Saven Disclosure by Siobhan Davis - 4.5 stars

Book 2 in the Saven series

Previous Saven Series Review:

Saven Deception (#1)

Saven Disclosure by Siobhan Davis
4.5 stars

First off, holy cliffhanger Batman! Oh boy, this book took me for a ride. I guess I should have been expecting a lot of twists and turns because there were many in Saven Deception but I wasn't prepared for all of the ones that were thrown at us. Yet another unpredictable installment in the series. I honestly have no idea where everything is going.

Poor Sadie. She's in love with an alien who also happens to be the Crown Prince of an alien race that has infiltrated Earth. She receives a lot of hate from all sides and it doesn't help that Logan is mostly out of the picture. He's off trying to make sure another alien race doesn't invade Earth. Sadie is stuck with Haydn, Logan's bodyguard and she's basically living in a gilded cage. Logan wants her safe which means he must treat her like a little porcelain doll. I'm so glad when Sadie grows a backbone and finally rebels against her restricted lifestyle.

Sadie is forced into keeping many secrets. She's keeping secrets from Logan, from the rebels, from Jared, from everyone. She never thought of herself as a very good liar but lying was something she had to do to keep everyone safe. She's being tasked with impossible things and the strain is starting to show. When she finds out her brother and sister have been taken to sector 20, she refuses to leave her siblings to their possible fate of becoming mindless drones. Then all hell starts to break loose.

We are introduced to new alien races and we actually get to see Sadie leave Earth all together. It was very exciting to see the Saven universe expand. We are introduced to interesting new characters while many others fall into the background. Some of the characters I was sad to see go while others, like Dante, I was very happy with. The Dante interactions in Deception left me feeling slimy. Such brilliant writing.

I like that Sadie becomes stronger physically as well as emotionally. She's not a brilliant fighter but Haydn's self defense lessons definitely made a difference. It added a little more excitement to things. She doesn't want to be a damsel in distress but when Haydn tries to train her with guns and knives, she flat out refuses. Having a weapon certainly would have helped out at one point in the book but, oh well.

There is a minor love triangle. It's an annoying thing and I hate that it's causing friction between a friendship. It's such a small one that happens towards the last third of the book so it wasn't overwhelming present. I just hope it isn't dragged out into book 3. I also would like Logan's over-protectiveness to be toned down a little. It's grating on Sadie's nerves as well as mine.

Warning: there is a cliffhanger but we do get an author's note at the end stating that there is a novella that picks up right where Disclosure ends. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers but I think this was well done. Some authors seem to do it on purpose but this was a natural ending. I applaud Davis on that. She's a great writer and I definitely liked this book. Anyone who enjoyed Deception will definitely enjoy Disclosure.

Up next in the series: Saven Denial (#2.5)

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Saven Deception by Siobhan Davis - 4.5 stars

Book 1 in the Savan series

Saven Deception by Siobhan Davis
4.5 stars

I wasn't sure what I was going in to when I requested this book but I'm certainly glad I did. I've recently been having a hard time with the dystopian genre. This book is a mix of dystopia and sci-fi all in one. It's brilliant. This is one of those "don't judge a book by it's cover" deals. I really don't like it but I do like the book.

Sadie is part of the lower class living in the Outer Circle, also known as stars. Everyone has a small tattoo on their wrists classifying them. The lowest class have bronze stars, the middle class have silver coins, and the upper class have gold bullions. Being a star means Sadie is forced to work at the age of 14, she's not allowed to marry or fall in love, she's not allowed to have children, and much more. They're basically considered slaves to the rest of the civilization. I liked how Davis separated the classes using the tattoos and the restrictions placed on the lower class. Her world building is great.

The government decides to try a new way to lessen the strain of overpopulation. They are sending volunteers to an underground city, Thalassic City, for six months to see if it is possible to live there. Sadie volunteered to get out of her dull life and away from the family that hates her. Luckily, Sadie is chosen and she's whisked away to a new world. One thing that made me role my eyes was the name for their little test drive: "The Experimento." I wish there was a better name or just drop the "o".

We knew there were going to be aliens based on the description. Since we know this, it's obvious who the aliens are when Sadie enters her new life. I like how Davis showed the slight differences between the humans and the aliens aka the Saven. It was subtle but the reader can tell...a bit of dramatic irony added a little twist to the story.

Sadie was a great main character. She's strong, brave, and has a good sense of who she is. She knows what she wants in her life. She's inquisitive and cares about her new friends. She acknowledges her failings and her behavior towards Logan (the love interest). The action really picks up in the last third of the book and we see Sadie shine.

This was a great book. I enjoyed it and I am definitely looking forward to the next one. I definitely recommend this book. I might be checking out her True Calling series.

Vengeance Be Mine by Louisa Lo - 4.5 stars

Book 1 in the Cosmic Balance series

Vengeance by Mine by Louisa Lo

4.5 stars

This book was great. I stayed up way past my bedtime. It was worth it though. 

Our main character is Megan. She's half vengeance demon, half trickster. There's never been one of these before so she's considered an abomination. She was bullied as a child and didn't have friends. Her dad is an arch vengeance demon so he's pretty powerful. His side of the family basically shunned her. Vengeance demon's are very proud and logical. Her mother is a trickster, a race of people who like to have fun and don't care about getting jobs or following rules. She has three trickster half-brothers and one vengeance demon half-sister. I loved all her siblings. Despite being half, they never treated Megan as an outcast. 

You feel really bad for Megan at some times. She entered a college to become a vengeance demon and she doesn't fit in. But she's good at holding her head up high and not letting her bullies get her down. But she's still a being with emotions so she has her doubts. To live on her own, she moves into an apartment on the human plane. She has a roommate who loves to cook. I found it amusing when Megan didn't understand some of her roommate's words because she wasn't human. 

What I liked most was the twists and turns that you don't really expect. The world is completely different and the world building is well developed. There aren't any info-dumps and Lo shows us the world and how things work in the right way. Show, not tell. That's a sign of a good author.  I didn't get annoyed with Megan's personality. I respected her determination. She is well developed. 

