot and I would have to give Owens the big what-for but I was pleasantly surprised to say that the premise was the only similarity that I found, thank goodness. And another prop – thanks for staying away from the formulaic werewolf plot (who doesn’t love a wolf pack?), so refreshing - but I digress. Once Ellie sets eyes on Alex she’s really intrigued and drawn to him but doesn’t see a future there because of what/who she is and who she believes Alex is. Alex’s ability to freeze objects from the miniscule to the ginormous is pretty awesome too. Again, he reminds me of the powers of X-Men’s Iceman, but like Ellie and Rogue, that’s where the similarities end. Alex and Ellie were a great couple, when they really get together and are able to get out of that teenager mentality. They’re going to rock the sheets, trust me on this.
The development of this story was precise and carefully done. There were a few places where I felt a lull but they were few and far between. I really liked Griffin. He seems to be a practical foil for Ellie’s sometimes hot-headedness. Even better, he’s got a few secrets that he’s been keeping from his twin. I’m hoping those will get flushed out in the upcoming novel (hopefully with Selene huh? insert plea). Oh, please! please! please! Tell me that Ramsey and Lila get together – I could feel the heat on my iPad. Owens has written this story so that many of our new friends can have their own story – very exciting there. Gabriel was in interesting character, I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of him.
Overall, I thought this story was well done and captivating. I found myself emotionally invested in each character, especially Ellie and Alex, but that’s because Owen has not written about Griffin, Selene, Adelaide, Nate, Ramsey and Lila and I can’t wait until she does.
Although there’s no sex --it’s pretty much a young adult theme-- there was enough tension that I felt that Ellie and Alex were sexually compatible.
I have yet to meet a Jennifer Estep book I didn't like. And this one is no exception. In fact, I think it's the strongest installment in the Mythos Academy series so far.
Only weeks have passed since the events of the last book. Winter break is just wrapping up and Gwen is unsure where she stands with the sexy Spartan, Logan. They haven't seen each other or spoken during the break. Just as they reunite at a museum for a school project, the building is overrun with Reapers. They're searching for the ancient dagger to free the god Loki. And leading the charge, is the masked woman who killed Gwen's mother.
The battle is bloody, but Gwen and her friends survive and the head Reaper gets away. The whole thing really drives home for Gwen how important it is that she find the dagger first, to keep Loki locked away. The story follows her efforts to uncover the weapon her mother hid all those years ago, while struggling with her fragile relationship with Logan.
Once again, Logan manages to piss me off with how he treats Gwen and I was really about to write him off for good this time. That is, until we learn his Big Secret. Granted, the secret wasn't so big that we all hadn't figured it out already, but through his willingness to eventually share his vulnerability, we finally see him grow.
There are some engaging subplots, surrounding Gwen's friend Daphne and the return of that Frenrir wolf we met in the last book. But the main theme of the story is really Gwen's journey of self-discovery. It's painfully clear at times how young she still is. It's frustrating to watch her blame herself for things she can't control --and make everything all about her. But that is the way of a 17 year-old, I guess. The important thing is that she is growing... not just as a person, but as a powerful being. What she learns to do with her powers here is pretty bad ass.
Estep's writing style is always a win for me. It's such easy reading, the books always fly by. There's a lot of action and some major developments in the overall series arc. Stuff I did not see coming. I'm looking forward to see how Gwen will manage to live up to her potential in the next book.
I had no idea from the blurb that this book was supposed to be YA. And even after reading it, I'm not sure if I would have characterized it that way. Both of the characters are about 20 years old, with careers, so to speak. Then again, there is no sex and our male main character isn't quite the standard hero.
Ward is a necromancer, though his real dream was always to be a physician and surgeon. Unfortunately, in this past/alternative world, magics are a way of life and surgery is forbidden. Ward has already been caught trying to learn the craft and now his innate necromantic gifts will have to get him through life. As the story begins, Ward is called to perform a wake on beautiful young woman named Celia. He plans to bring her across the veil for just a few minutes at her father's request. But when she wakes up, she begs him to help her discover who killed her.
