Rift by Andrea Cremer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Atom

Pages: 455pgs

The Story

Discover where the Nightshade series began . . .

Ember has always known that she owed her life to a mysterious order of Knights who saved her as a baby. The same order of Knights who called her best friend to service, leaving her behind to play the dutiful daughter.

But shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Alistair returns. Although he seems altered - shadowed and brooding - Ember places her trust in him, knowing that he's her one chance to escape.

Little does she know what danger lies ahead. For this is a tumultuous time, and Ember will soon be caught up in an age-old struggle between darkness and light. Neither she, nor her heart, can possibly survive unscathed.

The Review

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

RIFT is a prequel young adult series and opens us up to a magical world set hundreds of years prior to and from the same world of Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series, where the Keepers first originated from. For women of this medieval world, they are expected to be married off and bear children for their husbands. Not fight in violent wars and wield weapons of men. So for our main leading lady, Ember Morrow, her parents made a promise (a debut) at her birth to save her mother's life: For when she comes of age she must fight alongside the Guard in the heart of Conatus where there is a group of women who are just as strong as men in the battlefield. And, to escape an arranged marriage, she is more than happy and willing to leave her old life behind and join the Guard. But when her arrival causes a stir and when one of the leaders is dabbling in dark magics, Ember will soon need to trust her own heart and her instinct, and to learn how to become a fierce warrior in order to save the world as she knows of so far.

While I enjoyed Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series but since the last book Bloodrose wasn't my favourite final installment, I'm now really, really pleased to say that this new trilogy series was even better than Nightshade! Seriously, where has this book been all my life? Where has Andrea Cremer been hiding this wonderful masterpiece of literature  From the very first page I drawn into this storyline, and with each chapter and in each line . . . it made me SO involved with everything going on within the book and I just didn't want to leave this world behind. Ever. Set in the fifteenth century and in my favourite place of Scotland, RIFT delivers a wonderful blend of fantasy and historical fiction, along with some new characters, and hell practically every single word featured in this big world made me disappear from my own reality so once again excellent job to the author for doing that to me!

What made this series shine even more than it already did, you know besides the amazing storyline and the setting, was the main character, Ember Morrow, a girl who isn't too afraid to wield the most deadliest of all weapons nor waver from her fierce determination and rocking personality. Reminding me of the likes of Vampire Academy's Rose Hathaway and Hunger Games's Katniss Everdeen, Ember is just the kind of character you can't help but love and relate to instantly, and with every bit of emotion and every feeling that she felt, I ended up feeling which I'm sure every reader loves to experience at one stage with their favourite heroines. There is so much praise for Ember (obviously from me) and at the moment I just can't express how much I adored her character . . . there is way too many words for her alone!

While I expected some sort of a love triangle to occur, much like what happened in the Nightshade series (a pointless love triangle mind you), but I'm pretty darn happy that there is not one single love triangle in this book. At least not one that I could see happening since it's pretty obvious to whom Ember is slowly falling in love with and that is her mentor. An honourable man abided by his duties and armed with gorgeous looks, and a man with a serious and a part-vulnerable side to him, Barrow is one man you can't help but swoon over. Reminding me so much of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy character, Dimitri Belikov (a man I still love), Barrow just had this grace and raw intensity about him every time he leaped up onto the page and it's no wonder why Ember fell in love with him because I was too! One moment he is melting your heart and the next he is this out-of-this-world glorious warrior . . . yes, clearly the interaction between Barrow and Ember has this perfect balance of warmth to this fierce and out of control flame, and boy was it hot to witness! Why Andrea Cremer? Why write these hot and serious MEN? I seriously need a Barrow of my own!!! If anyone can let me know where to find one I will forever be grateful!

Overall, Andrea Cremer has once again weaved together the perfect combination of action, adventure, romance, fantasy, politics and history all into one perfect book. Whether or not you enjoyed the author's previous Nightshade series, RIFT still delivers more in every single book element and it is simply a book you cannot afford to miss out on! I LOVED IT . . . LIKE THIS MUCH! *spreads arms out*

The Rating

5/5 stars

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Avon

Pages: 384pgs

The Story

She's a mortal with dark powers . . .

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude . . . until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire . . .

He's the Prince of Night . . .

