Horizon by Alyson Noel

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 336pgs

The Story

Fate has bound them together—and torn them apart.  Now Daire and Dace face one final fight that will seal their destiny forever.

Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most?

Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?


The Review

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

After reading the Immortals series, even though that particular series didn't work out so well for me after six books or so, but I was so glad that Noel's other Soul Seekers series did work out in the end. It was very entertaining to say the least (more so the mythology side of it) and even the final book offered a nice - but an also unexpected - ending, which was much better than the Immortals series ending ever was. So I was rather glad for that.

While Daire, the main character, had her ups and downs in this book, but soon as the last half of the book came to a head, she soon grew back into her own once more and made all of the right decisions. Dace, her love interest, on the other hand, was still an alright kind of character and I always liked him as Daire's love interest, but he was probably the only disappointing factor of the book and that's probably because I expected so much more from him in this particular book. But regardless of that, everything in the end worked out the best for everyone . . . mostly.

Overall, HORIZON was a very entertaining book and while the ending (even for a final book) did end with a small plot-twist, but it was still a great read.

The Rating

4/5 stars

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 464pgs

The Story

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning . . .

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

The Review

I know Sherry Thomas is a well known author to most readers, but this is the very first book that I've read of hers and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. While her newest YA book, THE BURNING SKY, the first in the trilogy, did contain some slower parts in some particular scenes and the first few chapters were a little rocky for me at first until everything else came into place, but for the majority of it I was pretty entertained by everything in this book, especially the last half of the book where scenes became so much more action-packed and exciting.

THE BURNING SKY definitely had a great concept going for it, but aside from the mythology side of things, what I was even more entertained and delighted by was with our two main leads, Iolanthe Seabourne and Prince Titus, who made this book shine so much more. For one, Prince Titus was such a serious guy and a very guarded young man (sometimes a little stubborn too) which I liked about him because his story slowly unfolds throughout the book and I like that sort of development in a character, but out of everyone, I thought Iolanthe's character had totally won me over right from the very beginning and she is what made me want to read more and more of this book. 

Iolanthe is the kind of heroine I wish most heroines were always like: smart, resourceful, witty, has good values and most importantly makes good decisions for others than just thinking about herself all the time. I also like that she wasn't shy in any sense and was confident in her own skin, which is always a bonus for me with heroines. Even her banter with Prince Titus was absolutely hilarious. And speaking of Titus, I loved the way he and Iolanthe interacted in the book. It wasn't insta-love or anything close to that, but rather a friendship that slowly become romantic. It's a subtle romance which is great to see and I seem to have more respect for those as sometimes romances in YA books can be overdone and suffocate the book, you know? So I definitely loved that subtlety of the romance and I'm looking forward to reading more from this new couple in the future books.

Overall, THE BURNING SKY was a pleasant surprise for me and I would definitely recommend to readers who love a good old adventure with plenty of fantasy elements to keep you entertained until the very end of the book!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 416pgs

The Story

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

The Review

Okay, so I was a little torn between giving this book a 4, 4.5 or a 5 star rating, but oh what the heck . . . I'm giving it a 5 stars because of that freakin' awesome ending Richelle Mead delivered to us and all of those Sydrian feels that I felt, which I'm sure many of you are also feeling right about now when you're thinking back and reflecting on this book. OH MY GOSH THERE ARE SO MANY FEELS I TELL YOU IN THIS BOOK! And boy was it so much better than the last book, The Indigo Spell, which I was a little disappointed with.

But before I get into this review, I have to say I was a little worried when I first heard the author was writing Adrian's point-of-view for this new instalment as well as Sydney's. Now I don't know why I was so worried (because most of well . . . just about anything Mead writes is always awesome and has that tick-approval sort of thing going for it) but if I'm guessing here, I was probably more worried about the fact that being inside Adrian's head would not be as awesome as I wanted it to be or rather it was because I was worried that I would like him less because of his POV which can sometimes happen to me like what happened with Veronica Roth's Allegiant book with Four/Tobias's POV . . . but I was wrong on both accounts. While Adrian is a bit light-hearted on his new romance with Sydney and perhaps a little cheesy at times and vice versa, but it was very nice to read more about him inside his own head and learning about what he's going through with his spirit abilities . . . which was heart-aching at times. So yeah, I was very surprised with his POV.

