The Girl and The Raven by Pauline Gruber - 4 stars

The Girl and The Raven by Pauline Gruber
4 stars

I received this book for free from NetGalley for an honest review. I want to thank NetGalley and their awesomeness.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm very disappointed that I have to wait until December to read The Girl and The Gargoyle which I only found out about by checking out Gruber's website. The best part of this book is the uniqueness of it. Witches, demons, gargoyles, and the struggle between good and evil. It's so much fun. It's not something I've read before so I like the change.

Lucy is our main character and the book is told from her point of view with some chapters being told from other characters. These chapters tell us a little bit more of the world and about some of the things Lucy doesn't know about. It also sheds a little more mystery into the story and grabs your attention. I like Lucy. She's had it rough growing up. Her mother is an addict and that addiction eventually leads to her death. Because she died, Lucy is sent to live with her uncles in her grandmother's house. This house has to be huge or something because other people live upstairs in apartments. Persephone, Henry, Marcus, and Aiden all live up their. Marcus and Aiden in one apartment, Persephone and Henry in another. Persephone, Henry, and Aiden aren't really in the book much. It focuses more on Lucy, Marcus, and Dylan.

I don't know which team I am on. I really like Dylan and I can tell Lucy cares about him. Marcus is also a great character and he loves Lucy. This isn't really a typical love triangle and I found that refreshing. Most love triangles can be taxing. We have a little bit of a plot twist with Dylan which ended up surprising me.

I was extremely curious about Jude, Lucy's father. Jude is a demon and is responsible for making her half demon, half witch. He teaches her to use her demon powers and pushes her. But he does truly love her despite his being evil. This is something that really scares her. I like that little conflict and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops.

There is another demon who is after Lucy and tries to kill her multiple times. It's a bit of a mystery but not a major plot point until the end. I understand the need of this demon but I also found it out of place with the story. I think it could have been good if it was integrated better.

Overall this is a great book and an easy read. I enjoyed it and I do recommend it for those who wish to get a unique book that doesn't follow the usual cliches.

Recent Reviews

• Beautiful Darkness (#2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 3.5 stars
• Beautiful Creatures (#1) by Kami Garcia and Margarent Stohl - 5 stars
• Onyx (#2) by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 3.5 stars

Book 2 in the Caster Chronicles

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
3.5 stars

Previous Caster Chronicles Series Reviews

Beautiful Creatures (#1)

When I first read this book, I found myself getting really annoyed. Mostly because of the actions of Lena. She just frustrated me. I understand the reasons why she acted the way she did but still, I just wanted to shake her and say "Get over it!" This has to be my least favorite book. As I mentioned in my review of Beautiful Creature, the next two books in the series are full of extreme angst. Don't get me wrong, the writing is good. Garcia and Stohl know how to write. I just found some of the plot hard to swallow. 

This book continues not long after Beautiful Creatures. Macon is dead and there is a funeral. His coffin is empty seeing as he in an Incubus and when they die there are no bodies. Obviously Lena is devastated over her uncle's death; especially since she's basically the one who killed him. Now every time she sees Ethan, she sees her uncle and how she killed him. Like I said, understandable. 

Ethan has no idea what is up with Lena. He desperately tries to get her to talk but she just runs away from him. She blocks him out, not allowing him to Kelt with her. Eventually Ethan learns why she is pulling away. Amma tells him what happened the night of Lena's Sixteenth Moon. But he doesn't want to give up on her seeing as he loves her. 

We get a few new characters in this book. Ethan is working in the library for the summer with Marion and he meets Liz. Liz is this crazy smart girl from England. She and Ethan become best friends and it's obvious that Liz really likes him. I really like Liz. She's just cool and she's a great friend to Ethan. Ethan runs across her in the tunnels with Marion. Turns out Liz is training to be a Keeper and she is studying with Marion. Ethan's mother had helped Ethan find his way through the tunnels to get to Liz and Marion. When Ethan told Liz and Marion that, they discovered that he was a Wayward. Wayward's a special mortals who guide Casters through their life. These Casters are important. They just aren't sure which Caster Ethan is supposed to be guiding.

