Review: Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (December 3, 2012)
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

*Please note that it is very hard to review books past the first one in the series without having any spoilers at all. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, but if you haven't read the second book in this series, you may just want to read that review instead of continuing with this one.

Goodreads Summary
No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Glowing Eyes, Godzilla, Man-Candy, and Snow-Angels

Okay guys, this series has been added to my list of all-time favorites. I have loved all that has come out so far.

The Bad

I'm going to start with the bad this time, because there is simply too much good to get through. I was upset by the changes in Dee and Katy's relationship.

"This wasn't my best friend. And then it hit me. Dee wasn't my best friend anymore. God, realizing that seemed more important than anything else that was going on. Yeah, that was stupid when the big picture was called into play, but Dee was important..."

Dee had less page time in Onyx and I missed her. In this one, their relationship was in shambles and the Dee that I loved in Obsidian was no longer present. Due to the circumstances, I understand that it is this way for a reason but I miss the fervor and positive energy that she brought.

The Good

I LOVE how Armentrout references the fact that this is not a book IN the book.

"No. You don't get it." He turned to me, furious. "This isn't a paranormal fantasty or whatever the hell it is you read. There is no set plot or clear idea of where any of this is going. The enemies aren't obvious. There are no guaranteed happy endings and you - " He lowered his head so we were eye level. "You are not a superhero, no matter what the hell you can do."

Too funny. Then there is all the language that I absolutely adore. She uses quirky phrases that I use in my everyday life and you don't see too often in books, like "Sweet Baby Jesus" and "Total Fail".

Katy has been through a lot in the last two books, and this one was no exception. She is growing at a good rate character wise and her outlook on situations is changing. She is no longer a black and white person, but definitely seeing the shades of gray now and I can tell that in the more complex decision making that is shown. I appreciate how very protective she is of the ones she cares about even if she makes the wrong decisions sometimes in how to handle things. She is becoming more cooperative and realizing that she has to trust other people and open up more in order to stop being such a hindrance.

Daemon is still the unpolished and conceited alien that I loved in the other two books, but he is getting deeper as well. He is admitting (at times) when he is wrong and allowing circumstances around him to not always be in his control even if it physically hurts him to not be protecting everyone.

I was introduced to some new characters that I can't really describe without giving things away, but I will say that with everything that has been going on, I never know who to trust and I enjoy that suspense.

"And suddenly is struck me. This was my life - all of this craziness. The ups and downs, the near-death moments and those far worse, the lies and the fact I probably wouldn't be able to trust anyone who befriended me without worrying if they were an implant. And hell, how could I really befriend anyone normal? Like Daemon in the beginning - he'd stayed away and wanted Dee to do the same so I wouldn't be caught in their world. It would be the same with anyone I met. My life wasn't my own. Every moment was like waiting for the other shoe to drop."

The Romance

I don't know if I have ever really liked a couple as much as I do Daemon and Kat. That is all.

Conclusion

This was a great third installment to this series. The story is progressing naturally and is very entertaining to follow. There are plenty of conflicts to satisfy the need for overcoming obstacles and it is well balanced with those funny side junctures that make me fall in love with the characters. I can't say much about the ending except  - WHY?? I know the wait for Origin will be very hard. I most certainly recommend this book.

Excerpts

"Since Daemon hadn't gone ape wild on someone, I scrambled to my knees and peered over the edge of the bed. 'Holy crap,' I said out load. Our precious moment of being normal ended with a body lying on my bedroom floor."

"Going from shy, book-nerd Katy to something impossible; someone who had changed on more than a cellular level. I no longer saw the world in black and white and deep down I knew I didn't operate on basic social norms anymore."

"My heart tripped up. There were so many times I wondered if Daemon could read minds. He could be amazingly spot-on when he wanted. I tilted my head back against his shoulder, wondering how he'd gone from douchebag extraordinaire to this...this guy who still infuriated me but also constantly surprised and amazed me."

"There was a pause, and then his lips stretched into a smile. 'You're right.' Hell froze over. Pigs were flying. 'Come again?' 'You're right. I should've checked in at some point. I'm sorry.' The world was flat. I didn't know what to say."

"'He wants you.' 'Oh, dear God, he does not.' 'Whatever. I'm a guy. I know what other guys are thinking.'"

