Review: Strange Practice

Strange Practice
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Greta Helsing inherited the family's highly specialized, and highly peculiar, medical practice. In her consulting rooms, Dr. Helsing treats the undead for a host of ills - vocal strain in banshees, arthritis in barrow-wights, and entropy in mummies. Although barely making ends meet, this is just the quiet, supernatural-adjacent life Greta's been groomed for since childhood.

Until a sect of murderous monks emerges, killing human and undead Londoners alike. As terror takes hold of the city, Greta must use her unusual skills to stop the cult if she hopes to save her practice, and her life.

I was so intrigued by the sound of this, I'm thinking ooohhh Helsing...undead, various supernatural creatures etc but I wasn't really sure what to expect. As I started to read, I very quickly realised this was going to be one of my favourite books and series, and I completely fell in love with it. It's such a cracking read! 

 I was immediately hooked on the plot and characters. It's so fun, and so different and I actually found it to be a very refreshing read to be honest. I loved Greta so much, she had such a great narrative and point of view, filling you in on the different types of creature and other little bits and pieces. She made me fully cackle more than once. I was really rooting for her, and I loved that she was so intelligent and passionate about her work, and she was strong too. 

Ruthven is my second favourite character. I was like OOOOHH VAMPIRES YAAASS! HEY DRACULA! He was so freaking brilliant, and I loved his interactions with Greta. He too, had an excellent narrative and I loved all the little quirks about him and his personality and his history and oh my God he's just such a brilliantly created character and fits with literature about vampires and so on and aaaahh I love him! Lowkey ship him with Greta too. 

There's such a brilliant cast of characters, I loved Cranswell, Varney, Fastitocalon, Nadezhda....there are so many memorable and brilliant characters that you want to know more about and they're brilliantly characterised. I also ship Greta and Varney too! I loved the comments about his aesthetic too! I would LOVE to see more of Samael too, he was freaking hilarious. Like he had me in stitches and he's not there much. 

I loved the different points of view/narratives, they helped with the fast pace that the book had going from the start. It kept it moving forward and kept it fresh and in the case of the creepy POV, it added intrigue and mystery as you tried to put things together. I also really loved the history and mythology to the book too. I'm so excited by the world of this book and the characters and what's to come from this series!

Strange Practice is a refreshing, rich and brilliant read. It's fun, there's humour, mystery, murder, and even a little bit of romance too! It's kinda like CSI: Supernatural Edition. The characters are memorable, loveable and easy to root for, the plot kept you guessing and had some brilliant twists and turns. The world building is fantastic and I could see easily picture this hidden side of London. I'm eager to learn about more creatures, more mythology and lore, and more about the characters! Strange Practice is firmly one of my favourite books of the year, and it's my new favourite series. I can't wait for me and I'm eagerly awaiting any information on the sequel! 


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The Deathsniffer's Assistant

The Deathsniffer's Assistant
Rating: 3/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of NetGalley

After losing his parents in the Floating Castle Incident, the sensitive and mannered Chris Buckley has spent six years raising his magically talented little sister, Rosemary. They have been living on the savings that his once-wealthy family left behind. That money is drying up, and Chris finds himself with no choice but to seek out work in Darrington City as it spirals into a depression. The only employer willing to consider his empty résumé is O. Faraday, the manic Deathsniffer. Faraday's special magical gift is a heightened intuition which is invaluable in hunting down murderers.

When a Duchess calls on Olivia to solve the mystery of her dead husband, Chris finds himself tangled in Faraday’s daily life and unable to extract himself from the macabre questions of the investigation. His involvement grows more complicated as political forces close around Rosemary. They only see her as a tool that can be used to end the depression at the cost of her freedom—or even her life. 

Chris must juggle the question of who killed Viktor val Daren with the responsibility of keeping Rosemary and her magic safe from those who would use her up and toss her aside. Worst of all, he begins to learn that the national disaster that took his parents’ lives may not have been the accident it seemed.

So, the NetGalley backlog continues and this time we've got floating castles, an Edwardian setting with a twist, a lady detective, and a murder mystery twist. What's not to love about that? Or at least it should intrigue you! 

Now, while I liked this book, it didn't quite reach the level of excitement for me when reading, where I'd be babbling on in a review for pages and pages, but nevertheless it was quite a good read. 

The book is set in an alternative London and all things myth or paranormal are known of and are slaves to humans. They pretty much do everything. I enjoyed the magic system in this book, it was an interesting one and to me it was original as I haven't read anything like it before. People are categorised according to their abilities and there is a variety of them, and the book explains it all rather well, the main character, Chris, has a sister who has an incredibly rare ability and he has to look after her and so on and that's how he comes to be working for the deathsniffer. 

The murder mystery was very well done, there where many suspects and I found it very difficult to work out who the culprit was so I was surprised at every twist and turn, while chuckling over Faraday and her outbursts. 

The characters are difficult to talk about because they're each incredibly flawed and it's because of their flaws that I found them hard to like in the beginning to be honest. But then it's these flaws that eventually endeared them to me and made them some all the more realistic. Faraday, the deathsniffer, doesn't really care about others, and I have a lot of issues with people who aren't considerate to others so she got my back up once or twice until I started to like her. Although I did enjoy the fact she didn't care much for convention. 

Chris was, in the beginning anyway, to me a whiny rich person, who was now poor and couldn't cope basically. He doesn't care for people and he's incredibly resentful. In contrast to Faraday he cares more about convention than anything else. Each character is broken, and as you read you watch them come together and start to change here and there in little ways and it was interesting to read. Especially as this is only the first book so they both have a ways to go in character development, and the two of them, I think, will change more and more over the other books. 

If you're thinking Chris and Faraday are sounding familiar right about now, how they're opposites and so on, then you would be correct. I found the relationship between the two to be very similar to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Just saying. 

There were a couple of little things that prevented me from giving this a higher rating, despite the fact I was intrigued in the beginning, I couldn't get on with the characters until a little later in the book so it was hard to keep reading at the start, I only carried on because I was so intrigued. There were a few spelling and grammar mistakes, but I had an arc so I would imagine these would be fixed. There's a time jump in the beginning between the two first chapters that was incredibly jarring and mildly confusing as it switched POVs as well. We basically time jump 5 years from Chapter one to Chapter two and it's not mentioned anywhere that it's 5 years later so for the first few pages of the second chapter you're unbelievably confused at the new POV and everything. 

It too me a while to get used to the terminology used in the book as well. Like at least half of the book. It was much the same with the politics and the creatures of the world, I was confused for a good while at the beginning as I was trying to put it all together and build the world in my mind. I think the world building could definitely use some work as I felt incredibly confused, as if I'd missed something like missed a chapter entirely full of background, or had missed a first book or something similar. 

That said, I did find the book charmingly original, and once I got to grips with it I enjoyed it immensely, so I'll be intrigued to see what happens in the second book. 

The Zeuorian Awakening

The Zeuorian Awakening
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of NetGalley!

