Tormented Soul (Storm Trilogy #1) by Dylann Rhea | Review

Tormented Soul (Storm Trilogy #1) by Dylann Rhea
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 307
Source: Won in a Goodreads Giveaway
Favorite Quote: "Everyone's heart is as fragile as glass. Some people can't help but lock theirs in an iron box for no one to see."
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Goodreads Description

Seattle is best known for its welcoming and diverse culture, but Kaden cannot seem to grasp the life it offers. When Megan, Kaden’s best friend, decides it’s time to hit the night life, it turns into a night they will never forget. Megan mysteriously disappears and Kaden is the only one invested in finding her. Along the way she meets an unusual ally, Finley, who reveals a world beyond the ordinary streets of Seattle. Kaden finds herself pulled into a dark world of fae as the two struggle to locate Megan before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

Whenever I decide to read a self published novel I always get a little worried. I usually think that there might not have been enough editing done or there might not be enough development with the characters and/or the world. This novel surprised me!

When I first started reading I immediately thought of Lost Girl, the TV show. That mainly had to do with the fae world, and there being two different sides (light and dark fae). It also reminded me of the beginning of City of Bones in a few areas throughout the book. I tried really hard not to compare plot points of Tormented Soul to Lost Girl but there were just so many moments that it was obvious that they were very similar. However this story is still unique. 

Looking at the characters, I couldn't say I loved them but I didn't dislike them. I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. I felt bad for Kaden when it came to her mom and was happy that she and her sister were so close. I liked Finley but he confused me. I didn't understand why he took interest in and helped Kaden. I get that he wanted to see what the dark fae were up to and stop them but he could have done that without getting involved with Kaden. Although it wasn't the focus of this book, there was a hint that there might be a romantic relationship between Kaden and Finley later on. I didn't have any strong feelings about Megan. She just seemed to be there to give an excuse for Kaden's introduction to the fae world.

I was a little disappointed with the way things ended with Megan. I was expecting that scene to be climactic but it just happened and then was over and nothing else could be done. At some point during the novel there's a flashback of Kaden and Megan, and to be honest it was kind of creepy. Megan gave Kaden some stone and when Kaden said something about liking it Megan said, "You won't." This lead me to believe that there was more to Megan and her family. I thought maybe they were part of the fae world and that was part of the reason she was taken. However, this was never brought up again and neither was Kaden's interest in collecting stones that was mentioned during that chapter. This could have been something to make the story and Megan more interesting. 

This book doesn't seem very long but so much happened. The most surprising thing is that, besides the flash backs, everything that happened took place over the course of over three days! Overall, this book was really enjoyable. There were some things I questioned or didn't like but those moments didn't take away too much from my enjoyment level. I'm interested in picking up the next book in the series and seeing how this story continues.

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead | Review

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: November 13, 2008
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 443
Source: Purchased
First Line: "His fingertips slid along my back , applying hardly any pressure, yet sending shock waves over my flesh."
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Goodreads Description

WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS ROSE COULD LOSE HER BEST FRIEND FOREVER?

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...

Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

My Thoughts

This review will be probably end up shorter than some of my others. I reread this book a few months ago so I will be going through a summary to share my thoughts. Since this is the third book in this series there will be spoilers.

In the opening of Shadow Kiss Rose is struggling with the death of Mason and not being able to be with Dimitri. While trying to seem like she isn't extremely affected by everything that's happened, Rose along with all the other novices are prepping for their qualifying exam. Throughout the book Rose has moments of seeing people who are dead. There are also moments of extreme, uncontrollable anger from Rose that can't be explained.

In this book I feel like the Strigoi were an even bigger threat then they have ever been. In Frostbite there was a glimpse into what the Strigoi were planning but I think in this book everything becomes more real and widespread. The end of this book was heartbreaking. The first time I read it I knew something was going to go wrong but I was hoping it would be something that I, and the main characters, could live with.

Shadow Kiss was a fast-paced read and another great installment to the series. I am really enjoying my reread of this series. 

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead | Review

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 10, 2008
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 327
Source: Purchased
First Lines: "Things die. But they don't always stay dead. Believe me, I know."
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Goodreads Description

WHEN LOVE AND JEALOUSY COLLIDE ON THE SLOPES, WINTER BREAK TURNS DEADLY...

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose has serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor, Dimitri, has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian.

Then a nearby Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy whisks its students away on a mandatory holiday ski trip. But the glittering winter landscape and posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined... 

