Audio Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me
(Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Narrator: Kate Simses
Release: February 4, 2014
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Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew - about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam - was wrong.

Review:

I'm not sure my review of Ignite Me is going to really describe my feelings for the book, but I'll try my best. I just finishing the audio less than an hour ago, so I'm still coming down from my Mafi high. Bare with me. There has been so much growth among the characters, so many twists and turns, and everything has come full circle.

Some readers have had difficulty with the introduction of Warner as a real love interest for Juliette in Unravel Me, but I made the decision to go along for the ride and see where Tahereh Mafi would take things. I adored Adam in the first book, but in the sequel I could see the appeal of Warner. Okay, I freaking loved me some Warner in the sequel. The way he understood the dark and twisty parts of Juliette that Adam didn't get. The way they were both broken and unstable - in different ways mind you, but broken still the same. There was a connection there that I understood. In this third and final book in the series, I see Juliette's attraction to both guys, what keeps her attached to both Adam and Warner for different reasons, but I just have to get behind Team Warner. Adam has always supported Juliette, but never really believed she could stand on her own. Warner not only supported her, but encouraged her to become something more. Plus...he's the BAD BOY. Do I really have to say anything else? I mean, he's literally The. Bad. Guy.

There are few things I like better than when an author takes a 'bad guy' character and shows how he grows and changes to become a better person because of his love for the heroine. In Ignite Me, we get to see both Warner and Juliette maturing and becoming stronger, both in very different ways. And, as Juliette becomes a new person, I began to believe that she really could lead a resistance against the Reestablishment. Mafi took a weak teenage girl who was a half-crazy captive and turned her into someone powerful and independent. It's been amazing to watch her throughout the trilogy and I'm so happy with a lot of the choices Mafi made with Juliette.

Ignite Me answers pretty much all of readers' questions from previous books. In fact, the first several chapters almost felt like they were bordering on info-dump land with all the information that was being laid at our feet. But after those chapters the story took off in so many different directions I was almost holding my breath every time I was listening. I never knew what would happen - what plot twists might be coming, what would happen with the love triangle, if all my favorite characters would make it out alive, etc.

There's not really a lot of action in this book, but really, has there been a lot of action in any of the books? This series has always been more about Juliette's self-discovery, her inner thoughts, her feelings for Adam and Warner, and her desperation to be something more. This has never been an action packed urban fantasy. This is Juliette's story. With that said, there is a war going on throughout the book and enough of that action is shown for us to understand the fighting and the battles. I loved scenes where Juliette used her powers since in previous books she could barely control what she could do. I like where the book ended a lot too. It felt like enough of the story to feel complete, but Mafi doesn't overdo it with wrapping and a bow. It was perfect.

There are some really emotionally intense scenes, some hot hot hot scenes, some scenes that brought tears to my eyes, some scenes that made me angry for certain characters, and some more HOT HOT HOT scenes. This book is seriously all over the place emotionally. It took me on a crazy ass journey and I'm so sad that there are no more books in this series! I am SUPER excited to find out what Mafi will be working on next. She can take me on a crazy ride ANYTIME.

I loved loved loved this book so hard. The end.

Recommended for fans of: character growth, love triangles, dystopians, X-men, Kenji, bad boys, and holding your breath.

Notes on the Narrator: I read the first two books in this series in print, but I wanted to listen to this one on audio because I heard it was really good. The narrator sounds very young and small, a perfect fit for Juliette. She's tender and scared when needed and strong when needed. I seriously think this book was even more incredible due to listening to it on audio. I almost want to go back and listen to the other two now! Her voices for Warner and Adam were perfect and her Kenji voice - high pitched and snarky - was great. Highly recommend the audio for this series!

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)

Review: Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight
(The Arcana Chronicles #2)
Kresley Cole
Release: October 1, 2013
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In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

Shocking Secrets
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected Allies
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-Wrenching Treachery
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she's drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can't remember—but Death can't forget.

Review:

Endless Knight is the second in Cole's young adult series, The Arcane Chronicles. The first in this series, Poison Princess, was one of my favorite reads of last year, young adult or otherwise, and this sequel has been on my 'most anticipated' list for the whole year. Endless Knight lived up to all of my expectations and wowed me, proving once again why Kresley Cole is such a force to be reckoned with in the writing world!