Lexi’s no ordinary teenager. She was born with the ability to read minds and sense danger. But on her seventeenth birthday, she realized how different she was after transforming, literally that is. Now she’s developing powers stronger than a superhero. But she’s no superhero.

Far from it.

She has no control over her abilities and causes accidents every time she’s nervous or upset, which being a teenager is hard to avoid, especially when the most popular boys in school are fighting to be with her.

If that isn’t bad enough, a stranger is following her. She doesn't know who he is or what he wants, yet he knows all about her abilities and that she’s developing more. And . . . he’s her only hope of understanding why she’s changing and others are after her. What she learns will send her life into overdrive.

Okay so, this was out back in March, and before you all go crazy thinking I have the worlds biggest TBR (I mean, mine is pretty hefty but I prioritise review books) I've been having Kindle issues. My Kindle is kind of old, and for months now it's not been working, and I have no other way to read Kindle books because I kinda prefer, like actual books, you know, so I was pretty screwed. The NetGalley piled up and now it's June, and I'm about to start working my way through all of my NetGalley books from March. Some are going to be hella late, but I'll still review them anyway. Now that my Kindle is fixed and has finally decided to cooperate, I thought I'd delve in to what was next on my list. 

Just looking at the book on GoodReads it seems to get a lot of negative reviews, but I actually really enjoyed this book along with a few others. Alright, yeah, there were a few bits that were a bit like "really" but to be honest, I'm in the kind of mood were a bit of cliche and a bit of cheese is exactly what I need, and everyone has times like that so I'm not counting it as a negative. Towards the end, I will admit, it did get a bit much towards the end trying to work out who the Watcher was out of these two boys, because boy one was convinced he was this boy and I'd like to know why so hopefully we'll find out in the next book, especially as boy two is so obviously him, but there was a lot of back and forth between who it was and did get a bit repetitive at the end, but it was when the suspense was building so I was like "whatever". 

This book is all about aliens which was a nice surprise as I wasn't entirely sure what her deal was, and it's always great to read a book with a creature, shall we say, that you don't really see much. The book had a really cool, thought out mythology to go with it as well, and a great background for these people and complex politics and yeah. It was pretty damn easy to delve in to the world and the politics. But all this background on Lexi and what she is, is saved until nearer to the end and you still get a lot of information about her and her people without it being an info dump. 

I couldn't really put the book down to be honest, because once I started to read and started to connect to Lexi and got sucked in to the plot and the whole "who is the Watcher" "who's after her" "what's going to happen with her powers" and various other intrigues, I was hooked and couldn't get the pages to turn fast enough on my Kindle. I mean that literally, like, my Kindle is really slow right now because it's still being a pain in the ass even though it's fixed and so I'm clicking next and waiting and then clicking it a million times like "MOVE FASTER SHIT'S GETTING REAL" and then I have to go back because it suddenly decides to move it's ass and goes too far forward, and I have no patience when it's all tensiony and suspense and everything. 

There was so much backstory that's gradually revealed to you as you read because Lexi has some memory issues shall we say, and each time you learned a new thing, it added to the intrigue, especially if, like me, you were trying to work out who the hell the Watcher was, what the hell she is and what the hell was going on. Literally, I was totally wrong on all counts and I literally had no idea who the Watcher was, I mean, I suspected, but then I suspected everyone and his dog. If it was male it made my suspects list. So I was surprised but also like "oh yeah" at the same time. 

The main chunk of the book is all about Lexi and her powers and who's after her and her trying to come to grips with everything but there's a nice little romance plot going on. Lexi has like three guys after her, and rather than it being annoying it was actually just funny, especially with two of them being Watcher suspects it made the whole thing more interesting and more complicated. I enjoyed the romance to be honest, I felt like it wasn't the main focus, I wouldn't say it was entirely subtle, but it wasn't all up in your face every five seconds and it did keep you guessing. 

I actually really liked Lexi like I said, I found her easy to connect with and root for and sympathise for, I was entirely on her side as I was reading and I can't wait to see more of her in the next book. I liked Everett, he's an interesting character and I'm excited to see and learn more about him in the next book, and I loved the chemistry between him and Lexi. Tyler I actually liked, and I ALSO enjoyed his relationship/chemistry with Lexi....right up until he started being shady af and literally being the epitome of dodgy. I mean, I shrugged it off in the beginning because he was a great character but then he went straight to creepy town and I was like "woah okay". Having said that, I can't work out what his deal is because at the end it just made me go "hang on....why are you so convinced" but at the same time I think Everett is who he says he is so I'm just like "I KNOW SOMETHING IS GOING ON BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT" so I kinda need the next book like.....now. I mean.....it's going to be an interesting love triangle from what I can tell, I'm just hoping the next book explains why Tyler is so cray cray because I'm really hoping he's actually still a nice guy. 

Now, I'd like to make a little mention here. As I said, I scoped out some other reviews and there were plenty negative (sorry to keep mentioning it) but what really got me is the ones that are saying this is a rip off of Obsidian. Now. I LOVE Jennifer Armentrout. We all know it because I mention it every time I get to review one of her books or a book that's like hers. Have you noted how I have not yet mentioned how much I love her and how much this reminds me of her Lux books? That would be because it doesn't. It's entirely different. I mean yeah there's aliens pretending to be humans and everything but unlike in Lux Lexi knows about her powers she just doesn't know what she is. It's entirely different. 

Anyways, the plot was fairly complex, the narrative was entertaining and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Lexi because she does undergo some development over the course of the book, not much, but some, like I don't think she's going to be as gullible/easy to pull the wool over her eyes because so many people have lied she's got wise to it and everything. 

The Zeuorian Awakening (sorry, I'd have mentioned the actual title more but it's really tricky to spell because my Mac keeps changing it without me realising and then I'm like "whaaaat") is a fast paced, paranormal story that will grab you and keep you in the throes of suspense and intrigue until you finish the book. You'll actually be racing to finish it and then be totally gutted it's over because of how much you liked the world and characters and how much there still is to find out. There's a decent dose of romance, but there's also lots to that plot that isn't romance so it has something for everyone. I for one am super excited for the next books and to see what happens. 

The Stars Never Rise

The Stars Never Rise
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: BUY IT NOW
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her. But not everything is as it seems, not only in her town, but with Finn. 

OH MY GOD MY LIFE HAS BEEN RUINED BY ANOTHER BOOK! Seriously. Like not even being over dramatic, this is the start of yet another fantastic series, that I'm going to be totally obsessed with, and you all know how bad I am at waiting for the next book in a series, and this is going to be one of those series were I'm desperate for the next book, and counting down the days, and posting that GIF from Titanic everywhere whenever the next books get near to release and so on. It's THAT kind of book and worst of all, it had SUCH an ending, like a cliffhangery one, everyone was heading in to danger and it was like omg you can't just reveal the reveal like that and then leave me hanging?! And I have this horrid suspicion about Finn and what's going to happen in his future and it involves Mellie and her predicament and I'm really hoping I'm wrong and that it's just me expecting the worst because I'm on edge because of the Game of Thrones finale tonight, and all I have to say, Rachel Vincent, is if you're thinking what I am thinking....DON'T DO THE THING I BEG OF YOU DON'T DO THE THING. 