No one is above suspicion, not even Celia's family, so together they go on the run. Ward has no idea that Celia was actually an assassin and her father is the head of the underworld. And Celia is sure that Ward is something other than the sweet, bumbling, and principled young man he seems to be. But despite their differences --and despite the fact that Celia is dead-- there is an attraction between the two of them.
Over the course of the book, Ward and Celia work to find clues to her death. But instead of things getting clearer, they get more and more convoluted. There's a great big plot afoot, somehow tied in with another assassination, ancient prophesies, and magic. I'll admit that I got confused a few times, especially early on... most often in the details between the assassin's guild and the bad-guy underworld led by Celia's dad. But it was a very engaging read. I think the best thing about the entire book was Ward. He is such a good guy. He is honorable and loyal, while still being fallible and scared. He is so easy to root for, I found myself much more invested in him than in Celia.
I won't spoil the details of how the murder plot unraveled, but there was a lot of action and danger that kept me wrapped up in the story. The book was light in the romance department, but the undercurrents are there throughout. It's clear that more adventures are ahead for Ward and Celia... just as it's apparent there is much more to his magic than even he realizes.
Unique world-building and engaging characters. Worth checking out. 4 stars.
Nick Gautier is back, and with him we finally get some answers --as well as some more questions. I'm happy to report that Nick is finally a year older, but at 15 he is basically a blend of immaturity and melodrama which takes center stage over the latest threat to his life.
Someone is spreading terrible rumors about the kids at Nick's school, pushing tension levels through the roof. Some of the students are devastated; others become bigger bullies than ever. Nick makes it his mission to discover who --or what-- is behind the slander campaign. In the meantime, he is trying to master his magic, while staying one step ahead of the agents of his father and the primordial gods who want him under their power.
All that would seem to be enough to keep him busy, but over and over again, the story comes back to the issues between Nick and his mom. Personally, I find Cherise to be over-rated. Throughout this series and the Dark Hunter books, we've heard about how awesome she is, but frankly, I found her completely grating. She has no faith in her son; she berates him constantly; and vacillates between treating him like a baby and a delinquent. As far as I can tell, her big claim to fame is that she loves her son and didn't give him up for adoption. Frankly, that's not enough to make her mother of the year... even though she's allegedly this paragon of motherly awesomeness.
The YA themes were pretty heavy in this one. From "my mom just doesn't understand me" to "drinking and drugs are bad" to "premarital sex is SUPER-bad," I felt like the book was practically screaming I am reaching out to teens! But for all of his glib "charm," Nick's actions and reactions feel more tweenish than a sampling of high school behavior.
All that aside, there is good news. Kenyon finally gives us some insight on how this series may all fit in with the Dark Hunter version of Nick's life. The prologue explains alot about future-Nick's motivation and limitations. And later on, there's some talk of quantum mechanics. I didn't entirely understand that part, but I think it's laying the groundwork for how the changes to Nick's backstory can exist simultaneously with the events that lead up to him becoming a Dark Hunter.
Again, we get appearances with Dark Hunter characters like Ash, Kyrian, the Peltiers --and even Thorn. It's so strange how freely the information flows about these characters whose histories were so closely guarded in other books. But I do appreciate how Kenyon ties the people and events together with all we know from the adult series.
We still have a long way to go, however, before it all really comes together. I'm ready for Nick to mature a bit... and I'm hoping for the series to progress beyond the movie-of-the week lessons Nick is learning about life and what it means to be a good person. I know Kenyon has it in her. I just don't know if we're going to really see him grow up in this series. 3 stars.
I don't know if I have told you this before, but you really can't go wrong with Jennifer Estep. I love her writing style... it's just so easy to settle into. Her first person narrative is always down-to-earth, believable, and fun. And this book is no exception.
The story picks up just a few months after the point where Touch of Frost left off. And I've got to tell you, my number one goal when I started reading was to determine whether I was going to love Logan or hate him. He really made me angry when he blew Gwen off. And by the time we were halfway into the book, I was ready to start making a voo-doo doll. But I'll get back to Logan in a minute.