I just love everything about the world in The Arcana Chronicles and in this sequel we get to delve even further into this world. The scorched earth, the apocalyptic aftermath, the characters from Tarot cards brought to life in a killed-or-be-killed tournament to the death...what's not to love? Everything is so original and well-thought out that readers can't help but get lost in this world.

All of the teenage characters manage to feel like realistic teens - from Evie's real anxiety about the possibility of having sex with Jack for the first time to Finn's nervous flirtations with a newcomer - but at the same time they feel deep and complex. Evie is battling her inner villain and trying to grasp the nuances of this new Arcana world. We get to see a lot more of her powers in this book and I feel like we're getting to see Evie grow and flourish in her abilities. At first, when we learned what her abilities were, I didn't really grasp how powerful she could be. But, with the end of the previous book and what we see from her in this one, I'm certainly impressed by her wide range of abilities and how she can control nature.

Jack is trying to come to grips with what he saw of Evie at the end of Poison Princess, and let's just say he's not taking it well. But, Jack and Evie's passion for each other flies off the pages and I love my Cajun man! Team Jack!

Death becomes an even more important character in this one, as we finally get to meet him and see his interactions with Evie and other Arcana. He is a complicated fellow, that Death, and I certainly learned more about him than I expected. I predicted that he and Evie had some sort of history that was going to be vital to this story, but I was totally surprised by the details of it and blown away when I found myself momentarily screaming Team Death! (momentarily)

If you're looking for an epic world to get lost in, then check out both books in this series. If you were a fan of Poison Princess then you will be completely beside yourself while reading Endless Knight and when you're finished you'll be begging Ms. Cole for MORE!

Recommended for fans of: world-bulding, characters with magical abilities, comic book heroes, Tarot, and the Shatter Me series.

This review is baed on a finished copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  5 /5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess
(The Infernal Devices)
Cassandra Clare
Release: March 19, 2013
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Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Review:

*Spoiler-free review*

When I first started The Infernal Devices trilogy it was clear to me that it far surpassed The Mortal Instruments. It has all the same world building and excitement of the Shadowhunters, but being set in the late 1800's in London there is just something extra special about this Shadowhunter world. The historical aspect, the location outside the U.S., and the occasional steampunk elements make this spinoff even more unique and fun than its predecessor. And the emotions in this trilogy are off the charts, even more than anything Jace, Clary, Alec, and Isabelle have experienced.

As in the other two books in the trilogy, Mortmain is after Tessa and will stop at nothing to steal her away from the Shadowhunters. Also as in the other books, Mortmain is more of a constant threat lingering over the characters than a villain who we see regularly. At the times when he does appear in the plot he is just as evil and underhanded as before. Through Mortmain, as well as some other characters, we learn about Tessa's past and finally find out exactly who and what she is.

Another bit of a threat in this book comes from the Shadowhunter's Consul, and his constant backstabbing to try and remove Charlotte's credibility and threats to take away her job as head of the London Institute. This was a side plot that intertwined Gabriel and Gideon Lightwood and I was almost as anxious as this as I was about Mortmain.

Tessa is a torn women for most of this book, but brave and loyal. She is a very honorable character, putting aside her feelings for Will and making him think she doesn't love him in order to try and make him forget his feelings for her. She truly does love both Jem and Will equally, something we don't often see in a love triangle, and I never ever felt like she was just engaged to Jem because he was slowly dying. That is something impressive that author Cassandra Clare did with this series, she made a love triangle where everyone actually loves everyone else. Will and Jem have their special brotherly type of love because they are parabati, and it truly makes neither of them wish unhappiness on the other. And Tessa truly loves both Will and Jem.

Will's temper and attitude have evened out a little in Clockwork Princess, ever since he found out his curse wasn't really a curse. But now those traits have been replaced with his burning desire for Tessa and his absolute refusal to do anything that would come between her and Jem. It's beautiful but heartbreaking, really, to see him struggle with this. Jem faces down his own issues here, as he is fighting death, as he always has, but its creeping up on him faster than it was before.

