Showing posts with label C C Hunter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C C Hunter. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Spooktober Recommends: Ghosts & Ghouls


Okay so I've been trying to save this because it's probably my favourite but I figured it was time, because Halloween is drawing ever closer! Today's rec post is all about ghosts. Now, I don't know about you, but I can handle most scary/horror things....except for ghosts. Ghosts freak me out to another level, like I had to go watch Paranormal Activity and I didn't sleep properly for a week. I used to watch Most Haunted ALL the time, and it always creeped me out. I think it's the whole not knowing thing that creeps me out, whatever! 
Anyway, this category is my favourite because they're the only thing that can truly creep me out and there are a lot of great books in this post and a lot of my favourite series in particular! 


The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

This is one of my favourite series, and one of my library finds! I really do need to take another trip there to see what gems I find this time! I've read all three books, eagerly awaiting each new book, and now I'm desperate for book four! I love how Maureen has written this, it's creepy and there's originality and it's just SO good! But like...really creepy! And from this book it just keeps getting better and better! 



One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

This is one of my all time favourite series, and honestly, I really feel like it's totally underrated. Like I don't see many people reading it or saying they've read it! This series is SO damn good, I can't even. There's all kinds of supernaturals/paranormals, there's fun and romance and this series is incredibly creepy because GHOSTS! Kylie can see ghosts and they're usually bugging her to solve their murder and it's just so creepy a lot of the time! 



There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost.

Suze is a mediator - a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind... and Suze happens to be in the way.

Okay so this isn't the same level of creepy as the previous two books, and it's actually the least creepy of all the books on this list, but I had to include it because it's one of my favourite series! I read it when I was in school and it's one of my re-read series! These books are a lot of fun and there's a lot of mystery and ghosts! 



Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

I only recently read this, and I actually read it for Spooktober! I read it in one sitting like I seem to find myself doing with all of Alyxandra's books, and I completely loved it! It was creepy, there was a totally cute romance and there was plenty of mystery to be solved! I loved the setting, and it really fit with the story, there's no way it would have worked in a modern setting! 



Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying. 

Okay so I put this on the list because I started to read it not long after I got it, but then I got a build up of review books and had to put it on the back burner, which is where it's been ever since. Which is really bad of me but there you go! I'm hoping I'll have time to get to it this week because what I have read was really good, which is why I'm recommending it! 


I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Okay Supernatural fans, this one's for you! As soon as I started to read this my brain screamed "Supernatural" at me, and I freaking love Supernatural! This book is so damn good, it's creepy, there's mystery and suspense and romance and I've been waiting for a third book for what feels like forever! I read both books in no time at all because I couldn't put them down. They're definitely Halloween material you guys! 
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Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Wishing For Wednesday #77

Hey guys! 
I'm back with another post telling you guys all about two more books I'm super excited for in the coming months! 
This time I've got a novella bind up featuring you know...novellas! From one of my favourite series ever! I'm so eager for this to be released because I got behind on the novellas and now I'm waiting for the bind up to be released so I can sit and indulge! Because why not! 
The other book I've got for you guys is an exciting new read from another author that I'm loving! To quote the author directly, it's "the first in a series of standalone companion novels, each an epic fantasy fairy tale retelling set in adjoining kingdoms"...how freaking awesome?! 

Almost Midnight


Nestled deep in the woods, Shadow Falls is a secret camp where teens with supernatural powers learn to harness their abilities and live in the normal world.

Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang did not believe in vampires...until she became one. Chase Tallman is the newest member of Shadow Falls, but what made him into the sexy, mysterious vampire he is today? And what led him to Della Tsang? And for Miranda Kane, magic has always been something she's struggled with, but when an opportunity to test her powers takes her to Paris, she'll have to prove that she's a witch to be reckoned with and belongs at Shadow Falls.


Features: 
Turned At Dark
Saved At Sunrise
Unbreakable
Spellbinder
AND (rumour has it) a brand new novella from a different character! 


Almost Midnight is out March 1st, pre-order your copy....here
Add it to your TBR....here


The Shadow Queen

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
 

The Shadow Queen is out March 3rd, pre-order your copy....here
Add it to your TBR....here

Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Wishing For Wednesday #63

So this week I'm reaaaalllyyy excited because these two books I've been anticipating for AGES! 
First is the final (or at least I think it's the final) book in the Shadow Falls spin off, and I've not read the previous book because I'm gonna read these two together because everyone was freaking out about a cliffhanger so I'm prepared! 
Second is the final book in yet another series that I love! I read all the Parasol Protectorate in one go, and finished just in time for the release of the first book in this spin off series! I'm so excited for this book, and I'm so excited to see what the author does next. I just have a lot of excitement! 