I would classify this as a New Adult book but sometimes it could be on the Young Adult side. It didn't bother me though. It's well written and captures your attention. I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this to book and I'm considering buying it. I wouldn't mind rereading it. I'm looking forward to the next one. 

Master of Crows by Grace Draven - 4.5 stars

Master of Crows by Grace Draven
4.5 stars

I loved this book. I absolutely loved it. Draven writes wonderfully and she is able to immerse you in her world without confusing you. There were no info dumps and the characters were well developed. I like the type of magic that occupied this world and I like how the class systems worked because it gave the story some life.

The main two characters are Martise of Asher and Silhara of Neith. Martise is a slave and is sent to Neith as an apprentice. Her true purpose was to spy on Silhara so her master, Bishop Cumbria, could find an excuse to execute him. There is extreme hatred between the two and neither bother hiding it. Martise is a well and is able to translate old texts. Silhara is in need of her abilities so he can find a way to kill the false god, Corruption. Silhara also has to try to make Martise's Gift appear. It's obvious she had it but it doesn't want to show itself.

Silhara is an ass but there are good reasons for this. He is a powerful mage who lives in squalor. Neith is a ruin for someone of noble blood. The title "Master of Crows" is an insult because they associate crows with evil and death. In truth, Silhara only uses some dark magic and not for dark purposes. At the moment Corruption wants to use Silhara as his avatar to rule the human world. Silhara is doing his best to resist the evil god but he can't resist much longer. He needs to find a way to kill him.

Martise is an average woman but with a beautiful voice. She isn't beautiful; she is plain and unassuming. She is very smart and clever however and her role as a slave serves her well. She picks up information because who pays attention to a slave? She finds that she fits in at Neith. Gurn, the servant but truly Silhara's friend, is mute but uses sign language. He cares for Silhara and soon comes to care for Martise. I like Gurn. He's a giant with a big heart despite a dark past.

We do end up finding out about Martise's Gift but it is not the Gift anyone expected. It's actually a curse. It's quite sad actually but there is an excellent reason behind Draven's choice of Gift for Martise. I like that Silhara is extremely powerful and that he is a tortured soul that Martise comes to love.

This is a fantasy-romance so obviously the two fall in love. Their love isn't instant and it's obvious that it is a difficult thing to embrace. I like how their relationship grew through the book and the discovery's they find in each other and in themselves.

There is plenty of action and suspense. The ending is a HEA for which I am grateful.  I couldn't see it ending any other way. The entire book is just written brilliantly. Her words paint the picture in your mind and you find yourself completely immersed and up way late into the night when you should be sleeping.

I highly recommend this  book. I read it in the anthology "Darkly Dreaming." I just discovered that there will be a sequel coming out. Draven hadn't planned for one but she changed her mind and decided that it sounded like a good idea. I'm excited. There is no official date yet but Draven did provide a small snippet from the next book, "The Brush of Black Wings." You can read it here. But don't read it before you read Master of Crows. Seriously, there are spoilers and this is one book you don't want to spoil for yourself.

Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland - 4.5 stars

Book 1 in Kara Gillian

Mark of the Demon (#1) by Diana Rowland
4.5 stars

I've been meaning to read this book for the longest time. I bought it ages ago and then forgot about it. But I finally got to it and read it in about a day. It's so interesting and something I've not really read about before so I found myself enjoying the uniqueness. It was the perfect combination of a police procedure and urban fantasy.

This book is written in first person, from the view of Kara Gillian. Kara is finally a homicide detective and she gets her first case, the Symbol Man. 3 years previously, the Symbol Man killed 13 people and left their bodies covered in arcane symbols. The killer only chose victims who wouldn't be missed; drug addicts, prostitutes, etc. Kara had only been a street cop when Symbol Man was working but she did get a glimpse of something arcane on one of the bodies while she was guarding the crime scene.

Kara is a summoner. She summons demons from another sphere into this world. There are 12 different levels of demons and then you have the Demon Lords. Kara has finally graduated because she was able to summon a 12th level demon. Her Aunt Tessa is her mentor and taught her all about the arcane. Kara's parents died when she was really young and Tessa became her guardian. Kara has a tragic past that we learn about gradually. I think we will learn more.

That night, the Symbol Man hit again. Kara is given the lead on the case. While she examined the first body, she saw arcane symbols and runes hovering over the body with her othersight. The Symbol Man is definitely someone who knows the arcane.

Kara was trying to summon an 8th level demon when all of a sudden a gorgeous man lands in her circle. He's obviously a powerful demon because he easily brushes away all of her protections. He could have killed her but instead he seduces her and she has a super hot one night stand with him. We later learn that he is a Demon Lord and she is lucky to be alive.

Kara gets a little task team to work on the case. The Symbol Man is working up to something and his kills are becoming more frequent. Enter Agent Ryan Kristoff. He's from the FBI and he likes to work the weird cases. He's kind of the love interest in this story but not quite. It's obvious that he is attracted to Kara but since Kara lives such a crazy life, having boyfriends is not an easy thing. I like Ryan. Kara eventually tells him about her being a summoner and we learn that he has some of the othersight but not enough to be a summoner. I like Ryan. He's a great addition and provides some comic relief.

The ending part of the book was insanity. Seriously, there were so many twists that I was getting whiplash. I was thinking it was one thing and it turns out to be something different. It was a brilliant mystery and I love the surprises Rowland threw in there. The last chapter is pretty crazy and I can't wait to see what's coming in the next book.

Diana Rowland's website has a kind of glossary about the demons in her book to help with pronunciation if you want to check it out. The names can get pretty complicated.