I know what you want to hear: Who does she pick in the end? But, as this is a spoiler-free review I'm not going to tell you (Where would the fun be in that anyway?). I will tell you that the way Clare works out this love triangle is beautiful and perfect. I cried off and on for most of the second half of the book, but they were both sad tears and happy tears. I was blubbering like a small baby, if you must know. This series just brings out the giant crybaby in me, apparently. As many of the predictions I've seen readers making prior to the book's release turned out to be spot on as those that were completely off base. Still, other aspects of the story's ending I just plain didn't see coming.

There are several side plot romances going on here as well and I loved seeing other characters find their own happy endings.

In the end, Clare brings the trilogy full circle and I closed the book happy and satisfied (in fact, I think I hugged it for a little while as well). I'm sad that The Infernal Devices is over, but I am so so so glad that I had the pleasure of reading it.

Recommended for fans of: The Shadowhunter world, love triangles, honorable and smart young adult characters, The Mortal Instruments, and ugly crying until your face is swollen and red

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1)
Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2)

Early Review: Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Twice Tempted
(Night Prince #2)
Jeaniene Frost
Release: March 26, 2013
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Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

Review:

Twice Tempted is the second book in the Night Prince series, better known as 'Vlad's books'. These spinoffs of Frost's Night Huntress series have been highly anticipated due to readers love of Vlad, myself included. In the first Vlad book, Once Burned, I found myself loving the book for what it was, a great mix and urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but slightly disappointed in the lack of usual Vlad snark. I was also caught off guard that the book was told from the first person POV of new character, and eventual love interest of Vlad, Leila. I'm not sure who I thought would be narrating these books, but I wasn't ready to get inside the head of a new lady when what I really wanted was Vlad. Don't get me wrong, I still loved the book and rated it 4.5 stars, I had just been looking for something a little different. A case of a reader starting a book with different expectations I guess.

Fast forward to me starting Twice Tempted. I know Leila as a character now, and have found her likable, strong, and a good match for my man, Vlad. She doesn't just swoon and take his shit. She demands more from him and she's a heroine I can respect. I know now what to expect now from Vlad in these books. He's not trading snarky insults with Bones or building a friendship with Cat. We are seeing him in his element as a Prince and leader of his people, and he rules with an iron fist. Not a lot of time for snark (although Frost does manage to slip it in there occasionally). I knew what to expect from this book and that made me so much more involved in it. I read it straight through for six hours without stopping and devoured every bit of it.

Vlad is powerful, confident, and unyielding. But, its his strength, and his own awareness of that strength, that makes him so sexy. All of these traits carry over into his relationship with Leila and cause some rifts between them. Needless to say, when this book begins they are having some problems. These problems lead to Leila leaving Romania and attempting to re-join carnival life with Marty, her vampire best friend. The plot focuses on two things: the search for the dangerous someone who is out to kidnap or kill Leila and Vlad and Leila trying to reach a common ground in their relationship. Of course these two plots intertwine as Leila continually puts herself in dangerous situations to find the 'bad guy', Vlad tries to force her not to be reckless, and the two argue about whether or not Vlad is in love with Leila.

This book actually felt a little like some of the old school Cat and Bones books, before their relationship was secure and they became a steadfast team. Vlad and Leila go through some similar situations and I love that Frost didn't give them an HEA at the end of book one and is really making them both work for it.

A LOT happens in this book, involving both the plot and the relationship. By the end, readers will feel rewarded and excited to see where the last in the trilogy will take Vlad and Leila. I am impressed with how well Frost has written the complicated relationship between these two: a damaged heroine just beginning to understand her own strength and an all-powerful Master vampire famous for instilling fear and respect who is learning that he can love and be loved in return. Their relationship is very difficult and I enjoyed reading how Frost pushes each of them to their limits with each other.

Twice Tempted is an exciting and sexy read that I greedily devoured. It left me saying "More Vlad!" and I can't wait for the next one!

Recommended for fans of: Vlad (duh), urban fantasy romance, vampire romance, complicated relationships, and hot sex that rivals Chapter 32 (oh yay, I'm serious).

This review is based on an advanced copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Once Burned (Night Prince #1)

Review: Renegade by J.A. Souders

Renegade
(Elysium #1)
J.A. Souders
Release: November 13, 2012
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Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.
But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren’t under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

Review:

Renegade is the first in a new series by debut author J.A. Souders that completely blew me away. An original premise, fast pace, and characters to root for made this one one of my favorite reads of 2013 so far.