My Thoughts

*This review contains spoilers (because it's hard to reread a book/series and not spoil some stuff)

The second book in the Vampire Academy series opens with a brief summary of the world and the first book. It's like that part in last week's episode that you see right before a new episode starts of whatever show you are watching.

The stakes are higher than ever when it is discovered that there has been what seems like an organized Strigoi attack on one of the royal families. Strigoi working together has never been heard of since they were so quick to betray each other. Once it gets out about the attack, in order to keep students during the holidays, St. Vladmir's set up a mandatory ski trip for all students and allowed families to attend as well.

Of course this couldn't be a paranormal romance book without any romance. There are some tense moment between Rose and Dimitri early. Things get worse once they get to the ski resort. During the trip we discover Rose has to more love interests, even though Dimitri is the only she wants. Honestly Adrian started to grow on me.

By the end of the book Rose finally lived up to and followed through with everything she had to say in the first book. She also finally realizes being a guardian isn't as glamorous as she thought it was. As a result of everything that happens Rose becomes more serious about everything she feels she must do in order to protect her friends, especially Lissa.

This book was so exciting! I loved this book the first time around and was able to relive the experience all over again. 

Waiting on Wednesday | Soundless by Richelle Mead

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Breaking The Spine.

Soundless by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Expected Release Date: November 10th 2015

Pages: 272

Goodreads Description

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.


Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

Why I'm Waiting

I loved the Vampire Academy series and I heard good things about the Bloodlines series, so when I heard Richelle Mead was coming out with a new book I was really excited to check it out. Besides the draw of previously reading work from this author, the summary sounds really interesting. This a new concept that I've never heard being written before, and having new story plots are always interesting. This book is also bringing diversity to YA! Can't wait to pick this up!

What are some of your thoughts on this book?

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout | Review

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: May 8th 2012
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi
Pages: 335
Source: Purchased for Kindle
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Goodreads Description

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

My Thoughts

I already read this entire serious and I enjoyed it so much I was a bit on the fence about rereading and actually reviewing it. I figured it would be better to reread this then not have content up because I'm taking forever to read a new book. 

Going back into the beginning of the series, I forgot about how much I didn't like Daemon at first. He was extremely rude. Even when you could tell he was attracted to Katy, he acted like she had personally done something wrong to him and his family by moving in next door. There were moments when Daemon acted normally, which I was really grateful for. If those moments weren't there I might have had to stop reading the books. Once there was more backstory given on Daemon and Dee I understood why Daemon acted the way he did towards Katy but it was still excessive.

Daemon and Katy bantering were my favorite scenes. No matter what Daemon said Katy was right there with him. She wasn't some defenseless girl, hopelessly in love with this new guy who was nothing but rude to her. Although she was attracted to him, she didn't let that take over her she responded to him. Watching them go back and forth was often light, funny, and even steamy at times.

The actions scenes were another favorite. They were fast paced and exciting! As much as Daemon did to try to push Katy away from his family, he was always there to protect when needed. And as many times as he tried to give an excuse for the reason he saved her, it was obvious that it was because he didn't want anything to happen to her even if it wasn't his fault. The action scenes, as well as some of the scenes when Daemon opened up, helped to make the book more than Daemon being extremely moody and rude and Katy questioning what she ever did to him.

Overall I really liked the this book! Daemon's mood swings took away some of the enjoyment but I think this was still worth the read. This series gets so much better and I'm pretty sure we don't have to deal with too much more of the Daemon we were shown in this first book.

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. Each week there is a topic and we list off our top ten items based on that topic.

Books/Series to Read If You Liked the Twilight Series (And If You Didn't!)

I'm pretty sure by now everyone has heard of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer either by reading the books or watching the movies or both. A lot of people were on one extreme or the other when it came to this series but I was in the middle. It wasn't my favorite series but for the most part I still enjoyed it. As I check out more blogs, I realize that I haven't read that many books compared to some others, at least that I can remember, so I wanted to pick something that I remembered and that I was sure a lot of people were familiar with. If you liked the Twilight Series, and even if you didn't, here are some recommendations to other books or series you may enjoy. Just a precaution, I'm really bad at explaining what a book is about but I will try my best.

*Pictures link to book page on Goodreads

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I hear a lot of people talking about the Twilight series but I don't hear too much about this one. I read this right after I finished the Twilight series and I loved it. This is basically about aliens who come to take over the earth by inserting themselves inside human bodies. For those who did not like the Twilight series I would still recommend you check this out.

Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I have been hearing about this series a lot more lately but I only discovered it within the last year. This series was so fun and action packed I got through each book in about 2 to 3 days. I loved this series so much that I would like to reread it, even though it hasn't been that long since I finished it! 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - This is another popular vampire series and was one of my favorite series. I started this series when the first 2 or 3 books were out and the rest as they came out. This series took a different approach than the Twilight series. One group of vampires in this series is similar to Twilight series vampires while still having a more traditional form in the other group of vampires. The Moroi are the vampires that are alive and use dhampirs, like the narrator and our main heroine, for protection from the Strigoi, the undead vampires. This series kept me interested from the beginning to the end, and even when it ended I wanted more.

Blood of Eden by Julie Kagawa - This is a vampire series that I don't hear too many people talk about. Like the Vampire Academy series, there is a strong heroine. She claims to only be looking out for herself but she is always willing to help out others even if puts herself in danger. Her morals are even carried over when she becomes a vampire and has to fight her instincts. I haven't finished this series yet but I definitely recommend this, especially since I flew through the first two.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz - This was another series I grew up with but never actually finished. I think I actually have all the books now so I plan to reread and finish this series. This is another series about vampires but this one was different from all the others. One of the most interesting things is that the vampires were not made but came from the recycled bloodlines of fallen angles, the Blue Bloods. This series was full of certain family expectations and forbidden relationships. Honestly, I think I mostly stuck around for one of the main relationships. Although one of my favorite parts was the romance between certain characters the overall story that I read was entertaining.

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest - I wondered if I should even include this series in this list. I wouldn't say this is my favorite series, not even my favorite about vampires. However, this series was fast, entertaining, and kinda addictive. I would finish one and since they were so cheap for the kindle I would just go get the next one and immediately start reading it. For the price I think it would be worth it to at least check at the first book in the series and make your own opinions from there.

These are the books/series that stick in my mind that readers that enjoyed the Twilight series might enjoy. Let me know if you have any recommendations of your own!

Trespassers by Todd Wynn & Tim Wynn | Review

Trespassers by Todd Wynn & Tim Wynn
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: October 18, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 344
Source: Received Amazon credit from authors to purchase
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I would rate this more of a 2.5

Goodreads Description

When four alien visitors arrive on Earth and disappear into the cornfields of Indiana, it is Stewart Faulkner’s job to find them. Who they are, where they’re headed, and what’s important enough to make them jump from a moving spaceship are all questions that Stewart must uncover. And he will have to do it all while

1) training a new team member named Mindy—who is developing a crush on him;
2) flying under the radar of his boss to make sure he’s not removed from the case; and
3) staying one step ahead of a government agent named Karl Bruner, who is determined to expose the presence of aliens on Earth.

My Thoughts

Non-Spoiler

I'm trying to think of the best place to start with this review. I have so many thoughts going through my mind but when it comes to putting them down in actual words my mind goes blank. I guess the best place to start would be with the reason for the rating. The summary was interesting enough for me to add it to my pile of books I wanted to read, and when I was contacted by one of the authors offering a free digital copy since I had it on my Goodreads "to read" list I figured it was worth it to give it a try.

While I enjoyed the overall plot I felt the story fell short in multiple places. After taking several creative writing classes and having my own work critiques, I learned one of the biggest things a story needs to have is conflict. This story had it's major problems but there were no conflicts and that was a huge disappointment for me. Everything was just too easy!

I liked that the authors payed attention to details liked one of the characters having bow tie shaped pupils to signify he wasn't from earth, but I also felt like they were trying to pay so much attention to the little details that sometimes it was a bit much. There was a lot of back stories and descriptions of things that I didn't feel were important because they were never mentioned again after.

The ending was another problem for me. I understand that usually you would want the story to wrap up nicely, especially in a standalone. This was too neatly wrapped up for me. Almost every single character gets what they wanted at the start of the book. This brings me back to my point of everything happening too easy.

Summary

Overall the book was enjoyable even though it took me a while to get into it. I gave this book a 2.5 out of 5 because while it was enjoyable it feel a little flat for me. I gave it the extra .5 because it had an interesting concept and it had a different approach then different books about aliens that I had previously read, and I felt a little bad giving it only 2 stars.

Spoilers

There was a moment when the Limestone Deposit Survey Group (the government agency in charge of covering up alien activity on Earth) set up a plan to capture the aliens they are currently after. After what could have only been about 10 minutes book time, the aliens are just let go and that scene is over.

Another scene that could have turned into something more was when Jeremy decides to try out Sara's quorets. There were so many ways this scene could have went, so many things these little blocks of wood could have done. Instead all we see is a small moment between Jeremy and Sara and the moment when they were used on someone else.