Review: Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion #2) by Aimee Carter

Captive

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 299

Publisher/Source: Harlequin Teen Australia

Release date: 25^th November 2014

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the first book

Captive is the second book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series and begins where Pawn left off.

Everything was certainly kicked up a notch in Captive – the intense action, betrayals and surprise plot twists had my mind spinning but I loved each and every moment.

Kitty’s reckless behaviour drove me crazy in the first book and it is probably worse in Captive unfortunately but in saying this she is a generous character who thinks of others before herself, especially when it came to Benjy who I have come to really like but for the first part of the book I still felt he was a bit of a mystery and we didn’t know enough about him, I also still feel they are suited more as friends and even though Knox could be a complete ass and was extremely frustrating, I preferred him as the love interest for some silly reason.

As we know, in the first book Kitty had been masked to become Lila Hart and the decisions she has had to make in order to survive have been extremely difficult with a lot of sacrifices needing to be made. Her world is now more hostile than what we knew it in Pawn and as a result she ends up where she was most afraid of – Elsewhere, which was brutal. 

The plot is fast-paced with some wonderful action sequences, the villain is written to perfection and we are introduced to a wonderful secondary cast who each play a pivotal role in the overall story.

Captive started off slowly for me but it soon picked up and delivered action and surprising plot twists, leaving me flipping the pages wanting to know what would happen. The world-building is original but I still feel there are certain aspects which are lacking when it comes to the details of how it all came about, it was hinted at and unless I have missed something I felt it was lacking.

Overall, Captive delivered an action-packed thrill ride that I was almost unwilling to let go of when it ended. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series Queen which has an anticipated 2015 release date. 

Thank you to Harlequin Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Captive.

About the author: Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She is the author of several series, including The Goddess Test series, The Blackcoat Rebellion series, and the Simon Thorn series.

QUEEN (#3 of The Blackcoat Rebellion) will be released on November 24th, 2015.

SIMON THORN AND THE WOLF'S DEN (#1 of the Simon Thorn series, Bloomsbury) will be released February 2, 2016.

Review: Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa

Rogue

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Talon #2

Pages: 464

Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia

Release date: 1^st May 2015

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. 

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. 

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the first book!

To be completely honest, the first book in the Talon series by Julie Kagawa didn’t wow me, there were a number of aspects I didn’t enjoy – the main being the lack of background information and dragon appearances but everything has been kicked up a notch in the sequel and I found myself engrossed in Julie Kagawa’s storytelling.

After the events that happened at the end of Talon, Ember Hill, now considered a traitor to Talon and rogue dragon, Riley set out to rescue soldier, Garret Sebastian who is being held for treason for betraying the Order of St George who he has always been fiercely loyal to.

The characters are further developed in Rogue and we begin to understand more about their motives and reasons for decisions they have made; we get the POV’s from not only Ember but also Garret, Riley and Dante, I did find myself skimming Dante at times, I didn’t find him as interesting as the other characters and his betrayal grated on my nerves. I did love Cobalt/Riley, I found his back-story to be extremely interesting and to be honest I love him with Ember BUT we do have a love-triangle and I am still finding myself a little indifferent towards Garret, he just doesn’t interest me unfortunately. Speaking of love-triangle, I find it to be completely unnecessary and pointless; it seems to be included to create more tension which isn’t needed and since book one I just can’t see a dragon matched with a human.

The plot flows at a steady pace and I really enjoyed learning more about Talon as well as the rogues; there were many surprises and twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. We are thrust into action and many dangerous situations from the onset which I always enjoy.

Julie Kagawa’s writing is wonderfully creative, the setting is vivid and the story is gripping but the ending OMG! What an unexpected shock so I am super eager to get hold of the next book in the series.

Overall, Rogue is an entertaining YA shifter tale that had me eager for more as I was reading along, whilst some parts were predictable others had me gaping. Rogue is an engrossing, exciting sequel to Talon.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen Australia for the opportunity to read and revie Rogue.

Fave Quotes:

“There was no way I was going to let him die. He was my other half; without him, I felt incomplete. I wasn't sure if this was my dragon talking or me,but I couldn't imagine a world without Riley.” 

“That's okay. If we are attacked by zombies I don't have to run fast. I just have to run faster than you.” 

About the author: Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey and Blood of Eden series was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time (okay, at least the illustrations did), but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a
real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, an obnoxious cat, an Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and a hyper-active Papillion.

Cover reveal - Every Last Breath (Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L Armentrout

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout!! EVERY LAST BREATH is a Young Adult Paranormal being published by Harlequin Teen and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements Series. It is being released on July 28^th, 2015. Pre-order EVERY LAST BREATH and then be sure to read the first books in this amazing series before its release!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis: 

Some loves will last 'til your dying breath Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust. Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell… 

“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!” --New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter “Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.” --#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

And we have a surprise for you! The first books in the series have been given a new look too!!

Don't miss the previous titles in The Dark Elements Series-now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them HERE!