In terms of the book itself, I thought it was - on a whole - a really good book despite there being less action in the previous books than I initially wanted as it's book four now. But in saying that, THE FIERY HEART was still a very enjoyable storyline with a very different feel to it and I liked how it focused more about the emotional sides of the characters and also the psychological side as well, especially when it comes to Adrian and his 'darkness' that is always overshadowing him. Another thing as well, I liked that Sydney and Adrian showed their readers a completely new side to them (more so in Sydney's case) and a much more romantic one as well, which I'm sure all of us readers can appreciate as we wanted these two characters together for SO LONG now, so again, it's great to see these two crazy kids finally (well sort of) be together and no longer avoid each other feelings. Even if it's a 'secret' relationship at first.

So without spoiling things for you, all I can say is that the ending was a real killer. While I already saw it coming from book one and from the many things that were hinted throughout the series, but still . . . it was hard to actually read that ending . . . and my gosh I cannot wait to see what else Richelle Mead has up her sleeve, though I'm sure there are many other heart-breaking twists coming our way. Just read some of my gif comments HERE on Goodreads to know how I'm feeling and STILL feeling right now. Yeah, that ending was a killer.

Overall, THE FIERY HEART is a book that should not be missed by any Richelle Mead fan and let's just say BRING ON BOOK FOUR BECAUSE I'M READY TO READ IT NOW!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 544pgs

The Story

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

The Review

Love it or hate it . . . I just have to say that I really enjoyed this book. Even when it comes to that ending that everyone can't seem to stop talking about and even when it wasn't my favourite read out of all three books. Still, it was enjoyable for me.

While I won't get into the major plot details of this book (don't want to spoil you see - that is, if you haven't been spoiled already) but what I am going to talk about is a little bit about the book and well . . . mostly about the ending ordeal thing because I must talk about that! But before I get into that, I have to admit that while I wasn't a hardcore fan of this series - at least not in a big, big way like everyone else was as I was more a Hunger Games dystopian kind of girl than a Divergent girl - but like with those many other readers that were onboard with this series from the get-go, I still very much enjoyed this series and come to appreciate - and even love - all of the characters we were introduced to from book's one, two, and three, and how much they have grown within those three books . . . so I totally understand why so many readers were so passionate and invested with this series. I totally understand in that viewpoint.

So in saying that, it's no surprise to me that this book had really took us on a really wild roller-coaster ride. It's no surprise at all really - in fact I expected it to be quite over-the-top - because when you consider and look back on everything the character's have been through and all of the sacrifices that needed to be made by those characters in question . . . it should not be all that surprising to us when the author, Veronica Roth, decided to take her book's final ending to a very extreme level for this final book, even when she will probably know that most of her readers will not necessarily agree with it and will only want that happy ending thing. It's not our fault for wanting that. We're readers after all. We invest so much time in many, many book series so it's our given right to hope for the best for our favourite characters. Readers after all always want our characters to deserve those kinds of HEAs when the characters have went through hell and back to get to the final point of the book. So yeah . . . I understand that. Completely. But what I really don't understand is all the backlash Veronica Roth has been receiving over the past month. Of course I understand where the readers are coming from and all of that, but this whole death-threat thing (trust me some things that have been said were quite ridiculous) is just something I just don't understand at all. We maybe readers but we're not authors. It's Roth's story after all and she can do anything with it. Even when it's a killer.