Right. Now that's out of my system, lets get this review done properly! So. I LOVED the Soul Screamers series, I didn't stumble across them until the series had finished back in 2013, and I was able to buy them all in a set, and I had a really jacked up sleeping pattern at the time so I was practically nocturnal, and anyway, I read one book each night and got them done in literally a week. Anyway, I totally loved them and couldn't get enough of them and as soon as I'd finished I wanted to start reading, the series was everything you want in a good series, there was action, romance, humour, and it was totally surprising. Like I didn't see half the plot twists coming, particularly in the romance aspect, and so once I was finished I was sad because it was over. 

Then, not long after, I stumbled across GoodReads with a brand new book page for a new book by the author, and I've been SO excited for this book and the wait has seemed like it's been *insert Titanic GIF here*, so yeah, it's been a long and painful wait for me. I know I shouldn't have expectations, but because I loved Soul Screamers and I love the author, I had pretty high expectations for this book, as well as abnormal levels of excitement every time something new came out about it. I was not at all disappointed. The Stars Never Rise met my expectations, and them smashed them in to dust. I haven't altered the synopsis, because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, or take away the surprise element. 

From the very first page, I was sucked in to this world that was original, and kind of scarily realistic. I don't know quite what it was, but I could picture this world and the Church so clearly, perhaps because I would imagine things are kind of like that in certain areas of the US, not like...that extreme, but you know with the small town and the very religious people and so on. I'm kind of wondering if that was were the author got the idea! 

Anyway, the world was very well created, like I said, it was frighteningly realistic, and then with the demons and the degenerates, it was all very different, and to my mind, it's unique. I mean there are a lot of demon books, these ones had a feel of Supernatural to them, but I still feel like we have more to learn about them. The world is built from the first page, and as you carry on reading it gets built up more and more, and you find yourself totally lost in this little town, that's startlingly vivid. I was absorbed in the world of the book, and to me, that's one of the big things a book has to do or get me to do, in order for it to make my list of favourites. As well as having huge doses of originality which this book does. 

The book had spades of originality with it's world, and the Church, and the demons and the degenerates and the exorcists and then the whole Finn thing, which has me so very curious and also fills me with a bit of dread at the possibilities for what could happen to his character. Either way, I was fascinated by the world and couldn't turn the pages fast enough, I was lost to the book, lost track of time, and nothing could distract me. It's rare for me to try and juggle eating dinner while reading a book, but I did it for the first time in pretty much years, I think, for this one because I couldn't put it down, and then it was Kindle, which is easier to hold than a book while you eat, and to be honest, it wouldn't have taken much persuading anyway for me to carry on reading. The book pretty much enchanted me. 

The book has such a rich background to it's world and a rich history, and it was such an intriguing one, with bits and pieces of it sprinkled throughout the narrative, getting you more and more intrigued and wanting to know more about what happened to create the current world, not to mention wanting to know more about the actual world in its current state. We see one small area of the world, and in the next book it looks like we're going to see more and I'm really excited to see what the rest of the world looks like. What's so bad about the badlands? I mean, it's hinted at, and things are hinted at, but I want to actually SEE it! 

That's another thing, as you're reading, there's a very clear plot. Nina has to deal with Finn and co and the changes in herself, and get back her sister. It sounds simple, but there's so many twists and turns to the plot, it's hard to predict what's going to happen next so I was all fine with sitting back and enjoying the ride, being either shocked or delighted with the new developments. Now there's a couple of huge reveals, one involving Finn and one that I'm not even going to hint at, these two huge reveals not only surprised you and gave you plenty of intrigue, but they perfectly set up the next book without taking away from the plot of the first book. The second book was set up subtly and like an afterthought, but at the same time, you finish reading this, read the very last page and you're like, "YOU CAN'T END THERE!?" and so then you're having to deal with a book hangover and coming to terms with the inevitable wait for the next book. The world, the politics, the characters and the plots twists and turns all combine to make the plot fairly complex, but subtly so. Not "Damn I need to sit and think and concentrate, and write notes as I read to keep up" complex, but "deceptively simple until I smack you with my bomb drop and suddenly everything has changed and nothing is as you thought it was and now everything is intricately complex" complex. If that makes sense. 

The Stars Never Rise is very well written, it's easy to read, the prose flows smoothly and is paced perfectly. Little bits of info about the world and how things work are sprinkled throughout, and any larger passages with information are written concisely while giving maximum knowledge, and smoothly slotted in to the narrative. The world building is crafted subtly, the world becoming more and more real as you read. There's plenty of action, edge of the seat tension and suspense creating such a strong atmosphere it oozes off the page and engulfs you as you read, so you'll be reading a fight scene maybe, or one of the other tense scenes, and your heart will be racing and you'll be trying to read a lot faster than you actually can. This book is also quite dark, the darkness kind of oozes over the world and the plot, in the form of the, shall we say, punishments for broken rules and so on, among other things. There were a couple of grisly scenes that were so atmospheric you felt like you were there.  There's some humour and there's plenty of intrigue that will carry on in to the next books. 

There is romance, and I felt like, under the circumstances which were most unusual, it developed fairly naturally and I can't really say it's subtle, because Finn and his lack of filter, but at the same time, at times it was very subtle, it was just there and it belonged there. It's not really insta love, it's more like insta attraction, I don't usually like insta anything when it involves romance, BUT, (I have no idea how to word this so bear with me) it was written so very well, that like I said...it just fit. It seemed completely natural that it would happen, and it belonged there. There are, however, complications, very interesting complications that I have no idea what's going to happen with them. I literally cannot tell/see how they're going to pan out, I mean, I have a foreboding thought, but I'm usually wrong, so I have no idea how it's going to play out. So, you have this cute, warm and fuzzies romance thing going on, they clearly like each other, and at the end of the book....it's not all rainbows and unicorns and happily ever afters, because you know, there's more books, but also, there's a fairly huge obstacle to overcome. I'm SO excited to see how this pans out, seriously. The romance in Soul Screamers was so well done, and then everything flipped and I remember sat there with my mouth hanging open and my brain screaming "oh my god" at me, and I'm so excited because whatever the author does regarding these....complications, it's going to be big and surprising and totally  unpredictable! I have seriously never come across a romance like the one in this book. Ever. 

Now the last thing I need to talk/ramble about, is the characters. I LOVED the characters. Except for Devi, I kind of think she's a cow, but then I'm assuming there's a reason for it and maybe I'll grow to like her as more of her past comes out, and to be honest, she was kind of adding the humour at certain points and I found myself snorting so maybe I don't dislike her all that much. Each character is so well written because they all have a backstory that has contributed to shaping them and how they came to be part of this group, and the backstories for each character adds another dimension to them, making them believable and realistic, and making them pretty much step out the book. I'm so curious to know more about each of the gang and their past. 