The story takes Gwen and her classmates at Mythos Academy on a skiing trip for Winter Carnival. But it's no relaxing vacation for Gwen. Someone was already trying to kill her before they even left and the danger only intensifies when they reach their destination. Gwen tries to distract herself with parties and a new boy, but it's hard to ignore attempts on your life. Fortunately, Gwen's magic is growing, giving her better skills to cope with what she might face.
I'm not usually a YA reader, but I do like this series. It's satisying to watch Gwen start to grow and get stronger. Like I said before, I had a hard time warming up to Logan, seeing as how he had his tongue in another girl's mouth for a large hunk of the story. But I guess I'm coming around --a little. YA or not, I need this little love connection to pick up the pace. It's moving along, but very slowly. Fish or cut-bait, people!
Overall, a good read that opens new doors for the future of the series. 4 stars.
You may remember, several weeks back, Red Hot Books hosted a giveaway for Last Breath by Rachel Caine. The winner, Katie from Bookishly Yours Reviews, agreed to provide a review in exchange for the book. Here is what she had to say:
After 10 books, you’d think that a series would be standing on its last leg, scrambling to find something else to shock and entertain readers, but not Morganville Vampires! Last Breath, the 11th book in the series, is just as amazing as the very first book, if not better.
Rachel Caine does something different in Last Breath; she gives first perspective voices to characters other than Claire. Shane, Michael, Amelie, and Eve each have a section which proved to be a very interesting look inside what these characters are feeling after eleven books with them especially Amelie since she’s such a closed off character.
There’s so much I can give away because, as always, so much happens in these books! There’s some shocking twists along the way, new characters, and an enthralling new layer to the history of the Morganville vampires. Let’s just say, Rachel Caine can really write a story.
If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly recommend them. They’re thrilling, funny, and heart-warming. And definitely not your average vampire story. And if you love this series, then Last Breath is a can’t-miss! 5 stars.
I don't usually read YA fiction, but I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin books... and that is what led me to this first installment of her new Mythos Academy series.
The story centers on a teenage Gypsy named Gwen. She has the give of psychometry, which means she gets psychic impressions from the things she touches. Shortly after the death of her mom, Gwen's grandmother enrolled her in the Mythos Academy, a school for teenagers with special gifts. The halls are filled with Valkyrie, Amazons, Spartans, and other skilled warriors. But Gwen feels out-of-place. She's no warrior and she certainly doesn't come from the privileged background of her peers.
Things go from bad to worse for Gwen when she discovers the bloody body of the most popular girl in school in the library. In the aftermath, she is shocked to see that no one is mourning for the dead girl and no one wants to dig beneath the surface to solve her murder. So Gwen decides she will use her powers to figure out what really happened to Jasmine. The story follows her investigation and people who enter her life as a result.
This book has the same easy and relaxed writing style I've grown to love from Estep. Her books use simple and clear language which allows you to forget about the words and focus on the story. The concept of the series is pretty good, though not entirely groundbreaking. Gwen is a likeable heroine. And Estep does well to advance her story while still leaving the door open for much more in future books.
I liked the book, but I didn't love it. My biggest problem was in the repetition of thoughts we got from Gwen, especially in the first half of the book... her what-if's about her mom, her guilt, her angst, her same questions and reflections over and over. It did peter out before it drove me crazy, but I couldn't quite ignore it. Also, I didn't like how things played out with Logan, the love interest. I know Gwen was supposed to feel jerked around, but dammit,I felt jerked around by his hot-and-cold behavior. And while I know this is an ongoing story, I'm a stickler for an HEA, and I was annoyed by the resolution of this part of the storyline... or lack thereof.
I did enjoy watching Gwen begin her transition into something more than she was at the beginning of the story. I think over the course of the series, she is really going to blossom and that will be what makes the books shine. 4 stars.
