The Calling
Kelly Armstrong

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is--a skin-walker.  Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents. Including local bad boy Rafe, with whom she shares a powerful secret.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Stranded in wilderness of Vancouver Island with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. But can Maya really trust her friends? And can she learn how to control her dangerous gift, before it controls her?

Quotes from the book

"Yes," I said "You were saved by a girl. Horrible, isn't it?"

He slid out and looked down at my bare legs. "Not just a girl, but a half-naked one. Now that's hot. If I'm still unconscious, don't wake me, okay?"

********

"I'm just saying it's not time for that either. We need to focus and having Maya moon over Rafe is making everyone uncomfortable."

Rafe grinned. "Doesn't bother me."

********

"It's a road!"
I patted his back." It's a lovely road. Now which way do we go?"
Corey looked one way, the brown ribbon extending into emptiness. He looked the other way, saw the same thing and his shoulders slumped.
"Damn."

********

“And unless I'm remembering it wrong, mermaids don't sing and sirens don't swim."
"Ariel sang in 'The Little Mermaid'," Corey said.
Sam came over to join us. "Do I even want to know why you remember her name?”

 

My Thoughts


This is the second book in another wonderful series by Kelley Armstrong, The Darkness Rising trilogy. Although I have not reviewed the first book (It was really good, btw) I thought I would do this one... because it was a teensy weensy little bit better.

First of all the characters are AWESOME!!!!! Maya, Rafe and Daniel are just SO cool!

Maya
Maya is a really sweet girl, she's part Native, and she loves all animals and nature, she's also a shape shifter and she turns into a super cool cougar! She has healing powers and everything!

Rafe
Rafe is... well, Rafe I guess. He's definitely not perfect, but, he's extremely cool (read; hot & charming) he won't only win Maya's heart, he will steel and run away with yours as well! He's also a shape shifter (also a cougar) and Native which makes him even more awesome!

Daniel
Daniel is also charming, in his sad, still grieving over his girlfriends death, kinda way... he is a normal, non-magical human... well that's what he thinks anyway!

Secondly this book is fantastic! The drama is epic! and you, yet again, won't be able to put it down! Kelley is a fantastic writer, because she has taken a very common plot (genetically modified kids vs. evil corporation, that modified them in the first place) and made it really gripping and exciting!

And lastly! It's just a really good book! and it definitely deserves all the praise it gets plus some. Another fantastic story from Kelley Armstrong! I congratulate her!

Go ahead and read it. You wont be disapointed.

Fantabulous!

Happy Reading,



The Iron King

Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Quotes from the book

“I licked my lips and whispered, 'Is this where you say you'll kill me?'
One corner of his lips curled. 'If you like,' he murmured, a flicker of amusement finally crossing his face. 'Though it's gotten far too interesting for that.”

********

“Ash blinked. "Are you raiding the cellars now, Goodfellow?"

"Me? Stealing?" Puck flashed a devious grin and popped another fruit into his mouth. "In the house of my ancient enemy? What gave you that idea?" He plucked another fruit and tossed it to me with a wink.”

********

“He shook his head, examining the wound again. “It's not frostbitten,“ he muttered. “It'll blister, but you should be fine. You might only lose a couple fingers.“
I glanced at him sharply, but he was smirking. For a moment, I was speechless. Good God, the Ice Prince was making jokes now; the world must be ending.”

My Thoughts

This book is (by far) one of the best I have ever read! It is fantastic! 

The characters are interesting, and the main character, Meghan Chase, is easy to relate to (apart from the being half Fey thing) and Ash, don't even get me started on Ash! (upcoming YA Hottie) He comes across a bit nasty at the start, but he warms up and you start to realise who he really is.

The whole concept of a faery world existing just because people believe in them is really cool, and there are some serious twists and turns that you would never expect!

Best faery/fairy book I have read (and I've read a fair few) also one of the best YA books I have read! If you want to read a book that is compelling and impossible to put down, then this is definitely the book for YOU!

Hurry, go buy it and start it straight away, you don't want to miss out.

I'm so  in LOVE I think I've died and gone to heaven!

Happy Reading,

Trial by Fire

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack - or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you're a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he's a Were, and Bryn's protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn't part of Bryn's pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha's Were. With threats - old and new - looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she's going to have to do it alone.

QUOTES FROM THE BOOK:

“So," I said climbing to my feet and changing the subject ASAP, "I had a dream last night someone tried to burn me alive, and I'm not entirely sure it was a dream."
Devon stiffened. Chase's pupils pulsed.
Subject successfully changed.
"Now who's ready to eat?”

********

"Ouch!'' The cry escaped before I could stop it, and on either side of me, Chase and Devon leapt to their feet.
''Problem?'' Ali asked mildly, amusement dancing in the corners of her eyes. Given the whole Casey thing, I didn't think she had to call to be in such a good mood, but what did I know?
''No problem,'' I said darkly, rubbing my shin ''Somebody just accidentally kicked me under the table.'' I narrowed my eyes at lake, and she helped herself to another T-bone And smothered it in stake sauce.
''Wasn’t an accident'' She said cheerfully.
''Lake'' Mitch didn’t say any more than his daughters name and she rolled her eyes.
''It’s not like I shot her''

********

"Did you follow me here?" I asked.
Lake shrugged. "The word follow seems to suggest you got here first."

********

Although this book was not even close to being as good as the first, it was still pretty good. The thing that disappointed me the most was, how this book lacked ability to turn the page for you, not literally but metaphorically.

Another let down was the story line. It was no where near as fast paced or interesting as it could have been. Definitely could have been better, much better. But I won't let it deter me from reading more of Jennifer Lynn Barnes' work.