Vincent has written another female lead that I managed to connect with near enough instantly and from that point on, I was in Nina's corner the entire book, rooting for her, watching proudly as her character developed and became kind of badass. Nina, to me, was such a mix of things, she was strong, she was brave, and she had a vulnerable moment or two I think, and she becomes so badass, she has so many dimensions, I really loved her character! You have to admire someone who's THAT good to her sister, I mean...I don't want to give anything away, but I think Nina, had the best reaction you could expect in this particular world, she was so supportive of her sister. I've also got plenty of admiration for her and the things she did so she and her sister could survive. I can't get over how much I came to love this character more and more as I was reading. I kind of felt like Mellie took her for granted a bit to be honest! 

Finn is another character I was delighted with, clearly there is something going on here, and I want to know what it is. I also want to know what's going to happen to him like....now! I want to know more about him and his past and what he is, exactly. Now as much as I love all the YA male love interests, Finn was refreshingly different. He literally has no verbal filter and it was completely brilliant, rather than him being all moody/broody/etc. I need more Finn! 

I also loved Grayson and Reese and I feel like there's more to learn about them, as well as Annabelle who we didn't really see much of, but I'm kind of suspicious of her because various other books/tv shows have made me quite distrusting of characters like her haha! There really is a whole cast of interesting characters that I have a desperate need to know more about! They, along with the world created, made it incredibly hard to leave the book at the final page. I did't want it to end! 

The Stars Never Rise is an original take on demons and religious fanaticism. The world was absorbing, harsh, dark and rich. The book was again, rich, dark, entertaining, atmospheric, gritty and completely absorbing, with characters with wildly different personalities, and intriguing backgrounds. The Stars Never Rise not only has humour, and action, but it has an atmosphere that slinks off the page and wraps you up so you feel it like a physical thing. The Stars Never Rise is full of twists and turns you don't see coming, and at times it has you on the edge of your seat. The Stars Never Rise is a fantastically strong start to yet another fantastic series from Rachel Vincent and I don't know how I'm going to cope in the wait for the next book!

The Eterna Files

The Eterna Files
Rating: 4/5 (2/5 if there is no second book and this is a standalone, see the end of the review for why)
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher

London 1882: Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police has just passed his test, and is newly appointed by Queen Victoria herself to Special Branch Omega Division. Omega's purpose is to investigate the paranormal and supernatural, whether people or events, secretly of course. Spire is skeptical of all things magical, paranormal and so on and with his desire to help people he's the perfect leader of the division. You see these aren't ordinary people, no the division is made up of spies, assassins, con men, scholars, scientists and a travelling circus.

Their mission is to find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality, and was dreamed up by Clara Templeton following the assassination of President Lincoln. But in the process of developing the compound, the hidden laboratory in New York was destroyed, and all working on it perished. Or did they? There's one who survived and the Queen is convinced the survivor has a sample of the compound and wants it attained at any cost. Even relations between the two countries.

Clara Templeton and her group are also searching for the compound and answers about what happened in the laboratory. Determined not to see the compound fall in to British hands, as none can understand what happened to America in the wake of the assassination. Luckily her lover is haunting her and his brother, and can offer them a helping hand then isn't it?

This book draws you in from the prologue with the assassination and how things got started, from that point I couldn't put it down and was utterly engrossed. The book is original, and set firmly in the Victorian era with a supernatural twist. It had a very nice gothic atmosphere which I particularly enjoyed.

I found myself chuckling along at certain parts of the book, and it was so fantastically written you got a feeling of the time and locations. Both of them. You see we switch between England and New York, and between characters and points of view smoothly to get a better picture of what's going on in both countries. Each narrative being engaging and actually adding something to the story. It was reminiscent of the space race to be honest, with how both teams in England and New York where searching for this cure for death (that's ominous enough) and both determined the other shouldn't have it, or both determined to be the first to it, you know, and it was a  bit silly, cos like I said....cure for death, but nevertheless fascinating and entertaining and at times frustrating to read.

The characters all came to life from the page, and where well written. I particularly liked Clara and I found myself enjoying her chapters more than Spire's to be honest. I felt like quite the traitor to my own country preferring the American chapters. The plot was fairly complex and was full of intrigue as you try to work out what's going on along with the characters. However the plot also provided a problem which I'll come back to in a minute.

This was hard to rate however, and I have outlined the good things about the book, I want to give it four stars and I will, but there where points when I got a bit bored with the book and the constant descriptions of corsets and how crap it was for women, we know, we all know, there's no need to come up with new ways to highlight the issue every chapter, and at points it was quite jarring.

The biggest problem with this book is however, also the plot. That doesn't make sense, I hear you all cry, but bare with me. You see, for how long the book is....not much happens, but a lot does happen, it's very contradictory, you see there's clearly something more going on, and the English and the Americans are oblivious, so not much happens on that front because the English don't decide to go over to the US to sort their shit out until the end of the book.

And the end of the book is a problem. NOW. This has four stars because I am assuming that there is going to be another book. If there is not another book, I shall amend this to a much lower rating of either 2 or 3 stars. 

A bit harsh, you may think, but let me explain. The book ends. Just like that. The English plan to go over to the US, nothing's really solved, and Clara has passed out with a load of ghosts screaming bloody murder. That's it. The book ends there, which is why overall, while a lot happens in the book, it ends up feeling like not a lot or rather not enough happened in the book, and it essentially feels like half a book. Now if there's a second book...no problem, in which case it's a fantastic ending because it's the ultimate cliffhanger, you're desperate for more, frantically clicking at your Kindle until you realise that's really it, and desperate for the next book.

If there is no second book then it's a very abrupt and kind of crappy ending. There's too many questions left unanswered, there's not enough resolution and it's incredibly frustrating because like I said, it feels like you read half of a book. The book literally ends mid climax and that is not okay, not because of like...feels and stuff, but it really isn't a great ending to such a fantastic book.

So yes, my review is contradictory and makes little sense, and is liable to change depending on what new information I receive after doing some digging. Apologies, but this book was right up my street, and was fantastically written and had so much good going on with it, but the ending lets it down tremendously if this is a stand alone book.

Echo Queen

Echo Queen
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: ARC Courtesy of the author!
Check out my review of Echo Prophecy, Book One in the trilogy, here.

As we rejoin Lex, it's just not her day, Marcus's eyes do some funky colour change business, then he tries to drown her in the bath....awkward. Turns out Apep, the thing possessing Set can now hop a ride in to Marcus too. Which kind of makes Marcus in to a really big threat. Luckily for her that really lovely doctor from Prophecy, turns out to be Aset, Marcus's sister, and she shows up in the nick of time, with some very bizarre instructions, including fleeing the present time to stay alive.

The next thing Lex knows, she's 4000 years in the past, hanging in Egypt with Nuin who's introduced her as his wife, and ya know...the goddess Hathor. She must train with Nuin to learn how to wield the power he gave her, and she must use it often, if she doesn't, the power will rip out of her, and it's not pleasant. While she makes something to help Marcus with his withdrawals, Lex will have to rely on the very moody young Heru, and as Heru....let's say, warms up to her, are things about to get very, very complicated?