Honestly with this particular 'ending' of Roth's, you have to admit that it took guts to write an ending like THAT. Lot's of guts actually. And boy I do love author's who take risks like that. It just makes me admire and respect their writing style even more than I did previously. So while ALLEGIANT's ending was heart-breaking, shocking, unsettling and well something that may not have been totally expected by most readers, but it was written in that way and I totally respect it. For sure, it was definitely sad but I did suspect this ending was coming our way (from the sequel you could definitely tell something major was building up to the boiling point for the final book) and for sure I didn't really want my predications to come true because it's just . . . awful, but in the end if the author thought that this was the ONLY way to end her beloved series . . . then again I respect her in many ways for that decision. Inspires me actually in my own writing.

But moving along, while I really liked the ending (well maybe not the epilogue because I kind of wanted to see more emotion from it), I think the only reason why I'm not rating this book five stars is because of Four/Tobias's perspective that we finally get to read in this book. Now I've really come to love our main character's perspective, Tris, because her voice was so interesting and so honest, but for some insane reason and as much as I love Four's character, his perspective kind of ruined my enjoyment of the book. Of course I still enjoyed this book as previously ranted on above, but I felt - at least for most of the time - that Four's perspective was completely unnecessary. And perhaps had made me not like him as much as I did in books one and two. Still, Tris is what made this book extra special and in the end it only showed me just how much she had grown in this series. She's definitely going to be a well-respected heroine by the time you finish this book. So whatever happened to her and to the other characters around her, especially in the end which I don't want to giveaway, but Tris, in the end of it all, had really showed me what it takes to be selfless and brave . . . and I respect the author for how she dealt with Tris's character. It was brave indeed.

Overall, ALLEGIANT may leave you with many emotions indeed and whether you're a fan of the ending or not, I really came to enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to reading whatever else Veronica Roth has up her sleeve next. She's a gutsy author  - that's for sure!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: January, 2014

Publisher: HarlequinTeen Australia

Pages: 458pgs

The Story

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book!

Even though this series wasn't my favourite series from the author, but I still have come to really enjoy Maria V. Snyder's Healer series. Well, pretty much every book of hers is always enjoyable for me, no matter the story. But in regards to this particular book, all I can say is, at least after finishing this third and last instalment of the series, is that the ending was absolutely bittersweet for me and while this book may not have been my absolute favourite out of all three books but . . . yeah that ending had certainly turned me into a giggling schoolgirl. Hehe. It was just too damn perfect to handle in a serious matter (you'll know what I mean when you come to read it).

Now in terms of the actual storyline of TASTE OF DARKNESS, I thought it was such a really good story for the most part, especially considering the way things had ended in the previous sequel (you know with the whole Kerrick being poisoned thing and his disappearing act that left readers like me in disbelief over the whole idea of it all). But yeah, the storyline was definitely what I was come to expecting from the author and with this series so I'm really glad about that. And another thing to add about this book is that it was much darker compared to the three other books in the series which I was all for because I do like a darker side to things, so with that particular element in mind I thought the author had done a brilliant job with that and I really liked that different 'feel' to the books.

Like what I already expected in this final conclusion, our two main characters, Avry and Kerrick, who were my main focus while reading this book, were pretty awesome this time round and I just completely adore their relationship together. They just have this great form of respect for one another (like with most couples in Snyder's other series) and even when they are separated in the book, there's still this great sense of hope that surrounds them as they fight their individual battles and it's just lovely to witness such a romance and friendship play out til the end. Le sigh. This book definitely gave me many Avry and Kennick feels. I can definitely tell you that!

Overall, without spoiling things, TASTE OF DARKNESS will certainly not disappoint its readers and if you're like me with the whole romance thing between Avry and Kennick, the ending will definitely have your hearts racing in a foolish fangirl sense hehe.

