The Vanquished by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

Jenn and the Salamancan hunters are on the brink of the final battle against the deadliest Cursed Ones. But the team is still reeling from Eriko's death and internal bickering threatens to drive them further apart. Jenn knows she needs to rally her team and lead the charge into battle, but her concentration is shattered. She's torn between her love for Antonio, and her hate for the bloodthirsty vampire he's become. Jenn wants to believe in his humanity, but she's slowly losing her faith, and with new Resistance fighter Noah on the scene, her heart as well.With the final battle imminent, and all hope fading fast, is Jenn and Antonio's love strong enough to overcome the darkest evil?

The Review

To put it simply for you . . . I simply loved this series from the get-go! While I was completely hooked on the first book, The Cursed Ones, and may have thought the sequel, The Damned, didn't quite live up to my very high expectations, but with all things said and done, I can say in all confidence that the third and final installment of the Crusade trilogy, THE VANQUISHED, sure doesn't disappoint its readers and is a grand conclusion to the series.

Apart from the unique storytelling, mythology and the awesome fast, non-stop action written by two very fabulous authors, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, I think what I had loved most about this series is the fact that I found every single one of the characters so fascinating - especially the main characters, Jenn and Antonio, whose forbidden human-and-vampire romance centers around the entire plot. I will admit, I mostly read this series for Jenn and Antonio only but unlike most YA series we do get several points-of-view from some good guy and bad guy characters alike, making this series so worth while my time. Now without revealing too much of the book, just wait until you read the ending for this trilogy . . . it's such an unexpected one but a pleasant one at that. *pumps fists in the air*

Overall, THE VANQUISHED is even more intense, romantic, and is very evolved in plot and character depth than its previous predecessors and I enjoyed it immensely. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading this series than I would highly recommend you do so soon. It's quite an addictive read once you start from the very beginning of the trilogy!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Release Date: 1st December, 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Pages: 400pgs

The Story

When Katelyn starts at her new school the only person she knows is the handsome and intriguing Trick Sokolov, an acquaintance of her grandfather. She's surprised when the popular Cordelia Fenner invites her home and when she meets Cordelia's hot brother, she begins to think her new life might be ok after all. But as she spends time with the family, she realises that the Fenners are harbouring a deep dark secret. Every bone in Katelyn's body tells her that the Fenners are mad, bad and dangerous to know - but how can she give up her only friend, and how can she ignore the way Justin sets her blood on fire with a single look? Katelyn finds herself caught between three major werewolf clans who have been at war with each other for centuries - a war, it seems, that Katelyn is destined to end.

The Review

A big thanks to Dorothy from Random House Australia for sending a review copy of this book!

If you're looking for your classic paranormal story filled with lot's of tension, suspense and a good old-fashioned romance, then this is definitely the book for you! Katelyn McBride comes to live with her grandfather after her mother suddenly dies in an earthquake. As she adjusts to her new home - away from the life she used to live back in Santa Monica - and learn to get along with a grandfather she hardly knows, Katelyn must also deal with the small town's murder mystery of a girl who was mauled and killed in the local woods. And on top of all that, there's two boys that are a mystery all on their own.

After finishing the story, I have to say . . . while I found it, on a whole, a little cliche but it was the great kind of cliche that we love to read in paranormal young adult fiction. Not to mention that it helps already being a huge fan of Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie's work - the Wicked and the Crusade series that is. When it comes to the characters themselves, I really liked Katelyn and she definitely grew on me as the book progresses, and when the several mysteries start to unfold by each chapter. One of the things I admired in Katelyn's character was that she was your typical teenage girl - someone who is still trying to find herself in the world and learning to deal with the current loss of her mother. Sure her character makes wrong decisions and trusting the wrong people, but it's completely understandable in her circumstances and it's no wonder why her emotions are over the place. But another quality that I loved was her funny side, which is always a plus in my books. Also, there's a great supporting cast of Trick and Justin, the boys Katelyn begins to have explainable feelings for.

Now I'm all for love triangles when they're done right and I found in UNLEASHED it was written well enough to be likeable. Trick in particular had great potential as a future love interest. He's not a loveable boy to Katelyn when she first meets him and he definitely comes across as the protective big brother that you don't want hanging around all the time, but Trick was a dear favourite character of mine. He's funny, always dependable - well, most of the time, and he isn't afraid of anything which helps us readers see major sex-appeal. *winks* Then of course there's the boy with the piercing blue eyes, Justin, who doesn't have as much appeal as Trick has. I could alone on that but whatever. *waves hand* Justin is the bad boy with a mysterious past and rides a motorcycle. Now I love boys who ride motorcycles but for some reason I couldn't connect with Justin. Maybe it's because I found him too creepy or it's because we have so very little details surrounding him except that he has a weird family and he definitely is one of the weird people IN his family. Anyway on a whole, Trick is the boy girls should be rooting for in the case of potential love triangles.