Review: Dead Witch Walking (Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison

Publisher: HarperTorch (April 29, 2008)
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary
All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party...and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining - and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead...or undead.~ 

Supernatural Shenanigan Filled Death-Evading Quest

I actually made the mistake of reading The Outlaw Demon Wails first in this series instead of reading it in the proper order. I admit to loving this series, and it is one of my all-time favorites. However, each book will be rated on its own merit.

The Summary

Rachel Morgan, an earth magic witch, has been bringing in "Interlanders" (supernatural creatures) when they step out of line as part of the Interlander Security Bureau or I.S. for 3 years when she notices that she has not been getting any worthwhile runs for over a month. While on a run with her pixie backup, Jenks, to nab a tax-evading leprechaun, she sees her old "friend" Ivy. In the shared cab ride back to the I.S., Rachel decides to break away from the Bureau for good and ends up taking their best runner, Ivy, and pixie backup with her. This causes a death threat to be put on her head and she becomes a "dead witch walking". Together, the three of them create the runner service Vampiric Charms and take runs together and separately. After numerous hi-jinks and shenanigans occur when Rachel tries to bring in businessman Trent Kalamack for drug running, she manages to evade the worst and comes out the other side a changed witch living in a church with a living vampire and a pixie clan.

The Good

I love the idea of The Hollows. This world is very unique and I was a fan of how I learned about it and how real it felt even though it certainly isn't. A genetically engineered tomato wipes out most of the population sometime in the 60's and the supernatural's numbers are close to the human's so they come out into the open in an event known as The Turn. After this, biodrugs are illegal so there are no more cures for Cancer, Alzheimer's, and more allowed to be created. Can you even imagine living in such a place?

Then there are the supernaturals: witches, warlocks, living vampires, dead vampires, pixies, fairies, demons, werewolves. The main character, Rachel, is an earth magic witch, but Harrison doesn't just create the template versions of these types of magical beings. Earth magic witches in The Hollows create potions the old-fashioned way in a cauldron and turn them into amulets instead of the more common wand-waving witches that I am used to. Rachel is sassy, prone to bad luck, and is admittedly drawn to the wrong men. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her head as this is a first-person book through Rachel's eyes.

Next is the living vampire, Ivy who was born with the vampire virus as opposed to the dead vampires that are closer to the creepy, no-soul, creatures of the night that I have read about more often. I really like the idea of how vampires work and look forward to seeing more of them in this series.

The best thing in the whole book to me though was the pixie, Jenks. When Rachel first meets him, she says she "finds him to be a pretentious snot with a bad attitude and a temper to match". His wife is Matalina, he has a ton of kids, and he is an expert at getting past cameras. He has the best laugh-out-loud one liners in the book and provides and excellent amount of comedic relief. Giving the itch is what pixies do third best. I personally enjoy his sayings like, "Sweet mother of Tinker Bell!"

The Bad

The beginning of Dead Witch Walking was on the slow side as Harrison is laying the ground work for The Hollows and Rachel's identity. I didn't really start falling into the story until Rachel starts to go after Trent Kalamack.

The Romance

There wasn't any romance in this one, but I will touch on the three main men that Rachel met (besides the oh-la-la Jenks who is obviously too small and already married). The first man introduced in person is the living vampire, Kisten. He is leather-clad with blonde hair, brown eyes, and stubble. She describes him as being dangerously pretty. Also, she notices that he has "a feral instinct governed by whim" and he scares her.

Next I met Trent. He is described so much that I actually can't touch on it all. He has transparent white-blonde hair, eyes a shade green she has never seen before, and a disarming smile. She finds him attractive but he scares her because of his reach.

Then there is Nick who is said to be somewhere between a young Jeff Goldbloom and untidy Buckaroo Banzai. I admit that I was wondering how she found him attractive if this was part of his description. He is tall, with pale arms, and a sparse build. While reading, I was trying to figure out if she even really thought he was cute. She mentions that he is safe and this one doesn't scare her, although I saw inferences to a shady past.

Conclusion

From the lead character in-over-her-head witch Rachel to the male pixy Jenks, who is anything but effeminate and likes to swear in Tink's name, it's hard to have a bad book with such great characters. I definitely recommend this one.