While Lex is away, trouble is brewing, a group called The Kin are working against Lex and co and it turns out that two of their own are willing to betray them. The question is....which two? Will Lex make it back in one piece? Who's out to get Nuin? And can they stop Apep?

So, everyone who read my review for Echo Prophecy knows how much I loved it, and ya know...the series, so you can imagine my reaction when an email with this new installment attached appeared in my inbox! This series is literally the kind I've been waiting for, these are my perfect books, the blend of history, particularly Egypt, romance, action, paranormal and mystery is the kind of thing I've always been looking for but never found....until now.

I'm a history geek, and to cut to the chase, Egypt is a part of history that really intrigues me, and because Lindsey is like a freaking mind reader or something, in this installment she's all ".....screw it let's go back to Old Kingdom Egypt and hang out". Seriously, I've gotta give props to Lindsey for the sheer amount of research that went in to this book. I have never been back to Ancient Egypt, shocking I know, but we don't all have super cool time travelling abilities or a Tardis, anyways, the world building combined with the research of the time blended together to give you a real feel for what it must have been like to live back then.You could practically smell the (slightly icky most of the time) smells and feel the sun and everything was painted so vividly it's like you where there.

I loved the world created in the first book, and this one was just as all encompassing, so engrossed in reading was I, that I pretty much tuned the outside world out and a bomb could have gone off and I probably wouldn't have noticed!

I love how tidbits of history where woven in to the narrative, just enough to intrigue you and interest you, but not an overload. I love how much history is subtly woven in to the book, alongside the rich lore we have for Lex's people. Don't get me started on the mind blowing new installment to the lore regarding Nuin and ya know....the freaking universe. It's astounding how detailed the lore is, and we get more and more throughout each book and it's so extensive and detailed without bogging down the narrative. It's a wonder.

The time travel trip, the whole Nuin/universe thing and a couple of other little things all combine to ensure this continues to be one hell of a unique book, that you really can't put down, I think it would have taken a crowbar to get my hands off my Kindle.

I can't praise Lindsey enough for the narrative/plot line in this book. Like always, I couldn't figure out anything, I had no idea what was going to happen next so this was a pretty big roller coaster of a story for me. I probably should have, but I just had no idea where it was going next.

We have two perspectives going on in this book, while Lex is back in time, we check in with the present thanks to Kat, and I have to see the way it was done was flawless. The change was smooth, it made sense, and it was timed just right. We'd leave Lex and then it'd be Kat's turn, in one instance we missed out on Lex pretty much packing, but in the other we left Lex, and then when we returned to present day, Kat was reading the walls of Lex's sanctuary where she wrote down everything that had happened. I just thought it was so smooth and so cool how we left Lex.....turned the page...and it was Kat...but then we got a little chunk of writing from Lex that Kat was copying down that let us know what was going on before we caught up with the present time people. I explained it really shittily, but you'll know what I mean when you read the book, and I promise that it's way cool, refreshing and intriguing. Not to mention it smoothly carries on the story in a unique way.

Lindsey has done an incredibly awesome job with a very complex plot. Lex travels back in time, and you really do have to pay attention because things have to happen for Lex to be where she needs to be to go back in time, then before Lex returns to present time, she has to set up those things, run a quick rescue mission and so on. There's young Marcus (like...4000 years younger Marcus) and there's memories that have to be changed until she can come back and unblock them, there's a bonding etc etc, I don't want to give too much away, but this could have got reaaally complicated and a total mind fuck, but Lindsey wrote the whole time travel thing very clearly so it was complex, but easy to understand.

It's just kind of mind blowing when you realize Lex was behind EVERYTHING and you realize the ins and outs and in the present time you see something and then in the past you see what really happened and literally I cannot rave enough.

So yes, complex plot, very well done, with smooth narrative that was engaging from both POV's.

I still love Lex, I mean I would have freaked out more than once, but she just carries on and gets shit done. I mean she meets Heru's wives and kids, and yes she's upset in the beginning but when you think about how much it must have hurt, but she still lived with them all. She's an extraordinary character.

And speaking of Heru's family...how could you leave us hanging regarding a certain frozen in time daughter?!

Every single character jumps off the page, and comes to life for you. The depth involved with these characters is incredible. We learn more about Set and before he was possessed when he was a really nice person, we learn more about Kat, and we learn waaay more about Nuin and Marcus. These already complex and detailed characters keep having more added to them that just makes you love them more and more!

The final book in the trilogy has been set up perfectly and very subtly. We have an inkling of where it's going and what's going to happen next, or at least one challenge, but to be honest we don't really know, I would theorize something but I will be so very, very wrong!

Echo Queen is a strong sequel to Echo Prophecy, exploring more of the time travel aspect of Lex's power, and let's just say...shit gets real. Filled with all the things you loved in the first book, and then some, it's engaging, atmospheric and 100% enjoyable. It really is a must read, the book is incredible and this is one of the best series I've read in a loooooong time! Echo Queen is action packed, so much is going on there's never a dull moment, it's a truly fantastic blend of genres/features and you would be silly to miss out on all the fun!

Seriously, fun, Lindsey is nice to us and doesn't cause us pain and suffering ;)

Crushed

Crushed
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley
Check out my review for Cracked the first in the series!

When I saw Crushed pop up on NetGalley I was majorly excited, I'd stumbled upon Cracked and I immediately loved it, it was unique what with the whole Beacons thing among others, then there's the whole bit where you get the story from Meda's point of view, aka a demon and gleeful killer, but not unlike everyones favourite serial killer Dexter, she only goes for the baddies! When I finished Cracked I was itching for the next book, I needed more Meda in my life and her entertaining narrative, and luckily for me, NetGalley delivered....after an agonizing few months wait of course!

In round two Meda is at the new location for the Crusaders, who are currently building a new school, but until then they live in a place that could...well...let's just say it could do with a pick me up. She is a Crusader in training...or she would be if the Crusaders would actually train her properly, including in the use of magic. Meda is firmly on team "goody goody", determined to help the Crusaders and be a hero....or at least be good. Partly because she wants to, partly because she wants to do it for BFF Jo....it's nothing all to do with the fact that the Crusaders are the only thing stopping every demon in the vicinity killing her. Nothing at all. Much.

Looks like everything's going all fine and dandy for our reformed demon right? Wrong. You see the Crusaders still don't trust her, in fact they're well on their way in to making her their enemy. Forced posession...lock on her door....feeding only when they say and practically starving her, not to mention the constant bullying. Meda gives and gives, but it's never good enough for the Crusaders, and as they start to push her more...well...Meda see's no reason to remain on their side, particularly when they start trying to kill her.

Lucky for her Armand pops up. Remember him from the last book? Hot but incredibly shady? Yeah him. He decides he's bored and needs a vacay from the fiery pits of hell, and who better to hang out with than Meda? As their friendship forms, Meda can't say no when he offers her an escape from the people fast becoming her jailers and would be murderers. But can you really trust a demon? Especially when the Beacon Map and a Soul are prizes to be won....