Previous Reviews:

• The Curse Breakers (#2) by Denise Grover Swank - 4.5 stars
• The Curse Keepers (#1) by Denise Grover Swank - 4.5 stars
• The Girl and The Raven by Pauline Gruber - 4 stars

The Curse Breakers by Denise Grover Swank - 4.5 stars

Book 2 in The Curse Keepers

Previous Curse Keeper Review

The Curse Keepers (#1)

The Curse Breakers (#2) by Denise Grover Swank

4.5 stars

Oy vey. This book was just as good as the first one. But it's also very different than the first one. However, the difference is not a bad thing. The writing is just as good and the plot is great. In Curse Keepers we are first introduced into the world and in Curse Breakers, we know about the world and we are seeing the consequences of the opening of the gate.

Claire and Collin are not in this book as much as the first one. I found myself missing Collin even though he's still an asshole who keeps trying to manipulate Ellie. What I love about Ellie is she has a backbone and will stand up for herself. She's doesn't let anyone push her around. She's a strong female character and I really like that.

We have a new threat in this book. Ukinim is angry at Okeus for taking his humanity. He is forced to live as a giant badger and can only appear above ground once a year. Since Okeus wants Ellie so badly, Ukinim now wants to kill Ellie and take her Manitou as revenge. About 2/3 of the way through the book, we learn why Okeus wants Ellie so badly (spoiler)*. It's such a plot twist and so freaking good. I was so shocked.

One of the main plot points is finding Ahone's mark so Ellie can claim herself. Ahone told her at the end of the last book that she could bear his mark but kindly didn't tell her what it was. The jerk. So now she has to go on a little quest to discover it. That's where we meet the new character, Dr. David Preston. David is an expert in Native Americans. He's also British. I love the English accent and you can tell he is British because of the words he uses. David and a team of other archaeologists are exploring the reappearance of the Lost Colony. I like David. He's a great guy who really cares about Ellie. He's a new love interest. I'm not sure how I feel about Ellie's relationship with him. I like David but I also like Collin. And it doesn't help that Collin's and Ellie's souls are bound together.

We also have the other threat from Marino. The creep is still after her and it's a sticky situation. It's about the Ricardo Estate and Collin refuses to tell Ellie anything. It's supposedly for her own safety. Well her safety is in jeopardy anyways so just tell her!

Tom, a cop and an old friend is really freaking annoying in this book. He has linked Ellie to all the weird things happening and she has to lie her way out of a lot of things. She ends up telling Tom about Marino and his guys that are after her but I got really annoyed with his constant appearances. Basically I want him to go away. I find his repeated inclusion a little too much. It's partly why I gave this 4.5 stars.

This book was great. I like the continuation of the plot but I also love the character development. We shall see what we have in store for the next book, The Curse Defiers.

I REALLY WANT THE NOOK BOOK. But it was published by Amazon and apparently they can't give it to Barnes and Noble. I guess I'll end up with the paperback. This is not a bad thing.

Recent Reviews

• The Curse Keepers (#1) by Denise Grover Swank - 4.5 stars
• The Girl and the Raven (#1) by Pauline Gruber - 4 stars
• Beautiful Darkness (#2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 3.5 stars

The Curse Keepers by Denise Grover Swank - 4.5 stars

Book 1 in The Curse Keepers 

The Curse Keepers by Denise Grover Swank
4.5 stars

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is one of those books that gave me a physical reaction around the end. The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because of how slowly it started off. I was annoyed with Ellie and Collin at first. Ellie's blatant refusal to believe in the curse was annoying at first but I grew to accept it.

Okay, I love this book. It's definitely gone on my favorites shelf. What I love about it is the absolute uniqueness of it. I've never read anything like it. It's urban fantasy, one of my favorite genres, but it's a completely different take on the urban fantasy/paranormal world. This story focuses on the Lost Colony of Roanoke. As many people know, the colony literally disappeared off the face of the earth. I've only read one other series, Blue Bloods, that worked with the mystery. This was ten times better.

In this version, the colony and the evil spirits were locked away behind a gate. It's basically what we would consider Hell. The Croatoan Native American, Manteo, locked the spirits and gods away with the help of Ananias Dare. The colony also gets sent behind the gates. It was a huge sacrifice and it is the reason that the colony disappeared. It's said that when the two Curse Keepers meet, the gates will open and they will have seven days to close it again.

Ellie is the current Dare Curse Keeper. She used to believe but when her mother died, she forgot everything and refused to relearn the everything she needed to know about being a Curse Keeper. Her mother didn't believe and she basically locked away her memories. It broke her father's heart because he was the Curse Keeper before her and she needed to know everything he knew. When all hell literally breaks loose, she can no longer go to him for answers because he has Alzheimer's. In the end, she does get her memories back and in a fantastic way. I love her character and her power.

Then we have Collin. He is the Manteo Curse Keeper. He's the typical smokin'
hot guy who is also a womanizer. He doesn't really care about anyone except himself. He's really an asshole in the beginning of the book and I seriously just wanted to punch him most of the time. But he is the Curse Keeper who knows the ceremony to close the gates and they need each other to close them. He's super secretive and he untrustworthy. Stupid gorgeous asshole. I love him and I hate him.

What's also great about this book is the multiple mysteries and plot lines. They aren't confusing and they add to the story. It's like Swank throws in real life with the fantasy. We get normal characters and real world problems. Ellie is broke and the family is is almost in foreclosure. Ellie also has a great best friend, Claire, and she adds to the story as well. I think it's a great little departure from the usual urban fantasies. I'll say it again, it's unique.

The ending. Oh my goodness the ending. I saw it coming but still. It was so intense and so heartbreaking and just, ah. I won't spoil it but it's just so hard to read. I seriously wanted to scream at Ellie and Collin. It was a really good ending and it set up a great story arc for the next book.

So far this seems to be a trilogy with three short stories. I'm definitely going to read the short story and I'm jumping into the The Curse Breakers as soon as I can. This is a definite recommend. Read it!!

If you want to read more about the series visit Denise Grover Swank's website and the Curse Keepers website.