Don't let the pretty cover fool you. While the beautiful cover shows the idealistic, underwater utopia that the story is set in, the story itself is slightly grittier and tension filled. I absolutely loved the idea of a group of humans escaping a dystopian future world by building a city under the ocean. Unfortunately, things go a little wonky and this would-be utopia becomes more like an undersea hell with one scary lady in charge. 'Mother' is everything you should want in a villain: a controlled facade covering a seriously disturbed individual, someone unpredictable for the characters to be genuinely scared of, and one seriously creepy lady.

Evelyn is our main character. She is Elysium's "Daughter of the People", a title with duties similar to a princess. She lives under Mother's thumb with no idea of the horrors Mother has inflicted on her throughout her life. Mostly, that's because Mother is controlling Evelyn's memories and wiping them at her convenience. The first time this is shown to the reader at the story's creative opening I was immediately sucked in. As Evelyn's memories return shakily throughout the story we learn more and more about her crazy upbringing and the heartbreaking savagery that she has endured but doesn't even remember.

Enter Gavin, a "surface dweller" from the land above who accidentally winds up stuck underwater in the city of Elysium. Gavin has become one of my favorite YA boys as of late. I loved how he wasn't wimpy and emo at all and really 'went for it' with Evelyn. And bless Evie for never thinking "OMG Does he like me? What does that mean? How do I feel about him?" Instead, the author shows how Evelyn and Gavin's relationship grows stronger as the plot races along. And while there is a little bit of insta-love, I found myself understanding why they grew so close so quickly - running for your lives will do that! Plus, Gavin is hot, so......

I was really surprised and impressed by this debut and I highly recommend giving it a try. The writing is great and the fast paced plot, with a real feeling of the tension that Evelyn and Gavin are facing without any annoying plot devices, moves along nicely. This mesh of dystopia, utopia, and sci-fi will leave readers gasping for air and begging for the sequel.

Recommended for fans of: utopian societies gone haywire, scary as hell mothers, The Lux series by J.L. Armentrout, and the Divergent series by Veronica Roth.

    

  5 / 5 stars

Early Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet
(Lunar Chronicles #2)
Marissa Meyer
Release: February 5, 2013
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Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review:

Scarlet is the long-awaited sequel to last year's hit, Cinder, by debut author Marissa Meyer. I was completely in love with Cinder and had this sequel on my highly anticipated list. I'm happy to say that Scarlet does not disappoint, folks! If you loved the first book you will adore this one.

Scarlet actually begins with Cinder, believe it or not. Those of you wondering how Meyer would keep her promise and show us more Cinder and Kai in this book, have no fear! Meyer fulfills her promise by managing to weave Cinder and Kai's stories seamlessly into that of Scarlet and Wolf's and we get multiple chapters from each of those character's POV. It's actually rather amazing to see how everything comes together and how each of the four individual characters' own plots ties in with everyone else's. I am impressed by Meyer's ability to connect the dots in ways that are just complicated enough to be astonishing but not so complicated as to confuse readers.

Our new heroine in this book is Scarlet, loosely based on the girl from Little Red Riding Hood. She is very tough and independent, but at the same time likable. Her narration is similar to Cinder's, but you can tell the difference between Cinder's sometimes hesitant confidence and Scarlet's better understanding of herself.

Scarlet's love interest is, of course, a guy named Wolf (love it!) who is a mysterious street fighter. He takes an interest in Scarlet almost right away and I was constantly wondering if his interest was genuine or if something more was going on. I loved his character and all the unexpected things we learned about him as the story moved along.

Readers are also introduced to a new character, Captain Carswell Thorne, a helpful but blundering young man who fancies himself a ship captain. He aids in Cinder's jailbreak at the story's beginning and they spend a lot of time together during Cinder's plot line. I am really looking forward to seeing more of him in the next book because he is a wonderful addition to the series!

It was also wonderful to be back in the unique world Meyer has created with her Lunar Chronicles series. All the new fangled sci-fi tools along with the combination of humans, lunars, supernaturals, and cyborgs in the well-imagined future world is a fun place to be. I am now placing book three in this series, Cress, on my highly anticipated list for next year!

Recommended for fans of: Cinder, young adult sci-fi, strong heroines and fun characters, fairy tale retellings, and snarky artificial intelligence.

This review is based on an advance copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)