"For a homicidal group, they're appallingly restrictive.
No, Meda, you can't leave campus.
No, Meda, you know you have a curfew.
No, Meda, you can't eat that guy."

First of all I should probably warn you all that there's scenes of intense murder and mayhem, Meda is after all a half Demon who does need to eat, and does so enjoy eating. There's some very intense Dexter Vibes with the whole "well....I'm gonna kill you because I need sustenance, but you kinda deserve it because you are a whack job serial killer soooo...."

"Karma, not unlike myself, is a bitch"

This time round I wasn't sure what the hell to expect...maybe some more friends for Meda.....or some romance or something, but I should have known I would be woefully wrong. C'mon Eliza, give the girl a break!

Crushed continues to be just as unique as Cracked, we see less of the magic and we don't get any new shreds of history regarding the Crusaders, we do get a glimpse more of the hierarchy and some of the higher ups, as it where. Crewe's take on demons and their hunters continues to be unique and a breath of fresh air, keeping your interest piqued, particularly with that little nugget at the end of the book!

"As they say, if you're gonna do the time, you might as well enjoy the crime."

That quote right there? Totally my new life motto, I mean c'mon, how could it not be?! As you can tell from the quotes I've skillfully nudged in to this review so far, Meda's snark game is still strong. In the first book I loved her wit, snark and dark humour, and I continued to love it in Crushed. Meda's narrative, while intriguing, does make you laugh a hell of a lot, whether it's appropriate or not!

Meda's narrative continued to be engaging, I still love that we get the story from the point of view of Meda, watching her struggle with what to do regarding the Crusaders and the Demons, you could really see how far her character has come since the first book, she tries so hard to be good, and to be honest seeing the killing bad guys thing from her perspective is always entertaining!

Meda is written so well, and with such depth that when you're reading, you feel whatever she feels. I mean I felt some intense outrage, frustration and irritation towards the Crusaders in this book and how they treated Meda but expected so much of her still. You are 100% on Meda's side throughout the whole book, following her thought process, rooting for her and so on.

"Like the last time I saw him, he is dressed entirely in black. As he's a half-demon and agent of evil, I can only assume it's his standard uniform."

Armand. Oh Armand. Dammit all to hell. I really liked him, I mean at first, like Meda, I was wary of him, he had shady written all over him, but I ended up really liking him. I was rooting for Meda to finally get someone who understands her 100% and who's there for her, who would stand up for her and everything, and I really thought it was gonna be him and I was rooting for Meda to get some love finally but nooooo. I think I spent the end of the book ignoring the obvious outcome because I really wanted to believe he was looking out for Meda. I mean he was.....sort of? But still. I don't think we've seen the last of him though. *Ominous music* Armand is every bit as complex a character as Meda is, he's not as human as her, but he has his reasons for his actions that are intriguing.

Jo and Chi continue to be fantastically written and I love Jo and how she's Meda's personal cheerleader at times, with the whole be good thing and how she's always looking out for her. In full "Mind meld with Meda" mode, I spent most of the book thinking, wow Jo became SUCH a bitch, like how could you do that, and then at the big reveal I was like "wow I'm stupid.....and I feel bad now" I just love their friendship to be honest. It's fantastically written, and Chi's well.....Chi.

The plot was intriguing, watching Meda make her choice and seeing where the story was going to go...over to the dark side or staying on the good side. It's also set up what appears to be a promising third book. As I said we've not seen the last of Armand and there was a nice little bomb drop right at the end which has opened up so many possibilities. Not to mention needing to know what happens next. While there is a plot, to me, a lot of the book was Meda being tested, testing herself even, to see if she can really remain this good person that she wants to be, and proving herself to the Crusaders. But the plot was well devised all in all.

Crushed is a fantastic sequel that surpasses Cracked, in my opinion. Fast paced, concise and with plenty going on to keep you interested...although Meda's inner commentary is enough to amuse you and keep you highly entertained if not! I'm excited to see where the series is going to go!

Deadly Curiosities

Deadly Curiosities
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

Deadly Curiosities is one of those books that you request to review, and you're so excited to read it you can't wait to be accepted. The synopsis immediately piqued my interest, antique and curio shop....shadowy alliance of mortals and mages...supernatural items...being able to touch stuff and know it's history (one of the coolest gifts ever)...500 year old jewel thief vampire (I can smell the romance already)...I mean, it has all the hallmarks of a great read, not to mention the third bloke on the cover that screams love triangle, and frankly, I wasn't disappointed.

While you might read the blurb and think it might be like any other supernatural books with vampires, or a bit of fluff or whatever, while there's nothing wrong with that, this book is so far from being a bit of fluff. I'm always looking out for books that are intriguing to me, but also unique or a bit odd or wacky, not a cookie cutter book basically. Just from the blurb I was drawn in because it sounded like I was in for a treat.

As soon as I started reading, I immediately slipped in to the familiar world of Urban Fantasy, slipping in to the story was like being wrapped in your favourite blanket, while the genre was familiar, and some aspects where, there was plenty in the  book to make it unique and stand out, and as everyone who reads my reviews knows...I love unique! However, those aspects I just mentioned? The ones that add to the whole "favourite blanket thing"? Those would be the wording used. I'm a Mortal Instruments fan and for me, the only other time the word Mundane has been used to describe regular people is in TMI, so for me while at first it was bit of a jolt, the familiar terminology made it easy to slip in to the book.

The world Martin has created was truly very well written. I mean, I want to move to Charleston, the pull is so great. A lot of the time we just get the whole "the town is called this, this happened and blahblahblah" which ya know, is kinda great cos you're not bogged in information, but I've got to say, I was loving the rich history of the place woven in to the book, not to mention the culture, it was all included expertly with no info-dump of doom. Martin really is talented, the blend of all that rich history and culture with the fictional paranormal elements was truly perfect.

The world was written so very atmospherically and cinematically, that you can so easily picture yourself strolling down the sidewalks, perusing the antique shops, sitting outside a cafe for lunch, then checking out the museums before heading back to the B&B to have dinner before hopping on a ghost tour. It's the kinda place you can just imagine living in so easily. Which sounds weird, but yeah.

For me, the pacing at the beginning was perfect. I eagerly started to read, and I was hooked straight from the beginning and unable to put the book down, although the pace burned out towards the middle, then picked back up for the end, it wasn't for me personally, a struggle to get through, I just couldn't put the book down despite the pacing issue.

Characters, well, I rarely get to read an Urban Fantasy book where the characters have such natural and modern voices. Usually it's either too modern/try hard, which means that every single phrase or saying or abbreviation (totes for example) is used so much you lose the will to live, or it's kind of just blah. The narrative and the characters voices was smooth like chocolate! (har de har) Martin has written her characters so well, and with such depth that even the secondary characters jump off the page and shout "Look at me" at you.

Now, as I said before, when reading the synopsis, I could practically smell the romance. Turns out I might need to have my nose checked out. There was no romance going on, which I was a bit sad about, because I figured there was a prime opportunity and I was expecting it, but the disappointment soon faded because it was quite refreshing for there not to be a romance. Not to mention the fact I've read far too many books of late where a romance has been awkwardly shoved in when it really shouldn't have even existed and thus made me hate the book. Depending on where you fall on the whole "I NEED ROMANCE" and "'I'm really not fussed" you'll have a different opinion.