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all - but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him - a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them  threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

The Review

Like many of you, I'm one of those crazy obsessed fans of the Night Huntress series - it's something that I practically live on on these last few years, especially when it comes to literature. I mean, we're talking about Cat and Bones here people! How can you not have read at least one book of Jeaniene Frost's . . . she's like an urban legend in adult paranormal romance and an author who gives you winner after winner with her books along with some unbelievably sexy and complicated vampires! And like with the infamous characters, Cat and Bones, I've also been a big fan of the character Vlad and ever since I found out the author was going to give us the full story on him - a whole book all to himself - I just couldn't resist reading it and Frost sure doesn't disappoint us!

Before meeting Vlad once more, in ONCE BURNED we are quickly introduced to the new and totally kickass heroine, Leila. As a teenager, she touched a downed power-line which had electrocuted her and as a result she woke up to find a nasty scar on her temple that ran straight down to her right hand. Only . . . that's not all she finds. In fact, when she touches someone or an object with that right hand, she can not only read a person's worst sins, see impressions of people in the past and/or future, and heck, even see which object belong to whom, but she can also send volts of electricity through people within a single touch and some can even be killed by it. Living with these dangerous abilities of hers, Leila cannot help but not live a normal life nor form any sort of intimate relationships with people, which then forces her to travel with a circus, performing as a sideshow act that puts her acrobat skills and her "looks" to good use. But when someone begins to notices her abilities and sees potential in them, Leila is kidnapped by a group of men - vampires no less! - and she soon crosses paths (accidentally of course) with the great and powerful vampire named Vlad Tepesh (the Dracula himself) who comes to her rescue but with a price in tow. The question is . . . will Leila be able to pay up?

This book totally rocked for me - everything from the action, the romance, the emotion, the despair and the raw intensity was nailed in every single shape and form in this book! Sure, it wasn't as EPIC as I found the Night Huntress series to be, but it still had just enough elements to get excited on this new adult paranormal series and I can't wait for the bloody next sequel! Like with all of Jeaniene Frost's books, ONCE BURNED starts off very strong and keeps up the pace until the very end, until we are left with our mouths wide open. In all honesty, the only thing that really affected my overall rating would be that I needed or rather wanted some of Vlad's own perspective in some of the chapters, even little ones. I do realize that Leila was the main character that we would be focusing on, but since this series is all about Vlad and as we get to see a completely new side to him, I just 'kind of' wanted to see inside his head for once, but I guess that's part of the mystery and the allure of him, right? Other than that, I simply loved this book!

What I also loved was Leila herself. She was such a great heroine. Personally, I like my heroines who are tough as nails in protecting themselves and have an attitude, while also having that small vulnerability about them which the love interest or those closest to those heroines end up bringing out to the main character as the book goes along. I just love those types of gals and Leila was so that from the start for me. Both sometimes-frustrating and sometimes-just-completely-adorable, Leila was someone whom had suffered from many terrible things in her teenage years - including having a not-so-great family life and not to mention possessing uncontrollable powers that continue to help in closing herself off from the world - and in the end I enjoyed seeing into that life of Leila's and learning how to become a great woman that she is destined to become.

Then of course there's the leading man himself, Vlad! Known for being the comic relief of the Night Huntress series (which we're all aware of from the previous series), fans will be quite surprised when they get to see a completely new side to Vlad in ONCE BURNED. Now unlike the Vlad we know him well for, he is pretty serious in this new series of his, especially when it comes to people wanting to kill him and his new love interest, Leila, whose chemistry is just off the hotness charts! Seriously . . .  it was! Some say they'd preferred the banter-throwing Vlad and missed him as that, but to me he's still there people cracking a few one-liners here and there, and truth be told I actually liked this serious Vlad. It just radiated his powerful vampireness and it only showed to us readers what lengths he is willing to go in order to protect himself and those he cares most about . . . after all he's supposed to be the Impaler himself! And as far as his romantic relationship goes, with none other than Leila, even though he stated that he doesn't and will never actually love someone as love was lost to him long ago, however whenever he is with Leila . . . it's fair to say that they are the perfect match and test each other on so many levels, and boy oh boy . . . do I love them together! They are so sweet and complicated! Vlad is your typical protective Alpha male character and Leila is your strong-willed woman who is used to closing herself off from others. Seriously . . . I want more from these two characters!

Overall, ONCE BURNED is yet another delicious vampire tale coming from one of my absolute favourite authors Jeaniene Frost! I still can't believe I have to wait until 2013 to see where else Vlad and Leila takes us to next! 2013?!?!?!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Ascend by Amanda Hocking

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 326pgs

The Story

The third and final dramatic installment

in Amanda Hocking's page-turning trilogy.