Recent Reviews

• The Girl and the Raven (#1) by Pauline Gruber - 4 stars
• Beautiful Darkness (#2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 3.5 stars
• Beautiful Creatures (#1) by Kami Garcia and Margarent Stohl - 5 stars

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Onyx (#2) by Jennifer Armentrout
4.5 stars

Previous Lux Series Review

Obsidian (#1)

This book basically was a bit of a shock for me. It was not what I was expecting. In Obsidian we are first introduced into the world. We learn who the Lux are, their origins, their enemies, and basically what they can do. After the big fight with the Arum at the end of the book Daemon heals Katy and this changes everything. They noticed that their heartbeats are in sync and they are connected. Daemon really likes Katy but he'd been pushing her away and being an ass through the whole first book to protect his family.

Well now that Katy is so deeply involved in their world, Daemon gives up on being the ass and pushing Katy away. He wants to be in a relationship and Katy only believes it's because of their connection. This persists through almost the entire book. It's one of the most annoying things about Onyx which kept me from giving it the five stars.

Katy starts to develop super powers that are similar to those of the Luxen. It's pretty crazy and not something I was expecting. She can freeze things and move things. Her powers are out of control and
Daemon has never heard of anything like it. Katy and Daemon decide to keep these sudden abilities a secret from everyone so they could figure it out.

We have new character, Blake. Instantly Daemon and Dee don't like him. I don't like him. It's obvious that something bad is going to happen. He witnesses Katy freezing something and later reveals that he too has powers. It's something that happens when a Luxen heals a human. They become hybrids. Blake wants to train Katy so she doesn't bring the DOD down on the town because she is a danger. They
can't risk the world finding out about the aliens of course.

This book. My goodness it has so many twists and turns. I had a hard time putting it down. There is an incredibly sad scene (spoiler)* and it breaks my heart because I knew the consequences of those actions. Sure enough it rears it's ugly head in Opal. But then there is an extremely surprising ending that leaves you in shock. Insanity.

Onyx is a perfect name for the book and I like how Armentrout decided on what to title the books. I enjoyed it and I was happy to learn more about this world they are in. Nothing is as it seems and I think anyone who reads it will thoroughly enjoy it. I'm not sure if I like Onyx more than Obsidian. Obsidian is the introduction. Onyx is a darker novel and delves deeper into the world. Ah. So good.

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Obsidian (#1) by Jennifer Armentrout
4.5 stars

I really liked this book. I've never really read any books about aliens before. They've just never sounded interesting to me. Obsidian was very interesting and this take on aliens is great. It's original and not something I was expecting.

The story is told through Katy's point of view. She and her mother just moved to the small town in West Virginia. The town only has one light and their house doesn't even get mail. They actually have to go to the post office to pick up their mail. It's a very small town. Katy and her mother moved from Florida three year's after Katy's father died from cancer. Her mother needed a fresh start. She is a nurse and works crazy hours.

I like Katy. She loves books and the way she talks about them and obsesses about them reminds me of myself. I think it's great when authors include book lovers in their characters. Katy also enjoys gardening. Both of these hobbies help her escape the world and just sink into another one. While I don't enjoy gardening, the enjoyment of reading something I can connect to.

We meet Daemon in chapter one and he's just one huge asshole. Later we find out the exact reason for
his jerkiness. Katy actually says this to his face which makes me smile. There are a lot of internal comments made by Katy that I sometimes find annoying. There are moments when they are unnecessary. Anyways, Daemon is this super hot guy that Katy can't stand because he's so rude to her. At times he will be nice and then he will turn into a jerk again. This hot and cold behavior makes him extremely unlikable.

Daemon's sister is Dee and I really like her. She instantly befriends Katy despite Daemon's repeated attempts to keep them away from each other. Dee is this super hyper and seemingly very happy girl that is excited to finally have a close friend.

This is my favorite cover

Since this book is about aliens and the fact that there are obvious hints that there is something not normal about Dee and Daemon, we do eventually find out that Dee and Daemon, along with three other students and some teachers are said aliens. They're known as Luxen and they are refugees on Earth. They are beings made of light and they have certain powers. Their home planet, Lux, was destroyed by the Arum, the Luxen's enemies. The Arum are creatures of shadows and kill the Luxen and absorb their essence. The Arum can't find the Luxen easily but the Arum can find them if a human has the trace on them. Guess who gets a trace? Of course it's Katy.

I liked this book a lot. I was debating between 4.5 and 5 stars but I kept it at 4.5 because of the minor annoyances I found throughout the book. Despite this, I really really like this book and it's one I would highly recommend, even to those who do not like reading about aliens.

Othersphere by Nina Berry - 4.5 stars

Othersphere (#3) by Nina Berry

4.5 stars

Previous Otherkin Series Reviews
Otherkin (#1) | Othermoon (#2)

Othersphere is the final book in the Otherkin trilogy and I really enjoyed it. It wrapped up the loose ends from Othermoon and filled in any missing information. We finally learn everything about Dez and her connection to the Othersphere, who her biological parents are, and who she ends up with. 

At the end of Othermoon, Caleb left because he couldn't trust Dez after she met up with Lazar twice without telling anyone. She was doing it for the right reasons because everyone wanted to kill Lazar but in the end, Caleb broke up with her and then left. In Othersphere, Dez and Lazar are together despite Dez still having feelings for Caleb. I found it a bit weird honestly. I still don't know who I was rooting for in the end (spoiler)*. 

At the beginning of the book, Amaris sneaks off to meet up with Caleb. Dez follows her, knowing that she is going to meet her brother and Dez just wants to see Caleb. Things go to hell from there. Suddenly they are surrounded by the Tribunal and Ximon throws Amaris into the Othersphere, using Dez to open the veil. Caleb and Dez escape and return to the school. Everyone agrees that they have to go rescue Amaris from the Othersphere (spoiler)**. When they get a call from Ximon claiming that he has been possessed by a "demon", the group decides to check out if what he claims is true. Caleb believes Ximon is telling the truth but Dez doesn't. As she is the unofficial leader, the group backs her up. They find Ximon's location and break into his house. It turns out he was telling the truth. Ximon is being possessed by the same creature that possessed Caleb in Otherkin. At first Ximon is himself but then Orgoli, the creature from the Othersphere, takes control of Ximon again and basically destroys the house. November almost dies and Dez freezes up for the first time. We also find out some pretty interesting information (spoiler)***.