When Ethan was at the graveyard for All Souls Day, Marion gives him a box with a small black sphere inside of it. Ethan's mother gave it to Marion and she decided to give it to Ethan. The stone is called an Arclight. It's the only weapon that can be used against an Incubus. It's basically a prison. Ethan begins
to have visions involving Macon and Abraham, the first Blood Incubus in the family. We learn a lot through the visions and that was one of my favorite parts.

The ending is huge and definitely has major effects. I like that Ridley and Link were included in their little adventures. Despite everything Ridley says, she loves Link just as much as he loves her. Poor Ridley and poor Link. Since the events of Lena's sixteenth moon, Link is now involved in the world of the Casters. He provide much needed comic relief. We also see how much of Gatlin actually is involved in the Caster world. It's shocking but also welcome. My favorite has to be Aunt Prue. I love that old lady.

This book does need to be read and it is still good. I just have a hard time when characters dwell on the same thing the entire time. It's understandable I guess but still, move on with the story already! Anyways, it's a good read but it drags on a bit. Things could have moved forward are little more quickly. Other than that, it was a good addition to the series and the consequences of the actions from the climax are seen in Beautiful Chaos. Exciting stuff right there.

Previous Reviews:

• Beautiful Creatures (#1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 5 stars
• Onyx (#2) by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars
• Obsidian (#1) by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 5 stars

Book 1 in the Caster Chronicles

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

5 stars

Beautiful Creatures is a fantastic book. I read it a long time ago and I've kept up with the series. I didn't have the chance to read Beautiful Redemption when it came out and then I completely forgot about it. Finally, Beautiful Redemption was released in paperback and I decided it was time to reread the series so I can read Beautiful Redemption.

I think this is my favorite book in the series. Usually that doesn't happen with the first book in a series. There is less emotional turmoil in this book and less angst. Don't get me wrong, I love emotions and how they're betrayed but at some points in the next two books I was getting tired of it.

Our protagonist is Ethan Wate. The story is told in first person which I like. It fits the story. Ethan lives in the small town of Gatlin in South Carolina with his dad and his second mom, Amma. Amma helped raise Ethan's dad and Ethan. A year ago, Ethan's mother died in a car accident. There are no secrets in this town. There is only one traffic light. There are no commercial stores like Wal-Mart or Target. All Ethan wants is to escape. Everyone is judgmental and a lot of them are bullies. If you don't conform then you are an outcast. Honestly, I wanted to punch most of them.

Ethan's been having extremely realistic dreams about a girl. When he wakes up he has scratches and dirt in his bed. He wakes up to a song playing on his iPod called Sixteen Moons. We find out the significance of that later. Sixteen Moons pops up throughout the book, sending out warnings.

On the first day of school, Ethan sees the girl from his dreams driving up in a hearse. Her name is Lena and she turns out to be the niece of Macon Ravenwood. Macon is the town shut in. He's the Boo Radley of Gatlin (his dog is named Boo Radley oddly enough). Already Lena is on the outside because of her relation. She does not get a warm welcome and everyone does their best to make it known that she is not welcome.

Eventually it is revealed that Lena and her family are Casters. Basically Casters are witches but they don't use that term. There are two types of Caster; Dark Casters and Light Casters. Easy enough to understand. On a Caster's sixteenth birthday they choose if they will be Dark or Light. Lena's family doesn't have this luxury. There is a curse on the family. This means the Casters can't choose, they get Chosen. This is a big deal. Lena does not want to go Dark and she's scared. Hell, I would be too. Through visions that Lena and Ethan share from an old locket, they learn the origin of the curse.

Link, Ethan's best friend, and Amma are probably my favorite characters. Amma is a superstitious seer. She talks to the Greats, her dead family members, and reads tarot cards. She uses charms to ward off evil. I like how she address Ethan. It's never "Ethan." It's always "Ethan Wate." Link is just a hilarious character. He provides some comic relief and he's just a good guy. He doesn't judge Lena and doesn't push Ethan away when everyone else in the school does. I like him.

This is a five star book. I highly recommend it. There is a lot of mystery and I like the world Stohl and Garcia created. It's not the usual paranormal world so I find it interesting. There are many twists and turns and some action that make this book fantastic.