It was alright... I guess

Hugs,

Raised by Wolves

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. 

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

QUOTES FROM THE BOOK:

“Bryn, when you were six years old, you tried to bungee jump off a jungle gym by connecting the straps of your overalls to the bars with your shoelaces. Caution has never been your strong suit.”

******

“Katie nosed at the carpet and then gave it a good chew. When it proved recalcitrant enough that she couldn't pull it up, she growled.

"Who's a fierce little girl?" I asked her. "Who's going to kick butt and take names and help her big sister get into all kinds of trouble someday?"

Devon snorted. "Sometimes, I think the term bad influence was invented specifically with you in mind.”

******

“I'm Chase." he said.

"Kind of an ironic name for a werewolf." The observation slipped easily off my tongue. The boy didn't blink. In fact, I was beginning to doubt that he'd blink once since I'd come into the room. "Werewolves do a lot of chasing." I explained.

"And your name is Chase. Hee.”

******

This book is great!  I love how instead of a ‘Bad Boy’ there is a 'Bad Girl'. Bryn is AMAZING, she’s strong, tough (the toughest female character I have ever read about) and she won’t take NO for an answer!!! She is a total role model!

I would definitely recomend this book if you like reading books with strong, smart female characters (like Katniss from the Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins).

Over all the best werewolf story I have ever read.

I'm in LOVE!!!

Happy reading,



The Summoning

By Kelley Armstrong

                                              She sees dead people - and they see her

   Chloe Saunders used to have a pretty normal life. But that changed on the day she met her first ghost. Locked up in Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens, she finds out that there’s more to the home’s teen residents than meets the eye. Will Chloe be able to uncover the dangerous secrets of Lyle House…. Or will its skeletons come back to haunt her?

This thrilling first volume in the supernaturally charged Darkest Powers series by international bestselling author Kelley Armstrong will keep readers awake well into the darkest time of night.

QUOTES FROM THE BOOK:

“He pivoted, gaze following me as I crossed to the shower and turned on the cold water, so it would drown out our conversation without steaming up the room.
Great," he muttered."Now they're going to think we're showering together. Maybe we can just tell them we were washing off the crawl space dirt and trying to conserve water.”

******

“Wow. The guy can make me feel stupid even when he's telling me I don't have to let him make me feel stupid.”

******

“Simon: Anyone ever tell you your sense of timing really sucks?
Derek: That's why I don't play the drums. Now what's up?”

MY THOUGHTS:

This is my favorite book; it’s the 1^st in the best series I have ever read… and re-read. They really are different from most books in this genre, which is a good thing, because everyone likes something different every now and then J It draws you in and youn never want to put it down! Then when you’ve finished you HAVE to go and get the next book, because you HAVE to know what will happen next.

The plot is really good and well thought out, the characters are compelling and not unlike normal teens (except for the powers and genetic modification) and they are so easy to fall in love with, even if  you’ve only read a couple of pages,  you can feel their pain and happiness. It is amazing when authors can do things like that!

Chloe, the main character, is a petite blonde, who grew up with a nanny, housekeeper and designer clothes. She seems like a bit of a weakling at the start of the book, but as the story progresses she makes mistakes and decisions and begins to get stronger and more mature.

Derek is big, strong and muscly, but far from perfect. He’s covered in acne and even though he showers twice a day he looks like he’s never heard of soap… and unlike Chloe, Derek grew up in a science lab, always being monitored and studied by crazy scientists. Until he was adopted by Simon’s dad.

Simon is perfect. He’s Asian and he has blonde hair (his mum was Swedish) he’s cute, sweet and he’s always getting into fights, that Derek has to finish for him.

I could go on and on about this book so I think I’ll just stop here, as I don’t want to give everything away, because now YOU have to go read it for yourself!

I'm in LOVE!!!

Happy reading,

Shatter Me

By Tahereh Mafi

'YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME,'

I WISPER.

I'M LYING'

IS WHAT I DON'T TELL HIM.

HE CAN TOUCH ME,

IS WHAT I'LL NEVER TELL HIM.

PLEASE TOUCH ME,

IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL HIM.

But things happen when people touch me.

Strange things.

Bad things.

DEAD THINGS.

No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal – but the Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time – and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

MY THOUGHTS: 

WOW! This book has been sitting in my To-Read pile for a while now, but I’m so glad I finally read it. It’s amazing! Before I even finished the book it was half way up my Top 10 Faves list. Shatter Me really is a truly amazing book, it draws you in from the very first page, and then you can’t put it down until you’ve finished it.  If you’re a Teen reader looking for the perfect dystopian romance novel… then you have just found it.

The main character, Juliette, has been locked in a cell, in an insane asylum for 264 days. She’s not crazy, but almost every time she touches someone they die. So it’s probably the safest option.  She is one of those supernaturals that think they’re all alone in the world, that she’s the only one with a power, I love this, (‘cause it’s funny when they find out there are hundreds more) Juliette is sooooo strong! Woo hoo girl power!  She’s always saving people and sometimes even trying to kill them.

Adam.... well what can I say?

              Adam's good points:                                                Adam's bad points:

• He's drop-dead gorgeous                                  Pft, Adam doesn't have bad points       
• He's strong
• He's tough
• He never gives up
• He always looks out for Juliette

Adam is a lovable badboy; he’s totally hard core and sweet at the same time… enough said?  

This book really is amazing, I think I could say that a thousand times and you still wouldn’t know how great it is!

        'Addictive, intense, and oozing with romance'

Lauren Kate; author of Fallen

                                       

Shatter Me is definitely a book worth reading again and again and again. So go and put it on your to read list right N.O.W! 

  I'm in LOVE!

Happyreading,