Now History nerd that I am, I loved the flashbacks whenever our lead touched an item, they where written with just as much care and detail as every scene in the book, and where so vivid. The pure amount of hauntings, paired with the creepy flashbacks, usually featuring death, gives this book a ghost story type feel, which really makes it stand out from every other Urban Fantasy book on the shelf.

Another thing I loved about the book was that when it was dark, it was DARK, nothing was done halfway or half assed, but this was tempered by the humour present in the book.

You can always tell when a book is exceptional when you want more, and I most certainly want more of Deadly Curiosities, I'm eagerly awaiting the next book, and I'm tempted to check out Soren's series while I'm waiting!

Deadly Curiosities, is a unique, and intriguing new addition to a tired old genre filled with samey books, once you dive in, it's impossible to get out, the book remains glued to your hand and you're left wanting more! It's also refreshingly free of romance, although I was expecting a love triangle thanks to the cover, not gonna lie!

The Source

The Source
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: BUY!
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley!

The Source is another of my most anticipated books. Yes I know I have a lot of those, but I love a lot of series, and find lots of new ones every day! I loved The Line, I wasn't expecting the amazingness that was that book when I started reading, and I was sad to finish it. I honestly could not wait for this book, and I was so psyched NetGalley had it available to request!

When we rejoin Mercy, she's in charge but she's struggling to control her new powers. Not to mention she also has to deal with being pregnant, and that whole heartbreaking betrayal shabang. As if she wasn't stressed enough, her mother, who's been thought to be dead for years, pops back up. Cue trust issues with the family, and a quest for truth!

Once again, I loved the setting of the book, the author writes about it so vividly, you can practically believe you're there, with the sun shining down on your face. It's a world that's written so realistically, you feel like you've actually been there, and you never want to leave! I was so pleased that was still going strong in this book.

Mercy, I was worried about. A lot of times in sequels, the characters suffered, but Mercy continued to be one of my favourite characters. She was just as strong as she was in the first book, and I loved that. Personally, I'm surprised she didn't have a mental break down, if I was in her situation, I'd probably have curled in to the fetal position with a tub of Ben and Jerry's and Netflix. Peter was still as annoying to me as he was in the first book. I don't like his character, I feel like he's not the right love choice, but he seems to be capable of change, so we'll see.

As for the other characters, well, you gotta love them because every one of them has a different agenda, and good luck working out what's going to happen next. I tried, and I failed, and I loved how I couldn't predict what was going to happen next, I read so many books where I enjoy them, but they're predictable, and The Source, just like The Line, is so unpredictable it's quite scary. Especially as the author has you so emotionally invested in the characters, you're likely to have an emotional break down if anything bad happens to them.

The characters have really developed since the first book, and it's great to see that happening, and see things moving along. As I said, each character has their own agenda, and each character is equally as complicated. I enjoyed how the author pretty much managed to write the book, so you feel exactly who Mercy feels. You spend the entire book not knowing who to trust or believe, just as much as Mercy, and if that doesn't keep you reading, I don't know what will. The characters are revealed to have flaws, and I love when characters aren't perfect, and there's plenty of interesting backstory to keep you entertained and satisfied.

The Source is every bit as fast paced as The Line. You're engaged and intrigued throughout the whole of the book, it's impossible to put down, I really didn't want it to end to be honest, and I'm super excited about the third book.

The Source is a fun read, the author continues to write characters who jump off the page, and continues to create a world that sucks you in, so you can truly escape in to the story. Sequels are often disappointing compared to the previous books, but I was incredibly impressed with this sequel, it was equal to, if not better than The Line.

The Source is an astounding sequel to an incredible first book. A battle of good and evil, a plot so complex Sherlock Holmes won't be able to work out what's going to happen, who's going to win and who's on who's side. As soon as you start reading you step in to a world that you can't and won't want to leave, with characters that jump off the page and keep you entertained, not to mention so much intrigue it's enough to make you crazy! GIMME BOOK THREE NOOOOWW!

Scala

Scala
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

Myla Lewis is back and this time she's transformed in to the Great Scala, which means she's the only one who can move souls about from Purgatory to Heaven or Hell. Except Lucifer's Orb, an artifact, is messing with her ability, and forcing her to send souls bound for Heaven, to Hell instead. Sending the souls bound to Heaven, innocent souls, to Hell is not Mylas style. She's gone on strike until the Orb is dealt with. Except, there's so many souls, with nowhere to go, the Soul Storage buildings in Purgatory are becoming time bombs. Eventually the containment fields will burst, releasing very, let's just say 'upset' ghosts. Myla needs to find the Orb and destroy it so she can send the souls on their way but she's running out of time.

Cue Mylas old enemy Lady Adair popping back up causing a ruckus. A ruckus that involves taking away everything from Myla, everything she holds dear, including super cute Prince Lincoln, her Angelbound love. Not cool.

I loved Angelbound, it was so incredibly unique from everything else, and as everyone knows I love books that have something unique. It's not that I'm getting bored with all the books that are pretty similar to others in the genre, it's that they're usually so predictable and you feel quite jaded guessing every twist and turn.
I was so stoked that Scala continued on all the uniqueness of the first book and I loved it just as much.

Myla is one of my favourite leading ladies, I want to be her, seriously she's so badass. Myla has a mouth. She can snark to rival me, which is quite a feat. You can take lessons from Myla about how to get yourself out of situations your mouth gets you in with minimum damage. I love that. Myla is a character I can still relate to in the second book, and still root for her and support her the whole way through the book. It's so easy to read her narrative, she's got such a spark that draws you to her. Now the first book is so incredibly unique because there is no insta love between Myla and Lincoln, and I loved seeing them together again, I felt very satisfied with the way their relationship was going and the path it was taking.

Adair is that character that, in the first book, was a mild irritant. She irritated you, you wanted her to piss off, she never would, but she proved how ridiculous and silly she is and Myla won out. When she comes back in this book, well, the author has written her so well that I felt an outright hatred for her, not the "oh you love to hate her" hate, but the "I really would love to punch you in the face with a brick" hate. Be prepared.

The plot, for me, was great, mostly. The plot was intriguing, with the Orb and the threat and the whole trying to work out the bigger picture and such. I just felt annoyed more than once because Adair was the one being the baddie, and she came across as annoyingly spiteful, as well as inspiring as I said before, lots of hatred. I'm not down with the whole "trying to steal my man back and ruin your life even though you're the better candidate for the job", I don't enjoy reading those types of plots, which was disappointing for me.

Having said that, the flow was fantastic again, as was the prose, not to mention how the different parts of the plot eventually fit together and where written.

This book is a lot shorter than the first book, which is really a shame because I felt like some things where rushed a bit and not as fleshed out as they could be, we didn't get to spend much time in the world. I think because of the lack of length to the book, some really great opportunities where missed.