This book has more action and more tension between the friends. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that a group of teenagers are the ones who go into these extremely dangerous situations with the approval of their teacher Morfael. It just seems a little too unbelievable at times. I did like finding out about Dez and her origins. It's an interesting world. The Othersphere is dangerous but also really cool. I liked learning more about it and the Amba. Berry created a very interesting world and I enjoyed the series. It ended well and I felt no need for the story to go on. She managed to wrap everything up without leaving any plot holes. 

This is another 4.5 star book. I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title prior to it's release. 

Othermoon by Nina Berry - 4.5 stars

Othermoon (#2)  by Nina Berry
4.5 stars

Previous Otherkin Series Review

Otherkin (#1)

Othermoon begins not long after the events of Otherkin. Dez is listening to music in the middle of the night when she hears something. It turns out Lazar has broken into her house but nothing seems to be disturbed. She chases him out into the rain and to the lightning tree. Lazar manages to escape and Dez's mom and Richard catch up with her at the tree. Something strange begins to happen to her mother and she suddenly becomes possessed by another being from the Othersphere. She tells Dez that she is her daughter but is unable to last very long in her mother's body. She calls Dez an Amba, the same name Ximon called her when he saw her. 

It turns out Lazar stole a hairbrush from Dez. She gets in touch with all of her friends except Arnaldo and discover that things with their DNA have been stolen as well. Lazar left a note apologizing and asking for forgiveness. This is odd but Dez has to worry about other things, not Lazar's peculiar behavior. 

The gang meets up in Las Vegas where they are eventually found by the Tribunal. While they are escaping, Dez runs into Lazar again. He gets attacked by Caleb who hates him for killing his mother. Lazar tells Dez that he hasn't told anyone about where they are and warns them about the exits. Dez's compassion at the end of Otherkin planted a seed and Lazar wants out from under his father's abuse. 

The group heads to Arnaldo's to bring him to the school. They find out that his house wasn't attacked because his father gave the Tribunal some of his DNA. When Arnaldo leaves to go to school, his father disowns him. He is a drunk and hits his children which makes Dez eventually call child services. 

Once they make it to the school, Caleb and Dez stay behind and things start to get hot and heavy before they are interrupted by Amaris and Lazar climbing into the van. Lazar has information. The Tribunal is building a particle accelerator and for some reason they needed the DNA from each of the remaining tribes of shifters. Lazar agrees to get the plans and layout of the Tribunal's compound in exchange for help to escape the Tribunal. 

No one trusts Lazar except Dez and Amaris. Dez sneaks around Caleb and the others to get information from Lazar, eventually leading to the break up of Caleb and Dez. Caleb says he can't trust her and he sees the way Lazar looks at her and holds her. 

The group eventually attacks the Tribunal compound using Lazar's information but it's a trap. They escape and Dez does some awesome things with her power. Their escape comes with a cost. One of their number dies at the hands of Ximon (spoiler)*. Lots of things go down during that attack and escape and most of it is pretty interesting and helps develop the world of the shifters.

In the end, Caleb leaves while everyone else, including Lazar returns to the school. There is a budding relationship between Lazar and Dez, one that Caleb can't ignore.

I liked this book more than Otherkin. We learn more about the world of the otherkin and the shifters. We learn about the power of the othersphere and a little bit more about Dez's origins. It's very interesting. It deserves a solid 4.5 stars. 

Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 6 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Chaos (#6) by Michelle Sagara

4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2) | Cast in Secret (#3) 

Cast in Fury (#4) | Cast in Silence (#5)

I have a difficult time giving these books 5 stars and I think it's because sometimes I get confused and I have to go back and reread in order to understand it. 

This was a really good book. This book doesn't focus on one particular race but I was hoping it would. I would really like to learn more about the Aerians. Cast in Ruin focuses on Dragons and Cast in Peril is another Barrani book. When do we get the Aerians? I want to know!!

Anyways, something weird is happening on Elani street. This street is popular for it's love spells and fortune telling and basically all the fake magic that you can think of. None of the magic actually works...until one day it does. This, of course, starts a whole new kind of craziness for the Hawks. Later, Kaylin and Severn head to Evanton's shop. Kaylin stops to talk to Evanton's apprentice while Severn and Evanton proceed to go into the garden. When Kaylin goes to follow, she winds up in a garden that is not really the garden. When she attempts to leave, the shop door gets farther and farther away and she ends up in a gray place. She is rescued by Nightshade but not before she is almost killed by the creature known as the Devourer. They later discover that this being destroys worlds and right now it's headed towards Elantra. The portal that is opening will allow the Devourer through and it threatens to destroy the world. 

There are many things that start to happen all at once. The Oracles are seeing visions and Everly, the boy who paints prophecies, has started painting again and on a very large canvas. This does not bode well for Elantra. They also discover that there are people, of what race they do not know, that are walking through the inbetween space, and the Devourer is on their tails. They will come through the portal and bring the creature with them. 

In the end, we learn what the Devourer actually is and it's Kaylin who saves Elantra (view spoiler).*

The characters are really interesting in this book. We get a new development between Severn and Kaylin. Severn is the one who helps Kaylin in the end so she doesn't get lost in what she is doing to save the world (view spoiler).** It's a little bit of a blow for those who are Team Nightshade which is the team I belong to. It's exciting to see Arkon leave his library and the climax of the book is really good. I couldn't put it down. Ybelline makes another appearance and I love her. I also love that the fief Tiamaris is starting to be rebuilt. Tara is so interesting and I like that we are starting to know her more. Morse makes appearances too and while I didn't like her when we were first introduced to her character, she has grown on me. 