Forget everything you think you know about angels. Because in the world LA Weatherly has created, they are the enemy. Most angels live in another dimension, feeding from the ether. But their sustenance is disappearing, and now they are moving here, and feeding off the essence of humanity. There's a small band of people trying to stop them. Alex is one of them. He's an AK... Angel Killer... one of the few humans who knows how to spot them --and stop them. Angels have killed his entire family. And even though he is only 17, he travels the country alone, following one mission after the next.
But things change for him when his AK contacts send him to kill Willow. She's not a regular angel. She is actually a human-angel hybrid, the only one of her kind. And she has no idea what she is. Willow is aware she is different. After all, she's been psychic all of her life. She didn't even know angels existed until a psychic reading on a schoolmate tipped her off. Now the angels want her dead, because they see her as a threat. And Alex becomes her unlikely ally, as he hopes to use her for his cause.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The entire premise is refreshing and unique. I didn't find it predictable at all, but the developments weren't jarring or unnatural either. Both Willow and Alex were solid leads, sympathetic... with depth of character. I liked watching a relationship develop between them too. The whole "us against the world" dynamic is a powerful thing. However, the word "love" comes into play much too quickly here. It's only a matter of days before the l-word is flying. This would have been much more satisfying and believable if Weatherly had waited until after the weeks in the cabin before throwing it out there. Maybe this is a YA thing. I don't read much in the genre.
My only other criticism is that it took me a while to get used to jumping back and forth from first person narrative to third. I don't mind seeing things from both Alex and Willow's perspectives. But I think I would have liked it better if it was in the third person for both.
There was a lot of action and the book ends with obviously a great deal of story left to tell. This is the first part of a trilogy and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next. Viva la Mexico! 4 stars.
SherrilynKenyon continues her YA Dark-Hunter companion series, with this second installment of The Chronicles of Nick. Invincible picks up mere seconds after the conclusion of Infinity, with Nick's revelation that his boss Kyrian is something other than human. I have to say that this was a little disappointing. I had hoped that Nick would age with each book as he grew closer to the timeline of the DH books where he first appeared. But alas, he is still 14.
Thankfully, though, this installment did not have any zombies. Instead, it focused more on Nick as he begins to realize more of his powers. The backdrop story is an evil football coach who is blackmailing Nick while (in a series of deaths which may or may not be unrelated) 14 year-old boys at Nick's school are showing up dead.
Ambrose, or future-Nick, is back, trying to guide his younger self into making better decisions. Also showing up to guide Nick are Caleb (a demon) and Kody(some kind of immortal there to make sure Nick doesn't go all evil.) Caleb seems to be developing a soft spot for the teen. And Kody seems to be getting romantic feelings for him. Which is creepy because he is 14... and while she looks like a teen, she is clearly much older.
Nick's mom starts the job at Sanctuary that we've heard so much about in Nick's future. And Savitarmakes a squee-worthy appearance, though sadly it is short.
I don't really know how I feel about this series. And maybe that's because I am so clueless as to the endgame AND how it will eventually work itself into the DH universe. I definitely liked it better than Infinity. And I have my fingers crossed that as Nick grows into his later teen years, I'll enjoy them more. 4 stars?
I'm not usually a YA reader. But I am a big fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon and her Dark Hunter world. So there was no way I was going to skip this one. The concept of the Chronicles of Nick is far from simple. Dark Hunters are humans who were greatly wronged. Upon their deaths, they call out to the goddess Artemis for justice. She grants each a chance to go back to their lives for vengeance. They become immortal and in return, they serve Artemis, fighting Daimons (vampires who feed on human souls.)
In the adult version of the books, Nick was a squire, a human who served the Dark Hunters. But his mother was killed and he committed suicide to become a Dark Hunter himself, thus triggering the latent demon side that he never knew he had. In the Chronicles of Nick, the man Nick becomes is going back to guide a younger version of himself to change the course of his life.