Excerpts

"Okay, I thought, taking a deep breath. I was living in a church - with bodies in the backyard - an I.S. death threat on me - and a vamp across the hall. I wondered if she would notice if I put a lock on the inside of my door. I wondered if it would matter."

"'What do you think he is?' 'Francis?' I asked, surprised she had to ask. 'He's an idiot.'"

"You forget your place. Leave Ms. Morgan alone. If you misjudge her and she fights back, it's not her fault but yours. You've made this mistake before. Repeatedly."

"What's wrong with your witch?"

"He's okay. He won't do anything to hurt you. He's got this hero complex thing going, and you seem to need rescuing. Just don't expect him to have your ideas of right or wrong."

Top 5 Sundays [5]

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.

Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)

This week's theme is:  Movies you are dying for in 2013!

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

January 25, 2013

Jack the Giant Slayer

March 1, 2013

Oz: The Great and Powerful

March 8, 2013

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

August 23, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
November 22, 2013

Special Mentions (Because there are way more than 5 that I am wanting to see): The Host - March 29, 2013, Odd Thomas - April 5, 2013, Iron Man 3 - May 3, 2013, The Great Gatsby - May 10, 2013, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - August 16, 2013, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - October 4, 2013, Ender's Game - November 1, 2013,  Thor: The Dark World - November 8, 2013, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - December 13, 2013

My 2013 Reading Challenges

I found some reading challenges that I believe really suit me and will be a ton of fun trying to accomplish. I will update the Paranormal Reading Challenge and the Sequel Reading Challenge monthly with my progress, and I will post my scoreboard and update the Book Bingo Reading Challenge every three months starting in April.

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

The Paranormal Reading Challenge is hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads! There are so many awesome sub-genres of paranormal books, that it's easy to find one you like and stick with it. So this reading challenge has the goal of reading about all kinds of paranormal creatures.

Guidelines:

• This challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
• You must have a blog to able to participate, since reviews must be added to the linky.
• When you sign up with the linky, please put the link to your post about joining the Paranormal Reading Challenge.
• You're welcome to list your books beforehand or just add as you go.
• Sign-ups are open until December 1, 2013
• At the beginning of each month, Auntie Spinelli will post a kick-start post, each month featuring a different category of paranormal creature. This post will also include a linky to include your reviews from that month.
• Each review you link will qualify you for an entry into the monthy giveaway and if your review includes the feature paranormal creature of that month, you get a bonus entry.
• Each book can only count for one category, even if it contains more than one paranormal creature. For example, Twilight contains both vampires and werewolves, but you can't use it for both the vampires and werewolves/shifters categories.
• Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a grand prize giveaway at the end of the year.
• If you read multiple books from one category, feel free to add them to the linkies. Don't stop at just one!
• Book can count for other challenges.

Each month, they will be featuring one of the creatures on the list at both Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads.
January - Vampires
February - Angels/Nephilim
March - Fey
April - Demons
May - Aliens
June - Zombies
July - Witches and Wizards
August - Mermaids
September - Dragons
October - Ghosts
November - Werewolves/Shape-shifters
December - Other


Read details and join in on the fun here

2013 Sequel Reading Challenge

This is another one hosted by Auntie Spinelli Reads. It is a challenge that includes all books after the first one in a series.

The goal: To read as many sequels as you can. You set your goal at whatever number works for you.

Guidelines

• The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st. 
• Any books started before Jan. 1 will not count.
• Any book after the first book in a series counts. Books in the same series also count.
• Novellas also count, as long as it is after book #1. (ex: #1.5, #2.5, etc)
• Sign ups will be open until December 1st, 2013.
• Add the URL of your challenge post to the linky widget. (If you'd like to wait, it's ok to use your blog URL and send me your link when you get the post up)
• At the end of each month I will post a linky for you to add your sequel reviews to.
• I will try to do some giveaways throughout the year for participants (as long as I can afford it).
• There will be a giveaway at the end of the year for all participants who completed the challenge.