Unspoken


Despite her superhuman strength and enhanced senses, Della Tsang's life as a vampire certainly hasn't been easy. Especially since she was reborn and bound to the mysterious, infuriating, and gorgeous Chase Tallman. 

But if there's one thing that's always kept Della going, it's her dream of being an elite paranormal investigator. Her newest case is the opportunity she's been waiting for, but as Della tries to solve the twenty year old murder and clear her father's name. She uncovers secrets about the vampire council. And about Chase. 

Feeling betrayed by all the secrets he's kept hidden from her, Della is determined to keep him as far away from her heart as she can. But she'll need his help to solve the case that will lead them into the darkest and ugliest vampire gangs in town and into the scariest reaches of her heart.


Unspoken is out November 13th, pre-order your copy...here!
Add it to your TBR...here


Manners and Mutiny

The fourth and final book in a steampunk YA adventure series, from Orbit's New York Timesbestselling author of the Parasol Protectorate series.
When a dastardly Pickleman plot comes to fruition, only Sophronia can save her friends, her school, and all of London...but at what cost? Our proper young heroine puts her training and skills to the test in this highly anticipated conclusion of the rousing, intriguing, and alwayspolished New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!

Manners And Mutiny is out November 3rd, pre-order your copy...here
Add it to your TBR...here

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Wishing For Wednesday #12

This week is yet another two of my most anticipated books, both are the next in two of my favourite series, so of course I'm really excited to finally get my hands on them!
The next is for all you Matched fans, it's the first in another new series from the Matched author and I think you'll agree, it sounds like a goodun!

Eternal


All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself. 

From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.


Eternal is out October 28th, pre-order your copy here.


In The Afterlight


Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. 

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.


In The Afterlight is out October 28th, pre-order your copy here.

Atlantia


For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.


Atlantia is out October 28th, pre-order your copy here.

Thursday, 24 July 2014

Reborn


Reborn
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: BUUUUYY!
Source: Book Depository

Okay. I wasn't going to review this, I bought this book because it's one I've been eagerly awaiting for aaagggeessss and aggggeesss, and I mean...it's just so good I have to gush! As you can probably tell, I'm a huge fan of the Shadow Falls series, I seriously plowed through all of them except the final one, reading one a day, then when the last book came out I bought it on Kindle so I could read it ASAP while I waited for a physical copy of the book to arrive. I've been anticipating Reborn for so long, and I loved the novella that came before it, so when it finally arrived, I was sad to have to put it to the side while I got on with the books I actually have to review. I finally finished this last night and it was so worth the wait!

I love Della, don't hate me, but I think I may love her more than Kylie. I connected with Kylie, don't get me wrong, and I liked her character, but with Della I connected a hell of a lot with her on an incredibly personal level which meant for me, this was an emotional read. Because of how much I can relate to Della and connect with her, as well as how much of a badass she is obviously, she just might be my new favourite. I loved how we got to have a closer look at her, and she what makes her tick, and find out more about her and why she is the way she is.

As usual with Hunter, all characters where written with depth, and they all jumped off the page. They really are a great cast of characters, let's be honest! I just love how they all have different personalites as well as the dynamic between Kylie, Della and Miranda.

Speaking of, we get to see plenty of Kylie and Miranda, and we get to see them through Della's eyes, which is intriguing as we've only had Kylie's perspective before, it was great to see what she thinks and feels about her friends, when we're only used to just getting glimpses of Della. I still love these three and their friendship and it was great to see it continued to the same standard as it was in the other books.

Don't worry Kylie and Lucas fans, we get to see them together being all cute and fuzzy and again, the new perspective is intriguing! We also get to see Miranda and Perry! Derek and Jenny....we watched this start to occur in the last book, and in this book we get to see plenty of Derek and Jenny, and watch their relationship grow and develop! SO MUCH ROMANCE I KNOW BUT IT'S ALL CUTE SO WHATEVER!

Reborn doesn't lack anything, it's written to the same standard as the first 5 books, there's no dropping the ball and not writing something as well, or writing something wrong or whatever. Everything is a perfect continuation, just from a different perspective.

As always the world building is fantastic, I have a very clear layout of Shadow Falls and the town in my head, and when you read any of the books, let alone Reborn, you can picture everything so very clearly, it's so cinematic and atmospheric you can easily picture it on the big screen. And wish a  movie was happening. Please. I'll settle for a TV show?