Overall it was a good book and I enjoyed it. I liked it better than Cast in Silence. In each book we learn more and more about the world of Elantra and it's fascinating. 

Review on Goodreads. 

Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 4 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Fury (#4) by Michelle Sagara
4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2) | Cast in Secret (#3)

You have no idea how much I wish Goodreads had half stars. Thankfully I can do whatever I want on this blog and this book gets 4.5 stars!

As in Cast in Courtlight and Cast in Secret focused on two different races, Cast in Fury focuses on the Leontine race. This is super interesting. The fact that something from a previous book is a major plot point in this book is actually really awesome. J.K. Rowling did these small things all the time in Harry Potter. I love when authors do that. Kaylin helped a Leontine mother give birth to her child. It was a difficult birth which is unusual for the Leontines. Kaylin licked the birthing fluids from the baby's eyelids and he is named after her. This is extremely important because by Leontine and Pridlea law, the baby is also hers.

Kaylin and Severn have a new assignment in this book. When the giant tidal wave threatened to drown the city in Cast in Secret, the Tha'alani went to the docks to try and help Kaylin stop the water. Now the humans believe that the Tha'alani were responsible for the tidal wave and there are riots and unrest. Tha'alani are being attacked. Kaylin and Severn have to help the Imperial Playwright with his play. The Dragon Emperor demanded a play to explain some of the Tha'alani and their actions. Since Kaylin and Severn know the Tha'alani best, they have to help him make the play more realistic. While at the palace, Kaylin hears of attacks at the Tha'alani Quarter. She instantly goes to their aid. Four Tha'alani have been injured and at least two of them are in critical condition. Kaylin heals them right in front of the playwright. Her healing powers have been kept on the down low so it's not too good that it was witnessed by someone who works for the Emperor.

While Kaylin and Severn were in the Quarter, Marcus was arrested by the Leontines for murder. Kaylin can't believe this of course even though it is true. She visits the Pridlea. A pridlea is the home of a male Leontine and his wives. Yes the Leontines have multiple wives. Ever since Kaylin joined the Hawks, Marcus brought her to the Pridlea and she soon became a part of it.

Basically this means Kaylin has two jobs in this book.She must help this playwright get his play correct so he doesn't offend the Tha'alani but also helps calm the public and she also has to find a way to save Marcus from his fate at the hands on the castelord of the Leontines.

We get Timarias back in this book and we also get more information of the fiefs, the history of the Leontines and how they came to be. If a Leontine child is born with amber colored fur they are considered marked and are put to death immediately. This was not true for one of Marcus' wives because she was a female. Her sister was also marked but the two were saved because they were female. As long as they didn't birth a male it would be okay. Her sister did birth a male and by the law, the child should have been killed. These marked children have certain abilities and they are dangerous.

What I really enjoyed was finding out about Marrin's history as a Leontine outside of the city. She gave birth to a marked cub and she was put to death. Marrin left her husband and came to the city of Elantra. She created the foundling hall because even though she couldn't save her baby, she could save the human children who were abandoned by their parents.

I am really happy with this book and it deserved my 4.5 stars. This series is starting to become one of my favorites. I have many favorites of course but I am enjoying this series immensely.

Next up, Cast in Silence.

Review on Goodreads.

Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara - 4.5 stars

Book 3 in The Chronicles of Elantra

Cast in Secret (#3) by Michelle Sagara
4.5 stars

Previous Chronicles of Elantra Series Reviews

Cast in Shadow (#1) | Cast in Courtlight (#2)

I really enjoyed this book. I read it so quickly. It was suspenseful but also extremely informative. Cast in Courtlight focused on the Barrani. Cast in Secret focused on the Tha'alani. I wasn't ever sure what my feelings were on the race but I definitely didn't have the aversion Kaylin had. It was nice to see her get over her suspicion and embrace them.

The Tha'alani don't really want to interact much with humans and other races. They fear the fears of humans. They share a connection with the Tha'alaan and everyone's memories, thoughts, feelings, everything is given to the Tha'alaan. It takes a special Tha'alani to be able to touch the mind of another race and keep it from the Tha'alaan.

When Kaylin first visits the Tha'alani Quarter, she is stared at by the children that were out. One little boy ran to her and Kaylin wasn't fearful at all. Kaylin has a soft spot for children and that is something I love about her. I love children as well and I like the fierce protectiveness Kaylin feels for any child no matter the race.

The focus of this book is a missing Tha'alani child and a missing human child. This, of course, motivates Kaylin to do something to find them. We are also introduced to the Keeper. He makes sure the garden is kept under control. If the city is wiped out, the garden and his shop would still stand. In the small garden are the four elements. Kaylin is already learning about fire with Sanabalis but when she looks into the pool of water, she sees a child who calls her by name. This is the human child she is looking for. Something was stolen from the Keeper's garden and it is up to Kaylin and Severn to find it. If the box is opened then bad things will happen.  On top of everything else, the Oracles have made a prediction that the city will be drowned in water. Basically this book is one bad thing after another.

I loved this book. I loved learning about the Tha'alani. I was always curious about them and why Kaylin feared them so much. Honestly there is nothing to be afraid of. If anything, they are more afraid of humans. Ybelline is the Caste leader. She can read human minds and keep it from the Tha'alaan. This is something only very skilled Tha'alani can do. It's very difficult to explain the culture and race of the Tha'alani without reading the book. I just find them fascinating.

This book received 4.5 stars from me. The writing was better in this book and I enjoyed the plot. As the series continues, I am learning more about the world of Elantra. I am enjoying it immensely and I can't wait to see what is in store.

Next is Cast in Fury.

Review on Goodreads

Dark Secrets: Legacy of Lies and Don't Tell by Elizabeth Chandler - 4 stars & 4.5 stars

Legacy of Lies and Don't Tell are the first two books in the Dark Secrets series. These two were published separately and then were combined into one omnibus. Dark Secrets 2 has book three and four. The fifth Dark Secrets book is on it's own as it is the end of the series.

