Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Pages: 350pgs

The Story

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy - a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why, especially since I should have been the one who died . . .

The Review

Jennifer Estep writes books with such an unique voice and I've been a big fan of hers with her adult, urban fantasy Elemental Assassin series for quite some time now. With her new young adult series I was pretty intrigued by it and I've been meaning to pick this book up sooner than I did, but I finally got around to it and I really enjoyed it!

Gwen Frost is a new student at Mythos Academy and often feels like the odd one out because she is the only Gypsy attending the school. With other students being known for their bloodlines of Valkyries, Amazons, Vikings and all sorts of amazing ancient myths that you can possibly think of . . . Gwen believes her own abilities and strength can never really measure up to these students. For you see Gwen's power . . . she can read objects and tell which person they had belonged to originally - like a mini history lesson going through her mind - and she can even touch people and forsee what they're thinking or feeling, and what events had occured during their whole lives. While this ability can come in handy for dangerous situations however for Gwen it leaves her outside the social circle, and most of this is because no one wants her to know their deep and dark hidden secrets.

While the overall storyline was a little sidetracked for me and perhaps there were a lot of things happening all at once that confused me a wee bit, but I really loved Gwen Frost as a main character as she offered up a lot to the storyline which made it stronger and beyond hilarious at certain times in the book. She wasn't the best of heroines but she was the only character I really felt any connection to and in addition to that, she was someone with a badassery side to her which she had eventually grown into . . . so I'm very happy about that factor! But with that being said, while I loved the mythology parts weaved into the storyline and even how the book had that Percy Jackson feel to it, but the only thing I was really disappointed in was the romance.

For the romance section of the book, while it wasn't heavily focussed on - which for me doesn't happen very often in YA books since too much romance can sometimes take away your attention to the actual storyline and blah blah blah - but for this kind of book and the way it was heading towards, I was kind of hoping for a solid romance to be apart of this book and give me a team to start rooting for! But for me the romance fell flat and eventually it fell apart with these two main characters of ours, Gwen and the hot-but-the-also-dangerous Logan Quinn or what as I like to call him 'The Spartan Dude'. For my romantic love interests I want some 'sizzle' and some 'bang' between my characters, but for Gwen and Logan in particular, I just couldn't see the attraction lying between the characters, especially between Gwen and this Spartan Dude. Just couldn't see what drove them together in the first place. I mean, I love Gwen but Logan was the boy I wanted to love but ended up hating him for being so . . . well, being too bad at being Mr. Hottie Mysterious. Not my greatest quotation in reviews but that's how I felt.

On a whole I thought TOUCH OF FROST was a great start for a young adult series and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing what the author writes up next for her main characters, especially since the ending at the end of the book was a bit harsh but it was also probably necessary . . . at least for the time being! While I admit that I prefer Estep's adult series over her new YA series, but I would still highly recommend giving this book a go!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 472pgs

The Story

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father's grief. What they don't understand - although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in - is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

The Review

Azalea is the oldest of eleven sisters and she has everything she could possibly ask for - she lives in a magical castle, she has many male suitors, she gets to wear gorgeous gowns and she can dance to her heart's content at beautiful and extravagant balls. But with her mother suddenly dying from giving birth to her twelfth child, Azalea and her sisters are left in the hands of their cold, distant father whom barely acknowledges them. With the king, the sister's father, locking down the kingdom to grieve and mourn for their loss, the princesses barely have the chance to be happy and dance again. But once the king sets off to war, the sisters secretly enter another realm where they can dance the night away which then leads them to meet a young man named 'Keeper' and he is the one person who is about to change the world they know . . . forever.

I mostly picked up this book because it was based on the Brothers Grimm's The Twelve Dancing Princess fairytale which happens to be a dear favourite of mine as a child, but it's very rare to come by it - being retold - in a young adult book, so ENTWINED definitely had peaked my interest since its release. While fairytale adaptations in books can be a hit or miss for some readers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the author, Heather Dixon, tackled this fairytale and I thought she did a fantastic job of it, adding not only her own take on the tale but also offering up a dark-creepy-twist which was a highlight.

With magical visuals being awesome and fantastically displayed throughout the novel, but personally for me the best part of the storyline were the characters. Each one of the sisters had their own distinctive personalities and they offered up great entertainment in all of the actions they had done. But the shining star was of course our leading and strong-willed heroine, Azalea, whom was the bravest, the most compassionate and the most selfless of all the girls, and since she was the oldest it was her responsibility to take charge and be the motherly figure for her family which I loved her for. While I loved the romantic love interests set-up for Azalea's character and how sweet the romantic scenes were, but the reason why I'm not giving this book a higher star rating was due to the lack of romance presented in the book. Whether it was depth-wise or the lack of romantic scenes, I still hoped there would be more development for the romances but it was still so innocent and sweet. And the guy Azalea ends up falling for . . . I totally approve!