They made this book into the movie but I'm so over watching the movies that have come from books so I refuse to watch it. I just can't see another book butchered.

Sixteen Moons

Previous Reviews:
Onyx (#2) by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars
Obsidian (#1) by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 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.

Fan Art and Its Awesomeness

I love fan art. I run across it all the time while on tumblr. There are some talented people out there who can just capture certain scenes and emotions. I follow a lot of fandom blogs on tumblr. Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Sherlock, etc. I've seen some pretty genius fan art. I've also seen a lot of terrible fan art.

I decided while I'm working on my review for Onyx (Book Two in the Lux series) that I would share some of my favorite works. There are some that I have used for reviews and others that I just can stare at. I'm also including some fanart from tv shows and movies because I think they're brilliant.

Enjoy!

Hazel and Augustus

Rose: Will I ever see you again?
Doctor: You can't.

Frozen

Rose and Eleven

Rue from The Hunger Games

Harry and Ginny

Katniss Everdeen

Races from Chronicles of Elantra

Farewell, Ponds by Saimain on deviantART

Harry and Ginny unwittingly find themselves
in muggle London a bit too close to Halloween

"If there is a life after this one,
let me meet you in it, James Carstairs"
- Will Herondale, Clockwork Princess

Sorcerer's Stone

Chamber of Secrets

Prisoner of Azkaban

Goblet of Fire

Order of the Phoenix

Half Blood Prince

Deathly Hallows

"I don’t want anything else in the world." - Clary, City of Glass

by Alice X. Zhang

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.

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 5 stars

by Doris (disanthus.com)
Book 1 in the Innkeeper Chronicles

Isn't the cover beautiful? Ilona and Gordon hired Doris and she did all kinds of artwork for the story and they all turned out really well. I love it. 

Clean Sweep (#1) by Ilona Andrews
5 stars

This was originally a free serial offered by Ilona and Gordon on their blog. We would get parts as the story was written. It is not something that I've ever come across before but it was really cool. My only annoyance with it was I couldn't continue reading until the end. It was never enough and I just wanted them to put the whole thing up to satisfy my need to know what happened next.

This is more of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy book rather than Urban Fantasy. It's a completely knew concept and captivated my attention from the beginning. Dina, the protagonist, is an Innkeeper. (I love her name too. It's so unique and just cool.) There are different Inns all over the place. Dina's parents were also Innkeepers but they disappeared one day without a trace. The lot where the Inn had been was vacant and no one has seen them since. After much wandering and searching, Dina comes across the Gertrude Hunt Inn. It's old and it had been vacant for so long that it was almost dying. Dina uses her magic and the Inn's magic and brings it back to life.

I find Dina's magic so interesting. She has this really cool broom that can take whatever shape she wants it to be. She can control the grounds of the Inn and the house itself. She's connected to it and the idea of the relationship between the Inn and Dina is so original.

We have interesting characters besides Dina. Sean is a werewolf who doesn't know his races' history. Werewolves are aliens and not from this world. He's not just any werewolf though. He's a special one which is always ten times more interesting. There is a definite connection between Dina and him. He is a typical Alpha male but I like him.

There is also a vampire element in this story. This particular breed of vampire is amazingly original. They're religious and crazy and I don't know where they came up with the idea. Arland is the main vampire we come across but there are a few others. The politics and the customs of vampires in this universe are crazy. They also have a different metabolism which makes for an extremely funny scene but I won't spoil it. Arland is really cool and definitely took an interest in Dina.

Finally we have Her Grace Caldenia ka ret Magren. She is an alien with two hearts. She paid for a lifetime stay at the Inn and cannot leave the grounds. Apparently she did some pretty crazy things and arrived with a herd of bounty hunters on her tail. She is a small character but she makes me laugh. It's just the things she says. The way she casually talks about eating humans is just so funny.

This is a short story, only 175 pages in the Nook format. There is some rule about word count but it was still good, despite it's length. I really enjoyed it and have reread it. Ilona Andrews even added a reference to the Guild Hunter series at the end of the book which made me smile. Innkeeper 2 will be coming out soon. I can't wait to start reading it again and finding out what happens next in Dina's life.