My sequel goal will be 25~

Read details and join in on the fun here

2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Anne from Creativity’s Corner and Kristilyn from Reading in Winter are hosting 2013 Book Bingo.
It includes:

Reading the books in our TBR pile
Re-reading some books
Reading some new books
Reading books that EVERYONE but us has read
Reading books from series that we have started & have been neglecting


Of course, a challenge isn’t really a challenge unless there are some rules and guidelines:

• The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2013.
• If you want to participate, you can join in any time of the year! Feel free to write up a blog post with the rules linking back to my and Anne’s blog in your sign-up post.
• If you read one book for the “1 book” in any category, you can’t change it later on when you read another book to “2 books.” Once a square is crossed off, it’s crossed off for good! (Feel free to print off the scoreboard to keep track!)
• Books read for one square are for that square ONLY and cannot be counted towards another category. This is all about reading ALL THE BOOKS.
• The FREE SQUARE isn’t really a free square. In order to cross it off, you must read a book by either:

1. Reading a book picked by another participant, or
2. Reading a book in a genre picked by another participant.

• You can start your board over again, but ONLY if you receive the stamp of awesome by completing a blackout. The “winners” of the challenge will be the ones who achieve the most winning combinations by the end of 2013.
• You can feel free to post your reading list for each category, though it’s not a requirement.
• Having a blog or writing reviews for books read is not required. So long as you want to have fun, you can participate!
• This isn’t a race, but don’t be afraid to rub your reads in the other player’s face. This will be seen as encouragement. Feel free to use the hashtag #2013BookBingo on Twitter!

Read details and see the scorecard here

Review: Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen (August 14, 2012)
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

*Please note that it is very hard to review books past the first one in the series without having any spoilers at all. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, but if you haven't read the first book in this series, you may just want to read that review instead of continuing with this one. Also, I would like to say that generally the 2nd book in a series is my least favorite.

Goodreads Summary
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies...

Full of Alien Mojo, "B" Names, and Pen Pokes

I loved the first one in this series so much, that I immediately purchased this one and devoured it.

The Summary

At the end of Obsidian, Daemon tells Katy that he is up to the challenge of proving that they can have a love like her parent's. When Onyx starts, Daemon begins his wooing of Kat. While she is fighting to keep him at arm's length, a new guy has entered the scene and starts courting Katy as well. There are a lot of new surprises, secrets, and slip-ups.

The Bad

I'm going to start with the bad this time, because there is simply too much good to get through. Katy in this book was being one of those girls that I wanted to shake at times to make her see some sense. She admitted that she was constantly making mistakes and was a "failboat" so eventually she started making some sane decisions, but I confess that I was shaking my head at her often in the beginning. Also, Dee didn't come across as near wonderful as she was in the first one for me and most of that had to do with the fact that she really didn't have much page time.

The Good

It begins with a thrilling series of Daemon attempting to woo his Kitten. He is not as much of a "douche-canoe" as he is in Obsidian, although with the introduction of a new character, I enjoyed watching the jealous Daemon come out to play. I laughed out loud so many times during this story. What was the new guy's name? Bart, Biff, Bilbo Baggins...I guess Daemon will never really know. So even though he laid off being such a jerk to Kat, he still had plenty of snark to throw around and managed to get her riled up very often. Some of the lines that he let go of in the journey to court her were simply hilarious.

Katy had quite a character transformation as well. I told you above that she aggravated me with some of the choices she made, but she also showed a lot of loyalty, bravery, and just plain gumption. She was placed in some situations that had me asking myself what I would do in her place and she impressed me quite a bit. I still got some nice blogging scenes and watched her swoon over book boyfriends which is something I love about her.

"I think reading is sexy." Daemon smiled at himself. My brows inched up my forehead. "Do you now?" "Oh yes, and you know what else I think is sexy?" He leaned forward so his entire face filled the picture and nodded his head toward me. "Bloggers like this. Hot."

The story is progressing at the just-right pace. I think there is so much mystery and so much on the line for everyone involved that any of these characters could be out to get Kat, and the suspicion has me on my toes wanting to know every dirty detail about each one of these characters.

The Romance

Daemon knows that Kat has feelings for him and he likes her as well. The problem is that Kat cannot believe that he would feel anything if it weren't for the connection or the challenge she presents to him so she keeps him at arms length and tries to deny any sort of romantic feelings. The chase is on, and it was spectacular to read!

"Come and get it." Come and get...? Daemon placed half the cookie between those full, totally kissable lips. Oh, holy alien babies everywhere...