Overall the most enjoyable part of the book was the writing itself and if you love legend stories in small local towns that are at its best, then the book is clearly a winner and I highly recommend this title. Especially if you're a fan of the author's other books. If you're one of those readers unsure about reading yet another wolf-like story, I completely understand your views on that. But UNLEASHED is definitely one to keep you entertained on all sorts of levels. With plenty of action sequences, romantic scenes and intriguing mythology to keep you guessing until you reach the last pages of the novel, UNLEASHED is something you should be looking out for on the shelves because you'll be pleasantly surprised by it.

The Ratings

4 1/2 /5 stars

The Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Release Date: 27th October, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice . . .

Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty - his love - is called into question.

Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed Ones who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity's fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness . . . or die trying.

The Review

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

THE DAMNED is the sequel to the book The Cursed Ones and if you haven't read my review on the first book, you can read it here. When I read the The Cursed Ones I was a little confused by the premise and all of the points of view displayed throughout the novel, but since I've gotten used to the way it was written, I absolutely LOVED this book compared to its predecessor . From my 3 1/2 star review to a five star review, I was very surprised by how well this book had turned out because THE DAMNED is packed with a whole lot of punch and will shock you to the very bone. For me, the strength of the sequel lies with the heart-stopping action (which was spot on) and the relationships between the characters (which was also spot on). I loved every moment of it - including the high drama elements that were equally as fantastic as the bloody fights - and the series has developed into something so, so good that I thought wasn't even impossible.

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie do wonderful things in building a great book atmosphere that is ruled by vampires and vampire hunters alone. Oh and some werewolves and witches along the way. THE DAMNED is incredibly believable which makes it even more frightening to witness and I often found myself putting the book down, just to take in everything that these two authors have written. And personally I think without the main character Jenn Leitner, this book would not be what it is. I loved her character more in THE DAMNED, because her human-side personality used to be weak and she wasn't so sure of herself as a hunter. However in THE DAMNED, readers will get to see a whole new side to Jenn. A badass. A girl trying to survive in a broken world. She fights back twice as harder, and with the love of her hunter team and with the love of Antonio, I just found her such a strong female heroine that you will admire far more than the old Jenn you've seen back in The Cursed Ones. She has changed for the better and not to mention that she get's to throw far more PUNCHES compared to the boys, the ones who didn't respect her as much as they should have. Like Jenn, I'm glad to have more of Antonio in this book. Despite his religious ways, I love him as character and I love him for loving Jenn. Sure, you will get frustrated by the way he tries to "stay away" from Jenn - due to him being a vampire - but I love him for that too. Same goes for Holgar, Skye, Eriko, and even the baddies who were well-written.

I won't go into too much detail because there's a lot to go through plot-wise, but if you loved the first book The Cursed Ones or are not sure whether to continue with this series, then please do because from my average star review to a very high star review, if THE DAMNED can surprise me then it will surprise you in many ways. Truly. Quite frankly this has been of the best books I've read in the vampire genre and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the third book of this non-stop action series! So be sure to check this baby out!

The Rating

5/5 stars

The Cursed Ones by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Release Day: February 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children Books

Pages: 480pgs

The Story

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The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.

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For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun. Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold.

As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio; his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose. Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she has held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself - and her heart.

The Review

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Lately I've been picky over vampire books - especially in the young adult book department - and it's not as if I'm tired of them (cause I still love vampires in fiction), it's just because not many authors write anything new about them. They sparkle, they turn to ash, they get staked, they become evil . . . there's nothing different. However, since I was already a fan of Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie's previous WICKED books I was pleasantly surprised with THE CURSED ONES since both of the authors offered something a little bit different with vampires and vampire hunters. I guess, in a sense, it sort of had this historical edge to the setting . . . when actually it's set in our own futuristic world.

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THE CURSED ONES takes readers into a believeable apocalyptic future, with vampires stepping out of the shadows and everyone who is human believes they are offering peace in their existence, when really . . . they want to take over the world. *rolls eyes* While this story seems cliche, but it's a good read and an interesting one at that. The main heroine, Jenn, is apart of a vampire hunting team in a small town in Spain. Within this team you have a vampire, a werewolf, a witch, and some annoying brats, and while the world building was very strong at times - including the religion and the history behind the story, but THE CURSED ONES has quite a lot of flaws. Some can be overlooked while others can't . . .

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For example: When I read the summary of the book and saw a promised romance, I didn't see anything worthy of my attention. Jenn and another hunter named Antonio are in love, or so it suggests, but while I love Antonio a lot because he is the protective guy that all of us will love overtime . . . but like most guys, he has relationship and blood-lusting "issues" everytime he's around Jenn. And before you say anything . . . YES he's a vampire. Who isn't nowadays?

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Another problem of mine was the length of the chapters - cause they are very long - and not to the mention the switching of MANY character points of view. Over the last few years, I've come to love the 3rd POV but it was a bit annoying in this case and it can get pretty confusing. None the less, the story is filled with some fun action-packed adventures and the authors wrote a great take on vampires and those who hunt them. The Hunters. But be warned . . . the story does take time to get into, but by the time you reach the second half of the novel, it does become quite engaging and leaves you guessing on what's going to happen next!

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The Rating

3 1/2 /5 stars