The Rating

4/5 stars

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Putnam

Pages: 368pgs

The Story

Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

The Review

After really enjoying Elizabeth Richards's debut novel, Black City, I couldn't wait until I got my hands on a copy of her next sequel in the series and thankfully I wasn't disappointed (at least not in the way most sequels end up disappointing you). Not only was PHOENIX very action-packed, romantic and just as intense as the first book was, but it also contained great deal of memorable scenes with our two main characters not to mention a I-can't-wait-anymore-for-the-third-book-type-ofending, so to say the least, I'm really, really looking forward to the third book now, especially with what the ending delivered to us all.

PHOENIX, while it was still an enjoyable read, but I found it didn't top the first book for me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because it's always the first book you'll always fall in love with in a series. Still, what I've always come to love about Elizabeth Richards's writing is how she builds upon her own world and how we always learn new and interesting things about her world as well. It's just very cool to read about and her world kind of reminds me of Marie Lu's dystopian-like world of Legend, which is a really good thing because Marie Lu also sets up some great world-building herself.

Now what I've come to also appreciate in this particular series is the connection between our two main characters, Natalie and Ash. While the couple definitely had their many ups and downs in this sequel, more so on Ash's part (even though Natalie was a major contributor to most of their 'couple' problems), but in the end - no matter what happened throughout the book and no matter how much the characters can frustrate you so with the decisions they make - I still loved the way Natalie and Ash came together and worked through their problems as best as they could, despite their dire situations.

In terms of faults between the two main characters, I think the only problem I had with this book was Natalie's character (even though Ash could sometimes make me throw the book against the wall because of the way he acted at times and I'm talking about jealously here) and how she wasn't as emotionally strong in this book compared to the first. Mind you, Natalie is going through a lot problematic things in this particular sequel or rather she holds back a very important piece of information that she didn't want anymore to know of (mostly for Ash's sake) which frustrated me so much considering he found out anyway (it was kind of obvious), but in saying that, I still very much enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book next year.

Overall, PHOENIX may not have entirely won my heart as Black City did, but considering the ending and what could possibly happen to our favourite couple, Ash and Natalie, I'll still be gearing up for the third book now and I can't wait to see what happens in the end of this trilogy (which I hope ends in the best way possible because I just want Ash and Natalie to be together with nothing interfering their relationship so I'm hoping for the best here!).

The Rating

4/5 stars

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

 
Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 464pgs

The Story

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book!

From the very first book in the Pushing the Limits series I have loved the author's writing not to mention all of her characters - main or supporting ones, and while I still don't know how she manages to write these amazing stories, but I know one thing is for sure: Katie McGarry is definitely one of my favourite contemporary writers by far! She just nails each and every book of hers!

CRASH INTO YOU was such a thrill ride for me and while I wouldn't necessarily say that it was my favourite, favourite book in the series (really it's hard to decide because all of the books are written so brilliantly), but boy it was pretty close and SO GOOD too! Now initially it took me some time to warm up to our new leading lady, Rachel, and be immersed with her story this time round (even though she definitely turns into such a lovely, bad-ass girl later in the book), but when her perspective is switched and paired up with Isaiah's perspective . . . then everything else in the book soon becomes perfection within itself and honestly Isaiah was what I loved most out of everyone else. He was the driving force of the entire book I thought!

Oh Isaiah! I have loved him from the get-go of this series and while I wasn't entirely sure what he could be capable of with his own book (especially since his heart was broken in the previous sequel), but now I think out of all of the guys I have met in this series so far, he's definitely in my top lists of favourite boy characters of all time. Just boy . . .  I love him and that's probably because he reminds me so much of Alex from Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry which is bonus for us fangirls if I do say so myself. Isaiah just has so much compassionate and protective hotness in this book (much more than I ever expected from him too), so just you wait until you get to know him some more and see the flaming hot chemistry he shares with Rachel . . . just you wait girls . . . you're going to love him a hundred times more than you do already!

Overall, CRASH INTO YOU contains a lot of frustrating and over-the-edge type of characters (especially with Rachel's family), but with the driving force of Isaiah and Rachel's newfound love . . . everything in this book is totally worth the wait!

The Rating

5/5 stars