Wendy Everly can barely remember what it was like to feel like a normal girl. She'd wished for her life to be different but everything is so much more complicated than she'd expected. And she certainly hadn't dreamt she'd be getting married at eighteen to a man she didn't love - all for the sake of duty.

As the big day approaches, Wendy can't stop thinking about two different men - and neither of them are her husband-to-be. Finn - quiet, strong and determined to do what's right, and Loki - dark and seductive, a sworn enemy who once saved her life. With all-out war just days away, Wendy needs to act quickly if she is to save her friends and family. But while her loyalties and duties are to her people, deeper passions are leading her elsewhere.

And as her worlds collide, Wendy must sacrifice everything she loves to save them. But will it be enough?

The Review

From the very beginning of Amanda Hocking's bestselling Trylle trilogy, I was hooked on it within a minute of reading and this young adult series had instantly became a favourite of mine. I'm sure many other readers out there will feel the same way as I do when I say it was rather sad to see this series coming to an end. It really was sad for me as a fan of this trilogy - not because I was going to miss the stolen kisses from the characters nor the action-packed scenes that took everything to a whole new level in this beautiful world of Hocking's, but it was because I was left wanting more, more and more!

Keeping the first two books of the series in mind, when it came to reading the third and final installment of ASCEND, a book I couldn't wait to get a copy of, I wouldn't be the first to admit that the progress of this book and the way it was concluded took me by complete and utter surprise. In all honesty here, I didn't see a single thing coming my way - especially in the romance department - and while I didn't necessarily agree with how everything was wrapped up in the end, but regardless of that small factor it was still an enjoyable book with a great ending and what more could you possibly ask for? Still, I preferred the first two books in the series since something - a small something - was missing from this book. That 'big bang' I was hoping and longing for.

For our main heroine, Wendy, as you have read from my previous book reviews and the praise I have for this leading lady of ours, I found her character has finally proven to everyone about what it takes to be the Royal Queen's daughter and the responsibilities she must share in order to be that heir everyone believes she is. While the old Wendy we've seen in the past has been confused, naive, and perhaps a little lost at times, but in this book she has changed but in a good way of course. For example, she took charge for herself in this book, to become a leader for her people and for her kingdom - just like I wanted from her in the beginning - and she pushed through every single struggle that toppled over her no matter the consequences of her actions and the ones of her enemies . . . what can I say . . . she was strong and awesome in this installment. But for those other readers who didn't quite like her as main character . . . I do certainly hope that this book changes your minds because she does end up proving herself worthy and stands for the cause she is trying to win.

As for the romantic love interests from the previous two books, that being our endearing and caring Finn and the smart and seductive Loki, I have to stay these two young fellows right here surprised me. They surprised me a lot actually. For Finn's character, a person I thought would still have some fight left in him, I firmly believed in the beginning that he would have a much larger and a prominent part to play in this storyline and unfortunately for Finn fans such as myself, let's just say you won't get too much from him which I'm sad to say is very, very disappointing. Not to say what happened between him and Wendy was a complete shocker  because it wasn't one bit, but on another side of things I just 'kind of' wished he had something more to do in this last book rather than remaining on the sidelines of the action . . . after all, he had so much potential in him and I had really grew to love and care for him. As for Loki's character, he was someone whom really surprised me in ASCEND (in more ways than one I might add). From my other reviews of the books I was more of a Finn fan, however in this book I was ALL FOR LOKI! I know . . . what a big change, right? Throughout the book never once did Loki confuse Wendy's heart - his feelings were all out on the table this time round - and never once did he doubt nor push her to make a decision in who she loves and I ADORED that quality of his. His patience. His love. His kind words. His fight in waiting around for Wendy's heart to turn to him. Oh Loki, you really know how to steal a young woman's heart, don't you? Honestly who is this Finn fellow? I have no clue, really.

Overall, ASCEND was a fantastic and an addictive read that will be forever loved by all, especially if you enjoyed the previous two books in the series, Switched and Torn. While this third and final installment may not have been my ultimate favourite by far, but Amanda Hocking manages to offer up a fantastic conclusion to a series and (I admit) made my heart skip a few little beats whenever Loki and Wendy came onto the page . . . need I say more my dear readers? Trust me here: Grab this book NOW! That's right . . . NOW!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

Pages: 292pgs

The Story

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire.

Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It's only her fierce loyalty to Robin - whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her - that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

The Review

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

Two words. Robin Hood. Yes that's right, you guys you heard me correctly - the ROBIN HOOD!! Now I've always been a hardcore fan of the Robin Hood tale and I would read pretty much anything that mentions him and his band of merry-men in a book  In fact, after I finished reading this book, I then had the instant urge to go rewatch all of those Robin Hood movies that I've watched from my childhood and nerd out all out again (of course I did that by the way because I am, you know, a nerd like that). For A.C. Gaughen's debut novel, SCARLET, she takes everything we know about Robin Hood to a whole new level by recreating the traditional myth of Hood's right hand man and basically making a 'he' into a she. But here's the thing about our main heroine: Scarlet isn't exactly your typical damsel in distress waiting for her knight in their shining armor to come save her from her trouble - no, she is actually a sneaky thief with a heart of gold and is a worthy member of Robin's main crew and if anyone get's in her way . . . trust me . . . you better watch out for her knife because she's good with them. Too good.

I'll get straight to the point here and say I absolutely, wholeheartedly adored this book, more than I ever expected to from what I began it. I mean I literally wanted to start re-reading SCARLET all over again when I finished the last few pages because I loved the storyline so much and I didn't want to leave this world of Gaughen's, one that she has managed to create so splendidly beause I'm dying for a sequel even with no sequel currently in the works. But personally for me, what made this storyline shine a lot more was not having Robin Hood taking the reins of the adventures of his merry crew, but rather having a woman do it in his stead and this whole 'girl empowerment' thing that took over the story just put a big and bright smile on my face. Trust me folks - it was soooooooooo good!

When it comes to our main heroine, Scarlet, she was someone I could straightaway relate to. For one example, she was just as good as any other man in the book and whom happens to be tough as nails, fiesty in all shapes and forms, is in every way determined in helping those of the most unfortunate, and she even has a very distinctive voice of her own era which only made her that much more real and appealing to me, so props to the author for making me love and wanting to be Scarlet herself. She's honestly one of my favourite heroines from this year of 2012 - not because she's totally kickass (okay that's part of it), but it has more to do with her being a little rough around the edges and how her fierce loyalty to everyone continued  to inspire me . . . so yes, I'm forever Team Scarlet!

As much as the supporting characters made me giggle like a schoolgirl (and heck even the villain made me giggle because he was so good) but what surprised me with this book was the relationship between our Scarlet and her Rob aka the Robin Hood. While both of them can try their hardest in denying each other's feelings for one another, but their emotional and physical attraction for each other is just always there as they interact and I guess that's why I have always loved them - together or not together - because they were so frustrating, lovable and were total perfection all wrapped up into one. I mean, the chemistry with these two . . . it was sexy as hell . . . that is for sure! So as you begin to read this book, it's so obvious that these two characters care about each other in friendship (and more than that of course) and while I wanted these two crazy kids to get together ASAP but I had quite enjoyed reading about their slow relationship by savoring the sweetest of all moments that they had shared together, even their arguments too, since the slow burning romance is what made me believe in them more and what made me believe in the legend of the Hood and of Scarlet's own unique adventures. God . . . why were Rob and Scar so perfect together? WHY?!?! I want my own Robin Hood!

Overall, SCARLET had literally blew me away! What with an opened ending in this book, I seriously hope the author, A.C. Gaughen, takes her story into serious consideration because really . . . with no plans of a sequel right now, I really, really, really am cheering - no, praying - for the author to write a darn sequel because you can't - just CAN'T - leave a book that is so awesome and so epic such as this one with an ending like THAT. No seriously . . . you CAN'T do that to me!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Egmont

Pages: 336pgs

The Story

A threat from the past could destroy the future.

And the clock is ticking . . .

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough . . .

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

The Review

TIMEPIECE is the second installment of Myra McEntire's young adult series and it picks up shortly after the events of the previous book, Hourglass. Now Hourglass was one of my absolute favourite books from 2011 and I was literally dying to get my hands on its sequel, which I knew would blow me away because I loved the author's writing and her characterization. However, despite what the cover implies, this book isn't told from Emerson's perspective, the main narrator of the first book, but rather it's told from Kaleb's perspective, a supporting character we know all too well from the book, Hourglass. I'm sure many readers of this particular book can agree with me when I say that this new perspective took me a quite while to get used to but it did - eventually - improve as the story went along. But with that being said, I still would've preferred Emerson telling this tale because I really, really missed her voice and I could relate to her more I ever could with Kaleb for some pretty obvious reasons. He's a boy and all. Still, even though this book wasn't as compelling as the first and at times I often felt like people were running around for no reason at all, but I, on a whole, thought it was a great follow-up of one of my favourite books.