Conclusion

There are plenty of obstacles to get through, lots of secrets and suspicions, and a great deal of laugh-out-loud dialogue mixed with super hot chemistry. I would absolutely recommend this book.

Excerpts

"It wasn't real. I wanted what my parents had. Undying love. Powerful. True. A whacked-out alien bond couldn't do that for me."

"Dog-eared pages were the Antichrist of book lovers everywhere."

"Daemon frowned. 'I know it seems like a huge surprise to you that I do have feelings and therefore do feel bad at times for things that I may have...caused.'"

"'Do you know what I've been thinking about all day?' With him, it was anyone's guess. 'No.' His lips brushed the skin of my cheek. 'Finding out if you look as good in striped socks as you do in reindeer ones.' 'I do.'"

"We could trade insults all day. But this Daemon...this one who wouldn't give up was kind and gentle, funny and - dear God - thoughtful."

Sidekick Saturdays [3]

Sidekick Saturday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted here by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight
• Share a picture and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

This week's sidekick type is - Vampire:

My choice is Della Tsang from Shadow Falls

Della is a vampire that is best friends with Kylie and Miranda at Shadow Falls Camp. She is Asian-American, pale-skinned, with shiny black hair and eyes that change from green to gold when she is angry. She has a wicked temper and is often getting into bicker matches with Miranda that Kylie has to break up. She is very loyal and dreads spending time with her family. As a vampire, she has enhanced senses, speed, and strength. She even got her own short story, Turned at Dark.

Quotes:


“Wow,” Kylie muttered, and grinned.
“Yeah, wow.” Della leaned in closer. “I think Perry just grew a pair.”
Kylie bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. “If this was a movie,
there would be some music playing in the background.”
“I could sing,” Della chuckled.
“And ruin it,” Kylie teased back. “I’ve heard you singing in the
shower.”

_____________________________________________________


“Wow," Miranda said, "You'd better be careful Della. In the last few days, I think you've used up your vampire quota of apologies for the next ten years."

"Kiss my apologetic ass!" Della snapped.”

_____________________________________________________


“I'm find," her voice squeaked out. Remembering the maggots-and not one hundred percent sure the ghost had taken them with her-Kylie leapt up, yanked the covers off the bed, and tossed them on the floor, she backed away from the pile of bedding.

"Yeah. You look just fine," Della said sarcastically.

Kylie jumped from foot to foot and brushed off imaginary maggots that she felt crawling on her skin.

Della stood there in Mickey Mouse pajamas, staring at her as if she didn't' know whether to laugh or run.

Kylie stopped dancing and tried to breathe normally. "If I die, promise me I'll be cremated."

Della frowned. "Die?"

"Not that I'm planning to die anytime soon." She gave her arm one more swipe. "But still."

Della shook her head. "I don't know why you pretend you're okay.”


Who is your SkS?

Feature and Follow Friday [5]

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - The features this week are: Bookworms Avenue and The Book Asylum
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

I would have to say Harry Potter and the Bible, but thankfully the majority of the population has read these two. I will choose one of my favorites that maybe everyone hasn't gotten to yet.

So I'm going to go with Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Goodreads Summary
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. 

"Waiting on" Wednesday [5]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill (February 12 2013)
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Goodreads Summary
In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood. 

Teaser Tuesdays [5] - Merry Christmas!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you are all having a nice holiday hopefully with family and friends. Here is a shirt I custom made and gave myself for Christmas:

It says, "My Blog is better than your Vlog"

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Teaser:

"Grinning as if he didn't have a care in the world, he started sliding his arms through the snow, along with his legs, moving them like windshield wipers. Really nice-looking windshield-wipers. I started to laugh, but it got stuck in my throat as my heart swelled. Never in my life did I think Daemon would be into the snow-angel making business. And for some reason, that made me all warm and fuzzy. 'You should try it,' he coaxed, eyes closed. 'It gives you perspective.'"

Goodreads Summary:


No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review: Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (First Published November 2011)
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Slapstick and Sweltering Alien Paranormal Fantasy

After reading the synopsis, I knew that it would be entertaining if nothing else. In a couple of paragraphs, I have already read the phrases, "stab-worthy" and "alien mojo"...so, come on, I know this will be good.