Reborn sucks you in from the first page, and to be honest, I had to force myself to slow down so I didn't read this in one day! I was glued to the page, and every time I looked up, reality was a disappointment, because quite frankly, I want to go to Shadow Falls!

I loved Steve. I love his relationship with Della. I love how he's so understanding of her, and how he gets her and knows why she's scared of falling for him, I love how he is with her and is protective. I THINK I'm Team Steve. But then....Chase did kinda save her life and go through pain for her, and he isn't a total dickbag, so my stance could change, but for NOW, let's go with Team Steve...then again he did let Jessie kiss him SO, I might just wait to hold my judgement!

Della and Steve's romance is written perfectly, he's kinda perfect. Reading them together just gives you the warm and fuzzies and makes you kinda jealous! Although you don't want to bang their heads together, because Della's all "you're not my boyfriend" and I was like "giiiirrllllll".

Now. There is so obviously going to be a love triangle in the next book BUT it's going to be an unusual one from an interesting perspective. What I loved about this is that Chase pops up, and you thought the triangle was going to start immediately, but throughout the book Della admits Chase is hot BUT she wants Steve. She only wants Steve, which I enjoyed because it makes a change!

Now the whole "bonding" thing is going to add an interesting dynamic to Steve and Della's relationship in the next book, because as I said, Della wants Steve, but from what we can see the "bonding" has changed Della's feelings for Chase and is going to cause trouble, which will be interesting because Della can't control it, it's technically the bond.

Oh, I nearly forgot, so much cute with Holiday and Burnett and I LOVED Burnett's relationship with Della, and I just see him as the kind of father figure Della has lost right now!
I loved the focus on Della's relationships with her family, and I was so devastated about Chan, and most of the time I just wanted to cry for her because of how she's treated and oh GOD. FEELS.

Another thing I loved about the book was how Della was all "YOU THINK YOU'RE SUPERIOR BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PENIS?!" and took no shit from any blokes, and called them out on their "you need protecting" and was all "girls are just as good as boys". I love how she dealt with sexism, Della is just such a good role model and the message of the book was so current to the time and important.

Which brings me on to the writing. The language used by the characters was current and up to date without being full of ridiculous phrases and stuff. The book was fast paced from the beginning with excellent flow because there was no overload of information bogging it down at any point. The narrative was engaging and entertaining, as well as emotional. You seriously can't put this book down, unless, like me, you force yourself to!

The plot drew you in from the beginning, there was some foreshadowing that you can pick up on that would tell you what's going to happen BUT I was too caught up in the story and "omg what's next" to pick up on it until an event had happened and I was all "oooohhh", that's not to say it was totally unpredictable, there where a few twists that I didn't get, and that where a surprise, but there where also a few that I did guess and did see coming, even if it wasn't until a page before it happened!

The plot gives us a deeper look at the Vampires of the Shadow Falls world, and in to a new aspect which explains alot about Burnett and is going to be fantastic to see explored from Della's view in the next book. We get to hear a bit more about the Vampire Council, and see more of the FRU. It was intriguing the entire way through.

There where kind of two plot threads, if you will. There was the whole murder, and Della trying to prove herself to Burnett and solve it. Which was made doubly interesting by the fact that Della can see ghosts, which is unheard of in Vamps, except for Burnett. That's an interesting aspect, and brings the creepy present in the other books!

THEN there's the whole Della trying to find her Uncle because her Dad's a douche, then the looking for Chan and what's wrong with Della throughout the book, and then you find out she's a rare bloodline and she gets to be turned twice, sort of, and only Chase can save her because he's already been through it but they'll be bonded thing. OH and the huge OH MY GOD moment when you find out Della's dad was a murder suspect.

I still love the whole premise of the series, the whole camp for Supernaturals masquerading as a Camp for troubled teens. I love reading about the environment, the different types of Supernaturals, and the romantic relationships, each different from the others.

Reborn is a fresh look at a well known and loved world, with well loved characters with a unique premise, and from a different perspective.

Reborn blends together the supernatural with murder, mystery, creepy ghostly activities, friendship, family, romance and action! It's fast paced, there's plenty going on for everyone, there's total OMG moments and you'll be left wanting more! I have no idea what I'm supposed to go and do until October now!

Fans of the series won't be disappointed at all, in fact, they're gonna love getting to know Della better and riding this emotional rollercoaster with her! Reborn has perfectly set up the romance, love triangle and mystery for the next book, but not overshadowing the story being told, almost as an afterthought!

Reading Reborn is like talking to an old friend for the first time in ages, you slip back in to this familiar world with familiar people, but gain new perspective!

With that....my rambling is done, and I'm off to try and coax away this book hangover!


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