Bad boy persona. Heart-throb. Good-looks. Tattoos. Piercings. And a total heart-breaker  This pretty much sums up Kaleb as a character, but like other readers of Hourglass we all know that he is more than what he appears to be. For the most part Kaleb was a bit of a jerk, even if he had good reasoning's for being more inclined that way. But as you slowly begin to overlook his certain 'quirks' in personality, I had actually found Kaleb's character to be somehow more . . . softer and more . . . well . . . vulnerable than what I've previously seen from him which I loved reading about. And then of course there's Lily, Emerson's best friend, who is the love interest for Kaleb and is simply there to help out the gang in catching a bad guy. As much as I wanted to love Lily, I can't say she was a favourite of mine. Sadly. I think it was because of her relationship with Kaleb or rather it was because I found her to be a rather blunt character . . . maybe it's just me feeling this but yeah she was blunt and not particularly likable. Although what I did love about Lily was how she made Kaleb get a run for his money to get her interested . . . so I say good for Lily for making our boy work harder than ever before for a girl to date which was a nice shake up to the storyline.

Now when it comes to the story itself, I thought everything was pretty fast-paced and was enjoyable enough to keep me reading til the very end, but quite often I found myself confused by all the sci-fi-ness of the storyline and all the quirks in naming these time slips and other whatnot. Maybe it was because I haven't read Hourglass in a really, really long time which may have contributed to me not really 'getting the book' as I hoped I would or maybe it was because I couldn't remember certain parts of the series and who was who, but yeah . . . I was a little bit confused. But moving past this and as I read through the last half of the book, I have to say it was actually quite awesome to finally have some questions answered from the previous book and getting the clearer picture of things (especially in what the villain wants mostly), so that was probably one of the highlights for me and this book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book especially to those who've already read the first book, Hourglass. While TIMEPIECE wasn't exactly my favourite of the series so far, but the cliffhanger did offer up quite an interesting turn-point, so I'll definitely be looking forward to the third book and wondering who will be narrating it next! I sincerely hope it's a character I love this time round . . . maybe Michael?

The Rating

3/5 stars

Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 288pgs

The Story

It's 1912 and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just their extensive grounds to maintain. They need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been for one of England's most elite families . . . even as whispers of secret romances and bitter betrayals threaten their facade of perfection.

Maggie Darlington has a secret. And she's not the only one: The handsome groom, Michael, the beautiful new French nanny, Therese, even Maggie's youngest sister, Lila, are all hiding something. And when scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, they are soon looking over their shoulders, worrying about whose scandal will be next - because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret forever.

The Review

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

Do you love the likes of Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl? Well then, please look no further in the book department because Abby Grahame's debut novel, WENTWORTH HALL offers up a delicious combination of both of those titles and is more than it appears to be for a quick historical read! Filled with a variety of themes and weaved together into several separate storylines, while also mixing between gossip and scandal, unrequited love and budding romances, and even social classes and deadly do-not-tell secrets, it's no reason why everyone is spreading the word about this book and why I enjoyed it so, so much!

WENTWORTH HALL introduces you to the lives of the Darlington family, one of the most powerful families in all of England at the beginning of the twentieth-century. Under the roof of its massive estate, Wentworth Hall, there we first meet one of the main characters named Maggie Darlington, the elder sister of her siblings and whom has always been the free spirit amongst her very strict and well-respected family. But when Maggie finally returns home after traveling for almost a year now, something is really off about her. She's no longer the carefree girl she used to be - not happy, but rather cold and callous towards everyone. While we may not know of her secret as of yet - at least not until the end of the novel - but this secret plays a much larger part to the rest of the characters' that we end up meeting along the way, the many stories that crossover and ones we will soon come to learn more about. There's Maggie of course, there's the handsome groom, Michael, there's the beautiful and new french nanny, Therese, and then there's characters like Maggie's youngest sister, Lila, who all share something in common: Secrets and Scandal.