The Summary

Katy Swartz moves with her mom to a house (with turrets?) in West "By God" Virginia. Her mother is a work-a-holic nurse after her father passed away due to Cancer. In an attempt to make some friends and appease her mom, she goes next door to meet her neighbors and comes face-to-face with a handsome well-muscled chest instead. Only, this chest is attached to a mouth that Katy can't help but want to slap, consistently. Daemon, and his twin sister Dee, are of the alien variety and end up saving Katy's life a time or two. Not only that, but Katy whom Daemon has dubbed "Kitten" steps up to the plate and returns the favor. By the end, Kat's life can't possibly go back to being boring.

The Bad

I'm going to start with the bad this time, because there is simply too much good to get through. The only bad that I caught in this book was how unabashedly mean Daemon is to Katy. It made me wonder how on earth, she could find him so attractive while he was being such a jerk. Katy says, "Daemon was hot, but he was a jerk." She also says, "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." Thankfully, I could tell due to some inference that there was a reason that Daemon was acting this way, but I still wonder how Katy can be attracted to him.

The Good

Daemon was so hot, she couldn't help but be attracted to him. Jennifer Armentrout gave me a character that literally swelters off the page. He reminds me of 'Got Milk?' ads because he is so often chugging it back. I was actually very proud of Katy because she went toe-to-toe with him so much and there was no backing down from her. Since Daemon calls her Kitten, I could tell that he didn't think her drastic stands had much bite. Their banter had me laughing out loud and shaking my head.

Katy herself was a fun character to get to know. She is a book blogger that doesn't think much about her looks and she really enjoys redesigning her blog and receiving new books in the mail. I instantly felt a connection with her as I am certain most other book reviewers did because she talked about posting Waiting on Wednesday posts and almost crawling out of her skin when her laptop breaks (I literally just went through this). She is not a push-over, too naive or whiny character. As a matter of fact, I often got to hear her inner dialogue telling herself to get it together, mostly in her father's voice.

I also need to touch on Dee who was a breeze of fresh air. She is described from Katy as not being bubbly,  just really alive. For me, she almost is the perfect best friend. Katy will need a friend that breaks her out of her shell and gets her to have more fun, and Dee fits this so well. Dee has a take-charge attitude and will get her to go watch movies or get together even when she would rather go back home and post a review.

The Romance

I am thrilled that I didn't see an instant in love from any of these characters. There may have been super fireworks of attraction, but not love. From what I said above, Daemon was so mean to her in the beginning that if Katy had fallen instantly in love with him I really would have had to stop reading. However, that doesn't say anything about their chemistry, which was fantastic. "Then I shifted my gaze, and my eyes locked with Daemon's. Even though several tables separated us, my breath caught. There was something...wicked in those emerald-colored eyes. Consuming. I couldn't look away, and he didn't either. The distance between us seemed to evaporate."

Conclusion

The concept for the story was very interesting and well executed. There weren't any huge information dumps that were hard for me to understand. I was a fan of the language and the way it was written. Kat's head is similar to mine and she likes to make up phrases that use the words: monkey, babies, ninja, and mojo. As I stated earlier, the characters are fantastic and the chemistry is off-the-charts. I could not set this book down until it was completed, and the instant I finished it I bought Onyx which is the 2nd in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Excerpts

"To Daemon, my arrival was the beginning of the end. The apocalypse. Kat-mageddon."

"'You sure are shy, aren't you, Kitten? I stilled. 'Why do you call me that?' 'Because it makes your hair stand up, like a kitten.' Daemon was laughing at me. He pushed back farther, the water lapping at his chest."

"I stepped toward the edge with my hands on my hips. 'Happy?' Daemon lost his smile and stared. 'I'm never happy around you.'"

"'Why don't you come here?' There was no way I was going near him. Not even if he dangled a cookie in his hand."

"His chest rose and fell, the deep bottle-green of this eyes shifting by degrees. It was a powerful, almost electric feeling that coursed through me - answering something in him? Well, that was strange, foolish, and illogical. He hated me."

Top 5 Sundays [4]

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.

Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)

This week's theme is: Books your are dying for in 2013!

All of these are continuations in series that I cannot wait to read more of. There are more books in 2013 of course that I can't wait to read, but alas I was asked to just post 5. In no particular order because the bottom two do not have covers released yet:

Ever After (The Hollows, #11)

by Kim Harrison

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

by Marissa Meyer

Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7)

by Patricia Briggs

Origin (Lux, #4)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7)
by Jeanine Frost

What are yours?