Overall, Heather Dixon's ENTWINED was a great book that contained plenty of action and twists to keep its readers engaged from the beginning to end. Like me, if you love a good old classic fairytale retelling in your young adult books, then I would highly recommend you giving this book a go because I'm sure you're going to love it just as much as I did!

The Rating

4/5 stars

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Puffin

Pages: 386pgs

The Story

Trapped on board the spaceship Godspeed, Amy trusts no-one.

The ship's ruler is dead and a rebellion threatens. Amy wants to help Elder as he tries to take charge, but she's torn between her feelings for him and the chaos that's pulling everything apart. As more harrowing discoveries are made about Godspeed, Amy is caught in a desperate race to unravel its secrets. Only one thing is certain.

They have to get off this ship.

The heart-stopping sequel to Across the Universe: a story of love, murder and madness - set in space.

The Review

After her extraordinary and successful debut novel, Across the Universe, I expected even more excellent things coming from Beth Revis's next sequel. Just like the first novel, I was fairly entertained by A MILLION SUNS and while it didn't exactly live up to my very, very high expectations as I expected from the new second installment, however it's fair to say that it was still a great follow up to yet another great sci-fi YA series!

I won't give away too many details of the storyline, especially for those who haven't read the first book, but this book picks up right after Across the Universe finished at, where Eldest is dead and now the young Elder must resume the duties of taking charge of the spaceship named Godspeed which is easier said than done. Elder, unlike his previous 'mentor', wants to lead his people in the right way and not like robots, however not everyone agrees with this sudden change of leadership and soon all of his actions will erupt into utter chaos. Now as for our main character, Amy, she on the other hand wants nothing more than to get off this ship and feel somewhat 'alive' and 'human' again. While she has strong feelings for Elder but not even her love for him seems to entice her to stay. But when she stumbles onto several clues left by Orion and together with the help of Elder, these two young teens will soon find the missing pieces to the puzzle that they have been searching for and quite possibly . . . they may even have a facedown with a revolt on the spaceship as well. The question is: Will they survive?

Despite some parts of the book being too rushed and a little confusing at times, but what kept me going was the characters. Once again Amy was a great heroine. She was still annoying as hell, and more so in this book than what we've previously seen of her from the first book (after all she's pretty selfish which can be understandable), but this time round I found her character offered more badassery and she had a wonderful mixture of bravery and intelligence to help guide her through the many hardships occuring within the novel which was great to see. And honestly . . . she's the only one whom seemed concerned with what's going on the actual ship, so once again her character shined. Elder however was someone I liked lesser and lesser in this book. Such a shame too. While I respected him trying to do the right thing by his people on board the spaceship and while I respected him in trying his best in caring for our leading lady Amy, but I thought he was incredibly naive and he always seemed to put himself in very difficult situations, which then led to him making even more poor decisions. It was very clear from the beginning that he had no idea what to do when the time came. But with that said, and aside from all of the teen angst being exchanged between Elder and Amy, I still thought they were great characters and offered a drive to the storyline.

Overall, despite a couple of problems I had with this sequel, I'm still really happy that I got the chance to read A MILLION SUNS. While it wasn't my favourite book so far of the series, but I'm very eager to start reading the third and final book of this trilogy, especially with how this book ended . . . it was quite unexpected to say the least!

The Rating 3 1/2 / 5 stars

Whisper by Alyson Noel

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 215pgs

The Story

Twelve-year-old Riley Bloom - ace Soul Catcher - faces her toughest challenge yet. She must travel to ancient Rome and convince dead gladiator Theocoles to accept his fate and move on. Then she meets the charming Messalina, who gives Riley a dramatic makeover, transforming her into a beautiful teenager. Finally Riley experiences her first kiss . . . In a world this enchanting, will she ever want to leave?

The Review

A big thanks to MacMillan for sending me a review copy of this book!

Ever since her death, twelve-year-old Riley Bloom has been a Soul Catcher and her next assignment will become her most challenging one of all. But how can an average twelve-year-old girl possibly face down the furious and strong Theocoles, a Roman gladiator who is also known as the Pillar of Doom? Well, many Soul Catchers before her time have tried to make Theocoles move on from his spiritual afterlife, but no one has ever actually succeeded and it's now up to Riley to seek help where necessary in order to bring this gladiator down once and for all. With more challenges, more dangers and even new love on the horizon, Riley will soon be caught up in a world where everything is possible, even when you're dead.

WHISPER, the fourth installment of Alyson Noel's Riley Bloom series, might not be my typical read since it's a middle-grade novel, but it's a very sweet novel regardless of that factor. The thing I love most about this little delightful series is Riley herself and as a character it's great to see her finally growing up and becoming the Soul Catcher she has always was meant to be. The same goes with the side characters too, including Bodhi, Riley's guardian and guide to the spiritual world, whom has also grown within this series but I kind of wished Bodhi played more of part in this book but I'll guess we'll see in the future.

Without revealing too much of the book since it's a quick read for me, I will say I was a bit wary of how Noel would tackle the whole gladiator aspect of the story. For once, I haven't read a single book about gladiators and secondly I didn't see how well everything would play out in this particular novel . . . but since I love Rome and since everything in this novel was solved in the end, like seen in the previous books, I'm still happy to have quickly read through this new chapter of the series and it was all so very cleverly written. So I applaud the author for writing such a great read even in the shortest amount of pages. It was very well done.

Overall, WHISPER was yet another great installment in the Riley Bloom series and while most of my readers may not like reading middle-grade novels, but I think if you're a fan of Alyson Noel's Immortals series then you'll like this series as well since our heroine Riley is Ever's younger sister and she's remains to be a fun character with a lot of feelings. So definitely give this one a shot if and when you can!

The Rating

3/5 stars

White Horse by Alex Adams

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

When I wake the world is gone. Only fragments remain. And then I remember . . .

Then: Her life may have taken a couple of wrong turns but thirty-year-old Zoe is trying to make the best of what she has. A part time cleaning job to pay for college, a weekly appointment with her therapist to straighten out the problems in her life. The same problems that any thirty-year-old girl would have. Nothing major. Nothing too life threatening. A few bad dreams. It's all going to be fine.

Now: There is no other thought but survival. And so begins a treacherous post-apocalyptic treak across a desolate world in search of life for her unborn baby. Through the remains of what was once civilization, Zoe crosses continents strewn with fellow survivors, knowing the only thing that can keep her sane is normal human decency. But acts of kindness are few and far between in a world where untold horrors exists around every corner, and where food and water is in desperately short supply, and the only chance of happiness is half a world away.

The Review

A big thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

With me already being a fan of YA dystopian and post-apocalyptic books, it was sure a nice change - at least this time round - to read something different and something of the adult genre. With adult books you can get away with a lot more than you can in a YA novel, and with that said, while I was impressed with this book and how Alex Adams sets up her very intense storyline, by offering bleak circumstances and horrifying aspects of this soon-to-be broken down world, but honestly it's really hard to talk about this book in one review. It really is . . . especially without spoilers but here goes nothing.

WHITE HORSE alternates between the 'Then' (the past) and the 'Now' (the present) which was certainly a clever tool to use on the author's part. Sure, it confused the hell out of me and all too often and might not even be everyone's cup of tea, however as we soon learn about the main character, Zoe, about her life, about what she's been through and also finally seeing the past events and the actions that caused humanity's demise in the now time, I soon got the clearer picture and understood what was going on. But this book was so . . . weird and strange. In a good way of course. It allowed 'us' readers to question everything that was happening to the characters and it just kept your mind guessing until the huge reveal comes around the corner. Again, like I said, I was confused for the most part but I loved that element.

As for the main character, Zoe, I thought she wasn't exactly perfect but she remained a terrific protagonist from start to finish. But what was different in this dystopian-like tale was that she wasn't someone inhuman with superpowers and constantly saving the day, she was just someone human. This made me believe in her character which was very important when it came to this type of book. As for some of the other supporting characters like Nick, a person Zoe ends up meeting along the journey, they were really entertaining, but some were better than others and given the genre that's okay . . . because this book is the first of a trilogy so it'll be interesting where Alex Adams takes this storyline.

Overall, WHITE HORSE was a great read especially for the first installment of a series and it reminded me a lot of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me YA novel, at least in the way it was figuratively written in prose which was both strange and raw, and at the same time it still manages to gain your full attention. If you love anything dystopian even if you're mostly a young adult reader of the genre such as myself, then I would still recommend giving this book a crack . . . even if this book might not necessarily be of your taste!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 380pgs

The Story

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she's meant to be with - and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she's about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever . . . and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it's not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different - and more astonishing - than she ever imagined.

The Review

TAKEN AT DUSK is the much anticipated third installment of C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series. Now I've been a big fan of this young adult series for a while now - like so many others out there loving these super-duper YA books - and while the last sequel didn't exactly live up to my expectations, but this next installment right here certainly doesn't disappoint readers on the entertaining side of things. However with that being said, I still found that this book wasn't the strongest one as of yet nor a favourite of mine but I'll deal with it.

Honestly there's still a lot to like in this book: the budding romances, the cutesy friendships, the family mysteries, the action sequences and of course that big-bang of a revelation that is revealed towards the end of the book concerning the main character (one I was a bit shocked by), but for some reason in the back of my mind, I thought this particular book had a somewhat different feel to it compared to the other two predecessors and I didn't particularly like this different feel. In other words . . . it lacked in certain elements to satisfy me.

One of these elements it lacked was firstly the storyline. While the flow of the story follows the exact same pacing as the previous two novels - both awesome and appealing to all those paranormal readers out there, although this time I found there was so much more happening in TAKEN AT DUSK and at times it was rather hard to keep up with all of these events that was going on. I mean, there was a lot to take on board. Also on a side note, some of these 'events' were too rushed in my opinion and I didn't necessarily see the reason behind why there were written there in that way if you get my meaning. Secondly, the element of characters was something the story lacked also and I had trouble with them which is rather disappointing considering I love these characters so, so much and they are very dear to my heart. So for the supporting characters in particular, I'm happy to say I have no real trouble with them whatsoever because they offer so much comedy to the story and I love them to bits, but sadly it was just the main characters, Kylie, Derek and Lucas, that really hit me hard with a lot of woo-hah full of drama. Too much drama in fact.

I will admit that Kylie as a main character has grown up a lot from books one and up until now. But just when I thought she was going to mature like she had done in the previous sequel . . . she goes straight back to her worst qualities, which including one with how she deals with boys. For sure, her boys, Lucas and Derek, have so much going for them - what with their pretty little faces, their charming little egos and their protective little natures - but Kylie should've chosen between these two boys by now because it's so unfair to them! You know, tossing the coin between them and giving them even more reasons to fight over her . . . it's like Twilight all over again I'm sad to say. But don't worry readers, have some faith because I still love Kylie as a heroine and she's no Bella, but the boy issues must be dealt with as soon as possible because I'm frustrated here. Clearly.

This now leads me to the one and only Lucas and dude I was totally on your team man but now I'm forever on Team Derek unless you convince me otherwise in the next book. For Lucas fans out there, he just peeved me off in this book (I know it's totally crazy because I loved him) and while I understand his aggressiveness and possessiveness already comes from his werewolf nature, but dude . . . let Kylie do what she wants to do (even if it means her having the hots for the lovely Derek) and let her have some space for once (even if it means her having hottie times with the lovely Derek) because a girl who has no idea who she is needs that space more than you will ever know. I mean, there's only so much hot-headed-ness that I can handle. But with Derek . . . now you are truly the only highlight for me in this book! The only redemption. You're so damn calm all the time which freaks me out and I love you for keeping your cool non-stop throughout this book. While Kylie may mistreat our Derek in this book - at least that's what I thought when I was reading scenes exchanged between them - mostly because he 'apparently' hit it off with some other girl, but that's probably the main reason why I didn't like Kylie all so much in this installment because she still acts like her and Derek are still together even though they're not. But moving on, Derek . . . I seriously love you with all my heart man and I can't wait to see what you bring out up onto the table! And Lucas . . . down boy! DOWN!

Overall, TAKEN AT DUSK may not have been the clear standout of the series so far but it will most definitely not be the last book I'll read of C.C. Hunter's because she can write a great young adult book with just the right amount of paranormal and romantic elements. If you're a fan of this series already, then you'll love this book no matter what, and even if you're one of those readers who has yet picked up this book series, then I highly recommend that you start this one very, very soon! They're great reads with lot's of hot boys around the corner! Yes Derek, I'm talking to you!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Release Date: 3rd July, 2012

Publisher: Tor/Macmillan

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school - or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school . . . and be bound to Birch Grove forever?

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

Marta Acosta's debut novel, DARK COMPANION, is a young adult novel about Jane Williams, a girl whom has just been given a full scholarship at Birch Grove Academy - an elite girl's school that can help her finally get away from the violent slums that she used to live in. But once Jane reaches the school grounds - and while she's making all sorts of friends and falling for boys whom happens to be the sons of the school's Headmistress - she soon realizes that not everything is what it seems at Birch Grove Academy and that the reasoning for why she's really there will soon be unveiled at the most unexpected times.

While I enjoyed the author's writing and how her novel plays out like a classic Gothic novel, however I struggled a lot with this book. Even with a rough beginning, the main problem I had with this book had more to do with the characters than anything else. Like for any reader, the characters are the most important element in a book and are the reasons to why we continue to read a particular storyline and everything in it. Personally for me, the characters in DARK COMPANION were a little bland for my taste and I felt no real connection to any of the characters whatsoever. Even as I read further into this novel, while I did start to become entertained by the plot and its characters, but it was only an "okay read" for me and it remained so when I finished the book. With that said, the only element I found intriguing was the mystery side to Acosta's book and trying to figure out what exactly is going on at Birch Grove Academy, and how Jane came to play a part in this mystery. But with a storyline dragging all too often it just became harder and harder to connect with this book.

Overall, DARK COMPANION will please many readers of the Gothic kind and anyone who loves a young adult story with some cute romance, some dark mysteries, and some pretty twisted magic and plot-turns that you may or may not see coming. While the book didn't necessarily please me like I wanted it to, but don't be discouraged by my review because you should give it a go regardless of what I think of the book! Who knows . . . you might be surprised by it and you may even like it!

The Rating

2/5 stars

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 262pgs

The Story

Welcome to the Apocalypse

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups - Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear - to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stpo her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling her the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using knives with feral grace.

The Review

Many readers I know have been raving non-stop about this book for quite some time now and I never really gave it a second thought until now. Once I started this book, reading chapter upon chapter, I was literally captivated by this storyline and it's no wonder why so many readers had such high praises for this author and her new post-apocalyptic world because it was bloody fantastic!

Deuce is a young huntress in an underground Enclave, where she chooses to live and fight for her freedom in a place where the plague has destroyed most of civilisation and where the world has changed for the . . . worse. Spending her entire life labelled as a 'brat' and not being able to read nor write, she has had no choice but to hunt and protect her people from the beings whom are called 'freaks' - flesh-eating zombie-like monsters - whom exist and prey upon people within the Tunnels. They might be your ordinary zombies but they are far from dumb. They have intelligence on their side and are far more evolved compared to your typical slow-walking zombies, which is why Deuce must hunt them down before they get to her first. But when she is paired up with a handsome young boy named Fade, not only will Deuce be left questioning her job as a huntress but she will also be questioning her entire world and what the future may holds for her alone.

With other readers comparing the main heroine to Katniss from The Hunger Games books, I can easily see the comparsion between the two of them, Deuce and Katniss. Deuce was such a badass young girl and she was exactly what I needed in a dystopian novel like this one. Never once did she falter in her actions nor in her strength, mostly because she's the kind of gal who knew what she wanted and just completely went for it no matter the cost! As a product of her own terrifying society, Deuce may not be the most intelligent character within the book but she merely surives on her gut instinct and survival skills . . . which made me love her even more for her and her authenticity in her character. Then of course, there's Deuce's hunting partner, Fade, whom was equally as brilliant as the main heroine was. Like Deuce, Fade was a boy that was very distant from others in his society but when you finally came around to actually getting to know him, you just couldn't help but love and care for him! While the aspect of romance wasn't heavily focused on and neither did it take over the book, but for Deuce and Fade I'm assuming there might be a romance on the horizon for the two of them, so for the sequel I really, really hope there is some more development with this certain 'romance' because I love these two and how they interact with each other.

Overall, ENCLAVE is one of the best dystopian books out there in young adult fiction at the moment and I highly applaud the author on how beautifully written this book was! Honestly . . . there's so much love for this book folks! With lot's of well-written and fast-paced action sequences, brilliant and vivid world-building, and entertaining and highly intense dialogue being offered up to its readers, you will literally need someone to pry this book out of your hands because you're going to be hooked on ENCLAVE, and be left wanting more and MORE of it!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Metro Winds by Isobelle Carmody

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 400pgs

The Story

An engrossing collection of stories from one of Australia's most loved fantasy writers, and creator of the acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles.

A girl is sent across the world to discover her destiny in the dark tunnels of the Metro. Another seeks a lost sister in a park where winter lasts forever. A young man fulfils a dying wish. A mother works magic to summon a true princess for her son. A man seeks an ending to his story. An old man goes in search of his shadow.

This is a world of desire and transformation, the real and the not real, from the queen of modern fantasy.

The Review

A big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a review copy of this book!

I've always been a big fan of Isobelle Carmody and when I received this book in the mail I was really eager to start reading it. Not only are Isobelle Carmody's short collection of stories flawlessly written and engrossing to say the very least, but there's just so much to love about her in her own storytelling - whether it's her longer stories or her shorter ones! She's such a great author and it was a pleasure to read her new book!

Without revealing a terrible lot about the short stories, I can definitely say that each one of their own is just as perfect and captivating as the next one you read, and I don't know how the author manages to write fantastic short stories! With stories about a girl who is sent across the world to discover her destiny in the dark tunnels of the Metro, with another seeking a lost sister in a park where winter lasts forever, with a young man fulfilling a dying wish, with a mother working with magic to summon a true princess for her son, with a man seeking an ending to his own story, and with an old man in search of his own shadow . . . there's so many great stories in this book alone and I'm sure many of you who are reading this review right now are already intrigued by these tales and trust me you won't be disppointed!

Overall, METRO WINDS is a fantastic book to add to your collection and will definitely be appealing to Isobelle Carmody fans out there or even her new readers! If you haven't read anything by this particular author, then I highly recommend you start reading something of hers very soon! She's a true gem in Austrailan literature! A true gem!

The Rating 4/5 stars

Revived by Cat Patrick

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont

Pages: 327pgs

The Story

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger - and more sinster - than she ever imagined.

The Review

A big thanks to Jennifer from Hardie Grant for sending me a review copy of this book!

Unlike most teenager girls, Daisy Appleby is used to dying. Literally. Five times - as far as she can recall - she has died by accident and each one of those dying moments she has been brought back to life by a secret government drug called Revive, and with this drug alone she must start her life off fresh which means new school, new town, and most importantly, a whole new identity for herself and for her guardians aka her so-called 'parents'. But when it comes down it . . . nothing can ever really be called her own and Daisy is tired of it. As she meets new friends and a hot guy where first love could be waiting on the horizon, Daisy is left questioning what exactly she has gotten herself into and what could her government agency be possibly hiding from her and from everyone else who have also entered the program.

I was first introduced to Cat Patrick's writing with her debut novel, Forgotten, and it was by far one of the most unique YA books I've ever come across, and it had also became one of my personal favourites from last year. But with so much love and praise for her first novel, I admit I was a little worried when it came to REVIVED as I feared it wouldn't live up to my very high expectations. While this book didn't necessarily amaze me in the way Forgotten had in the past, but in all fairness it still entertained me on a great level and the book offered something a little different compared to most YA novels out there, with a modern world with a slight dystopian twist to add into the equation. It was very cool indeed.

REVIVED's main heroine, Daisy, was a character I'd liked immediately from my first encounter with her. For someone who'd died at least five times in her short lifespan, she's been taking it pretty easily for a teenage girl (it was like her saying 'I'm dead now so get over it world') and the same goes with her feel-good attitude towards moving from town-to-town, which I guess made me like her even more because she didn't fear death and understood exactly what was expected of her when her time was up. Well, for almost a second or two before being brought back to life. But the thing about Daisy was that she acted like your typical girl-next-door and I love those types of girls because I could see myself being friends with those characters, and despite all the crazy situations that Daisy seemed to constantly find herself in, she still came to grips with her new life, embraced what she had, and eventually grew up a little which was another bonus to her character arc.

While I love the storyline and all, but the only real complaint I have with the book is the character Matt, the love interest in the story. Don't get me wrong here, I love Matt's caring nature and his compassionate side when it comes to our leading lady, Daisy, but I thought the romance and the overall relationship between him and Daisy was a little rushed for my taste. I just couldn't really warm up to Matt . . . I'm sorry to say. I liked him when I first met him and he was off to a good start because he acted like your boy-next-door or your boy-bff, but when he found out more about Daisy's life and the whole Revive ordeal, I thought he believed in things way too easily and if I were him I would really be questioning things. Like really questioning this Daisy situation instead of saying, 'Okay you died a few times . . . that's cool. Tell me more about it because I believe you for sure'. Regardless of that part, Matt was still a nice guy but much like with this book, nothing can beat my love for the characters nor the storyline of Patrick's debut novel, Forgotten, which I had more of an emotional connection towards compared to this book right here.

All in all, I found REVIVED was an interesting YA read and if you loved Patrick's first novel, then I'm pretty sure you'll love this as well! It might not be my favourite book as of yet - considering that rushed ending and I seriously hope there's a sequel somewhere in the future because I'm not completely satisfied here - but I'm still very much looking forward to more of Cat Patrick's writing because she's a blast to read!

The Rating 3 1/2 / 5 stars

Dark Storm by Sarah Singleton

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 352pgs

The Story

Ellie is staying with her maternal grandparents for the summer, while her recently bereaved dad takes off on holiday with his new girlfriend. Upset by his apparent callousness, missing her mother, and jealous for her dad's attention, she begins to spiral into depression.

Her grandparents suggest she joins a local theatre group, to meet people her own age and get away from the dark thoughts that threaten to engulf her. But then she gets roped into a seance at the theatre, and is the only one who actually sees a real ghost.

Now a spirit is contacting her from beyond the grave - and as the dead boy's story unfolds, Ellie finds herself falling in love with him. But if she solves his mystery and helps release his soul, will he be lost to her forever?

The Review

This is the first book I've read of Sarah Singleton's and on a whole I thought her next book DARK STORM was a very enjoyable read for me. With a love of ghost stories, this book was already appealing to me before even opening the book and with a setting of a small sea side town in England, there's this somewhat fantastic dark and eerie vibe about this book that I loved so, so much, and I couldn't wait to fly through the pages. But with that said, there was still a few problems I'd encountered.

Initially the beginning of the book was the hardest part to get through. It was slowly-paced - which isn't necessarily a bad thing - and there was the main character who was straightaway moping around for all good reason mind you (but I still don't like too much moping for a character). But despite those small things and while the storyline eventually picks up the pace and you would soon learn about the mysteries the main character is trying to discover about, there was still another problem I couldn't seem to forget nor ignore in the back of my head . . . that being the characters. The characters were easily likeable, especially when it came to the characters Ellie and Alex, but the major character I didn't like whom I thought I would like was Henry. Okay, so I understand Henry is your ghost in this particular story and he was definitely intriguing like all ghosts are of the past, but I just couldn't understand the connection lying between the main character, Ellie, and Henry. Their relationship seemed unhealthy and was uncalled for through my eyes, and right from the beginning of their first meeting I'd already knew their relationship wasn't going to work out in the end . . . so that was the only real downer for me. But as for Ellie and Alex . . . they were likeable enough to make me continue on with this book because it does it better.

There isn't a fair lot I can say about this book without giveaway spoilers, except that overall this book was an entertaining read and a delightful little ghost story that will certainly appeal to a lot of readers longing for a quick book. DARK STORM as far as I know is a standalone novel and towards the end of it it quickly delivers an ending that ties up all loose ends, and I would definitely recommend giving it a go when you get the chance to because it's something great to read for a one sitting read!

The Rating

3/5 stars

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

Earth, Fire, Air, Water - they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys - all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water - just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.
And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The Review

A big thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a review copy of this book!

STORM, the first installment of the Elementals series, is one of those books that sucks you in instantly and will become a classic hit with fans internationally! Review after review many bloggers I have a lot faith in are telling me what's hot and what's not in books, and they had highly recommended this book to me. While I was still sitting on the fence whether to read this title or not, but then as soon as I received my review copy from the publisher . . . I dived straight into the action, the suspense, the romance, the danger, the world - and yes the hot boys too - and like so many other people whom continued to rave about this book non-stop, I was completely sold with this series as I read the final pages and Brigid Kemmerer has truly created a real shining gem with her debut YA series!

Becca, the main character, was such a blast to read about. I'll be honest with you and say I mightn't have liked her during certain points in the book and all those rushed decisions that she sometimes made (you know those moments where you find yourself yelling at a character saying, "Don't do it, girl! Just don't! Oh - you did it! You didn't listen to me, did you?), but throughout the book Becca continuously proved herself worthy as a female heroine and presented to her readers that fierce and courageous young woman that she is, but she also gave us a completely different side to her . . . this rare vulnerability which made her even more human to me and eventually, in the end, she had won me over for a main character. But as much as I love Becca, but the spotlight is totally owned by the Merrick brothers and they were my favourite part of the book. Obviously.

The Merrick brothers and the relationships shared between each and every brother was so believable. Their individual personalities meshed so well together and it brought this already close-knit family only much more closer together to truly hit home, showing what it truly means with the value of family and the lengths you would go to. While the brothers Chris, Gabriel, Nick and Michael constantly fight - like almost too violently for their own good - but as soon as trouble comes up on the horizon, each brother is always there for one another and always wanting to use their fists and elemental magics on the attackers crossing their brothers territory. It was rather sweet on thier part! Now as for their scenes together, I know writing group scenes can comes as a big challenge for any writer and for Kemmerer to tackle four insanely hot brothers I would have to say she's pretty darn talented and I don't know how she does it but she's goooooooooddddddd at it. And then there's another note-worthy character named Hunter, the mysterious new boy on the scene. Now I adored his character from the beginning because he was so complexed and yet so yummy at the same time that it definitely challenged me to be either Team Hunter or Team Chris . . . but either way you look at it both boys were so worthy of our young hearts!

The only real problem I had with STORM - one that possibly affected my overall review rating - was a certain issue raised in the book. That being the issue of rape. While readers have an idea placed into their minds regarding Becca's situation and a certain 'something' that supposedly happened to her in the past that involved a group of boys (which then led to a nasty rumor and so forth), but for a slight spoiler here there is a touchy almost gang-rape scene towards the last half of the book. Now that scene didn't bother as such since I've read plenty of books dealing with similar situtions, but considering this is a young adult book I was still taken back by this certain scene, and it was quite uncomfortable as well. I might think it was unncessary for this particular scene to be included because I kind of got the point of what was happening and I didn't think it needed any more details, but since it's in there, I would highly recommend this book for older readers. It's not to say it's bad or anything because the issue of rape is real and happening in today's society, but it's still something I wanted to make note of and let you to be aware of for those younger readers out there.

Overall, this book has taken me by surprise on several occasions which doesn't often happen with YA paranormal stories. Both refreshing, new, fast-paced, twist-turning, action-packed and containing a variety of many loveable things readers want and need from a YA storyline, STORM will most definitely not disappoint you. While STORM didn't leave me hanging with a cliffhanger (I guess since the next book is going to be told from different perspectives), but I'm still very eager to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Spark, which, thankfully, comes out in September so be on the look out for that!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered The Magic Warble giveaway.

The 3 winners are . . .

April

Alyssa

Selina

Congrats to all of the winners.

Your copy of the ebook will be sent to you shortly!

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Dial Books

Pages: 435pgs

The Story

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance.

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

The Review

Ever since I read Michelle Zink's bestselling YA series, Prophecy of the Sisters, I was super keen to read more books written by her since her last series had recently ended last year and Ii wanted to see where else she could possibly takes us because Zink is such a fabulous writer in her own right as offers well-thought out storylines that could - and will - go in all sorts of directions. But along with that, she always writes about lovely romances, thought-provoking tales, and the best element that she writes above everything else . . . she can write mysteries where you will find yourself not knowing who to trust and forever questioning where your true loyalties lie, and thankfully for her new YA series, I really enjoyed this book as well.