In this book, Nick is 14 years-old. And he has just made the fateful decision that brought him into the Dark Hunter world. A group of hoodlum friends try to rob an elderly couple and Nick intercedes, nearly dying in the process and catching the eye of Dark Hunter, Kyrian. Nick is terribly poor, but he is smart and fiercely loyal to his mom. He wants to help make a better life for them both, so he accepts a job with Kyrian, to help pay his hospital bills and save money.
As that's all going on, something is turning the kids at Nick's school into zombies. Nick ends up teaming up with some local conspiracy theorists and members of the supernatural community to solve the mystery and save the day. Older-Nick is there, trying to guide younger-Nick and there is the mysterious Kody, who appears as a pretty teenage girl, who is also watching him, to stop him should he turn evil. This may all sound complicated and maybe it would be for someone unfamiliar with the series. But to me, it was actually all too simple. The Dark Hunter series rocks because it's complicated and very sexy. This is, well, neither. And no review of this book would be complete without acknowledging the vast potential of a drinking game surrounding use of the word "gah." If you were to take a drink every time someone says it or thinks it, you'd be 'faced by page 200.
It's great seeing DH favorites like Acheron, Kyrian and the Peltiers... especially before the events of the DH books. And as always, Simi is a treat. Kenyon has set this series up to somehow intersect with the DH world in the future... so whatever happens, I'm sure to keep reading. I'm just hoping these books get a little more sophisticated as Nick gets older. 3 1/2 stars.
Blacklisted is the second YA novel set in the Alien Huntress world. Our hero is Erik, who was a secondary character in the previous book, Red Handed. When we saw him last, he was on the run, branded a drug dealer. His heroine is 18 year-old Camille, a regular girl with a crush on the wrong boy. She tries to get close to Erik, and gets thrown inside a world she didn’t know existed.
Camille has an uber-crush on Erik, who she has seen in the halls of high school. She and a friend follow him to a club one night and she gets caught up in a bust designed to bring him down. She ends up on the run with Erik, learning he’s not a bad guy after all. In fact, he has sacrificed his good name to help aliens who need the drug he’s selling in order to survive.
I liked seeing Phoenix and the other girls featured in Red Handed. Even Ryan and Mia showed up –-and I’m a sucker for reoccurring characters in a series. The love scene was sweet and slightly racier than I thought I would get in a YA… but VERY tame compared to most Showalter books.
My only gripe with this book was that it flew by and seemed short. I can’t be sure without a word count… maybe it just went so fast because it was a good and an easy read.
I liked it. I give it 4 stars, even though I would have loved to see Camille and Erik take that next step.
Red Handed is the first of two YA books in the Alien Huntress world. Its heroine is Phoenix, a 17 year-old with a rocky past. She has a drug history but is working to overcome it as she learns that the peace between humans and aliens is more fragile than she ever knew.
Phoenix is freshly out of rehab when she is at a party that’s crashed by evil aliens. She fights them off, capturing the attention of the Alien Investigation and Removal agency. Her mom thinks she’s using again and sends her off to what she thinks is a boot camp. It’s actually training for AIR. Phoenix has a lot to overcome, but really begins to feel at home in her new environment. She makes friends and fights her feelings for Ryan, an instructor, as a relationship between them could get her kicked out of the program.
I like Phoenix. She is smart and brave and loyal, but she’s no Mary Sue. I was rooting for her and Ryan and their short scenes together were memorable. I also enjoyed seeing Mia Snow from Awaken Me Darkly as an instructor.
I was happy to find out that Phoenix and Ryan get their HEA, but a year seems like a long time for them to hold out. Plus, we didn’t get “the scene” –just a summary of it. Of course, it’s YA, so it won’t be what we’re used to from Gena Showalter.
I liked it. I hope to see more of Phoenix and Ryan –maybe in the grown-up version of the series. 4 stars.
The first step in handling addiction is admitting you have a problem. I know I love my books just a little too much and I'm working on creating some kind of 12 step program to deal with it. Urban Fantasy and Romance are my favorites. I'm also a mother of two and work full-time as a tv news Executive Producer.