Feature and Follow Friday [4]

YAY! I'm featured!

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. - Thank you so much for hosting!

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: Activity! What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry? 

MY ANSWER: I didn't know the real effect that bloggers could have on influencing others to read particular books. When I first started blogging, I instinctively thought that you wanted to stay away from showcasing the same books as other bloggers or choosing the same answers for weekly memes. I have realized that as I see a book across different blogs, I will undoubtedly place it on my TBR list, and this is quite powerful. I have also started researching and am really starting to see the impact that bloggers have on getting the word out there to get people to buy books. I'm still a relatively new blogger so I haven't delved in much to the industry, but I am going to keep learning and growing. 

"Waiting on" Wednesday [4]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7) by Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (January 15th 2013)
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Goodreads Summary
Watch out for the explosive finale in the Blue Bloods series.
The seventh and final novel in the epic saga.

All your questions answered. . . All the mysteries explained. . . Friends reunited. . . Hearts broken. . . Will Bliss return with the Hellhounds? Will Schuyler save the Blue Bloods? Who will live? Who will die?

Teaser Tuesdays [4]

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Teaser:

"Hottie? Mom, that's just weird."

Mom pushed off from the counter, picked up her plate from the table, and headed to the sink. "Honey, I might be old, but my eyes are still working fine. And they were really working earlier."

Goodreads Summary:


Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review: The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen (January 2010)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary
Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

21st-Century Fey World Telling Both Cold and Amusing

This one caught my eye due to the beautiful cover and I realized that I was late to the party having not read this series yet.

The Summary

Meghan Chase is a girl reaching her sixteenth birthday living in the country with her mother, stepfather, and little brother Ethan. When Ethan is kidnapped, her best friend Robbie shows her the way into Faery even though it is strictly forbidden for him to do so. She meets the enigmatic Winter Prince Ash and with a bound promise from him and the help of Robbie who turns out to be Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, she clumsily makes her way to The Iron King in order to save her brother.

The Good

The imagery in this book is simply stunning. When you are supposed to have goosebumps and be chilled to the bone, you most certainly are. When you are meant to feel wonder and imaginative, you do. When you are introduced to the character that takes Meghan's breath away with his beauty and coldness, yours is taken as well. The characters are charming and easy to become favorites, even the bad ones. Not only that, but there is already some serious character development in the first book as Meghan starts out being an exceptionally naive and almost annoying character and grows fittingly throughout the book.

The Bad

In the beginning, I thought this was going to be a horror story or thriller instead of more a Paranormal read due to the content and became grateful when about 20% in it became more the genre I was looking for. This is just personal preference though as I do not tend to read books on purpose that will make me sad or scare me. Also, being a mother myself, I found parts of it unbelievable as to how Meghan's mother would behave.

The Romance

I have to say that you can tell Puck, Meghan's best friend, is seriously in love with her. So we definitely will have a triangle of sorts. The other love interest introduced is Ash who is the Winter Prince and is described well enough that you know she has some serious infatuation for him. He, on the other hand, is elusive and out-of-bounds.

Conclusion

The plot line was really compelling and makes you say, "Ah ha, yes that makes sense". I would definitely recommend it for anyone that reads Paranormal and Fantasy.

Excerpts

"Though, there are a few rare humans who can see through the mist and the glamour. Usually, these are very special individuals - innocent, naive dreamers - and the fey are even more attracted to them."

"'Don't be stupid,' Rob said mildly. 'You have no idea what you're talking about. You're thinking Tinker Bell, which is a typical human response to the word faery. The real fey aren't like that at all.' He paused a moment. 'Well except for the piskies, of course, but that's a different story altogether.'"

"He turned then, looking right through me, and I would've gasped if I had the breath. He was gorgeous. More than gorgeous, he was beautiful. Regal beautiful, prince-of-a-foreign national beautiful."

"I hoped Ash and Grim liked beef jerky, trail mix, and skittles."

"Grimalkin's gaze bore into me. He sat up straight, flicking his tail. 'My price is this,' he stated. 'I want to be able to call on you, once, at a time of my choosing, no questions asked. That is my debt.'"