I read Don't Tell when I was still in middle school so it was awhile ago. There is a small portion of paranormal in these novels. Legacy of Lies focuses on reincarnation and Don't Tell focuses on telekinesis type of abilities. Each has it's own murder mystery that needs to be solved, the main character has to solve the secret.

Legacy of Lies
4 stars

Legacy of Lies focuses on Megan. She was adopted by her parents and she has younger brothers. Her maternal grandmother, Helen, basically disowned Megan's mom because of the choices she made when she was younger, mainly marrying a black man. Talk about major racism. Helen had very high expectations and Megan's mother disappointed her.

Out of no where, her grandmother invites her to Wisteria and stresses that it is important. Right about this time Megan is having dreams and visions. When Ginny, an old friend of Megan's mother, drops Megan off at her grandmother's house, Megan is shocked. The house she had been dreaming about was suddenly real. Helen is strict and uptight. From the very beginning she tells Megan to mind her own business and to not go poking her nose around the place. Of course Megan ignores this.

We also have Matt, her "sort of cousin." Since Megan is adopted, they're only related by law and not blood. The end still bothers me a little because of the whole cousin aspect it (view spoiler).* Matt is a complete jerk to Megan and keeps telling her to go home. Megan replies to everything smartly.  She is sassy and funny and does not let anyone push her around. I like that she is strong-willed and stubborn. She stands up for herself. She actually develops a couple of friends during her short visit.

The only problem I have with this book was the length. It was short for a novel. The pacing was good in the beginning but I felt it was a bit rushed in the end. I wasn't expecting the reincarnation aspect. I feel that it would have been creepier for me when I was in middle school but I still enjoyed the book.

Review on Goodreads.
________

Don't Tell
4.5 stars

Our main character in this book is Lauren. Seven years ago her mother died by drowning after she fell off the dock. Lauren had been visiting her godmother at the time and after her mother died, it took her seven years to return. The death was considered an accident but most believed she was murdered. Lauren decides that it's time to return to Wisteria to see her beloved Aunt Jule.

When she arrives in town she decides to walk to the festival and where she runs into an old childhood friend, Nick. Over the seven years Nick has grown into a handsome young man and Lauren feels that instant attraction. I like Nick. Lauren is the daughter of a senator and which makes her rich. He was able to afford sending her to an all girl boarding school. Being surrounded by girls constantly definitely didn't expose her to boys.

While she is walking around, Lauren notices that someone is following her. It really creeps her out so she decides to head to Aunt Jule's house (view spoiler).* Her summer escape from her childhood is now falling apart. Jules is deep in debt and Jule's daughter Holly is in charge of taking care of expenses. Lauren offers money to Holly to help with the house and the cost of food for which Holly is grateful.

When Lauren gets to the house she meets Nora, Holly's little sister. When they were younger, Nora was already a little different. She was the one who discovered Lauren's mother and it is obvious this has affected her. Aunt Jule ignores it while Holly just tells her sister to knock it off. Only Lauren seems concerned about Nora. Jule is defensive when Lauren approaches the subject of getting Nora psychiatric help. The anger shocks Lauren as Aunt Jule has always treated Lauren better than her own children. When they were younger, Holly was extremely jealous of Jule's attention to Lauren. Holly is much nicer to Lauren now and told Lauren she has forgiven her (view spoiler). **

Strange things are beginning to happen around Lauren. She is threatened and is almost killed a couple of times. Mysterious knots are appearing around the house in in Lauren's room, exactly like the knots that Lauren's mother told  her about the days before her death. As she gets closer to discovering the truth behind her mother's death, the creepier things get.

Ending spoilers here.***

I found Don't Tell better than Legacy of Lies. The creepy factor is definitely higher in this book. Even though I've read the book before, I didn't really remember anything about it. I couldn't remember the details so it was enjoyable to read again. I wasn't kept at the edge of my seat and it was an easy read but I liked it enough. I will continue on with the series. As authors continue to write you can usually see growth and the books and writing get better. Hopefully this will hold true for the next three books in the Dark Secrets series.

Review on Goodreads.

Angel's Flight by Nalini Singh

Angel's Flight (Novellas) by Nalini Singh

Other Guild Hunter Series Reviews

Angels' Blood (#1) | Archangel's Kiss (#2) | Archangel's Consort (#3) | Archangel's Blade (#4)

Archangel's Storm (#5) | Archangel's Legion (#6)

Angels' Flight is a compilation of Singh's novellas. It has four different stories revolving around four different characters from the Guild Hunter series. I really enjoyed all four stories.

Angels' Pawn (# 0.6)

5 stars

This novella was focused on Ashwini, another Guild Hunter who is also hunter born. She doesn't have the scent talent. Instead she can hear the thoughts and emotions of the people she touches. She gets into a contract with the angel Nazarach who we know from the series is one cruel angel. She asks the vampire Janvier. He's mentioned a couple times through the series as a love interest for Ash. They seem to have a love-hate relationship but she is also the only one who hunts him when he pisses off an angel.

This was not much of a love story. It had more action and showed a lot of the angel and vampire politics. But there is that chemistry between the two that makes you want to just say get on with it already. She needs to get over no dating vampires thing because they could definitely be good together. Now I want to know what has made Ash so haunted. There are little hints but nothing is ever fully explained. I'm hoping that as the series progresses we learn more about her particular back story.

Angels' Judgement (# 0.5)

4.5 stars

This is how Sara and Deacon come together. I think the only thing that made me give it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because it felt a little bit of insta-love. Despite that small factor, I really enjoyed this story. This is set right before Sara becomes the Guild Director. She's given the task of hunting down another hunter who is killing vampires. She is getting help from the Slayer, a hunter of the hunter. It's a lonely job and he doesn't have to do it often so he is also a weapon maker. Let me tell you, when I first read about Deacon I could not picture him as the bad ass that he is portrayed in this story.

We got to see some of Elena and we got to see more of Sara and Deacon's personality. We also figured out where they got their dog Slayer from. I think this little novella was great in it's investigative aspect but it's also great to get some more detail on Sara.