Already being a hardcore fan of the television series, Downton Abbey, there was a definite guarantee that I would adore this book as well. Even if the storyline and the events that happen shared some similarity to the TV show Downton Abbey and it's own characters, but hell . . . I didn't care about any of that whatsoever because I love - absolutely LOVE - historical fiction written at its best (which this book is) and I love this particular period too, so I rarely noticed such similarities since I was so entertained by this book alone, so entertained indeed. The author, Abby Grahame, did such a fantastic job in understanding the culture of this particular period and the social aspects of men and women, so this book was a total win-win for me in all regards!

But it was more than the storyline I loved, it was also the characters as well. For sure, I may have favoured some characters more than others, especially when reading different perspectives in each section of the book, but I still loved every single one of them in my own way and how each of their stories came to together and played some major part to one another. But if I had to say who was my favourite character of them all . . . it was totally the two of the main characters, Maggie and Michael. Maggie and Michael . . . I just adored those two characters to death and I wanted so much more from them. Reminding me of two of Downton Abbey's character's, Mary and Branson, both Maggie and Michael had something so captivating and lovable about them, and in the end I just wanted them to be together. Whether or not that happens, that my friends means that you will have to pick up this book for yourselves in order to find out what exactly happens to the characters! Trust me . . . it's so worth the read!

Overall, even for such a short book and not a lot of character depth, I have to say Abby Grahame's debut book WENTWORTH HALL had really hit home for me with her very entertaining story and I seriously can't wait to read more from her and I really, really hope that there is more coming from this series because I want more from my two little sweetie-pies, Maggie and Michael! Oh how I loved those two! *smiles gleefully*

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: Out now!

Publishers: Harper

Pages: 326pgs

The Story

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is - a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home. Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

In The Calling, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy. New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of The Gathering clamoring for more.

The Review

I really enjoyed the first book in the Darkness Rising series, The Gathering, and while I don't usually set up high hopes for a sequel nor expect it to be be even better than the first book - merely because I don't want to be disappointed by them - but unfortunately I did have high hopes for Kelley Armstrong's second installment of her newest YA series, and unfortunately for her and unfortunately for me with this book alone, I didn't enjoy this sequel all so 'much'. It was fun in certain respects but there just wasn't enough to keep me gripped throughout the book.

As I was reading THE CALLING I couldn't help but compare it to Kelley Armstrong's previous YA series the Darkest Powers and while I understand this is supposed to be a spin-off series of that original series however I still felt like nothing new was being added into this particular storyline. Kids with special powers. Kids constantly on the run. Kids being watched by a group of powerful government-like people. Same old, same old. The main problem with this book - for me at least - was it being set mostly in the wilderness or rather the way it was handled in that lonely wilderness. While being in the woods and the whole survival thing is there to prepare us for what's going to happen in the final book of the trilogy, but I don't know . . . I just didn't like it. After all, I felt like most of the characters were making too many hasty decisions and I forgot who was chasing who by the time I finished this book. I was confused and disoriented. However, the only redemption this book had was Maya, the main heroine. She seemed to be the only one with her head screwed on throughout every single situation she experienced. Maybe not when it comes to love . . . but she's great as always.

Personally, I find Maya to be that kind of heroine that you'll always have to support and stand behind. She's brave. She's tough. She's someone willing to listening to others. She appreciates help when its needed. She's totally kick-ass and . . . she manages to keep everyone together, even when things seem to break further and further apart from these group of teens featured in the book. For sure, Maya still may have struggled with her feelings and emotions (especially with her 'two' love interests) which caused her to make further mistakes, but eventually in time she manages to pull through many obstacles for which I'm grateful for.

As for the other supporting characters that we meet once more, I can't say I'd particularly cared for them all this time round, though I did love Daniel a little bit more which is good. Like the awesome guy that he is, Daniel is the super best friend everyone needs to have in their lives (he's an all-round good guy what can I say?) and he doesn't judge people for their mistakes - which is, one of the best qualities about him. While our dear Rafe - Maya's other bad boy of a love interest - remains missing for the majority of the book (which really peeved me off since I wanted more from his character), but having Maya and Daniel team up together in this sequel had a very likable appeal to me and in the end made me enjoy the book even more.

Overall, THE CALLING was a  very, very different sequel. It didn't necessarily have the same feelings that I had experienced from the previous book, which was probably due to the fact that there was a lot of movement and nature going on within the storyline, so I guess that part may have had something to do with my lower rating. But even with this book failing to impress me, but considering what happened in the end, I'm still fairly eager to read the third and final installment of the trilogy, which I'm sure will make me fall back in love with this series again. I'm almost sure of it!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars