Briar Rose by Jana Oliver

Release Date: 12th September, 2013

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 480pgs

The Story

A dark and sexy reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the author of THE DEMON TRAPPERS.

For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can't do it alone. She never believed in handsome princes, but now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up.

The Review

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

I didn't necessarily hate this book but I did have a hard time reading it. So while I've always been a huge fan of Jana Oliver's work, especially with her Demon Trappers series which was totally awesome by the way and I couldn't recommend it enough to you all, but unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of her new title here but it happens to the best of us.

BRIAR ROSE, on a whole, has everything going for it as it is a retelling of a fairy-tale (that being Sleeping Beauty obviously) and I like the direction the author was initially going for because it was interesting and a slightly different take to the tale. But in regards to the storyline, while I liked it to a certain degree and thought it was still very well-written, but what fell flat for me (unfortunately) was the characters themselves. The characters, in my mind, were okay for a little while, but as I kept on reading and learning more about them during the book, in the end I just felt like they could have been something more, you know? I particularly felt this way when it comes to our main character, Briar, who just didn't really step up her game for me and eventually I became less and less drawn to her as a character, so for her I just wasn't a huge fan of hers. But as for the others, again they were okay but I wanted something more of them than I was given. Still, it was a decent read.

Overall, I thought BRIAR ROSE had potential only it was quite a struggle to read for me. But if you're into fairy-tale retellings like I am or are looking for something that is a little different than most retellings, then I would highly recommend this book, especially if you like one of those two things, even though it wasn't particularly a favourite book of mine.

The Rating

2/5 stars

Foretold by Jana Oliver

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 416pgs

The Story

Stand by as Riley prepares to kick some serious demon butt for the last time in this thrilling, dramatic and sexy conclusion to The Demon Trappers series.

Riley's always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she's not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. now that he's finally admitted to himself that he's in love with her too, there's no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what's to come . . .

The Review

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

The fourth and final installment of the Demon Trappers series, FORETOLD, has made me both giddy, anxious, excited, and happy, but it has also made me very sad too. Like with any of your favourite book series - young adult or not - it is quite sad to say goodbye to so many books that have entertained you in the past few years and where you must salute your favourite characters who have kindly shared a little bit of something from their fictional lives and passed their tales onto you. It's something truly special for readers. In this case, I thought Jana Oliver did a splendid job in ending this series and while some events in the book were unexpected at first and while it may have been a really bumpy road for our heroes and heroines in this series, but it was needless to say an absolute pleasure in reading this series and I'm pretty glad the way everything was concluded . . . you know in the way it should have been.

FORETOLD brings out everything we know about our characters and the story itself out into the open, and nothing - absolutely nothing - can be hidden anymore from the readers which will be a treat for you and me both. It certainly was for me! Now unlike the previous three books in the series, this last installment primarily focuses on the relationship shared between Riley, our main character, and her awesome love interest, Beck, where Riley herself must dive into her lover's past even when she has a crisis of her own: Demons. And you know what demons can create for Demon Trappers like Riley . . . trouble, trouble and more trouble!

Our main heroine, Riley, has always been a favourite character of mine despite her great number of flaws from the past, ones that made her even more human to me. Riley, a strong and semi-confident young woman, has gone through to Hell and back to seek revenge for her father's death, and while she may have made a mistake with a certain boy from the previous book (if you've read this series you will know what I'm talking about here), but there's one thing she cares about the most throughout the course of this series and that is the Southern Backwoods Boy himself . . . Beck. Ever since her father passed away, there has been no one else more important in her life than Beck, someone she has now come to love more than an older brother, and even though they still have a lot of things to sort out, but considering this is the last book in the series I can definitely assure you that everything will be sorted out in the right way!

As for Beck, he too was a favourite character mine and it's about time he stole the spotlight away from the seriously kick-ass Riley, and the spotlight was something he definitely got in this final book. Despite his shady past and some things he says without really thinking about, I consider Beck as an all-round good guy, especially when it comes to his protective nature of those closest to him and it was an absolute delight to uncover those hidden layers underneath Beck's personality - the most tender and sensitive sides that we don't get to see all too often - and after we finally get his backstory, one that will make you question him entirely, man . . . this guy has a lot of heart. Gah! All my emotions, people! Now apart from Riley, Beck has probably grown the most throughout this series and while he may be a very complicated character, but he still had a lot to learn and by the time you finish this book you will finally get to understand Beck (all of him), and have plenty of time to swoon over him as well. I certainly swooned many, many times where I almost lost count. Gosh, I just love him AND Riley to bits! Together or not, they are both just so darn cute!

Overall, Jana Oliver has written such a bittersweet ending for the Demon Trappers series and FORETOLD is by far my favourite of all four installments. Left with happy smile on my face (one that may look too psycho for you to understand until you actually read this marvelous book), I can say as a fan of this series that you will not be disappointed and I would highly recommend this series for those who have yet to pick this series up! Oh Beck and Riley . . . gosh I love you two!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Forgiven: The Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Release Date: 1st March, 2012

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Pages: 416pgs

The Story

Riley Blackthorne. Kicking hell's ass one demon at a time . . .

Riley has made a bargain with Heaven, and now they've come to collect.

Lucifer's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let along save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help . . .

The Review

A big thanks to Lauren from Macmillan for sending me a review copy of this book!

Damn it THANK YOU Jana Oliver for delivering such a great and explosive third installment of The Demon Trappers series and honestly where has this book been all my life? Now I didn't mind the first book - it was entertaining and I enjoyed it. Then I didn't the mind the second book either - it certainly had gotten my attention and kept getting better and better. But then this book came around the bend, surprised me, and soon after I devoured every single word of it . . . I FREAKIN' LOVED IT and it's honestly the best book in the series so far! So again, THANK YOU to the author, Jana Oliver, for allowing me to fall back in love with this series and with Beck of course, even though he was frustrating than ever before.

In this third book, FORGIVEN mainly focuses on the severe consequences of Riley's actions as seen in the previous installment Forbidden and that my dears was 'getting involved' with a Fallen Angel, which is seen to be - yet again - forbidden to all demon trappers in this dystopian society. Riley, of course, just had to be one of those people to break one of those thousand rules in the guidebook, didn't she? Poor Riley - you truly felt for this girl. Now with the hunters already presuming she is working for Hell, if they ever found out about what really happened between Riley and Ori (the fallen angel in question), she would be off the demon trappers goody list . . . that's for sure. But just as things were getting hectic, there's Beck who is furious with Riley, there's the Devil himself who has not-so-surprisingly raised Riley's father from the dead for God knows for what purpose and wants a favour or two from her, and then there's a mystery all on its own - figuring out who's creating a breed of non-killing armies of zombie-like demons who are putting all chaos to good use. And if Riley can't get her act together, all hell is going to break loose not to mention the world is going to end. Literally.

As a main character I felt Riley has truly grown in this book. Not only has she matured and become a better person and fighter, but she's also finally learning from her mistakes and doing her best to put things right. Finally. For those who've read the second book, you would already be aware of what Ori did to her (how dare he by the way that ass) and how she almost lost her soul because of it. But just when I thought Riley would be forever miserable and complaining all through the book . . . she actually did the opposite. Never once did she allow that small problem of hers to get to her - not in any way, shape or form - and instead she surprised me by deciding to move on with her life as much as possible and embrace all the goodness she could possibly gain. Unlike the girl we knew from books one and two, you know the one where Riley's feelings were all over the place and her actions forever had their consequences that I rarely approved of, however after reading this book, my whole opinion on Riley has changed and for once I can admit Jana Oliver has made me feel really proud of Riley here and I can't wait to see what she brings next onto the table with her main heroine.

Beck, like the usual Beck we know and love in the previous books, will always be a true highlight for me. I may not have loved Riley's character in the first book but I've always loved Beck's. From the start of the series til the very end of this third book. Even though Beck spends the first half of the book being angry at Riley (jealous over the whole Riley and Ori ordeal), but I forgive him. He had his reasons after all - oh and his feelings should have some consideration too, even those he was blinded by those feelings of his that we all know he had for Riley. Anyway Beck truly shined throughout this book and I actually believe that he and Riley would make a great couple. Really they would. Underneath that tough exterior of his, Beck really cares for Riley and while his relationship with her was most like a brother-and-sister type of relationship, but clearly this relationship is developing into something much more . . . so I'm grateful for that. And I guess one of the things I loved most about this book, especially with Beck, was getting a chance to see into Beck's past and now I'm really intrigued. That shocker ending . . . man Beck you really know how to frustrate a girl, don't you?

Without going into too much detail since there's a lot to spoil about this book (it's tempting to blabb I know but I won't), I have to say Jana Oliver has done an absolute amazing job with this book and has surprised me at every twist and turn she'd thrown at me. With a fantastic blend of urban fantasy, action and romance, and delivering tough, kickass characters that you will grow to love even more than you first expect to, I can see why so many readers are excited to read this book and I can definitely guarantee those awaiting readers that this book has everything you could possibly want in regards to storyline and action sequences that Oliver is famous for writing! Overall, FORGIVEN was my favourite book in the series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Oliver comes up with next! Hopefully more Beck scenes . . . please more Beck!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Forbidden: The Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Release Date: 5th August, 2011

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Pages: 416pgs

The Story

Hell has a plan for Riley Blackthorne . . .

Riley's beginning to think being a demon trapper isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her dad's been stolen by a necromancer, her boyfriend's gone all weird and she's getting warm and fuzzing feelings for someone who's got more secrets than the CIA. It's tempting to give it all up and try to be normal, but that's not an option with Hell watching her every move.

One mistake will cost her everything - and that's the one she's about to make . . .

The Review

A big thanks to Lauren from Macmillan for sending me a review copy of this book!

Riley Blackthorne is back in the much anticipated second book in the Demon Trappers series. For those haven't read my book review on the first installment of the series, Forsaken, then you can read it here. When I got a copy of this sequel I was very surprsied to find this on my doorstep as I didn't expect it. The best book parcels mind you. Now, I admit, I wasn't a really big fan of the first book in the Demon Trappers series, one because it lacked a good romance and two because there wasn't enough things there to keep me invested in this demon world of Oliver's. However, some people like myself maybe surprised that this sequel was a lot better than it's first book.

In FORBIDDEN there's a lot going on in Riley's life. With her dad's body stolen by God-knows-who Necromancer and her boyfriend still recovering in hospital after an attack that readers experienced in the first book, things start to get messy. Throughout the book not many questions are answered, more like new questions begin to form. Who stole Riley's dad's body? Why is her suppose 'boyfriend' acting so weird even after she technically saved his life? Why is Riley having feelings for someone she thought she didn't like in that way? And why is the mysterious Ori so protective over her? But of course there still lies this question - what does Hell want to do with Riley? Without revealing too much of the plot, all I can say is I'm far more impressed with this book. I think the main reason why I liked this one more than its predecessor is because there's a nice consistent flow to the story and not a complicated one. I found in the first book it was more focussed on crazy events that didn't have much purpose to the drive of the story and it also focussed too much on a out-of-nowhere romance. So it was a great change in FORBIDDEN.

The only thing that disappointed me in the book was the romance. Yet again. I still didn't buy Riley's love for the religious and so-called 'nice' Simon. I've never seen the appeal of him. Same goes with Beck, the person Riley treats as an older brother. Unlike Simon, I don't mind Beck. His attentions to protect Riley are understandable but damn he's blind of his own true feelings. If you know what I mean. As for the newcomer Ori, who made a few appearances in Forsaken, he interested me for a little while and in the sequel his character actually grew on me. But normally when a character slowly grows on me . . . they end up disappointed me all over again. And let's just say something that occurs toward the end of the book . . . made me so mad. At Riley mostly. But I won't say anything more.

Overall FORBIDDEN is a great installment to the Demon Trappers book series. If readers were disappointed in the first book - like myself - then you will be pleasantly surprised by this sequel and what it has to offer. It's the type of read with a little bit of romance (but not too corny like the first book), a little bit of mystery, and the best part of all, there's some fun demon action for young adult readers with a love of fantasy and dystopian-like worlds! Definitely pick up a copy! It's worth it!

The Rating

4 /5 stars

Forsaken: The Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Release Day: January 4th, 2011

Publisher: MacMillan Children's Books

Pages: 448pgs

The Story

Riley Blackthorne.

Kicking hell's ass one demon at a time . . .

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated.

Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who think he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her life.

One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay . . .

The Review

I find it very hard to write a review for this particular book. There were moments were I loved the book completely (and sometimes I couldn't stop reading until I knew what was going to happen next) but it's a love/hate relationship. First things first, I'm glad that I've read this book after seeing the gorgeous cover and I have to admit, Jana Oliver created a pretty awesome dystopian-like world. I think the only problem I had with this book was Riley herself and some of the other characters...her "love" interests.

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I imagined Riley being this kickass demon trapper, but instead, I get a girl that's not really as kickass and complains a lot. I guess there is a sense of realism, with her acting like an almost normal teenager...but I kind of hoped she was like a Jace from Mortal Instruments...or something along those kickass lines. But that might be just me...you'll have to read it to be a judge of her character.

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As for her suppose "love" interests, I don't really understand the whole guy character thing. Beck had too many attitude problems and you can tell he like likes Riley (I felt like strangling him sometimes), Ori was a complete mystery and I didn't really see any point of him being in the book, and the whole ordeal with Simon...unfortunately I just didn't feel the connection between him and Riley. He seemed more like the best friend than boyfriend material, plus he hardly knows Riley...and well...maybe things will improve in the sequel.

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Other than that and the poorly distracting slang language that some of the people spoke, I loved the book. I loved the fast-paced action scenes, the demon trapper idea, and the whole necromancer thing...it was quite interesting to read about. The ending didn't really end on a cliffhanger, but I'm still pretty stoked to read the next book. The author leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so I'll definitely continue reading the book in this series!

The Rating

3/5 stars