For best results when downloading the new cover jackets:

• Print on 8.5x14" (Legal paper)
• Use landscape or horizontal setting = 8.5" tall x 14" wide
• Print at 100% scale or "actual size"
• Print with the image centered on page
• Fold and trim to fit

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** Walmart

  WHITE HOT KISS synopsis: 

One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

  

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: 

Every touch has its price Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And the Prequel Novella, BITTER SWEET LOVE...

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** BAM ** Kobo

  BITTER SWEET LOVE Synopsis: 

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons. Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally. And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again… 

"With her signature flare for combining humor, romance and action, Armentrout weaves a fast-paced read that will have readers' hearts racing in more ways than one. Like Armentrout's previous heroines, Jasmine is fun and full of attitude, while Dez is as snarky as he is sexy. This is a must read for new and old fans alike!" -RT Book Reviews  

Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | EVERY LAST BREATH Goodreads | STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads | WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads | BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads

 

Review: Captive (Blackcoat Rebellion #2) by Aimee Carter

Captive

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion

Pages: 304

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: 25^th November 2014

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Captive is the second book in the Blackcoat Rebellion series and begins where Pawn left off.

Everything was certainly kicked up a notch in Captive – the intense action, betrayals and surprise plot twists had my mind spinning but I loved each and every moment.

Kitty’s reckless behaviour drove me crazy in the first book and it is probably worse in Captive unfortunately but in saying this she is a generous character who thinks of others before herself, especially when it came to Benjy who I have come to really like but for the first part of the book I still felt he was a bit of a mystery and we didn’t know enough about him, I also still feel they are suited more as friends and even though Knox could be a complete ass and was extremely frustrating, I preferred him as the love interest for some silly reason.

As we know, in the first book Kitty had been masked to become Lila Hart and the decisions she has had to make in order to survive have been extremely difficult with a lot of sacrifices needing to be made. Her world is now more hostile than what we knew it in Pawn and as a result she ends up where she was most afraid of – Elsewhere, which was brutal.  

The plot is fast-paced with some wonderful action sequences, the villain is written to perfection and we are introduced to a wonderful secondary cast who each play a pivotal role in the overall story. Captive started off slow for me but it soon picked up and delivered action and surprising plot twists, leaving me flipping the pages wanting to know what would happen. The world-building is original but I still feel there are certain aspects which are lacking when it comes to the details of how it all came about, it was hinted at and unless I have missed something I felt it was lacking.

Overall, Captive delivered an action-packed thrill ride that I was almost unwilling to let go of when it ended. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series Queen which has an anticipated 2015 release date.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Captive.

About the author: 

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. Her first novel for young adults, THE GODDESS TEST, will be published by Harlequin Teen on April 19th, 2011. The sequel, GODDESS INTERRUPTED, will follow in January 2012.

Find her on Twitter at @aimee_carter.

Review: Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun

Rain

Author: Amanda Sun

Series: Paper Gods

Pages: 304

Publisher/Source: Harlequin Teen

Amazon:
Release date: 24^th June 2014

Synopsis (Goodreads): American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control. When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

** Contains possible spoilers from the first book**

Rain is the second book in the Paper Gods series by Amanda Sun, I enjoyed the first book in the series, Ink despite a few minor issues so I was eager to dive back in to the unique world the author has created.

Rain begins where Ink ended; Katie Green has remained in Japan and is continuing to learn about the culture and the ways of the Kami, which her boyfriend Tomohiro is still trying to understand as he is directly connected to the ancient gods and of his dark heritage.

The characters are wonderful, Katie is still fumbling in a new country and Tomohiro is at odds with what he is so tries to avoid this important aspect but together they work through it all and do it well. Jun also makes a return, I quite liked him in the first book and in this I never quite knew whether he could be trusted or not, I liked the overall role he ended up playing. Each of the supporting characters was written well and interacted in a believable way.

The plot is most intriguing and is becoming more complex as we learn about the Kami mythology, ancestry, the real life paper drawings and the evilness which is following, I definitely enjoyed this sequel a lot more than the first book, unanswered questions were revealed and characters were further developed. One of the things I have most enjoyed is the customs, legends and traditional aspects; it is creative and unique amongst other YA fantasy novels which I have appreciated.

Amanda Sun’s writing is beautifully details and the setting is vividly described as was the cultural aspect. It all came together nicely and made for a riveting read. And mention should go to this series beautiful covers, they are stunning!

Thank you to Harlequin Teen Australia for the opportunity to read and review Rain by Amanda Sun.

About the author: I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then. In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room. The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

   

 

Waiting on Wednesday - The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) by Jeaniene Frost

 

Hi everyone!! thank-you so much for stopping by today.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW for this week is The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost which is the first book in the Broken Destiny series, as a huge fan of this author I am SUPER excited to read this.

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Series:  Broken Destiny

Genre: New adult

Amazon pre-order

Publisher: Harlequin

Release date: 26^th August 2014

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate. 

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her. 

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

What are most anticipating this week?