A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS is a book that will please many readers of Cassandra Clare and despite that awesome factor, this book can also stand on its own and separate itself from the rest of the paranormal romances that are out there today, partly due to the setting of a Victorian London which will always, always be a favourite setting of mine. Now from the very first page I was hooked immediately by this storyline and it opens with the main character, Helen, whom was awoken by her mother and forced into a secret passageway in the middle of the night, with little knowing about what was really, really going on. But when her parents are murdered by merciless strangers and when they begin to look for her, Helen disappears in the streets and follows the directions her mother had given her on a piece of paper, which then leads her to the household owned by two brothers, Griffin and Darius, who are the key to open up her newfound destiny and whom can possibly help stop an enraging war from occuring and destroying the world that they hold dear.

While the storyline was a little bit like Gone with the Wind, but for me the strongest element of the book was its characters and it was quite possibly the main reason why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Both wonderfully fleshed out and distinctive with each and every character presented in the book, it's no wonder why Zink has become a favourite author of mine because her characters are so innocent and so very interesting too! The highlight for me was the main character, Helen Cartwright, because she was a wonderful character. Zink portrayed her brave, scared and grieving side all too well, and while other readers may not have been a fan of her, but as the chapters flew by she'd eventually became a heroine I admired as she stayed true to herself and built up on her own strength that was there all along which I loved.

The same happened with the Channing brothers, Griffin and Darius, whom were such a delight to read about. Darius was the rude and sarcastic brother (gotta love him for his dark wit), whereas Griffin was the total sweetheart and the bright, shining star that also had a dark side to him (he was pretty cool too). I mean, talk about hot boys! There was another boy too, one you will soon come to meet during the book, whom I loved also. However with that said, I still firmly believe there was an unnecessary love triangle in this book. And personally . . . that was its only true downfall. But if this is the case - if there's in fact a love triangle coming up in this series - then I'll prepare myself for this love triangle and see how it plays out. I mean who knows, it might turn out to be perfect since I love all of the boys involved!

The bottom line is A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS maybe predictable at times, but it was still a great introduction to another YA series. With a heart-wrenching story about angels, demons, secrets, love and friendship, and most of all, a classic tale about good and evil, you will most definitely be guaranteed one of the most refreshing and captivating series I've read this year, and I know many of my readers will enjoy this one too! If you love books by Cassandra Clare or anything else with a new-ish twist to the angel and demon worlds (since it's not exactly all about angels), then this book is a must read for all and one you will need to add onto your list as soon as possible!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 416pgs

The Story

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him . . . for the life of a girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR is the second installment of the young adult series Steampunk Chronicles that features the fiesty heroine Finley and her gang of misfit friends. Unlike what happened in the previous book, The Girl in the Steel Corset, this time round the characters find themselves travelling across over to New York to rescue their beloved friend, Jasper, whom was hauled away on murder charges the last time we'd seen him.

Just like in the first novel of this steampunk YA series, the main character Finley remains to be that "I'll-do-what-I-want" and that same old kickass girl we know her to be. In fact, many readers will be really impressed by the maturity Finley has developed from books one and two, and even though for the majority of this book she's struggling against her two personalities as seen in the previous novel, but in the end of this sequel, she's still that girl we love and adore. Only she relies more on her brain cells rather than her fists. And for those hearting over Finley and Griffin, readers will be grateful to see there's also less awkward scenes going on between these two characters and there's far more chemistry sizzling between them which was great to read about!

With that said, while I thought this sequel was a pleasantly enjoyable one and entertaining in its own right just as I expected from Kady Cross's writing, however I still firmly believe the first book was slightly better than this one especially since it had more steampunk elements which I loved, and which this sequel did not have as much. Also, there was another aspect I was disappointed by such as things like the new character Mei and her relationship with Jasper, which wasn't really my cup of tea and I couldn't really warm up to either of those two characters, the ending where there was lack of a I-want-more-of-this-series kind of ending, and also I thought many of the events featured in this novel were a bit too predictable for my taste. And as for those fans of Jack Dandy such as myself, unfortunately for us there is no appearance from him whatsoever in this new sequel which was really, really disappointing for me because I completely and wholeheartedly adored his character from the first book. But regardless of those few downers, I still enjoyed this book and everything it offered up onto the plate.

Overall, Kady Cross's sequel THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR was an easy-to-read and flowing novel. With the main heroine, Finley, still remaining on top compared to the other supporting characters and still continuing to be that kickass chick we love her for, I think many readers of this series will find the sequel another great installment and will certainly help gear you up for the third and final book in the series!

The Rating 3 1/2 / 5 stars