As soon as you had settled back in to the world and got engrossed in the book, it ended. Scala unfortunately did get taken down with a minor case of second book syndrome, which is such a shame because I was so excited for this.

While Scala falls to second book syndrome, which is disappointing, along with it's shortness, to fans who where super excited for this book, it was still an enjoyable read with a familiar world, and characters you love and come to love more. The plot, while personally to me being over shadowed by Adair and everything, was still written very well, although opportunities had been missed. There where plenty of twists and turns for you to guess at, but eventually be proved wrong. Don't get me wrong, while there where a couple of minor bad things, the book still sucked me in from the beginning and still made me laugh, which are two important things for a book!

I'm excited for the next book, and hoping it'll be longer, and succeed the second book!

The Dark King

The Dark King
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

As we dive into the second installment of the Fae trilogy, darkness is descending over Roanoke Island. If memory serves, we left off with Devilyn crossing over to the world of the Dark Fae to become their King. His job is to fulfill the prophecy that states he will unite Dark and Light Fae once and for all. Except since crossing over to the Dark Fae...he's been a little different. Those closest to him, those who love him, worry that he will never be the same again, that every trace of Light he once had is gone and that most importantly, he cannot be trusted.

Caroline, the final heir of the Light Fae and so on, abandoned by her true love (see above), has to get on with things without the protection of her one true love (or memory of him). She has to evade those in the Dark court who want to destroy her and she has to embrace her own strength to do so. Turns out Caroline has a nifty little talent...she can use Light to change a Fate itself.

Caroline and Devilyn have some insane chemistry as readers of the first book will recall, and they have that whole destiny thing but unless they can get the will to overcome the The Darkness and The Fates...destiny might not be so inevitable.

So, I loved Fae, NetGalley has so many awesome books, but when they're a series you're left scouring the new additions pages to find the next in the series, and I honestly did a double take when I spotted this. I was so excited to read the next book, ordinarily I'd have re-read the first book, but I didn't have time to do so, so I was working off of what I could vaguely remember, luckily C.J is good at refreshing your memory!

I gladly leaped back in to the magical world the author weaves with such skill. I mean with the ending of Fae, I couldn't read this installment fast enough. The first book hooked because of the whole Lost Colony thing, with me being such a history geek I couldn't resist, but I carried on reading because of the characters and the plot. The Dark King hooked me right from the beginning and I couldn't stop reading!

The Dark King is every bit as fast paced, action packed and hard to put down as the previous installment. Lots of sequels fail to measure up to the first book, but The Dark King more than  matches up, if not exceeds entirely, the first book! It was the perfect sequel.

I was excited to see how the characters would react to the end of Fae, and I must say, I really enjoyed the character growth from certain characters. I love watching characters grow and change, don't worry though guys, Devilyn's love for Caroline is still going strong, that doesn't change one bit! The character growth, for me, made the characters even more likeable. I loved watching how Caroline accepted her fate/heritage this time round, and had a totally different attitude about it, as a result. Titania...well her character growth is truly astounding, she's totally different from Fae, and I'm growing to like her quite a bit! I was also super excited to discover new characters in the book!

The new characters where written with as much care and detail as our characters from the first book, each with plenty of depth and brought to life on the page quite realistically. Did I mention one of the new characters is a boy who's after Caroline? No? Well, all I'll say about that is that it was very well written, usually that sort of thing can irritate me if it's not done correctly, but it's like Abedi gets inside my head and knows what I want to see! Don't worry though, I wouldn't class it as a love triangle! This new development was interesting, added some drama, and gave Devilyn a kick up the ass, I'd say.
There is, however, more than one character that I could quite happily hit in the face. With a brick. It's a testament to Abedi's writing that I actually got so angry just from reading about fictional people, but there you go. Abedi can really get you emotionally involved in the book, which is always a good thing!

I really had missed this world. Everything is written so vividly you can picture it all clearly like a movie playing in your head, and the characters are all written so well you get quite emotionally attached to them. The Dark King was no different, and there where moments where I really wanted to smack Devilyn for the whole "pushing her away" thing. But I wouldn't really because at the same time you get such insight in to the characters you kinda just wanna hug him as well. I enjoyed seeing more of the friendship between Caroline and Teddy, it's expertly written and brings a smile to your face to read scenes with them. The banter between them reminds me of myself and a couple of my friends every know and again, not going to lie!

I was pleased to see Odin, among others, still present. In the first book, the thing I really loved was the mythology of the Fae and the Norse mythology element all mixed together, and I was pleased it was still present, and not totally shoved to the side in favour of action and such, like a lot of authors do. I just can't get enough of it!

To the plot then! I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give it away. We have a lot of different threads coming together, and really building up to what I'm hoping is going to be a spectacular conclusion. There's a lot of the whole pushing Caroline away and trying to get her to hate him type thing for the first half, and the last half (which involves a camping trip), was where the action really took off. That doesn't mean the book wasn't fast paced from the off, and doesn't grip you from the beginning because as I said, I was hooked the whole way through.

Now, I read so many YA paranormal romances, I've experienced this feeling so many times, mostly with Gena Showalter (Alice Through the Zombie Glass), Sarah Rees Brennan (Unspoken etc) and Cassie Clare (ANY Mortal Instruments book), and yes I'm putting Abedi with them. Whenever things get all happy and things get fixed and it's all going swimmingly, no matter how many pages are left, I get suspicious. Really suspicious. Because I know somethings going to happen. Something's going to go wrong and everything's going to go wrong. Abedi gets to join these three prestigious authors because as I said, I'm always suspicious and rightly so. The cliffhanger literally came out of nowhere and I just sat there for a while like "what the hell just happened?!"

I'm not going to lie, I read fast, and I whizzed through this in a couple of hours because I just couldn't put it down. It was so fast paced, I couldn't find a place in the book for me to end it, so I settled down with some green tea and popcorn and sat gripped by the book from start to finish. More than once with everything going on between Caroline and Devilyn I may or may not have muttered "OH COME ON" more than once! For me their relationship was written so perfectly in the first book, it took time, and I like how the relationship continued to be written realistically and enjoyably, the author knew where the boundaries where between enjoyable and dragging something out.

The Dark King continues the standards set down in Fae. The world is a familiar one, and every bit as magical as it was the first time round, with everything painted clearly for you with a few words. The characters growth, in some cases, makes you love them more, and watching the characters so obviously grow is satisfying. The mythology is still going strong, and the threads of the plot are twining together to create something truly amazing.

The Dark King has everything you could want, romance, action, magic and much, much more. Gripping you from the start, you find yourself frantically turning pages to get to the end, unable to guess or predict any of the plot twists, you find yourself gasping, and unable to put the book down for ANYTHING. The Dark king really will make you quite emotional, such is the way the book pulls you in. Fast paced, full of action, and a perfectly written romance The Dark King is a strong installment in the trilogy.

As always the only thing I didn't like was the cliffhanger at the end, because I just can't cope with them and the waiting for the next book in the series, and the needing to know what happened so incredibly badly!