Angel's Wolf (# 3.5)

4 stars

This story is about the vampire Noel and the angel Nimra. This is after Noel has recovered from his beating in Archangel's Kiss. I found this novella interesting. We didn't really know what happened to Noel other than the fact that he would survive. I liked that we got to see another angel and I think she's actually a really cool angel. Her power is crazy and I can see why she is powerful enough to keep her territory against Nazarach.

Noel is brought in because some tried to kill Nimra with Midnight, a special kind of drug that will incapacitate an angel for a couple hours and kill vampires. It has to be someone in her inner court and Noel is there pretending to be her lover so he can figure out the would-be muderer. What I loved about Nimra was passionate about her cats. I love animal lovers in books because I love animals.

The ending wasn't what I expected but it worked for me. Noel's attitude made me smile and I did enjoy it.

Angels' Dance (# 0.4)

5 stars

I loved, loved, this novella. I knew in Archangels' Kiss that Jessamy had a history and I had a feeling that Galen and she were together. Through the series we've had glimpses of these two and I was so happy to learn more. Jessamy is the teacher of all the baby angels and the keeper of the angels' history. She's an angel who can't fly because she was born with a twisted wing. I couldn't imagine that.

This story takes place 400 years ago right when Galen left Titus' court to become Raphael's weapons master. He was raised away from the Refuge so he had never met Jessamy before. He's very blunt and ends up insulting her and continues to accidently insult her. Of course they end up falling in love despite Jessamy's many attempts to guard her heart against his possible pity.

There are some angel politics in there also but mostly it's about their love. The best part is Galen takes her flying and they dance as angels do. We got to see Illium when he was in love with his mortal and we got to see Dmitri get taken down. Galen lives in the Refuge, which is actually necessary for Raphael.

This was definitely 5 stars and I quite enjoyed it. One more story about the Seven down.

Review on Goodreads

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs - 4.5 stars

Frost Burned (#7) by Patricia Briggs
4.5 stars

Oh I really missed Mercy Thompson and her world. I reread Moon Called (#1) not that long ago and I was so excited to get my hands on Frost Burned. I love Mercy and Adam and their wonderful relationship. There was such a long wait between River Marked and Frost Burned and it was so frustrating. Now I've finished it and it was great.

Mercy and Jesse are Black Friday shopping when they suddenly get into an accident. This ends up being a good thing but at the time it's a big hassle. When Mercy calls Adam to come pick her up, he doesn't answer. She calls the whole pack but no one answers. She even calls Kyle, Warren's boyfriend, to no avail. She ends up catching a ride to her shop where she meets up with Gabriel and Ben. Ben is in bad shape because he was hit with the tranquilizer that was invented by Gerry. Ben eventually is able to tell Mercy that the pack was kidnapped. We don't know who or why or where the pack could possibly be.

I like that there were a variety of characters mixed in with this book. We don't have Sam or Bran but we do get Asil, a character from the Alpha and Omega series. I haven't read the latest book in that series so I don't know what happened exactly but apparently the government let a serial killer go because he was killing fae and werewolves. A fae murdered the murderer and then all the fae packed up and secluded themselves in the reservations. It's really unfortunate because I wish we could have had more Zee in the picture. But his son Tad was pretty awesome as well. We also got a lot of Kyle in the first part of the book. I really enjoyed that. He was always a secondary character but we got to see more of his personality.

There were some slow spots but we also got to two whole chapters from Adam's point of view. I think it would have been a little better if it was in first person instead of third but I was very happy with that change of pace. Mercy discovered a new talent and their mating bond grew stronger. A lot happened in this book and in the end we find out why the pack was actually targeted and who was behind the whole thing. I wasn't really expecting it until I had it spelled out for me which is unusual because I can normally figure it out. Maybe I was just being a bit slow.

I can't wait for the next book. It's quite unfortunate that it takes so long for them to come out.

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh - 4.5 stars

Archangel's Blade (#4) by Nalini Singh
4.5 stars

Sometimes I am amazed at my own speed of reading. It helps when I spend a day in a bed reading but still. Anyways, Archangel's Blade. I don't know what I was expecting for this book. I was excited for Dmitri's story. From what we have glimpsed in the past three books, we know Dmitri is a hardened warrior who was Made against his will. There have been mentions from Raphael of the angel Isis but now we finally learn who she really is and how she destroyed Dmitri's life.

Then we meet Honor. She's a hunter from the Guild who is recovering from a traumatic past. She's been kidnapped by vampires and tortured for months before finally being rescued by her fellow hunters. Honor has always had a special obsession when it came to Dmitri so when she's called upon for an assignment, she is nervous to be around this powerful vampire. There is a reason behind this obsession but I won't spoil that. Honor specializes in ancient languages and symbols and when Dmitri discovers the head of a vampire with a tattoo on his face, he needs her help is deciphering what it says.

Dmitri is moved by Honor. There is something about her that intrigues him. He decides to take a leading role in helping her find and get revenge on the vampires who tortured her. This is obviously a love story and obviously they do end up getting together in the end. That's not really a spoiler. However the circumstances are a bit different. I did enjoy the twist Singh included for Honor and Dmitri. It is a way of getting them the happy ending they deserved.

What I was surprised to find in this story was Holly, who has changed her name to Sorrow, from Angels' Blood. She is the victim of Uram's tortures. She consumed some of his blood and somehow became partially Made. Dmitri promised Elena to keep an eye on her and he is keeping that promise. He wants her to survive because he sees Holly as a child. I'm glad that Singh has kept her in the story even though she is a minor character.

I didn't enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed the previous three. I think it's because I missed Raphael and Elena. We did get cameos but that wasn't enough for me. It might be that I've just grown attached to them for the first three books so it was hard to switch from one couple to another. Next is Archangel's Storm. This story is about Jason so we will finally learn about his past. I'm glad Singh has decided to show us more about the Seven but it doesn't make me miss Elena and Raphael any less.